Author: Alex Billington

"The sign posts are all there - whether we choose to see them or not." What is this strange black liquid in here? BritBox has debuted the first US teaser trailer for a British crime series titled Passenger, arriving for streaming in the US in October later this year. It first launched in the UK on ITV back in March - that's quite a long wait for it to arrive for streaming in the US but so be it. Wunmi Mosaku stars as the ambitious detective in this darkly comic and twisty crime drama. Strange crimes start happening in Chadder Vale, but who - or what is behind them? As a series of particularly odd happenings and increasingly shocking crimes start unfolding within the town, Riya fights hard to convince the local villagers that all is not as it seems. The series cast includes David Threlfall, Daniel Ryan, Jo Hartley, Rowan Robinson, Barry Sloane, Natalie Gavin, Hubert Hanowicz, and Arian Nik. Such a funny name for a town - Chadder Vale. Alas, it's not a real place. (Or is it...??) ...

"Your DNA was found at the scene." "They could put you away forever." Apple has unveiled a new trailer for the crime thriller series Presumed Innocent, streaming this June. This is about a horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorneys' office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. The series is based on the acclaimed book of the same name written by Scott Turow. The description: "This story brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes." The star-studded ensemble cast in here features Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich, with Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, O-T Fagbenle, Chase Infiniti, Nana Mensah, Renate Reinsve, Peter Sarsgaard, Kingston Rumi Southwick, as well as Elizabeth Marvel. More from the book: "It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial--including his own life." This looks like a good series for people who love sneaky, ...

"You carry a Jedi weapon, but you are no Jedi." Disney+ has revealed a behind-the-scenes featurette for the Star Wars series called The Acolyte, which will start streaming in June. Showrun by Bachelorette and "Russian Doll" creator Leslye Headland. At the end of the High Republic era in a time of "shadowy secrets and emerging dark side powers", approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes against Jedi, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. This series stars Amandla Stenberg as Mae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Margarita Levieva, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss as Jedi master Indara, and Joonas Suotamo as Wookiee Jedi master Kelnacca. This video focuses on talented Korean actor Lee Jung-jae as Jedi master Sol (who they all refer to as "JJ"). His appearance in this series as Sol is one of the main reasons I'm excited to watch this. I dig him and I'm glad they gave him a seriously legit role in ...

"Leave now! And tell your kind about me... Tell your kind a new God will soon rule!" Oh damn!! Holy hell this is awesome. A badass fan-film has debuted online called Logan the Wolf, made by a French stuntman / filmmaker / fight choreographer named Godefroy Ryckewaert. He's most recently worked as a fighter choreographer on The Witcher series, and also the upcoming The Crow remake. Set in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, the 12-minute short film follows Logan as he navigates a hostile environment, facing both old and new enemies. The narrative focuses on Logan's struggle with the burden of his past. This looks like it's inspired by the underrated French action film Brotherhood of the Wolf. It reinvents Wolverine as if he were a fighter in a time with Vikings and fur-clad warriors. It's extremely violent & uber brutal, and is pretty much one giant 10 minute action sequence with kick ass stunt work from Ryckewaert's team. This fan film stars Maxime Ecoiffier as Logan. There's one another Marvel character who shows up in here, too. Enjoy. Thanks to Twitter ...

"This is about more than just my Dad, I need to know the truth." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for an action thriller titled Trigger Warning, arriving for streaming on Netflix this June. Another of their big summer action movie offerings coming up soon. Jessica Alba stars as a skilled Special Forces commando who takes ownership of her father's bar after he suddenly dies, and soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown. Unsure of who she can truly trust, Parker draws on her commando training and proves herself a force to be reckoned with as she hunts down the truth and attempts to right what has gone wrong in Swann County, with the help of her covert ops partner / hacker Spider, and the connected local dealer Mike. The ensemble cast also includes Mark Webber, Tone Bell, Jake Weary, Gabriel Basso, Anthony Michael Hall, Kaiwi Lyman, and Hari Dhillon. If you think all the action in this looks legit, that's because it is made by an Indonesian director named Mouly Surya. A ...

"What if history were different?!" Amazon's Prime Video has revealed the official trailer for a series titled My Lady Jane, arriving for streaming in June this summer. It's yet another of these spins on the damsel in distress trope by turning the ladies into the badass heroines who do the rescuing instead of being the one rescued (also see: Netflix's Damsel). History's most tragic heroines but re-imagined with an uplifting twist: the damsel in distress saves herself - and then the kingdom. This is adapted from the book of the same name about "The Lady Janies". Emily Bader stars as Lady Jane Grey, with an ensemble cast featuring Edward Bluemel, Jordan Peters, Anna Chancellor, Dominic Cooper, Kate O'Flynn, Rob Brydon, Abbie Hern, Isabella Brownson, Will Keen. At the center of this swashbuckling new series is the brilliant and headstrong Jane, who is shocked to be crowned queen and then finds herself the target of nefarious villains coming for the crown (and her head)... My Lady Jane is an epic tale of true love and high adventure. This looks like a ...

"What if history were different?!" Amazon's Prime Video has revealed the official trailer for a series titled My Lady Jane, arriving for streaming in June this summer. It's yet another of these spins on the damsel in distress trope by turning the ladies into the badass heroines who do the rescuing instead of being the one rescued (also see: Netflix's Damsel). History's most tragic heroines but re-imagined with an uplifting twist: the damsel in distress saves herself - and then the kingdom. This is adapted from the book of the same name about "The Lady Janies". Emily Bader stars as Lady Jane Grey, with an ensemble cast featuring Edward Bluemel, Jordan Peters, Anna Chancellor, Dominic Cooper, Kate O'Flynn, Rob Brydon, Abbie Hern, Isabella Brownson, Will Keen. At the center of this swashbuckling new series is the brilliant and headstrong Jane, who is shocked to be crowned queen and then finds herself the target of nefarious villains coming for the crown (and her head)... My Lady Jane is an epic tale of true love and high adventure. This looks like a ...

Are dogs more than just "things" that someone owns? Should they be considered in the same way as human beings when it comes to law and courts? Can animals be tried in court on their own separate from their owner? These are the important questions at the heart of this delightful, eccentric, amusing Swiss comedy called Dog on Trial. Originally known as Le Procès du Chien in French (the film was also titled Who Let the Dog Bite? in English but then changed just before the festival) the film is premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in the same section as the other amazing dog film this year - Black Dog (read my review). It's more of a mainstream, kooky, laugh-your-butt-off comedy than most films playing at Cannes, which is fine, because it's still a great time. And it's also a dog lover's movie, once again, though with a caveat as it's more emotional than some might be able to handle. It's the story of a good dog being put on trial in Switzerland. Dog on Trial is written and ...

"The normal thing for a band to do would to be to keep on toward the bright, shining lights – but instead we went completely in another direction." Roadshow Films has revealed an official trailer for an Australian rock documentary film titled Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, about popular Aussie rock band called Midnight Oil. This will be premiering at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival in just a few weeks before it opens in theaters in Australia right after (though no US release set yet). "Contrary. Passionate. Outspoken." Over 45 years Midnight Oil has helped shape modern Australia. This is their trailblazing story for the first time on film. Paul Clarke's doc Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line is the definitive story of the seminal Australian rock group tracing their origins from the politically charged atmosphere of the 1970s to their rise as global icons. The group was originally formed in Sydney in 1972, and launched their first album in 1978, playing reunion tours in 2005 and 2009. Once again, it's so great to see a successful band take a strong ...

"There's no timeline to figuring it out." Max has unveiled an official trailer for the indie film Am I Ok?, which is finally getting released this year. This one originally premiered back in 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. It's an LGBTQ self-discovery romantic comedy where a woman starts to figure out she's a lesbian and tries dating one of her best friends. Max will stream Am I Ok?, co-directed by Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne, starting in June. Lucy and Jane have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Jane announces she will be moving to London, Lucy reveals a long-held secret. As Jane tries to help Lucy, their friendship is thrown into chaos. Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, and with Sonoya Mizuno as Jane, plus Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon, Sean Hayes, and Tig Notaro. I saw this at Sundance two years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, it's sweet and charming and funny. Worth a look ...