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‘The Stolen Girl’ Episode 4 Recap: Secrets are Revealed

The Stolen Girl Episode 4 Recap Denise Gough
Denise Gough in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 4 (Disney/Matt Squire)

Key characters’ secrets boiled to the surface on Freeform’s The Stolen Girl episode four. Airing on May 7, 2025, the limited series’ penultimate episode opens 11 months before Lucia was taken. The Blix family is playing mini golf, and it appears someone is watching them.

The action jumps to seven weeks after Lucia was taken, and Elisa (Denise Gough) gives a radio interview, asking anyone with information to come forward. The interviewer brings up that there has been a lot of attention directed towards Elisa, and she’s asked how she is handling it. Elisa discusses a journalist who overstepped boundaries, even going so far as to speak with her mother. The interviewer also brings up her social media presence and that she’s even posted a video of herself crying.

As her questions become more accusatory and badgering, Elisa points out that she’s just reinforcing the hate and negativity.

Selma (Ambika Mod) is back at the commune, and the final lady she’s interviewing isn’t happy. Selma is making them sound like freaks, and she isn’t fond of what she is doing to Elisa. When Selma asks about the last time Elisa was there and suggests it was for her father’s funeral, the woman corrects her. Elisa was actually there the day he died. Selma’s mind goes into overdrive, wondering how he died. The woman claims she doesn’t know but adds that Elisa left before the ambulance even got there.

Selma’s next stop is the local police station, where she asks for a little background on the commune. The officer assures there was a thorough investigation, and Elisa’s father’s death was ruled an accident. Selma wonders how long Elisa’s father had been dead when they arrived, and the officer confirms it was a couple of hours. Apparently, there was a serious accident blocking the roads.

Selma goes to the spot of the accident and finds flowers and a teddy bear attached to the fence. While there, Selma looks up details on the accident and finds out that two people died.

Meanwhile, the French police find the vehicle that was used to transport Lucia and pull it out of a river. Rebecca (Holliday Grainger) receives a text warning her that the police have found the vehicle and to be careful. She calls Milan Matkovic, saying it is an emergency; she needs a passport.

Elisa is at some sort of gathering with Georgie when she tries to take a picture of him. Another mom steps forward, warning her not to photograph her own son. The other mother reminds Elisa that it’s her job to protect her son, not exploit him. She believes Elisa is making Georgie perform for her social media.

When Elisa and Georgie return home, Elisa is blindsided to discover a social worker at the house who’s there to do a welfare check on Georgie. The woman informs Elisa they have had several calls concerned for Georgie’s welfare.

Fred (Jim Sturgess) feels they should leave the house, but Elisa refuses.

The Stolen Girl Episode 4
Ambika Mod and Michael Workeye in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 4 (Disney/Matt Squire)

Selma practically ambushes her boss, Kaleb (Michael Workeye), with news on her recent visit to the commune and how Elisa was there when her dad died. Kaleb is furious with Selma; he has already had to back her up with management and warns her to leave it alone. She doesn’t listen. “The first complaint probably won’t ruin your career, but the second one will,” Kelab warns.

Rebecca shows up at the address that was provided by Milan to get her passport. When she shows the man a photo of Lucia, he says that it’s not worth it. It’s best not to get involved. He then tells her it will be 15,000.

Lucia (Beatrice Campbell) and Josephine (Robyn Betteridge) are playing hide-and-seek when Lucia peeks through a door and spots Rebecca stuffing money in her lockbox. Lucia sees where Rebecca hides the key.

Selma clearly doesn’t heed her boss’s warnings and looks up the car accident again. She finds out that a man was taken into custody for death by dangerous driving. The man is none other than the mysterious Marcus Turner! Selma notes that he is a hotel owner and searches for the webpage of said hotel. She sees a photo of a woman in a robe with the signature trademark of the hotel on it and realizes she’s seen Elisa in that same robe on her Instagram page.

Selma’s already defied her boss, so why not add to it by reaching out to Elisa? She sends Elisa a text asking if she knows a Marcus Turner. Elisa throws her phone, clearly spooked. She hurriedly retrieves all the letters sent to her by Marcus where he signs, “All my love.”

Selma visits Elisa, and Elisa demands to know why she is doing this to her after she lost everything. Elisa wants Selma to stop writing vile things about her that are unrelated to Lucia. Selma’s response is to bring up the day Elisa went to visit her parents at the commune. Selma asks the key question: did she have an affair with Marcus and what does it have to do with Lucia’s disappearance? Selma informs Elisa that she submitted a request to interview Marcus.

The Stolen Girl Episode 4
Holliday Grainger in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 4 (Disney/Matt Squire)

Josephine wakes up Rebecca because there’s someone in the house. The visitor turns out to be Milan, and he’s there to get more money so he can disappear. Rebecca becomes frantic while he searches the house. Milan begins to choke her, and Josephine screams for her mom. Rebecca reaches for her knitting needle and stabs him repeatedly, killing him.

Elisa visits Marcus in prison just as Selma calls the prison, trying to get a visit as well. Selma tries to retrieve photos of Marcus on the day of his sentencing but instead finds Rebecca at the press conference. Still unaware of what Rebecca looks like, she compares the photo to the composite sketch.

Elisa apologizes to Marcus (Xavier Samuel) for not visiting him and not responding to his letters. She wants to know if he told anyone what happened, and he replies, “How can you ask me that, Elisa? I did this for us. I did this for our son.” He asks about any news on Lucia and learns his son’s name for the first time. Elisa tells him she is never going to be able to repay him for what he has done for her. She asks him again whether anyone else is aware of the situation. Marcus seems evasive when he admits the man’s wife came to see him. It’s now confirmed that the man who died was Nicolas, and his wife is Nina/Rebecca. But Marcus insists he did not tell Nina about Elisa.

As Elisa is leaving, she receives a text from Selma, accompanied by a picture, asking if the photo is of the person who took Lucia. Elisa then meets with her husband, Fred, and shows him the photo. She asks if it’s Sara Banks, the lady he’d been talking to, and Fred confirms it is. Elisa asks if Sara/Rebecca ever mentioned France. Fred remembers that she did mention a place, and they come to the realization that it’s where they found the transport car.

Rebecca struggles to move Milan’s body but finally manages to dump him in a well. Lucia watches her clean up his blood on the floor. Everything seems to take a toll on Rebecca, and she has a breakdown.

With just one episode left, episode four ends with Elisa not calling the police and informing them of all that she has discovered, but calling the private jet company she works for and asking if anyone is flying because she needs to get to Toulan, France. Selma shows up, telling her what she has already gathered. Elisa begs Selma not to call the police because if she does, then she will get arrested. Selma aks why, and Elisa ignores the question. She begs Selma not to mess this up for her. Selma agrees … but for a price. Elisa will have to drop her complaint, reveal everything she knows, and allow Selma to go with her to France. Elisa agrees.

 




 

‘Ginny & Georgia’ Season 3 Trailer: Georgia’s Facing Life in Prison

The Ginny & Georgia season three trailer shows Georgia going on trial for murder, determined to fight like a mother for her life, and reminding Ginny that she’s her ride or die. Gotta love Ginny’s reply: “Where are we riding, and why do we have to die?”

Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey star as Ginny and Georgia. The cast also includes Diesel La Torraca as Austin, Jennifer Robertson as Ellen, Felix Mallard as Marcus, Sara Waisglass as Max, Scott Porter as Mayor Paul Randolph, Raymond Ablack as Joe, Katie Douglas as Abby, Chelsea Clark as Norah, and Nathan Mitchell as Zion.

“Georgia has just been arrested for murder during her wedding, ruining her fairy tale ending and putting the spotlight on the Millers like never before,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “It’s always been Ginny and Georgia against the world, but the world has never come for them quite like this. Now, Ginny needs to see where she stands when push comes to shove—is the two of them against the world something Ginny really wants to sign up for?”

The 10-episode season premieres on June 5, 2025 on Netflix.

Ginny and Georgia Season 3
Brianne Howey as Georgia, Scott Porter, Antonia Gentry, and Diesel La Torraca as Austin in ‘Ginny & Georgia’ (Photo Cr. Amanda Matlovich/Netflix © 2025)

Sarah Glinski is the showrunner and executive produces along with Sarah Lampert, the series creator. Additional executive producers include Jeff Tahler, Jenny Daly, Holly Hines, Daniel March, Armand Leo, Lance Samuels, and Daniel Iron. David Monahan, Danielle Hoover, Michelle Askew, Ayotunde Ifaturoti, Ali Kinney, Eboni Freeman, Jordan Dumbroff, Zachary Arthur, and Kourtney Richard wrote season three.

Directors include April Mullen, Jasmin Mozaffari, Liz Allen, Sharon Lewis, and Darnell Martin.




‘The Long Walk’ Trailer: Mark Hamill Stars in the Stephen King Thriller

The Long Walk, the first novel Stephen King wrote (but not published), will finally make its way to the big screen on September 12, 2025. Lionsgate just released the first official trailer and it’s brutal, in keeping with the book and film’s subject matter.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Stephen King spoke about the era in which he wrote the book. It was written at the peak of the Vietnam War, but King explained that he didn’t set out to write a political allegory. “You write from your times, so certainly, that was in my mind. But I never thought about it consciously,” said King. “I was writing a kind of a brutal thing. It was hopeless, and just what you write when you’re 19 years old, man. You’re full of beans and you’re full of cynicism, and that’s the way it was.”

The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, and Ben Wang. Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill also star in the adaptation.

Lionsgate describes the thriller as “an intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go?”

The Hunger Games‘ Francis Lawrence directs and JT Mollner adapted King’s story. Lawrence, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, and Cameron MacConomy serve as producers.

The Long Walk Cast
David Jonsson as McVries, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness, Ben Wang as Olson, and Tut Nyuot as Baker in ‘The Long Walk’ (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate)
Mark Hamill in The Long Walk
Mark Hamill as The Major in ‘The Long Walk’ (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate)
Charlie Plummer and Garrett Wareing
Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch, Garrett Wareing as Stebbins, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, David Jonsson as McVries, Ben Wang as Olson, Tut Nyuot as Baker, and Joshua Odjick as Parker (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate)
Judy Greer
Judy Greer as Ginny Garraty (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate)
Cooper Hoffman and Charlie Plummer
Joshua Odjick as Parker, Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness, David Jonsson as McVries, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, and Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch (Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate)
The Long Walk Poster
Poster for ‘The Long Walk’ (Photo © 2025 Lionsgate)



‘Animal Control’ and ‘Going Dutch’ Renewed by Fox

Animal Control Star Joel McHale
Joel McHale and Thomas Lennon in ‘ANIMAL CONTROL’ (Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss © 2025 Fox Media LLC)

Fox is bringing back both Animal Control and Going Dutch for the 2025-2026 primetime season. The network confirmed they’ve renewed Animal Control starring Joel McHale for season four, and Going Dutch with Denis Leary will return for season two.

Animal Control and Going Dutch are proven winners thanks to signature FOX characters brought to life by Joel and Denis — two of the funniest comedic voices on TV today, giving us an ideal foundation for building our new comedy block,” stated Michael Thorn, President, FOX Television Network. “With a focus on creating irreverent, fun workplace humor that’s both outrageous and unpredictable, Joel, Denis, their castmates, and production teams deliver reliably laugh-out-loud moments week after week that will keep fans coming back season after season.”

Animal Control season three stars McHale, Michael Rowland, Vella Lovell, Ravi Patel, and Grace Palmer. The first season of Going Dutch featured Leary, Taylor Misiak, Danny Pudi, Laci Mosley, and Hal Cumpston.

Animal Control follows a group of local Animal Control workers whose lives are complicated by the fact that animals are simple, but humans are not,” reads Fox’s synopsis. “McHale stars as Frank Shaw, an over-qualified, over-opinionated Animal Control officer who has an almost superhuman ability to understand animals. But humans… not so much.”

The comedy was created by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg, and Dan Sterling. Tad Quill is the showrunner and serves as an executive producer along with Fisher, Greenberg, Sterling, and Joel McHale.

Going Dutch centers on the arrogant, loudmouth U.S. Army Colonel Patrick Quinn (Leary), who — after an epically unfiltered rant — is reassigned to the Netherlands, where he is punished with a command position at the least strategic army base in the world, notable for its Michelin Star commissary, top-notch bowling alley, lavender-infused laundry, and the best (and only) fromagerie in the U.S. Armed Forces,” per Fox. “Surrounded by a diverse group of military misfits, the colonel tries to reinstate discipline and professionalism with the help of the base’s previous interim leader, who just happens to be his estranged daughter, Captain Maggie Quinn (Misiak).”

Created by Joel Church-Cooper, the half-hour workplace comedy is executive produced by Church-Cooper, Denis Leary, and Jack Leary.




CBS Sets 2025-2026 Primetime Lineup and Adds Yellowstone Spinoff

CBS Fall 2025 Primetime Schedule

CBS’s 2025-2026 primetime lineup will look surprisingly different from the 2024-2025 version, considering that the network is bringing back l8 shows. The network’s primetime schedule will include one new comedy, four new dramas, and three unscripted series, along with its returning fare.

CBS’s schedule announcement revealed they’ve greenlit a Yellowstone spinoff starring Luke Grimes, reprising his role as Kayce Dutton. For now the drama is called Y: Marshals and is expected to premiere during the 2025-2026 midseason. The network’s also ordered a true crime series based on Harlan Coben’s Final Twist for midseason.

New fall dramas include the Blue Bloods spinoff Boston Blue, the Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country, and CIA, a universe expansion of FBI. DMV, the only new comedy, is described as a workplace comedy set at, obviously, the Department of Motor Vehicles. Taylor Sheridan, Blake Shelton, and Keith Urban’s The Road singing competition series also debuts this coming primetime season.

“Our 2025-2026 primetime schedule boasts a star-studded lineup of returning hit shows and new, exciting series from top creators and producers,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “Coming off another winning season enabled us to make bold scheduling moves and fortify our strong lineup with thematically compatible programs every night of the week for strong viewer flow and to serve as a powerful launchpad for the new shows. Additionally, we’re appreciative of our loyal audiences who regularly watch on CBS and Paramount+ and to our creative partners who continue to deliver outstanding content.”

CBS’s Fall 2025 Primetime Lineup:

• Mondays – The Neighborhood, DMV, FBI and CIA
• Tuesdays – All NCIS night, taking over for the 2024-2025 FBI block
• Wednesdays – Survivor and The Amazing Race. The Wednesday midseason lineup includes Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, Padma Lakshmi’s America’s Culinary Cup, Survivor season 50, Hollywood Squares, and The Price is Right at Night
• Thursdays – Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and Elsbeth
• Fridays – Sheriff Country, Fire Country, and Boston Blue
• Sundays – Tracker and The Road. Y: Marshals and Watson join Tracker at midseason

THE ROAD (Sundays, 9:00-10:00 PM) – The Road offers viewers a backstage pass into the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring artist. With exclusive access to behind-the-scenes workings of the music industry, viewers will see what happens when some of the best up-and-coming performers pile into a tour bus and tackle a grueling schedule in pursuit of their dreams.

From executive producers Taylor Sheridan, Blake Shelton, David C. Glasser, Lee Metzger and Keith Urban, the series trails GRAMMY Award winner Urban on his journey to discover the next big artist alongside GRAMMY Award winner Gretchen Wilson, who acts as the “tour manager.” Singers will join the headliner on tour, performing as opening acts in venues across the country. They will compete to win over local fanbases to secure a spot in the next city and remain on the tour.

DMV (Mondays, 8:30-9:00 PM) – DMV, based on award-winning author Katherine Heiny’s short story, is a single-camera workplace comedy set at the place everyone dreads going most: the DMV. Our quirky and lovable characters are making minimum wage, doing a thankless job where customers are annoyed before they even walk in the door. Good thing they have each other.

DMV stars Harriet Dyer, Tim Meadows, Tony Cavalero, Molly Kearney, Gigi Zumbado and Alex Tarrant.

CIA (Mondays, 10:00-11:00 PM) – CIA, starring Tom Ellis, is a one-hour crime drama centered on two unlikely partners—a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer (Ellis), and a by-the-book, seasoned, and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.

SHERIFF COUNTRY (Fridays, 8:00-9:00 PM) – SHERIFF COUNTRY stars Morena Baccarin as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Fire Country‘s Diane Farr). She investigates criminal activity while she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater, contending with her ex-con father, Wes (W. Earl Brown), who is an off-the-grid marijuana grower, and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.

Sheriff Country Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin as Sheriff Mickey Fox on ‘FIRE COUNTRY’ (Photo: Hugh Tull © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.)

SHERIFF COUNTRY stars Morena Baccarin, W. Earl Brown, Matt Lauria, Christopher Gorham and Michele Weaver.

BOSTON BLUE (Fridays, 10:00-11:00 PM) – BOSTON BLUE stars Donnie Wahlberg as he reprises his role as NYPD officer Danny Reagan in a universe expansion of the long-running top drama BLUE BLOODS. In the new drama, Reagan takes a position with Boston PD. Once in Boston, he is paired with detective Lena Peters (Sonequa Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of a prominent law enforcement family.

Y: MARSHALS (Working Title) (Premieres Sundays, Midseason, 9:00-10:00 PM) –
Y: MARSHALS (working title) stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence.

HARLAN COBEN’S FINAL TWIST (Wednesdays, Midseason 10:00-11:00 PM, Between Fall and Spring Editions of SURVIVOR) – HARLAN COBEN’S FINAL TWIST brings the world’s best-selling mystery author into the true-crime television genre for the first time. With over 90 million books sold globally and scripted series, Harlan Coben is known for his twisting narratives and intricate plots. In each one-hour episode, Harlan will guide audiences through gripping tales of murder, high-profile crimes, and life-altering surprises, each meticulously unraveled to reveal hidden truths, deceptions, and lies. With exclusive interviews and never-before-seen archival materials, the series will provide an in-depth look at stories where nothing is as it seems.

AMERICA’S CULINARY CUP (Wednesdays, in Spring after SURVIVOR, 9:30-10:30 PM) – AMERICA’S CULINARY CUP, from Emmy-nominated food expert Padma Lakshmi is a new cooking competition series. Lakshmi serves as creator and host of this new culinary showdown featuring a cast of the nation’s most decorated chefs as they embark on a one-of-a-kind, high-stakes competition designed to challenge their creativity, endurance, presentation, leadership, and more.

EINSTEIN (for the 2026-2027 season) – EINSTEIN is a drama with comedic undertones starring Matthew Gray Gubler as Lew Einstein. Brilliant but directionless, the great-grandson of Albert Einstein spends his days as a comfortably tenured professor until his bad boy antics land him in trouble with the law and he is pressed into service helping a local police detective solve the most puzzling cases.

CUPERTINO (Writers Room for 12 episodes, 2026-2027 season) – CUPERTINO is a David vs. Goliath legal show set in Silicon Valley. The series is executive produced by Emmy Award-winning producers Robert and Michelle King and Liz Glotzer for King Size Productions and CBS Studios.




Amy Poehler and Mike Schur Team Up on ‘Dig’

Dig from Mike Schur and Amy Poehler
Michael Schur, ‘Dig’ executive producer, on the Universal Studios Lot (Photo by: Todd Williamson / NBCUniversal)

Parks and Recreation‘s Amy Poehler and Mike Schur are reuniting for the first time since 2015 on Dig, a new comedy just picked up for series by Peacock. Poehler is on board to star and will write and executive produce along with Schur.

Peacock released this description of the series: “Four women working at an archeological dig in Greece are at wildly different crossroads in their lives. When the team uncovers a long-buried secret with the potential to rewrite history, they find themselves at the center of a high-stakes international conspiracy.”

The new comedy is based on Kate Myers’ bestselling novel Excavations. Myers will be involved as a co-executive producer. Only Murders in the Building‘s J.J. Philbin will serve as a writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Morgan Sackett, Dave Becky, David Miner, Sharon Jackson, Kate Arend, and Jordan Grief. Fremulon, Paper Kite, 3 Arts, Ocean Avenue are producing.

‘Echo Valley’ Trailer: Family Bonds and Bloody Secrets

Apple Original Films unveiled the official trailer for Echo Valley, and just a heads-up, it seems a little spoilery. The trailer teases a murder and subsequent cover-up, with Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney starring as the possible killer and Oscar winner Julianne Moore as her protective mom.

Domhnall Gleeson, Fiona Shaw, Edmund Donovan, Albert Jones, and Kyle MacLachlan also star. BAFTA winner Michael Pearce (Beast) directs, and two-time Emmy nominee Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown) wrote the screenplay.

“In the edge-of-your-seat thriller Echo Valley, Kate (Moore) is a mother struggling to make peace with her troubled daughter Claire (Sweeney)—a situation that becomes even more perilous when Claire shows up on Kate’s doorstep, hysterical and covered in someone else’s blood,” reads Apple Original Films’ synopsis. “As Kate pieces together the shocking truth of what happened, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child in this gripping tale of love, sacrifice, and survival.”

Scott Free Films’ Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss serve as producers along with Kevin J. Walsh and Brad Ingelsby. Executive producers include Ted Deiker, Scott Greenberg, Erika Olde, Sam Roseme, Nicole Jordan-Webber, and Rebecca Feuer.

Echo Valley premieres on Apple TV+ on June 13, 2025.

Echo Valley Poster
Poster for ‘Echo Valley’ (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)

‘Clown in a Cornfield’ Review

Clown in a Cornfield
Frendo the Clown in ‘CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD’ (Photo Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder)

You’ve heard of Snakes on a Plane. You’ve heard of Flowers in the Attic. You’ve even heard of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now, get ready for Clown in a Cornfield.

And, surprisingly, it’s not just a mashup of IT and Children of the Corn.

Clown in a Cornfield is about a teenage girl named Quinn (Katie Douglas from Pretty Hard Cases) who, along with her father (Hannibal’s Aaron Abrams), moves to a small town called Kettle Springs for a fresh start after her mother passes away. She meets a new group of friends, and despite being warned about them being “the wrong crowd,” she enjoys hanging out with them, doing teenage things like partying and making viral videos. Unfortunately, Kettle Springs has a dark secret built around the torched Baypen Corn Syrup factory that fed the town’s whole economy, and soon enough, Quinn and her friends find themselves being stalked by the brand’s creepy clown mascot, Frendo.

Directed by Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) from a script written by Carter Blanchard (Independence Day: Resurgence) and Adam Cesare (Ghost Game), Clown in a Cornfield is both exactly what it seems and not at all what it seems. Of course, it’s about a clown in a cornfield. But there is also more to it than that. It’s about a town’s decay and decline, and about how the symbol of its past comes back to haunt them. But that symbol is a killer clown, so things get bloody very fast.

At its root, Clown in a Cornfield is a slasher movie, with all the effective and inventive kills that come with it. And although Eli Craig didn’t put as much inherent humor into it as he put into Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, there’s still plenty of gory fun. The practical visual effects are decent, and the splatter flows freely. With the exception of Quinn, most of the characters are faceless and exist purely as cannon fodder for the killer. And all clowns are scary, Frendo being no exception.

But Clown in a Cornfield also attempts to be a mystery of sorts, and in the beginning, it works. The audience can’t help but engage with the story and wonder what the deal with the Killer Clowns from Outer Space-meets-Terrifier murderer is. And there are plenty of surprises and twists along the way, red herrings and false flags and all that good stuff. However, ultimately, the mystery doesn’t have a satisfying solution. It’s a conclusion that the setup telegraphs from a mile away, so at that point, Clown in a Cornfield becomes just another slasher movie.

And then, there’s the social theme. Kettle Springs is a town that is in disarray after the big fire that destroyed the main employer of its residents, so the adults try to make ends meet while the kids alternate between pulling pranks and dreaming about getting out. And there’s the big rift—the old people wanting to toe the line and the young people wanting to break free from it. Both are angry and resentful, but for very different reasons. Experience vs. Youth. It’s a tale as old as time. Ain’t that America?

So, Clown in a Cornfield isn’t as corny of a movie as it sounds. But it’s still not exactly good. It kind of has that Asylum Films feel to it, low-budget fun without any real substance. Except it does have a bit of substance. Just not enough to make people think too hard about it. It’s an admirable try, but it isn’t completely successful. It doesn’t completely fail, either. It’s just…there. In the cornfield. Clowning.

GRADE: C

Rating: R for teen drinking, language throughout, and bloody horror violence
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes
Distributor: RLJE Films / Shudder




‘SWAT’ Season 8 Episode 20 Preview: Alex Russell Returns

CBS’s SWAT season eight episode 20 welcomes back former series star Alex Russell, but not as Jim Street. Russell returns to direct episode 20, “Devil Dog,” airing on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT.

“Devil Dog” Plot: When Hondo’s ne’er-do-well cousin, Andre, goes AWOL from his Marine base during basic training, Hondo, Deacon, and Daniel Sr. take a road trip to get the kid in line. But when they learn that Andre witnessed an illegal arms deal involving stolen military weapons, Hondo realizes there’s a darker explanation for Andre’s disappearance. And Alfaro plots to work outside the law when he discovers that his mother’s long-ago abusive ex is back in her life, repeating the violent ways of the past.

Season eight stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and Anna Enger Ritch as Zoe Powell. Annie Ilonzeh is Devin Gamble and Niko Pepaj plays Miguel “Miko” Alfaro.

SWAT Season 8 Episode 20
Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in ‘SWAT’ season 8 episode 20 (Photo: Bill Inoshita © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)

SWAT Description, Courtesy of CBS:

S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised SWAT sergeant tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds.

Committed to the job, Hondo is equally devoted to his marriage and fatherhood. The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; Zoe Powell, a tough and loyal team member trying to reconnect with the son she gave up for adoption as a teen; and Miguel “Miko” Alfaro, a headstrong officer who overcame a troubled childhood, and is now a trusted 20-Squad addition following a rocky transfer to Los Angeles S.W.A.T.

Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men and women bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.

Shemar Moore and Jay Harrington
Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, and Director Alex Russell on the set of season 8 episode 20 (Photo: Bill Inoshita © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the
“Devil Dog” episode (Photo: Bill Inoshita © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
Alex Russell, Jay Harrington, Shemar Moore
Director Alex Russell, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson on the set of season 8 episode 20 (Photo: Bill Inoshita © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
Jay Harrington
Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay in season 8 episode 20 (Photo: Bill Inoshita © 2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc)




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