Netflix is having a big week. With the release of Blonde and Entergalactic, the streamer is making quite a comeback after a few quiet months. Those two projects have been top of mind this week, and I suggest watching them one after the other. The Kid Cudi-created animated project will be a necessary palate cleanser after the heavy and graphic retelling of Marilyn Monroe’s life.
With October starting tomorrow, Disney decided to kick off Spooky SZN with the release of the highly anticipated Hocus Pocus 2. The project has been years in the making and since its 1993 release, it has become a cult-classic so diehard fans are in for a treat, but it’s only available on Disney+. As far movie releases go, there are options like Bros and another Spooky Szn contender, Smile. (I recommend it because people are talking about it, but I won’t submit myself to that kind of torture.)
Andor and House of the Dragon are also trucking along with their first seasons, and we have to tell you all about the latest episodes. Read below for what you should be watching this weekend, and come back next week for more.
'Blonde'
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When: Wednesday, Sept. 28
Where: Netflix
There is no other reason to sit through the nearly three-hour runtime for Blonde aside from Ana De Armas. The actress was fully committed to this role as Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic Hollywood stars to ever live. It has been 60 years since her death and there are still movies, shows, and books being written about her and her life, and it seems like the same obsession that eventually led to her demise back then is still alive and thriving now. As much as Monroe wanted to be seen in a different light as a skilled actress, people boxed her in as a sex symbol and didn’t take her seriously as a movie star. Her personal life was also full of strife and that seems to be a central focus for director Andrew Dominik, who based his work on a novel by the same name.
The film received an NC-17 rating, making it the first of its kind to premiere on a streaming service. I’m not sure if the rating was due to the excessive nudity—De Armas spends a large portion of this film topless—or if it’s due to the intense and often too graphic scenes depicting Monroe’s experiences with sexual assault by a film producer, her not-so-glamorous affair with President John F. Kennedy, and abortions and miscarriages the film says she went through. Some were so grotesque I felt forced to look away. It pained me to see yet another movie star, who is one of my favorites currently, be subjected to retelling such traumatic events that left another woman before her deeply affected. Was it at all necessary? I don’t think so.
De Armas did her best, delivering a painfully convincing performance and one of the most memorable of the year. And she is the sole reason why I highly recommend Blonde. If you have two-and-a-half hours to spare this weekend, give it a watch. I couldn’t get it out of my head since watching it in theaters a week ago, so it will be a long time before I hit play again. —Karla Rodriguez.
'Entergalactic'
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When: Friday, Sept. 30
Where: Netflix
Kid Cudi’s brainchild Entergalactic is finally here. The rapper released his album and its visual component on Friday, Sept. 30, which have both been years in the making. It was initially announced that he would be partnering with Kenya Barris and Netflix to create an animated series to go along with his new music. Instead, they created a special TV event for the streamer that is more like a feature-length film that is broken into chapters, inspired by the songs on his eighth studio album. The visual component is a love story, a romantic comedy to be exact, about a young up-and-coming artist in New York City named Jabari (played by the rapper, credited as Scott Mescudi) who is thriving in his career as a cartoonist when he meets his neighbor Meadow (Jessica Williams) and they find themselves on the verge of falling in love.
The animation is stunning and made even stronger when paired with the music. While some might find the story to be a bit too sappy, stick with it because that’s what the rapper intended. When he set out to make the project he wanted it to be a story about love, and that’s exactly what he did. It is easy weekend viewing that is also a tribute to the late Virgil Abloh, so go ahead and hit play and let yourself feel things for once. —Karla Rodriguez.
'Hocus Pocus 2'
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When: Friday, Sept. 30
Where: Disney+
Our favorite witches are back! If you were a child in the 1990s or have since watched the original Hocus Pocus, you understand the significance of Hocus Pocus 2 finally arriving. The release of the sequel is the culmination of years of effort and attempts from Bette Midler to get the Sanderson Sisters back on our screens, and we couldn’t be more grateful. After nearly 30 years, the film’s stars all got together during the COVID pandemic to head back to Salem and bring their iconic characters back to life. Time has passed and they find themselves in the present day, learning about selfies, Roomba robot vacuums, and Walgreens, as they find a way to stay alive forever. The film also starts off by taking us to the past and showing us the origins of what made the sisters the evil witches we met in the first film—and it does make you see them in a different, more empathetic light.
Complex caught up with Kathy Najimy at the film’s premiere in New York City earlier this week and she talked about the sequel’s focus on the closeness and importance of women and their relationships with each other. “We’ve evolved a lot. Women have always had a sense of sisterhood and friends but we haven’t actually seen it reflected in stories and in films,” she tells Complex. “Bette had a really big moment at the end, and I don’t think there’s enough acting awards in the world for that, and it was such good writing, too. It was just so great about sisterhood and your blood, and who your chosen family is and who you really love.” Najimy, who plays Mary Sanderson, adds: “You’re going to love it, people.” The film is now streaming on Disney+ so hit play and start the Halloween season on the right foot. —Karla Rodriguez
'Bros'
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When: Friday, Sept. 30
Where: In theaters
Major studio comedies feel like an increasingly dying art. Gone are the days when a Judd Apatow-produced movie could or would dominate the box office, which makes Bros a particularly notable release. The Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors) directed picture stars comedian Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, Difficult People) as the lead of an openly gay rom-com (he co-wrote the movie with Stoller) that doesn’t shy away from exploring the experience of a single gay man living in New York City.
Those familiar with Eichner from Billy on the Street will likely find his performance in Bros rather impressive as he brings a welcome amount of nuance and depth to the role—especially if your Eichner experience involves clips from his outsized Street character. Luke Macfarlane, a mainstay of Hallmark movies, is a particularly inspired choice as the love interest and has fantastic chemistry with Eichner. And, yes, the film is sweet, sexy, and funny as hell—while tackling modern-day LGBTQ+ issues head-on. The latter portion often comes at the expense of neglecting the rich history of queer cinema in favor of propping itself up as the savior of the moment. That is likely to rub some cinephiles the wrong way, but it might not be an issue for general audiences who may use Bros as a springboard into exploring other offerings already in the canon. Individual mileage may vary—and I’m curious to see how the community responds to it—but if nothing else, it’s a welcome treat to see a studio like Universal invest in a movie of this size with these themes. Let’s hope it’s the start of a long and welcomed trend. —William Goodman
'House of the Dragon,' Episode 6
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When: Sunday, Sept. 25
Where: HBO
Now we’re in the thick of it. This week’s House of the Dragon episode, “The Princess and the Queen,” jumps the entire timeline of the show forward a decade and ages up a portion of the cast’s major players in the process. As the show inches closer and closer to the simmering Civil War, audiences will have a deeper understanding of the shared history between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke), as the first five episodes of the season ostensibly served as a prologue for what’s to come. With the calm fully out of the way, it’s time for the storm clouds to begin gathering.
In many ways, “Queen” feels like another premiere, establishing where everyone stands after this extensive jump and introducing the various children of Rhaenyra and Alicent. In making this swap, Dragon’s themes—power, gender, parenthood, duty, and the various ways they all intersect—come into an even sharper focus, best exemplified by a Small Council meeting where the two Queens jostle for control. It’s certainly much more subtle than the battle between their children in the courtyard—and more effectively as a result.
For as engaging as Dragon is through its first five installments, there’s a real sense of excitement now in reaching this back stretch of episodes. But “Queen” proves that even in the future, you can’t escape or forget your past. That’s a fitting thesis to remember as Dragon takes flight into the remainder of its season. If you haven’t tuned in yet, the time is now. —William Goodman
'Andor' Episode 4
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When: Wednesday, Sept. 28
Where: Disney+
Once upon a time, the release schedule for Andor involved releasing only the first two episodes. The strategy struck me as particularly odd since the first three installments are very clearly one extended pilot or—essentially—one movie. With the preverbal prologue out of the way, Andor can dive into the heart of its story. As such, the next phase establishes a compelling stage to build its next arc upon, with Andor joining a fledgling group of Rebel soldiers for a near-suicide mission and the introductions of both Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), as the series broadens its scope once more.
The dual debuts of Mon and Dedra allow writer Dan Gilroy (yes, Tony’s brother) and director Susanna White to really dig into the bureaucracy of Star Wars by approaching it from two different angles: the Apple-like white interiors of the Imperial Security Bureau and the storied halls of the Imperial Senate. The ISB features heavily in Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels, but seeing it through Dedra’s perspective provides an exciting new approach; the idea of it being considered a “healthcare provider” evokes masterful precision, a pointed scalpel in an arsenal of otherwise blunt tools that the Empire wields. The Imperial Senate and Mon’s duplicitous game evoke feelings of House of Cards or The Americans as she works to shore up funds for Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) and the Resistance.
Sure, “Aldhani” is a transitional, table-setting episode for Andor as it preps what looks to be a pretty big fireworks display. Yet even in a bridge installment, the show manages to remain engaging and exciting to watch as various new players finally stir from their places on the chess board. This is another one that should be on your must-watch list if it isn’t already. —William Goodman
