9-1-1 premiered in January 2018 and its first spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, arrived in January 2020 and ran for five seasons. 2025 serves up a new addition to the franchise with 9-1-1: Nashville, premiering on October 9, 2025. New episodes of the drama will air on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on ABC.
Chris O’Donnell stars as Don Hart, Jessica Capshaw plays Blythe Hart, Kimberly Williams-Paisley is Cammie Raleigh, and LeAnn Rimes plays Dixie Bennings. Hailey Kilgore stars as Taylor Thompson, Michael Provost is Ryan Hart, Juani Feliz is Roxie Alba, and Hunter McVey plays Blue Bennings.
ABC offers this brief description of the newest entry of the franchise: “9-1-1: Nashville is a high-octane procedural about heroic first responders, as well as their family saga of power and glamour set in one of America’s most diverse and dynamic cities.”
Rashad Raisani guides the series as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Chris O’Donnell, Brad Buecker, Brad Falchuk, and Angela Bassett. 9-1-1 co-creators Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear also serve as writers and executive producers.
Episode 1 Plot: When a powerful tornado tears through Nashville and endangers a country music festival, Captain Don Hart leads Fire Station 113 on a harrowing rescue mission. Meanwhile, the Hart family contends with the fallout when a long-held secret is revealed.
Chris O’Donnell and Michael Provost in ‘9-1-1: NASHVILLE’ episode 1 (Disney/Jake Giles Netter)Hunter McVey in episode 1 (Disney/Jake Giles Netter)Chris O’Donnell and Michael Provost in episode 1 (Disney/Jake Giles Netter)Jessica Capshaw and LeAnn Rimes (Disney/Jake Giles Netter)Jessica Capshaw and Michael Provost in episode 1 (Disney/Jake Giles Netter)
Indy in Ben Leonberg’s ‘GOOD BOY’ (Photo Courtesy of Ben Leonberg – An Independent Film Company and Shudder Release)
Since the early 2000s, movies about ghosts have been a bit stale. Even when they’re good, as with The Conjuring or Insidious, they’re almost as played out as zombies. Until this year. Earlier this year, we got Presence, a ghost story from the ghost’s point of view. Well, now Good Boy is here to one-up it. Good Boy is a ghost movie from the point of view of the faithful canine companion.
Good Boy is about a dog named Indy (played by himself) who is brought to an old cabin in the woods by his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen). The cabin belonged to Todd’s Grandfather (Lerry Fessenden), and it comes with a history of ghosts, a fact which Indy is sensitive to. But the ghosts are not the only threats in the cabin. Todd has a few demons of his own that Indy must deal with as well.
Right off the bat, let’s spoil the one thing about Good Boy that needs to be spoiled. Indy doesn’t die. The movie is equal parts horrifying and heartbreaking, but Indy makes it the whole way through to the end.
Now that that’s out of the way, Good Boy was directed by Ben Leonberg from a script he co-wrote along with Alex Cannon. It’s Leonberg’s first feature, and it was clearly a passion project for the young filmmaker. Indy is his dog, and it just seems as if he wants to show off what a good boy his good boy is in Good Boy.
The concept that Leonberg cooked up to showcase his pup is sound, even solid. It’s said that animals, particularly pets, are more attuned to paranormal activity and supernatural presences, so the fact that Indy would react as he does to the haunting makes a lot of sense. Good Boy is not shown through Indy’s eyes so much as the camera follows him around as he explores and figures out what’s going on around him. Which is better, because Indy is one cute dog, and we want to see his furry face.
Good Boy is not just a ghost story. It’s a human story as well. Todd is dealing with more than just the ghosts of Grandpa’s old house, and Indy, like most dogs, absolutely loves his human. He wants to both protect and comfort Todd, even when Todd doesn’t want to be protected and comforted. Indy deals with both internal and external issues, fights enemies both foreign and domestic. And the audience is along for the ride.
And by the way, Indy is not just a pretty face. He is amazing in Good Boy. I have always said (and I’m saying it again) that there should be an Oscar for Best Animal Performance, and right now, Indy would be the favorite. The amount of emotion demonstrated by this dog is incredible. And he is basically in every single scene of the movie, so he’s the anchor. In fact, the humans’ faces are never even seen clearly, always obscured in shadow or just out of frame. This is Indy’s movie, and he’s up for the task. He gets the audience not only on his side but actively rooting for him. Heck, even if there’s not an Animal Performance category, let’s nominate Indy for Best Actor in general.
Of course, Good Boy is a gimmick movie, but it’s a gimmick movie that works. And the movie knows it’s a gimmick. Leonberg keeps it at the perfect running time (73 minutes) to keep the gimmick fresh without letting it overstay its welcome. Any longer, it would start repeating itself and would get stale. One of the best things about Good Boy is that it knows when to get out.
Overall, Good Boy is a breath of fresh air. It may use typical ghost movie tropes, but its approach is fresh and unique, so even the old spooky stuff is new again. It’s a welcome addition to the ghost movie subgenre. And maybe, just maybe, it will lead to more movies with talented animal leads in the future. Maybe even enough to get our Oscar category.
GRADE: A
Release Date: October 3, 2025
Rating: PG-13 for bloody images, terror, and strong language
Running Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Bad Bunny to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show (Photo Credit: NFL)
Those rumors of a Taylor Swift Super Bowl Halftime Show were wrong. Three-time Grammy winner Bad Bunny has been confirmed as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, set to take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. The big game will take place on the home field of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, February 8, and will air live on NBC.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el Halftime Show Del Super Bowl,” stated Bad Bunny.
“Bad Bunny represents the global energy and cultural vibrancy that define today’s music scene. As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, his unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage,” said Jon Barker, SVP of Global Event Production for the NFL. “We know his dynamic performances, creative vision, and deep connection with fans will deliver the kind of unforgettable experience we’ve come to expect from this iconic cultural moment.”
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show is produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is the director. “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage,” said Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter.
Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 performance holds the record as the most watched Super Bowl Halftime Show and won an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction.
Season two of Fox’s medical drama Doc continues with episode two, “Delusions of Grandeur.” Episode two airs on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT.
Molly Parker stars as Dr. Amy Larsen, Omar Metwally plays Dr. Michael Hamda, Felicity Huffman is Dr. Joan Ridley, Amirah Vann is Dr. Gina Walker, and Charlotte Fountain-Jardim plays Katie Hamda. Jon Ecker is Dr. Jake Heller and Anya Banerjee plays Dr. Sonya Maitra.
“Delusions of Grandeur” Plot: Amy grapples with having memories while treating a mother-to-be with a mysterious condition. Also, Dr. Joan Ridley, Amy’s mentor, visits Westside.
“Inspired by a true story and based on the hit eponymous Italian drama series, Doc begins its second season of the life-affirming medical drama following the heartbreak and victories of hard-charging, brilliant physician DR. AMY LARSEN (Parker) as she rebuilds her life after a car crash erased eight years of her memory. This season, Amy will continue to confront hard truths about her missing years, work to repair fractured relationships and seek to reconcile the person she used to be with the one everyone else has come to know.
Determined to get her memory back and piece together who she really is, Amy’s goal is to become the doctor she used to be in those missing years and to eventually, once again, be Chief of Internal Medicine. In the interim, her ex-husband/Westside Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, DR. MICHAEL HAMDA (Metwally) fills the position with Amy’s former mentor and friend DR. JOAN RIDLEY (Huffman), whose motives and priorities remain hidden, just as long as Amy still can’t recall Joan’s life-changing secret. Amy’s best friend and colleague, DR. GINA WALKER (Vann), is weary of Joan’s motives and continues to be a beacon of support for those around her, while finally learning to put on her own oxygen mask first.
While relearning eight years of medical advancements is complicated, it pales in comparison to learning to navigate her new/old/current romantic entanglements. Amy continues to fight her feelings and let Michael go, especially now with the birth of his son with his new wife, bringing up emotions for both Amy and their daughter KATIE HAMDA (Fountain-Jardim). Amy’s on-again, off-again relationship with Chief Resident DR. JAKE HELLER (Ecker) is a bit more delicate as he struggles to protect his heart from her this time around. However, DR. SONYA MAITRA (Banerjee) would only be too glad to pick up the pieces, navigating the balance between her feelings for Jake and her complicated resentment towards Amy.
The second season of Doc begins as Amy’s past comes back to haunt her when a desperate father sacrifices everything to secure his daughter’s heart transplant. Chaos and confusion reverberate through the hallways of Westside Medical when a subsequent high-stakes emergency leaves a doctor’s life in the balance.”
Max Thieriot guest stars in the series/season premiere of Sheriff Country. The Fire Country spinoff stars Morena Baccarin and joins CBS’s primetime lineup on Friday, October 17, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT. The drama settles into its normal Fridays at 8pm slot on October 24.
The season one cast includes Matt Lauria as Nathan Boone, W. Earl Brown as Wes Fox, Michele Weaver as Cassidy Campbell, and Christopher Gorham as Travis Fraley. James Strong directed the series premiere and Joan Rater and Tony Phelan are the writers.
Executive producers include Fire Country star Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Matt Lopez, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed.
“Pilot” Plot: Emmy Award nominee Morena Baccarin stars as Mickey Fox, a straight-shooting sheriff in the small rural town of Edgewater, Calif., and stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Fire Country), who must balance the demands of law enforcement with the complexities of motherhood, community politics, and a past that won’t stay buried. When a young boy is caught stealing food, Mickey uncovers a disturbing case of child abuse that leads to a high-stakes rescue and a cliffside standoff that could cost lives.
Meanwhile, Mickey’s daughter Skye is newly sober, but her path to sobriety is complicated by her relationship with a troubled young man whom her mother arrested.
Season 30 of Discovery Channel’s Ghost Adventures kicks off with an early debut on October 15, 2025 on Discovery+. New episodes air on Wednesdays at 11pm on Discovery Channel, beginning October 29.
The new season begins with a special two-hour episode that takes Zak Bagans and the team – Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley – to Caspar, Wyoming. The area is known as a supernatural hotspot and the team will be investigating reports of alien abductions and creepy hauntings. Per Discovery: “As the team navigate their way to the mountaintop and through the compound’s deserted buildings, they unravel mysterious findings at every turn. Exploring otherworldly sightings and a history of witches on the land, their investigation leads to a haunted forest where rituals may have opened a portal to another dimension.”
Commenting on the new season, Bagans said, “This season we were inundated by an overwhelming amount of dark energy. No question, these are some of the most intense, jarring, and disturbing investigations we have ever experienced. Every location is a paranormal powder keg, and many of them are breeding grounds for evil. We’ve encountered a lot in our years of doing this, but this is unlike anything we have seen or captured before.”
Poster for ‘Ghost Adventures’ season 30 (Photo Credit: Discovery Channel)
Ghost Adventures Season 30 Description
“In each lockdown investigation, Bagans and the team employ the latest scientific gadgets and technology to document physical evidence of the paranormal and deepen their understanding of the afterlife. Journeying into the unexplained, the crew confronts some of the most malevolent, evil activity they have ever encountered.
In the upcoming season, they’ll investigate sinister forces overtaking a shuttered hospital, explore strange manifestations haunting a beloved San Diego amusement park, grapple with deeply disturbing activity invading an abandoned medical complex, delve into reports of alien sightings and portals atop a Wyoming mountain, and more.”
Harriet Slater and Simon Merrells in ‘Outlander: Blood of my Blood’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Starz)
We’ve arrived at the penultimate episode of Starz’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood and things are really getting juicy. Episode eight ended with Julia and Henry finally reuniting, if only temporarily. Episode nine, “Braemer,” begins with the clans preparing for a visit to the Earl of Mar at Braemar and ends with one of the central love stories ripped apart while the other hopes for a more permanent reunion.
(The following is a recap of episode nine, which aired on September 26, 2025, and there are spoilers.)
Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Brian (Jamie Roy) are summoned by Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), with the lord informing Brian he’ll be joining him at the Earl of Mar’s tynchal at Braemar. All the lords will be there, except Isaac Grant who just passed away. Lord Lovat thinks Ellen was found guilty of being loose, and they don’t correct him. He orders Julia to remain behind and care for the castle. However, Julia and Brian are able to convince him that she and the baby should accompany him since most lords will have their wives in attendance.
Henry (Jeremy Irvine) and Malcolm Grant’s carriage is stopped by Malcolm’s uncle. He’s arrived too late for his brother’s funeral but he will stick around to protect Malcolm. Malcolm (Jhon Lumsden) introduces his uncle, Malcolm MacKinnon “Mac” Grant (Simon Merrells), to Henry, the Grants’ new bladier. Uncle Mac turns down a ride because he prefers to ride straight to Leoch to meet Malcolm’s intended.
Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) cautions Dougal (Sam Retford) that he needs to be on his best behavior at the tynchal. Ellen joins them and they treat her as an insignificant part of the clan. Uncle Mac barges in and is happy to meet Ellen (Harriet Slater), advising her to call him “uncle.” He sends Dougal and Colum away; he only wants to speak with Ellen.
Uncle Mac’s heard of her beauty and intelligence and also heard all the rumors. He asks why her virtue was ever questioned, and she blames it on Lord Lovat. Uncle Mac warns her to be truthful because he has ways of ferreting out lies. He wonders if she’ll be a good and faithful wife, and Ellen turns on the charm, claiming she’ll be faithful forever once she’s wed.
“Serve Malcolm well and there will be no ill will between us,” says Uncle Mac. However, he’ll rip her heart out if she breaks Malcolm’s.
Ellen tells Mrs. Fitz (Sally Messham) what happened, and she confirms he would do what he said. She warns Ellen not to look at another man at Braemar – even if Brian’s there. Ellen admits she hadn’t considered that she’ll need to have a period soon and Mrs. Fitz says she’ll take care of that.
A band performs as everyone gathers at Braemar. Ellen walks with Malcolm and they talk about their recently deceased fathers. Malcolm reveals he used to take things to show his dad, and he’s glad his father got a chance to meet her. Ellen says she used to talk to her dad about what she’d read in books.
Now that Malcolm is the laird, he’s anxious to make Ellen his lady.
Colum, Dougal, and Ned (Conor MacNeill) follow Ellen and Malcolm into a tent and spot McMurtry of the Gallowglass. Colum wonders who invited the assassins, and Dougal thinks it was whoever had money to pay for them.
Rory Alexander, Jamie Roy, and Hermione Corfield in ‘Outlander: Blood of my Blood’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Ned advises them to walk through the tent and refresh their memories of the key attendees. Brian and Julia stroll in with Lord Lovat, and Murtagh (Rory Alexander) seems happy that Brian’s hurt seeing Ellen with Malcolm. They argue and almost come to blows but manage to keep themselves under control. Murtagh knows about Ellen’s purity test and thinks she’s better off with Malcolm.
Murtagh informs Lord Lovat that he’s heard whispers of a special guest that the Earl of Mar will introduce later. They don’t know who it is but note that all the richest and most influential clan chieftains are already there and have taken the best camping locations.
Julia scans the crowd and Henry rushes over, anxious to meet his son. Henry’s forced to pretend not to know Julia when Lord Lovat walks over, and looks stunned when Lord Lovat introduces her as his wife. Julia appears stricken when she’s forced to lie and say the baby is Lord Lovat’s.
Henry accompanies Malcolm and his uncle to the meeting of the clan chieftains. Uncle Mac addresses the MacPhersons who wonder why the MacKenzies split their leadership between Colum as laird and Dougal as war chieftain. Uncle Mac thinks it was a wise decision since Colum’s the brain and Dougal’s the brawn.
The Earl of Mar (Craige Els) welcomes everyone and then introduces a “unique guest.” The guest? It’s none other than Rob Roy (Jamie Sives). Rob Roy claims the English have persecuted his family for centuries and a German interloper has ruled with tyranny. He suggests that they have all either lost money or let the English coin lull them into obedience. Rob Roy thinks it’s only a matter of time before the English take everything away.
The men are mostly in agreement when he says it’s time to restore the true king to the throne. Henry shakes his head as Rob Roy draws his sword on behalf of the Stuart cause.
Lord Lovat smiles as he recites the prophecy to himself, “A Scottish ruler rising from the Fraser bloodline, uniting the clans for centuries to come.”
The Earl of Mar wants the men to decide their allegiance and to declare it. But first, they can enjoy themselves and the tynchal. When that’s over, each chieftain can cast a vote for the movement. He promises no one will be harmed, no matter their vote.
Lord Lovat whispers to the Earl of Mar that he’s on his side and that he’s got an heir he wants him to meet. Uncle Mac overhears and calls Lord Lovat out as a liar and a scoundrel. Lord Lovat’s shocked to learn Ellen was determined to be a virgin, and Uncle Mac assures him it’s true. He knows Lord Lovat’s agenda and all about the false promise of his heir.
“You are a detestable nodcock, Fraser, and so is any man who would confuse your damnable lies with truth,” declares Uncle Mac.
Lord Lovat is rendered speechless and rushes from the assembly.
Sam Retford and Séamus McLean Ross in ‘Outlander: Blood of my Blood’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Colum will not support Rob Roy, but Dougal is flattered when the notorious rebel remembers his name. Rob Roy also remembers that Dougal was about to donate to the cause when their last meeting was interrupted. He suggests they discuss the matter later.
Colum follows Dougal into their tent, demanding to know what Rob Roy was talking about. Dougal admits he was going to donate some of Ellen’s dowry to the Jacobite cause without telling his brother or Ned. Colum reminds his brother that Ellen’s engaged to a loyalist, and this could end her engagement. Ned warns them to keep their voices down, as Dougal reveals they’re there to prepare for war. Colum disagrees and reminds him the money he was going to give away is meant for the Grants.
Colum demands to know if Dougal was aware the Earl was going to hold this vote, and Dougal doesn’t admit it but agrees with his choice. Colum threatens Dougal with the Gallowglass if he lies again and demands to know what else Dougal’s hiding from him.
Ellen and Brian exchange flirty smiles, despite Mrs. Fitz’s warning. They end up next to each other watching men arm wrestle. He apologizes for the purity test and their hands gently touch as she reminds him that they’re playing a dangerous game. He whispers, “I love you,” and they briefly hold hands. She’s forced to leave his side when she notices Ned is searching for her. Ellen asks Brian to meet her later in the old kirk and leaves before he responds.
Ned fetches Ellen and brings her to Colum and Dougal. Dougal has betrayed her by giving away her secret and Colum wants time alone with his sister. Colum can’t believe she was with Brian Fraser, their sworn enemy, and threatens to kill him if she sees him again. Ellen stands up to her brother, warning him if he touches Brian, then she’s done with the MacKenzies. She will instruct Malcolm to withhold Grant’s allegiance and financial support. Ellen makes him swear he won’t have Brian harmed. In exchange, she promises to stay away from Brian. Colum demands that she break up with Brian for good, and she gives him her word.
Brian finds Henry and informs him that Julia never stopped trying to return to him. Brian tells him the truth about her marriage to Lord Lovat.
Ellen sits next to Julia, shocked that she married Lord Lovat. Julia explains she was forced into it. Ellen thanks her for saving her life, and Julia assures her the love she and Brian share is special. Julia’s about to say something about her own great love but decides against it. Ellen assures Julia that her secrets are safe with her, and Julia confesses she’s married to her true love, Henry.
Julia explains what happened without getting too specific and confesses that being with Lord Lovat is “dreadful.” She’s heartbroken that she hasn’t been able to explain everything to Henry, but it’s a sacrifice she made to keep their child safe. Ellen understands and takes Julia’s words to heart. She needs to protect Brian, no matter what.
Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater in ‘Outlander: Blood of my Blood’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Brian waits at the old kirk as instructed and smiles as Ellen approaches. She won’t follow him into the kirk and his heart breaks as she says she can’t be with him because he’s penniless and the bastard of a horrible laird. She claims her heart changed and that now she’s committed to Malcolm.
Brian refuses to believe it’s true and places her hand over his heart, declaring it beats only for her. He believes the same is true of her heart, but she pushes him away. Brian knows he loves her and she loves him, but Ellen claims she was just drawn to him.
“I’m not in love with you, Brian Fraser. Perhaps I never was,” she says, determined to end this for his sake. She runs off before he can reply.
She holds off her tears until she’s out of his sight. She knows what the consequences will be if she’s ever found in his company again. Brian returns to the camp, defeated.
Lord Lovat’s in a foul mood when Brian enters their tent. First, Lord Lovat blames him for what happened with Uncle Mac and then insults his manhood. Lord Lovat taunts Brian, accusing him of not even being capable of taking Ellen’s virginity. Brian reacts by grabbing his father. It’s only because Balloch intervenes and punches Brian that Lord Lovat’s released. Lord Lovat kicks Brian when he’s down and says he’ll no longer represent him in the tynchal. Murtagh will take his place.
“You’re no son of mine,” declares Lord Lovat.
Henry takes a seat opposite Ned and confesses he would have killed Isaac Grant himself if he hadn’t died. He informs Ned that Isaac and Arch Bug lied about his wife and son dying, and that they’re here at Braemar. Ned is stunned, and Henry warns that he’s not going back to the Grants. He needs to escape now.
Ned believes that everyone, including Arch Bug (Terence Rae), will be taking part in the tynchal tomorrow. Henry thanks Ned for his kindness and asks one more favor.
Ned slips Julia a note from Henry requesting that she meet him during the tynchal. It’s signed with S.W.A.K.
The tynchal arrives and Murtagh is by Lord Lovat’s side. All the clans are assembled, and Arch Bug is with the Grants. Malcolm looks around and spots Ellen, happy she’s made it to the hunt. He promises to give her the wings of a grouse if he shoots one.
Elsewhere, Brian walks alone through the forest. An arrow flies by him and he’s able to knock another away. He takes off running with the Gallowglass hot on his tail. Murtagh knocks him off the path and down the hill and then hides with him as the men run by.
They make it to their horses and flee.
Julia meets Henry by the river and quickly explains she had to marry Lord Lovat to keep their baby safe. Brian already told him what happened and he doesn’t care. They part when the wet nurse approaches with Balloch. Julia quickly tells Henry to meet her at Leathers. She’ll leave a mark indicating the spot.
Neither Henry nor Julia realize Seema, the prostitute Henry’s visited, is lurking nearby.
The Earl of Mar conducts the vote and Uncle Mac declares for the Jacobites. The other clans also seem to fall in line, and the Earl declares James Edward Stuart to be James VIII of Scotland and III of England, Wales, and Ireland.
The heavy topper on the end of the flagpole the Earl’s holding falls off and just misses hitting him.
Disney’s diving back in the sci-fi world of TRON with TRON: Ares starring Jared Leto. The franchise’s third film will be released in theaters on October 10, 2025, but if you’re in the San Diego area, you might not have to wait that long.
Disney has provided Showbiz Junkies with 20 admit-two passes to the San Diego advance screening. The San Diego screening will take place on Tuesday, October 7th at 7pm at the AMC Mission Valley Theater. Visit gofobo.com for a chance to score free passes. The passes are on a first-come, first-served basis and don’t guarantee a seat. (Get in line early—it will be crowded.)
“TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings,” reads Disney’s official synopsis.
In addition to Jared Leto, the thriller stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, and original TRON star Jeff Bridges. Joachim Rønning directs, Jesse Wigutow wrote the screenplay, and Sean Bailey, Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, and Steven Lisberger serve as producers.
Executive producers include Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Russell Allen, and Joseph Kosinski.
LEONARDO DI CAPRIO as Bob Ferguson and BENICIO DEL TORO as Sensei St. Carlos in ‘One Battle After Another’ (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
I have a bit of a complicated relationship with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. I am generally unimpressed by his movies, with the exception of Boogie Nights. But Boogie Nights is probably my favorite movie of all time. So, whenever there’s a new PTA movie released, I keep hoping that somehow, some way, he will make another movie as good as Boogie Nights.
One Battle After Another stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon) as a guy known only as Bob Ferguson. This is a false ID, as Bob is a member of a domestic terrorist organization called The French 75 and, after one of the members turned state’s evidence, is in hiding along with his daughter, Willa (also a false name, and played by Presumed Innocent’s Chase Infiniti). Bob and Willa’s peaceful existence is cut short when a bad-ass military colonel named Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn from Milk and Mystic River) finds a more personal reason to hunt them down—and uses all of his connections—legal and illegal—to do it.
Paul Thomas Anderson adapted his screenplay for One Battle After Another from the novel Vineland by novelist Thomas Pynchon (who also wrote the novel upon which PTA based Inherent Vice). It’s a pretty loose adaptation, actually more of an “inspired by” than an “adapted from.” It’s a modernized telling, almost ripped from today’s headlines. And that’s part of the problem with the movie.
One Battle After Another tries to be timely and political, but it doesn’t really try hard enough. The social injustices that The French 75 are fighting are things like immigration camps and big banks, but these issues are glossed over in the name of entertainment. There’s no real statement made, just bullets shot and rockets launched. It’s obvious who are the heroes and who are the villains, but it seems like a wasted opportunity to take a stand. Which, for a movie that is completely about political turmoil, is just odd.
From a cinematic standpoint, of course PTA knows how to make a technically good movie. For the most part, One Battle After Another looks and sounds great. It even includes what is possibly one of the greatest car chase scenes ever committed to film. But story-wise, it’s all over the place. DiCaprio’s Bob is just as silly as the paranoid druggie trying to evade the law as Penn’s Lockjaw is as the stereotypical, hard-nosed soldier trying to find him (and there will never be a better name for a hard-nosed soldier than Colonel Lockjaw).
One Battle After Another is being pushed as a comedy, but despite Colonel Lockjaw’s incredible name, there’s very little to laugh at in the movie. This just adds to the film’s identity crisis. It’s an action thriller, and a typical one at that. And while there are fun points (see the aforementioned car chase), most of it is pretty by-the-numbers. Sure, Benicio Del Toro (who made two better movies like this with Traffic and Sicario) pops in as a karate sensei who provides a few grins, but there’s not too much in the movie as a whole to cheer about, much less laugh at. It’s just a lot of shooting and chasing. Rinse and repeat.
The best aspect of the movie is easily Jonny Greenwood’s score. The Radiohead guitarist and PTA’s go-to composer is on point here, delivering a toned-down, dissonant piano score that seems all wrong for a movie about ex-revolutionaries running from a mad colonel. But it works so well.
One Battle After Another is all style and no substance. And it really could have had a lot of substance with the right treatment. Maybe if PTA had set his version in the same Reagan-era time period as Pynchon’s novel? Who knows? All I do know is that Boogie Nights is still far and away PTA’s best movie.
GRADE: C-
Rating: R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual content, and violence
Running Time: 2 hours 41 minutes
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures
The Roku Channel’s The Great American Baking Show will be celebrating the spooky season with a one-hour Halloween special. Celebrity bakers including Patton Oswalt, Rachel Dratch, Leslie Jones, and Adam Pally will show off their creepy culinary skills on The Great American Baking Show – Celebrity Halloween.
Casey Wilson and Andrew Rannells host the special and Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood serve as judges.
“Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith welcome four celebrities to the iconic Baking Show tent for a spook-tacular Halloween special. Stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt, SNL legend Rachel Dratch, comedian Leslie Jones, and actor-comedian Adam Pally whisk, bake, and decorate their way through three hair-raising Halloween baking challenges,” reads Roku’s synopsis. “From creepy confections to ghoulishly creative desserts, these stars will put their baking skills to the test. Only one will scare up a win and claim the Star Baker title.”
Executive producers include Jeremy Finn, Todd Frangella, Richard McKerrow, Letty Kavanagh, and Patricia Clark.
Poster for ‘The Great American Baking Show – Celebrity Halloween’ (Photo Credit: Roku)
