What to Watch / August 14, 2024
In which I wonder, what's with all the monkeys and apes?
Still some fairly sparse pickings due to the Olympics, so let's get to it already:
Wednesday - August 14
Apple TV+ / Bad Monkey, S1. From Ted Lasso showrunner Bill Lawrence comes this dark comedy based on Carl Hiassen's 2013 novel of the same name about a monkey (Crystal, The Fablemans) who is not so much bad as simply misunderstood. Somehow her journey ties into that of a demoted Miami detective (Vince Vaughn, Swingers) now relegated to the role of health inspector in the Florida Keys (so, so many dirty fryers) and who finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation with motives involving gentrification, environmental issues, greed, and, yes, the titular monkey. Reviews are mixed to positive: Vaughn's in great comedic form while some critics lament that the series can't decide what its tone is or which plot to follow - 'watching Bad Monkey feels like the equivalent of meeting a half-drunk stranger at a bar who has a good story but can’t tell it well and also suffers from ADHD' - while another review calls it 'a rollicking, darkly hilarious series that’s both compulsively watchable and plain old fun.' Either way, the series features 21 (!) covers of songs by Florida's own Tom Petty, along with a strong supporting cast including Natalie Martinez (Kingdom), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible - Fallout), Meredith Hagner (Search Party), Jodie Turner-Smith (Sex Education), Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff), and John Ortiz (American Fiction). Trailer here.
Netflix / Daughters (documentary). Premiered at Sundance, this movie documentary from directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae is centered on Patton's non-profit organization, Girls for a Change - and the program Patton established, Date with Dad, where daughters of inmates at a D.C. prison are reunited (or in some cases united for the first time) for a dance. Reviews are mixed, praising the film's heartfelt (and tear-inducing) themes of family and redemption, while puzzling over some odd choices by the filmmakers, including Patton serving as both co-director and a subject of the film, and a finale that occurs with an hour left to go. Trailer here.
ESPN / Rhythm Masters: A Mickey Hart Experience (special). Inspired by the late Bill Walton, NBA great and legendary Deadhead, this documentary about rhythm from Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart seems, at first glance, to be simply an indulgent foray into Hart's love of sports but reviews suggest that Hart is onto something: transcendent athletic performances have a rhythm and a flow that is also found in music, and this documentary explores Hart's attempts to capture that feeling. Features interviews with sports legends Jack Nicklaus, Phil Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mark Messier, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Joe Montana, among others. Trailer here.
Netflix / Worst Ex Ever, S1. From the producers of Worst Roommate Ever, more content about abusive and sometimes murdery people and the marinara flags they left along the way.
Returning - MTV, The Challenge; Disney, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Thursday - August 15
Prime Video / Jackpot (movie). John Cena (Trainwreck) and Awkwafina (Nora from Queens) star in this action-comedy set in the near future where you can steal a lottery winner's jackpot if you - *checks notes* - murder them on the day they win. So, The Purge but make it... funny? Reviews suggest the numbers are less than winning: 'more frustrating than entertaining' and 'it has the flat, cheap hallmark of something all too clearly destined for streaming.' Trailer here.
Max / Rick and Morty: The Anime, S1. Given all the multiverses, it was inevitable that Rick and Morty would find themselves in an anime version of themselves. Produced and written by Tower of God's Takashi Sano, this will feature the same characters from Rick and Morty but starring in entirely new storylines. Trailer here.
Returning - Netflix, Emily in Paris; Peacock, Bel-Air
Friday - August 16
Paramount+ / RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, S1 (reality competition). Olympics who? For the first time ever, 12 fan favorites from around the world represent their countries in this competition for 'Queen of the Mothertucking World.' Guest judges include Carson Kressley (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), Danna Paola (Élite), Graham Norton (Graham Norton), and Matt Rogers (Las Culturistas). Trailer here.
Netflix / The Union (movie). Oscar winner Halle Berry (X-Men) and Mark Wahlberg (Signs) star in this spy/thriller/drama/rom-com/comedy from Entourage director Julian Farino. Reviews suggest that despite its two leads that it's nonetheless 'the Netflix movie playing in the background,' thanks to their lack of chemistry, the underdeveloped characters, and an uncertainty about whether it's a spy thriller, a comedy, or a will-they, won't-they romantic comedy. Also stars a criminally underused J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). So what you’re saying is that it’s not a good week for movies starring two Oscar winners? Trailer here.
Sunday - August 18
Max / Chimp Crazy (docuseries). Tiger King producer Eric Goode turns his sights to Tonia Haddix, the self-described 'Dolly Parton of chimps,' and her chimp Tonka (George of the Jungle) whose death she faked in order to evade PETA. Also, here's a photo of Alan Cumming with Tonka. Trailer here.
Disney / OceanXplorers, S1. James Cameron (Titanic) teams with OceanX and BBC Studios for this real-life adventure into the furthest reaches of the oceans aboard an advanced scientific research vehicle, the OceanXplorer. Trailer here.
And that's it for the week! (Told you it was short.)
Please don't eat the cat.
Moira