Reviews
Atlanta Season 4 Remains One of TV’s Most Imaginative and Subversive Series Ever: Review
The Pitch: Since 2016, FX’s Atlanta has proven to audiences that it has no intentions of playing by any rules. Created by and starring multi-hyphenated talent Donald Glover, the story about a broke Ivy League dropout who manages his cousin’s burgeoning rap career while their wacky and aimless friend tags along does not seem like it would become one of television’s most imaginative, subversive, and thought-provoking shows of all time. After four seasons of following Earn, Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (Lakeith Stanfield), and Earn’s baby’s momma Van (Zazie Beetz), however, that’s exactly what Atlanta has become — and its farewell season is no different. In the fourth and final season of Atlanta, the characters have all fully evolved from the financially unstable and emotionally lost...
See How They Run Review: An Engaging Meta Riff on the Fun of a Whodunnit
The Pitch: In part thanks to Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, detective stories are having a bit of a moment right now, but stories of mysterious murders have been around for eons, with Agatha Christie being one of the 20th century’s pioneers in the genre. It’s Christie’s legacy that plays a huge role in See How They Run, which takes its inspiration from a famed play of the writer’s, but still has its own original mystery to unfurl. In the new film, directed by first-time feature director Tom George, it’s the 1950s, and a murder has taken place at the theater where Christie’s The Mousetrap has just celebrated its 100th performance. Enter Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) to investigate, with everyone present the night of the death, including producer Petul...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Jam Out at The Apollo Theater for SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series: Recap, Photos and Setlist
After a wild summer of playing sold out stadiums in the US and beyond, Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to New York City to play one of the smallest-capacity shows of their tour on Tuesday night (September 13th). Although The Apollo Theater doesn’t have the size of, say, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, it certainly has the history. “I’m standing where Duke Ellington stood,” said Flea early on in the show, making sure the band paid their respects to one of the most legendary performance venues in the country. Luckily, Red Hot Chili Peppers definitely know how to bring their best to a legendary location like The Apollo. It wasn’t just the venue that made this performance special; the show was set to be recorded and broadcast on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ exclusive SiriusXM channel, Whole Lotta ...
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Is a Silly, Absurd and Downright Fun Sequel: TIFF Review
This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The Pitch: Famous Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), whom we first met in the 2019 flick Knives Out, is in a pandemic-induced funk when he receives an invitation from eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) to his next big case in Greece. There, on a remote island, Bron’s closest friends and “disrupters” congregate for a murder mystery party at his Glass Onion house — a spot so lavish even the Mona Lisa is there, on loan from the Louvre. There’s former model-turned-fashion-designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), controversial social media star Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), brilliant scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), right-wing politician Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), and Bron’s s...
Gorillaz Transform Vancouver Into Cracker Island at North American Tour Kickoff: Review, Photos and Setlist
Gorillaz kicked off their North American tour on Sunday night (September 11th) to a packed Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. The immersive experience demonstrated why the virtual band is one of the most influential acts of the past two decades — and why they’re not to be missed in person (grab tickets to the tour here). Co-creator, frontman, and primary contributor Damon Albarn was like a conductor, lovingly leading his sprawling live ensemble and exceptional backing singers. Arranged on glittering risers like an orchestra, they played underneath a big screen showing artist Jamie Hewlett’s iconic animated band members — Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2D — while dancing lights bathed the room in color. Gorillaz have been masters of experimental storytelling right from the outset, creating vast, m...
Chevalier Shines an Elementary Light on a Nearly Forgotten Master: TIFF Review
This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The Pitch: You have heard of Mozart, Beethoven, and countless other European composers that helped shape music as we know it. However, it’s likely that you have never heard of Joseph Bologne, known professionally as Chevalier de Saint-Georges, whose work was largely destroyed when slavery was reinstated throughout France in 1802. It is an absolute shame, but thankfully, what has been preserved has been rediscovered over the years, establishing him as the first Black composer of the classical eras. Now, his story, or at least some of it, has been adapted for the screen thanks to director Stephen Williams and screenwriter Stefani Robinson. Chevalier shows Bologne, played by Luce breakout Kelvin Harrison Jr.,...
The Fabelmans Sees Steven Spielberg Turn The Camera On Himself: TIFF Review
This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The Pitch: If you are familiar with Steven Spielberg beyond his movies, you likely know that he had a bit of an unconventional upbringing. His mother was an eccentric character, while his father seemingly loved her unconditionally as they moved around the country. However, that came to a halt when they suddenly announced their divorce when he was a senior in high school. It was this critical event, and the infidelity that Related Video fueled it, that helped shape the themes of Spielberg’s movies for the rest of his career. This influence is especially apparent in his latest film, The Fabelmans. Swapping out the Spielberg name with that of the titular family, this film is nonetheless his most personal to d...
My Policeman Review: Harry Styles and Cast Arrest in Essential Queer Story
This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The Pitch: In 1950s Britain, same-sex relationships are illegal. Gay men are arrested and thrown in jail for “unlawful” acts, or beaten by a hateful public. Those who pursue relationships must do so in secret or risk everything — their careers, families and maybe even lives. Enter a handsome but simple policeman named Tom (Harry Styles), who falls in love with an educated museum curator named Patrick (David Dawson). The pair hide their affair until Tom meets a schoolteacher named Marion (Emma Corrin) and decides to marry her in pursuit of a “normal” life. Related Video Fast forward several decades and Marion (now played by Gina McKee) takes in Patrick (Rupert Everett) following a stroke, angering Tom (Linu...
Pearl Jam Take Over Apollo Theater for SiriusXM’s Small Stage Series: Recap, Photos and Setlist
Pearl Jam have stayed vital in their fourth decade. Their most recent albums, like 2020’s Gigaton and 2013’s Lightning Bolt, feel sturdy and reassuring — music for functional adults, performed by functional people. They’ve successfully dodged the demons that tragically felled their grunge-era peers. You get the sense that these industry linchpins have shiny trucks, adorable dogs, loving families and spectacular homes — all while enjoying the love and respect of their global music community. So it was appropriate that their first-ever performance at Harlem’s beyond-historic Apollo Theater, which took place on Saturday, September 10th, was thrown by SiriusXM, for subscribers, contest winners and other assorted VIPs. Prior to the show in the lobby, aproned waitstaff handed out IPAs and rosé w...
Pyro, Guitar-Smashing and Massive Pop Hits: Post Malone’s “Twelve Carat Tour” Is a Spectacle Worth Seeing
Since last year, Post Malone has performed at a smattering of festivals, but on Saturday (September 10th), the rapper played his first proper arena tour date in more than two years for the “Twelve Carat Tour” kickoff at Omaha’s CHI Health Center. (Grab tickets to upcoming dates here.) And he was grateful. Every few songs, he’d pause to hoist another red Solo cup filled with beer — dutifully handed to him after nearly every song by a barely seen stagehand — and toast the audience with an f-bomb-filled thank you speech. “Omaha, how the fuck are you feelin’ tonight? Holy fuck, man. Cheers to each and every single one of y’all motherfuckers,” he said. “I just want y’all to know how fucking grateful I am.” Advertisement In jean shorts, white sneakers and a black T-shirt depicting the flaming Ey...
House of the Dragon Episode 4: The Worst People in Westeros, Ranked
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon, Season 1 Episode 4, “King of the Narrow Sea.”] Game of Thrones was a show that became famous for the shades of grey to be found in its heroes and villains alike, and so far the prequel series House of the Dragon has shown every indication of following in that proud tradition. Thus, Consequence is happy to introduce Who’s the Worst Person in Westeros, a weekly ranking of House of the Dragon‘s most important characters, and just how unsavory they ended up being each week. Everyone on screen, including dragons, is eligible for this list (though expect for the show’s series regulars to be heavily featured from week to week). Advertisement Episode 4, “King of the Narrow Sea,” is especially full of misdeeds, as a homecoming...
Reboot Review: An Uneven but Entertaining Hollywood Satire
The Pitch: A reboot is considered to be a death knell in the current entertainment landscape, a clear indicator of a risk-averse industry out of original ideas and desperate to recycle old ones to save themselves from major financial loss. Most reboots simply pander and rehash their concepts in order to satisfy their fanbases. Once in a blue moon, though, resurrecting a piece of intellectual property can actually lead to something subversive, a chance to fix poorly aged elements or find fresh, new stories to share with contemporary audiences. Enter young indie filmmaker Hannah Gilman (Rachel Bloom), who wants to reboot the (fictional) 2000s multicam sitcom Step Right Up for Hulu. Instead of repeating all the original’s broad, Full House-inflected humor, however, Hannah envisions the new se...
