What to Watch This Week in Film & Television (1/29/2023-2/4-2023)

by Darian Scalamoni

    We're officially a month into the new year in just a few days and there's already SO much content you could be talking about amongst friends, family and fellow cinephiles. What I aim to do with this new features series, "What to Watch This Week" is make you aware of just some of the great stuff that I am currently watching or am anticipating for the upcoming week. This will usually drop on Sunday but for the first edition, it's dropping today. So, without further ado, here we go.

80 for Brady

Here's one that is mostly for the older crowd, though it is led by four absolute cinematic legends. Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field star in a film that is inspired by a true story of four female best friends who live out their dream of going to see Tom Brady play in the Super Bowl. Along the way as they fangirl out for their favorite athlete and celebrity, they get caught in hijinks, fantastical joy and a dream come true of seeing Brady play live in the biggest game of the year. 80 for Brady hits theaters this Friday, February 3. 

Poker Face

Admittedly, I am only two episodes into the Rian Johnson (Knives Out) created case-of-the-week series for Peacock, however, I'm already hooked. The series follows Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a makeshift detective due to her remarkable ability to tell when people are lying, evading her own trouble and solving murders along the way. The series does have a throughline story, however, as Cale is on the run, we begin to see a cast of characters during her journey that include Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt, Hong Chau, Lil Rel Howery, Danielle McDonald, Chloe Sevigny and many more. It has a true anthology feel despite the story carrying along throughout the episodes. Check out the first four episodes of Poker Face which are available now on Peacock. New episodes release weekly on Thursdays. 

The Last of Us

This show has only been out for three weeks, and it is truly the water cooler show currently running. Based on the 2013 video game series, the show follows a post-apocalyptic world that is formed by a fungus that overtakes humans to be zombie-like creatures called "clickers." However, this isn't like The Walking Dead; it is a much more nuanced show that does a terrific job of making you feel for the human characters within. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey lead as Joel and Ellie already displaying absolutely terrific chemistry throughout three episodes. This week's episode, released last night, was a side story including the game's character of Bill, who is played by Nick Offerman. Though the television series takes liberties on expanding and changing some of the source material within the show, it is done to benefit and extend the story for the viewer. The Last of Us airs on Sunday nights at 9 PM EST on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max. Catch up now!

Knock at the Cabin

The latest from the myriad of ideas within the head of M. Night Shyamalan comes as an adaptation of The Cabin at the End of the World written by Paul G. Tremblay. The film follows a gay couple and their adopted daughter who are vacationing in a remote cabin when they find themselves held hostage by four strangers, who believe their purpose is to save the world from an impending apocalypse. The twist (as like most Shyamalan films) is that the foursome believe that it is up to the family to make a choice for which one of them must be the sacrificial lamb to save society from crumbling. The film stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint and Ben Aldridge. The psychological horror film, Knock at the Cabin hits theaters this Friday, February 3.

Dear Edward

Another adaptation, this time from a much more tender filmmaker. Dear Edward is a television adaptation for AppleTV+ from the creator of Parenthood, which follows a young boy named Edward Adler as the only survivor of a plane crash. He, along with many others who are connected through loss via the crash come together in solidarity, loss and grief in group therapy. The series is sure to be a hard watch but is based on a highly acclaimed novel and features performances from Connie Britton and Taylor Schilling. Though the story is truly haunting in nature, the book was lauded for its handling of humanity throughout. Dear Edward will begin streaming on AppleTV+ on February 3 with a three-episode premiere. New episodes will follow every Friday until the first season concludes on March 24.