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Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10. The Platform 2 – Netflix film

This Spanish-language, pandemic sleeper hit now presents a sequel in which a new arrival shakes up the rebellion against the food distribution method that is, naturally, a class-struggle allegory. Co-writer David Desola went on record about being initially inspired by a cookout, which must have been a hell of a spread. This led to dreams that sparked the idea for the hellish movie with final writing touches coming from Pedro Rivera before being pulled together by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.

9. Speak No Evil – Universal Pictures film on VOD & Amazon Prime

James McAvoy totally makes that iconic The Shining face in this Blumhouse Productions remake of the same-named Danish thriller, which should teach everyone not to accept out-of-the-blue weekending invitations from that couple who randomly befriends you on a holiday. Although it’s still hard to believe that the sweet guy from Penelope is so damn good at being so pants-sh*ttingly scary onscreen, that’s why they (presumably) pay him the big bucks. Do they? Whatever he’s being paid, he deserves more.

8. From – MGM+ series

If you once dreamed of the day when you could escape your small town while coming of age, then you might find this series especially nightmarish. This season, newcomers will pose a special challenge while the town’s residents continue to work against those unknown forces that make them say put while emerging memories make the experience feel worse. This show is now grinding through the third season while (mostly) managing to avoid horror tropes and still making the show believable despite the far-fetched setting.

7. Strange Darling – Magenta Light Studios film on VOD & Amazon Prime

This selection isn’t quite streaming yet, but VOD will do. If you know Willa Fitzgerald from Reacher and The Fall Of The House Of Usher, then you should run, not jog, to your nearest streaming TV device and fire this up. The less said about the plot, the better, but the story revolves around an ominous one-night stand and a serial killer. Willa is incredible, and in all roles, she lets the world know not to f*ck with her in more layered ways than casual viewers of her work might expect, at first.

6. Heartstopper – Netflix series

Love is in the stratosphere again with Nick and Charlie growing closer and solidifying their relationship but still leaving crucial thoughts off the table. Charlie’s mental health issues will be an issue that Nick needs to come to terms with while the pair juggles the thoughts of their future, including potentially diverging paths with college on the horizon. This show’s audience doesn’t mind pulling on the heart strings, but will Netflix continue the story beyond the crucial three-season mark? That remains to be seen.

5. Agatha All Along – Disney+ series

Deadpool and Wolverine might have saved the MCU in theaters, but the witches are working their magic in an attempt to do so for Disney+’s MCU small-screen outings. Will Daredevil: Born Again score the same level of audience enthusiasm that those characters deserve, too? Kevin Feige seems to be stepping back and viewing these shows from the bigger-picture perspective rather than the “shovel everything at viewers” strategy of yesteryear, so confidence is warranted, for now.

4. High Potential – ABC series streaming on Hulu

Always Sunny‘s Kaitlin Olsen is following up her occasional episode-stealing Hacks role in this Poker Face-esque dramedy that is an instant prime-time hit. The Sweet Dee actress portrays a single mom who falls into crime-scene investigations, and of this is a far-fetched premise, but Olsen sells the premise with her usual brand of charm. If you’re looking for counter programming in this most-spooky month, you’ve got it here.

3. The Penguin – Max series

Come for Colin Farrell in prosthetics, and stay for the liberal use of Pepsi-Bismol and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. Matt Reeves’ The Batman sits outside the DCU, as does this spin off show with Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot navigating the Gotham underworld’s power vacuum and finding exactly where he fits in after the murder of mob boss Carmine Falcone by Paul Dano’s The Riddler. Farrell has gone on record declaring that he could not stand the prosthetics process here, so god only knows how long he will portray this character. Enjoy it while you can, I guess.

2. Yellowjackets – Showtime series streaming on Paramount+

Another Showtime series (waves to Dexter) is flying high on Netflix, which is boosting interest before the show’s third season surfaces next year. If you haven’t watched this series yet, do not eat before you start binging, and that’s not only because of the cannibalism that eventually ends up being on display. My main takeaways from this series (because the “mystery” got teased too long, imo) is that Sophie Thatcher should be in more projects, that Melanie Lynskey is a national treasure, and that the rise of Ella Purnell should continue unabated. Very scientific takes for sure, but also, Christina Ricci seems to be having the time of her life, and her antagonistic era also includes the first Wednesday season on Netflix, so while you’re waiting for more Yellowjackets, there’s more Villain Ricci to enjoy on the same streaming service.

1. Nobody Wants This – Netflix series

This series, starring Kristen Bell as a sex-friendly podcaster and Adam Brody as a single rabbi, has stirred up some Sex and the City-reminiscent controversy, but nonetheless, the streaming service has scored viewership in the romcom-series department. Creator Erin Foster has maintained that the series is partially based upon her own real-life experiences and adult conversion to Judaism, and Netflix made a late-breaking declaration that a second season will happen, so get ready for extra-skeptical commentary.

The Substance gave Demi Moore her due and continued to prove that Margaret Qualley is adventurous beyond ordinary human capacity. The film also (in a role originally meant for the late Ray Liotta) showed that Dennis Quaid is willing to do incredibly disgusting things onscreen to deliver a revolting yet captivating performance, and he’ll keep that vibe alive while killing in the upcoming Happy Face series.

The title is both deceptive and illustrative, given that Quaid will portray real-life murderer Keith Hunter Jesperson, the so-called “Happy Face Killer,” for Paramount+. Jesperson was also the subject of a Lifetime movie starring David Arquette, but we will wipe away that memory and piece together some clues on what to expect from the TV series.

Plot

Happy Face will go the true crime route and will be inspired by the iHeartPodcasts Happy Face podcast that chronicled Melissa Moore’s mid 1990s experience of learning that her dad, Jesperson, is a serial killer who signed his notes with a happy face (and he did so before a certain Sons Of Anarchy character was made to reckon with his similar deeds).

As Happy Face podcast description details, Moore’s “doubt spiral” led to this question: “When you look like your father, and you share his intelligence and charisma, how do you know you’re not a psychopath, too?” The podcast further told the story of Jesperson’s “brutal crimes, and the cat and mouse game he played with detectives and the media. But it’s also the story of the horrific legacy he gifted his children.”

In addition to taking cues from the Happy Face podcast, the TV series will also draw from Moore’s Shattered Silence autobiography, co-written by M. Bridget Cook. Annaleigh Ashford will portray Moore, and Paramount+ has provided the following series description:

Happy Face is an incarcerated serial killer who also is Melissa’s once-beloved father. After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to force himself back into his daughter;s life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims’ families and must face a reckoning of her own identity.

James Wolk will be on hand as (in the words of Deadline) “Melissa’s handsome, fit husband” who naturally isn’t thrilled about Jesperson’s reemergence:

Wolk plays Melissa’s handsome, fit husband, a “bank manager by day, marathon-trainer by night.” He knows Melissa’s carefully hidden secret but thinks they have left all that trauma and strain behind them for good. When he learns that the past has reached out again to interrupt their orderly lives, he’s not happy about it, and feels that Melissa is being manipulated once again by a conniving sociopath.

This limited series will run for eight episodes under Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio, who is one of many executive producers including Michael Showalter (The State), who will direct the show’s debut hour.

Cast

In addition to homicidal Quaid, the cast includes James Wolk (Mad Men, HBO’s Watchmen Tell Me A Story), Annaleigh Ashford (B Positive, Welcome To Chippendales), and David Harewood (The Merchant Of Venice, Blood Diamond).

Release Date

Happy Face will debut on Paramount+ in 2025.

Trailer

Can Quaid possibly be more horrifying as a serial killer than while eating prawns? You be the judge.

For the second time this college football season we were treated to a top-5 showdown that fully lived up to the hype. After Alabama and Georgia went back-and-forth in an instant classic two weeks ago, it was Ohio State and Oregon’s turn in Eugene, where the No. 3 Ducks escaped with a wild 32-31 win over the No. 2 Buckeyes.

The two teams traded leads throughout the game, as both offenses took turns showing off their incredible talent all over the field in what became a shootout. However, both defenses were able to come up with some key holds in the fourth quarter, as Oregon held Ohio State to a field goal that put them ahead 31-29 with six minutes to play, and the Buckeyes defense was able to get a goal line stand to force a field goal by the Ducks with 1:47 to go that made it 32-31.

That set the stage for Will Howard and Ohio State to take over needing just a field goal to win, and the Buckeyes worked it all the way down to the Oregon 28 with 28 seconds to play. At that point, Howard found freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith for what looked to be a big play, but Smith had pushed off to create separation and got hit with an offensive pass interference call that backed Ohio State up to the 43 and out of field goal range.

At that point, clock management issues began to create problems for the Buckeyes. They didn’t realize the clock would start on the ready to play after the PI call, and let almost 10 seconds melt off the clock. From there, Oregon got a 12-men on the field penalty that gave Ohio State five yards (but also wasn’t whistled at the snap meaning the Buckeyes lost time on the play), leaving them with six seconds and one timeout. On third down, Howard took off scrambling to get that yardage, but lost track of the clock and didn’t slide down until the clock had hit 0:00, keeping the Buckeyes from getting a game-winning field goal attempt.

It was a stunning final sequence in an absolutely wild game that featured big plays, tons of lead changes, and even a spitting ejection. For Howard and the Buckeyes, it was a painful way to suffer their first loss of the season, as the offense did almost everything it could in the game to win it but had a few crucial mistakes in the final 30 seconds, punctuated by Howard’s scramble that just took too much time.

With the SEC and Big Ten both expanding to 18 teams this season, there are some new teams laying down foundations of what could become conference rivalries. On Saturday night, we saw one such meeting, as No. 2 Ohio State traveled to Eugene to face No. 3 Oregon in the game of the week, with the winner positioning themselves as the frontrunner to make the conference title game and have an inside track to a high seed in the expanded College Football Playoff.

While this game doesn’t come with the same fan emotions of Ohio State-Michigan, the stakes of the game meant there were plenty of juices flowing, and unfortunately for the Ducks, a bit too much for one of their stars. Oregon’s leading receiver on the year Traeshon Holden picked up a 15-yard penalty and an ejection from the game early in the second quarter when he got into it with Ohio State defensive back Davison Igbinosun and decided to spit in Igbinosun’s face right in front of an official (watch here).

That will earn you an ejection every time, and it’s just some really poor decision-making on Holden’s part. For one, don’t spit on people. For two, definitely don’t spit on a guy wearing a visor where you’re just going to leave hard evidence of your transgression. There was no getting away with this — and, again, just don’t spit on people in general — and now the Ducks will have to finish out their biggest game of the year without one of their best playmakers.

There is sibling friction. Then there’s the Gallagher brothers. For years, Liam and Noel Gallagher slammed each other online. However, now the musicians are ready to put that past them. Unfortunately for them, they don’t think others are as forgiving.

With Oasis slated to reunite for not only tour across Europe and the US, but also a new studio album, fans are urge as even to hear from the entertainers.

Just don’t hold your breath for a full on sit down with the Gallagher brothers. According to Liam, the idea of chatting with the media scares the two of them. Over on X (formerly Twitter), Liam Gallagher revealed to a fan that he and Noel Gallagher have agreed on one major thing—no interviews.

As users agreed that the media played a part in the ultimate fallout, Liam chimed in to seemingly agree. “We don’t want to do interviews cuz we’re scared of the media asking us intrusive questions,” he wrote. “And trying to pick holes in our relationship.”

Frankly, Oasis fans are fine with the decision. After years of begging for the brothers to come back together, if that’s the group’s only speculations to ensure their sold out tour goes as planned, supporters are willing to accept that.

When We Were Young Festival 2024 lineup is down one major acts. Back in November 2023, the indie rock haven revealed several of the genre’s standout including My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Pierce The Veil (Collide With The Sky), A Day to Remember, and All-American Rejects would play one of their beloved albums in totality for the crowd except for Fall Out Boy.

The problem according to All-American Rejects’ frontman Tyson Ritter is they never agreed to play their self-titled project. But come next weekend (October 18-19), ticket holders shouldn’t expect to see All-American Rejects in Las Vegas, Nevada at all.

Yesterday (October 11), All-American Rejects announced on Instagram that they would no longer be performing at the When We Were Young 2024. Then they seemingly accused its organizers of sabotaging their highly anticipated set.

Read All-American Rejects’ full statement below.

It is with deep sadness and disappointment that we have to announce that we will no longer be playing When We Were Young festival next weekend.

We have spent months tirelessly preparing a once in a lifetime show that we were so excited to bring to you. However, there has been a management change within the WWWY operation, and they are no longer able to accommodate us in the previously agreed upon line-up, which has made it impossible for us to continue.

We are especially devastated to not get to play for those of you who are traveling across the globe to witness the visual and sonic spectacle we have been brewing up in our cauldron. We’d like to apologize to our amazing crew who have been working around the clock to make magic happen.

Never mess with a brat. Charli XCX had to teach this cardinal rule to an outlet. Today (October 12), the “Sympathy Is A Knife” singer took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend Billie Eilish from a potential landmine question.

On October 10, Billie Eilish and Finneas sat down for an interview with the LA Times. During the chat, the pair discuss Billie’s latest album, Hit Me Hard And Soft. Eventually, other pop acts including Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan were entered into the discussion. Billie Eilish was then asked if she ever felt threatened by their success, which didn’t sit well with Charli XCX.

“Pausing from ‘Brat’ completely different chaos to just say lol this is a crazy question,” wrote Charli XCX on X.

Billie Eilish also found the question comical. In response to it, Billie said: “Are you kidding me? I’m so happy for these b*tches. It’s a crazy world when you get to the level they’re experiencing right now, and they’re doing great. Fans are drawn to them because they’re f*cking awesome.”

Usually, beef sells in music (just look at Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s recent spat). However, for years Billie Eilish has attempted to dodge any public dust-ups.

Back in May, Billie Eilish brushed off a question about newer artists “copying her,” instead she pointed out everyone including herself is inspired by others.

Billie Eilish sternly said that she is done talking about her sexuality and who she’s dating. However, that doesn’t mean the “Birds OF A Feather” singer can’t sing about it.

Over as heard on Nat & Alex Wolff‘s flirty new single “Soft Kissing Hour,” she is open to helping others vocalize it. The pop-rock sibling duo tapped their Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour head honcho to serve as the track’s official producer.

As the pair sings, “Paying by the hour / You know I’m missing you / Hear the running of the shower / Zipper on your black boots / Hell I’m doomed / When I step in your room / It’s the soft kissing hour,” it is clear the delicately delivered lines are for the hopeless romantics.

After the track’s release, the group took to their official Instagram page to pen a touching message to their collaborator. “We’ve never been prouder of anything in our lives,” they wrote. “Billie Eilish is a brilliant artist and producer and unfathomable talent and the opportunity to collaborate with her on this song was a dream come true. Alex, Billie and I (Nat) sat in a room until 4 AM with a piano an acoustic guitar and one handheld mic. No professional equipment, no recording engineer, no “adults” just three people who love each other eating vegan chocolate and making music.”

Listen to Nat & Alex Wolff song “Soft Kissing Hour” produced by Billie Eilish above.

Ari Lennox is back online, but only for a limited time. Periodically, the “Waste My Time” singer would hop on her Instagram page to share different life updates, including milestones in her sobriety journey or discuss difficult moments in her career as well as hiring opportunities.

However, that will soon all come to an end. Yesterday (October 11), Ari Lennox took to her Instagram page one last time to announce that she would be permanently leaving social media after December 18. While Ari’s online commentary and livestreams (which have been featured in her music) have become a thing of legend, it has landed her in hot water.

Instead of being tempted to access her profiles later, she seems to be planning to delete her accounts entirely. But she will remain in contact with support through an email newsletter. As sad as this may be to fans, Ari Lennox did confirm new music is on the way and a new tour is in the works.

Read Ari Lennox’s full statement below.

Hey I’m working on a plan to transition off of social media for good. I don’t believe I’ll ever mature and be happy as long as I have it. So my last day of socials will be December 18th, my 2-year sobriety anniversary. I will be deleting my FB, IG and TikTok permanently. The fear of losing brand deals, music sales, n****s and b*tches will no longer keep me here. To all of my beautiful fans, I’m just not happy nor thriving here. I have a very toxic and codependent relationship with these apps. My happiness is worth more to me, than using these platforms to promote. I truly believe I can get creative with marketing elsewhere. I’m so exhausted with my addiction to the internet and gossip and attention and validation and yearning to be in control and over sharing. I just want to be free and complete.

I would like to offer other spaces where you can find me and that’s YouTube.com/arilennox and Arilennox.com and on the singing stage or outside. I ain’t gone front like this has been cute, it hasn’t. I love y’all so much. Please subscribe to my mailing list on my website to remain updated on my 2025 album and tour or don’t (My single Smoke drops 10/18 ) also my bad if my drama causes any distractions or insensitivity as I’m aware of the constant horror going on in the world. I just need to give my sweeties a heads up. I’ll be good, and I’m excited for this journey. I’m an extreme person. It will forever be all or nothing with me. – Ari/Courtney

Doing preseason coverage on NBA TV is not the most glamorous job in sports television, but it’s also usually a pretty low stakes environment. That changed on Friday night though, when former NBA coach Sam Mitchell had a bit of a meltdown after host Chris Miles made a little joke about his salary on the desk.

After Mitchell lamented that coaches don’t get gold medals for the Olympics, Miles joked that he thought coaches should do their work on NBA TV pro bono. It seemed like a pretty innocuous joke, but Mitchell did not find that funny…at all. He proceeded to go at Miles for the next 90 seconds, calling him out for having a rental beach house in Florida along with a townhouse in Atlanta, and threatened to read out his address on air since he’s “not home right now” while Miles desperately tried to shift attention to the Warriors-Kings preseason game.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Mitchell said. “Did you rent your beach house out, down in Florida, during the hurricane? Or do I need to go on. How ’bout your townhouse?”

“You wanna call me out,” Mitchell continued. “I mean, come on. You screaming broke and hungry. Let’s just see it. You know, I know what you have and where you live, young fella. So you need to stop.”

Later on in the show, Mitchell actually rattled off an address (watch here). NBA TV in early October isn’t usually this wild or tense, but this was certainly a bit spicier than we typically see on the network.

UPDATE: According to both Miles and Mitchell, who spoke with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the two were just joking and the address Mitchell read off was just one he made up on the spot.