‘Hamnet’ (2025)
Jessie Buckley won virtually every industry and critics group top prize for her portrayal of Agnes (pronounced ahn-yes) Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and the mother of their three children.
More speculative than revisionist history, the movie is split into two halves, as opposed to three traditional acts. The first portion focuses on the initially awkward courtship of Agnes by William, their respective families’ disapproval of the coupling, and their early blissful years as new parents.
The final half begins with the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) which, understandably, led to marital tension, however unwarranted it might have been.
Unbeknownst to Agnes, William worked through his grief by writing what is arguably the most respected stage play in the history of the English language (“Hamlet”).
‘Memento’ (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s second feature was produced for a paltry $9 million, made four times as much, and provided the blueprint for everything he’s made since.
Presented in reverse chronological order, the story focuses on Leonard (Guy Pearce). Leonard has anterograde amnesia, a condition where someone cannot remember recent past events due to trauma. In an attempt to rectify this, Leonard uses ink to write on his own skin with clues that, of course, make little sense to him later.
‘Old Henry’ (2021)
Theatrically released by Shout! Studios, this revisionist Western received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, yet tanked at the box office. This is unfortunate, as it is one of the best movies of 2021 and ranks among the finest Westerns of the last 50 years.
“Old Henry” recalls elements of “Unforgiven” and the criminally underappreciated “Corsicana,” and stars Tim Blake Nelson as the title character, a widower farmer in early-20th-century Oklahoma. Henry would rather keep his dark past a secret from his teen son, but finds it increasingly difficult once they cross paths with a near-dead lawman and a saddlebag full of cash.
‘A Dog’s Purpose’ (2017) and ‘A Dog’s Journey’ (2019)
On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics’ scores for these movies are 35 and 53 percent, respectively. The audience scores are 74 and 91. That tells you almost everything you need to know. Most mainstream critics are repelled by movies that are heartfelt, uplifting, and life-affirming.
Dennis Quaid appears in both movies as Ethan, a man who goes through what every pet lover in the world over experiences. We welcome these wonderful beings into our lives. We nurture and love them, and eventually oversee their physical and cognitive decline. If lucky, we make the heartbreaking decision to allow them to depart with dignity.
I’ve lived through this cycle four times, and it never gets easier.
‘Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning’ (2025)
For anyone even partially familiar with the life of Jim Thorpe, his was marked by great on-field achievements and truly abhorrent personal lows.
Originally presented on the History Channel in July of last year, this efficient and streamlined documentary never drags or shies away from the often ugly truth.
‘Heroes: the Complete Series’ (2006–2010)
The superhero TV show for those of us not fond of superhero movies, this NBC series focused on regular citizens with supernatural talents. Some of them would rather not be “blessed” with these gifts, which, of course, makes the premise all the more appealing.
With a killer cast led by Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter, Kristen Bell, and Zachary Quinto, the team’s superpowers include mimicry, regeneration, mind-reading, flight, and time manipulation.
‘The Tick: the Complete Series’ (2001, 2016–2019)
Another anti-superhero series, “The Tick,” is a spoof/satire that lampoons the generally self-serious genre to great effect.
This first incarnation on Fox starred Patrick Warburton as the title character, a muscle-bound dude in a tight blue suit who leads three other misfits, none of whom have anything resembling superpowers. It only lasted for eight episodes and has been on Netflix for a while.
After a decade and a half, Amazon Prime rebooted the series, this time with Peter Serafinowicz as the title lead. It, too, was heralded by audiences and critics, but again suffered the same fate as the Fox incarnation. A few people loved it, and too many people couldn’t have cared less. It was canceled after 22 episodes.
