WEEKEND CALENDAR
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
THE PERIPHERAL: Debut sci-fi thriller series, based on the 2014 book by author William Gibson, and created by "A Simple Plan" vet Scott Smith. Chloë Grace Moretz stars as a young woman who witnesses a murder while exploring what she believes to be a virtual reality video game, then finds herself at the center of a complex techno-conspiracy. Gary Carr, Jack Reynor, Eli Goree, and Charlotte Riley co-star; "Westworld" creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan executive produced. [Amazon]
ARGENTINA, 1985: Fact-based Spanish-language historical drama from Argentina, profiling a team of lawyers in 1985 who boldly prosecuted the heads of the country's violent right-wing military dictatorship during the so-called Trial of the Juntas. Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzai co-star as prosecutors Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo, respectively, who led the effort. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and it's Argentina's official selection for Best International Film at the 95th Academy Awards. [Amazon]
MODERN LOVE TOKYO: Japanese remake of the romantic anthology comedy-drama series "Modern Love," which was in turn inspired by The New York Times column of the same name, and features unexpected or unconventional love stories. The cast includes Naomi Scott, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Asami Mizukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku, Yûsuke Santamaria, and Douglas Bennett. [Amazon]
RAYMOND & RAY: 2022 comedy-drama feature from writer/director Rodrigo García ("Four Good Days"). Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke co-star as estranged half-brothers who reunite for their father's funeral, and find that his final wish was for them to dig his grave together. Maribel Verdú, Sophie Okonedo, and Vondie Curtis-Hall co-star. [Apple TV+]
ACAPULCO: The bilingual comedy series -- inspired by the 2017 film "How to Be a Latin Lover," and set at a seaside Mexican resort in the 1980s -- returns for a second season on Friday. Enrique Arrizon stars as teenage Máximo, who lands his dream job as a cabana boy in Las Colinas, the hottest resort in Acapulco. Eugenio Derbez co-stars as an older version of Máximo, who returns to Las Colinas in the present day. [Apple TV+]
GHOSTWRITER: The kids' supernatural mystery series -- a revival of a '90s original from Sesame Workshop -- returns to Apple TV+ for a third season this weekend. A trio of young friends helps the ghost haunting a bookshop to solve a literary mystery from the past. Princess Mapp, Nour Assaf, and Daire McLeod co-star. [Apple TV+]
FROM SCRATCH: Eight-episode romantic drama series, based on the bestselling book "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home" by Tembi Locke. Zoe Saldaña stars as Amy Wheeler, an American who falls in love with a Sicilian chef (Eugenio Mastrandrea) while studying abroad, then struggles to move on with her life after losing him to a tragic illness. [Netflix]
DESCENDANT: Historical documentary looking back at the legacy of the slave slip Clotilda, the last known vessel to ferry captives from Africa to the United States, which illegally docked in Mobile Bay in 1859 or 1860, and was promptly burned. The film follows residents of Africatown, a small Alabama community that includes descendants of Clotilda passengers, as they investigate the incident. "Descendant" won the US documentary special jury award for creative vision at Sundance. [Netflix]
ONI: THUNDER GOD'S TALE: Debut animated fantasy series, inspired by Japanese folklore, about a free-spirited girl who's determined to grow up into a great mythic hero. While on a journey to unlock her own powers, she finds that a mysterious group of powerful "oni" has come to threaten her peaceful village. The voice cast includes Craig Robinson, George Takei, Anna Akana, Momona Tamada, and Archie Yates. [Netflix]
28 DAYS HAUNTED: In this debut paranormal reality series, three teams of investigators will visit a variety of notoriously haunted locations across the US, inspired by the experiments and work of late authors and self-proclaimed demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. (The "Conjuring" films were also inspired by the Warrens' case files.) The cast includes Shane Pittman, Sean Austin, Aaron Sagers, and Tony Spera, the actual son-in-law of the Warrens. [Netflix]
POKÉMON ULTIMATE JOURNEYS: The third and final season of the animated series "Pokémon Journeys," and the franchise's 25th season overall, debuts this weekend on Netflix. These episodes follow Ash, Goh, and Chloe on their research trip around all eight regions of the Pokémon world. [Netflix]
BARBARIANS (BARBAREN): Historical action-drama series from Germany, set around the legendary Battle of Teutoburg Forest and the Roman Empire's expansion across Europe in the first century AD. Jeanne Goursaud, Laurence Rupp, David Schütter and Daniel Donskoy co-star. Season 2 hits Netflix on Friday. [Netflix]
HIGH: CONFESSION OF AN IBIZA DRUG MULE: True-crime docuseries from the UK relating the story of Michaella McCollum, an Irish teen who was arrested for smuggling drugs in Peru in 2013, in her own words. [Netflix]
RESTORATION ROAD WITH CLINT HARP: The Magnolia Network series finds the carpenter and TV personality traveling across the US, looking for unique and noteworthy historic renovations. Season 3 debuts on cable and HBO Max this week. [HBO Max]
TEEN TITANS GO! The animated comedy series, based on the DC Comics superhero team, airs on Cartoon Network. The final batch of episodes from the show's seventh season -- which wrapped up back in September -- come to HBO Max today. [HBO Max]
VALE DOS ESQUECIDOS: Debut Portuguese-language mystery-thriller series from Brazil, following a group of young explorers who get turned around on a wilderness trail and find themselves in a strange village that's permanently blanketed by a strange mist. The cast includes Caroline Abras, Carolina Manica, Daniel Rocha, James Turpin, and Jiddu Pinheiro. [HBO Max]
JOE BOB'S HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HANGOUT: Cult movie aficionado Joe Bob Briggs' fourth Shudder Halloween special will feature screenings of obscure scary movies, plus interstitial segments hosted by the man himself, Darcy the Mail Girl and special guest Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira). [Shudder]
MATRIARCH: Folk horror film from British writer/director Ben Steiner, starring Jemima Rooper as a young woman who returns home to visit her estranged mother (Kate Dickie), but discovers the local residents are protecting an unspeakably dark secret. [Hulu]
ABANDONED: 2022 horror film starring Emma Roberts and John Gallagher Jr. as Sara and Alex, a young couple who move into a remote farmhouse along with their new baby. As Sara's struggles with postpartum psychosis escalate, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. Spencer Squire makes his feature directorial debut with the film. [Hulu]
WYRM: Absurdist indie comedy film, set in an alternate version of the 1990s, in which teens must wear electric collars at all times that only detach after they've had their first kiss. Theo Taplitz stars as the last kid in his freshman class to get his "collar popped." The film is the feature debut of writer/director Christopher Winterbauer. [Hulu]
BLACKLIGHT: 2022 action-thriller starring Liam Neeson as a brooding FBI operative who uncovers a dark conspiracy that pits him against the agency's director (Aidan Quinn), a former ally. Taylor John Smith and Emmy Raver-Lampman co-star; Mark Williams ("Honest Thief") wrote and directed. [Paramount+]
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
THE HAIR TALES: Docuseries from Disney's The Onyx Collective looking at the importance of hair care and styling for Black women, and how they relate to broader ideas about beauty and identity. Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Michaela Angela Davis make appearances and executive produced; the series also features insights from Issa Rae, Chlöe Bailey and Chika, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Marsai Martin, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dr. Noliwe Rooks, and others. [Hulu]
LOL SURPRISE! WINTER FASHION SHOW: This new animated film is part of the "LOL Surprise!" media and toy franchise from MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz dolls. It follows the character Neonlicious as she's accepted as a debut designer in the big winter fashion show. [Netflix]
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
LA PITCHOUNE: COOKING IN FRANCE: Debut food and travel reality series from Magnolia Network following four friends as they set up a cooking school in La Pitchoune, the rural country home once occupied by beloved TV chef Julia Child. [HBO Max]
THE BMF DOCUMENTARY: BLOWING MONEY FAST: Eight-episode docuseries from executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, chronicling the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family (BMF), the notorious Detroit-based criminal organization founded by brothers Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory. Jackson and fellow rapper T.I. provide insights, alongside close associates of the BMF founders and the journalists who covered their case. [Starz]
CRISS ANGEL'S MAGIC WITH THE STARS: Debut reality competition series from CW in which celebrities train as magicians along with professional illusionists, then present their own magical performances on stage before a live crowd. Season 1 guests include Brec Bassinger, Frankie Muniz, Matt Walsh, Debbie Gibson, Flavor Flav, Eddie Griffin, and Tara Lipinski; Criss Angel leads the judging panel. [CW]
WORLD'S FUNNIEST ANIMALS: The clip series features humorous animal-themed viral internet videos, along with reactions from panelists and celebrity guests. Elizabeth Stanton hosts. It's back for a third season. [CW]
FRANCO ESCAMILLA: EAVESDROPPING (VOYERISTA AUDITIVO): The Mexican comedian's new Spanish-language comedy special -- recorded in Hollywood, California -- features material about airport travel, gossiping, and life during the pandemic. [Netflix]
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