Weekend Watch: October 13, 2023
'90s courtroom dramaz + Swifties swarm theaters + Poe goes campy + Moonlighting is back...FINALLY!
Hey there, TueNighters! As you all know, the TueNight team compiles a fantastic list of movie releases, series drops, and TV shows in our weekly TueDo List newsletter.
Here in the Weekend Watch, we get to dive even deeper into our recommendations and chat about what we're watching — ready? Let's do this!
Here are this week’s picks:
The Fall of The House Usher (Netflix): In this wicked series from Mike Flanagan universe (i.e. The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor) and based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher (Bruce Greenwood and Mary McDonnell) have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. As the heirs of the Usher dynasty meet their demise at the hands of an enigmatic woman from their past, Verna, portrayed with delightful campiness by Carla Gugino, long-buried secrets begin to resurface.
Critics Consensus via Rotten Tomatoes: Presenting vintage Poe stories filtered through Mike Flanagan's deliciously dark lens, The Fall of the House of Usher will get a rise out of horror fans.
The Mill (Hulu): Joe (Lil Rel Howery) excels at Mallard, a mega-corporation even more dominant than Amazon and Apple combined. However, his life takes a nightmarish turn when he awakens in an open-air prison cell next to an ancient grist mill, with no memory of how he got there. Amid eerie screams and mysterious whispers from unseen inmates, Joe discovers that Mallard runs this prison. Initially confused, he soon realizes he's in “Advanced Career Training.” Accused of underperformance, Joe must meet a daily quota by operating the mill or face termination. As he races to escape before his child's birth, he delves deeper into Mallard's sinister nature.
Frasier (Paramount+): Same Frasier. New skyline. The new series follows Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.
Fun fact: Some original cast will return to guest star (not saying who, don’t want to spoil the fun!) however, David Hyde Pierce won't reprise his role as Niles, and the late John Mahoney, who portrayed their father Martin and passed away in 2018, will be deeply missed.
The Burial (Prime Video): Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour (Theaters): Taylor Swift is currently rocking her Eras tour, selling out venues worldwide and smashing audience records at stadiums. If you weren’t able to snag tickets, this is for you! The cultural phenomenon continues on the big screen, in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic view of the history-making tour. Taylor Swift Eras tour attire and friendship bracelets are strongly encouraged.
The concert film is set to be a massive hit. AMC theaters even set up a website with all the details in their "What to Know Before the Show" section. Impressive work.
Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+): Set in the early 1950s, based on Bonnie Garmus’ NYT bestseller follows Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society. When Elizabeth finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives — and the men who are suddenly listening — a lot more than recipes.
Fun fact: We’re excited to see Elizabeth Zott's signature catchphrase, “Children, set the table. Your mother needs a moment to herself,” making its way from the book to the screen.
Finally, Moonlighting is back! We can now stream ALL five seasons of the iconic ‘80s classic and revisit the sizzling onscreen chemistry between Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis… FINALLY!