The Film That’s a Bold, Soaring New Height in Animation
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There are roughly 47,000—oh, wait, a new Netflix Original just dropped; make that 47,001—TV shows and movies coming out each week. At Obsessed, we consider it our social duty to help you see the best and skip the rest.
We’ve already got a variety of in-depth, exclusive coverage on all of your streaming favorites and new releases, but sometimes what you’re looking for is a simple Do or Don’t. That’s why we created See/Skip, to tell you exactly what our writers think you should See and what you can Skip from the past week’s crowded entertainment landscape.
See: Nimona
Nimona might play out with the typical beats of an animated adventure, but its narrative structure is the only conventional thing about this dazzling, high-concept epic about a shape-shifting hero, given a second life by Netflix after Disney nearly scrapped it entirely.
Here’s Coleman Spilde’s take:
“Watching Netflix’s Nimona (streaming June 30), it’s hard to feel anything but gratitude. Well, scratch that—maybe not “anything.” The new animated film elicits just about every single emotion that any decent one should be able to dredge up out of the icy hearts of its adult viewers, just as much as it does for children. But gratitude is certainly the premier feeling, especially if you know that the film was nearly shelved entirely.
‘Nimona’ Defied Disney to Become 2023’s Best Animated Film
Back in 2020, Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, which had been heading up Nimona’s adaptation from the graphic-novel page to the big screen, under the animation house Blue Sky Studios. Disney absorbed all of Blue Sky’s projects, eventually dissolving the studio and canceling the film. But former staffers revealed that, before Blue Sky’s untimely end in 2021, Disney execs were already pushing back against Nimona for apparently not being in line with the company’s messaging; the movie features a gender-nonconforming lead character and a gay kiss. In 2022, the film was given new life when Annapurna Pictures and Netflix picked it up, saving it from being yet another animated film with a queer storyline censored to the point of nonexistence.”
Henry Cavill in The Witcher.
See: The Witcher Season 3, Part 1
The Witcher Season 3 course corrects from a drab second outing for more magic, monsters, and steamy Henry Cavill bathtub scenes. Cavill is the show’s draw, turning a decent fantasy show into a force within the genre—what a shame he’s about to depart it!
Here’s Laura Bradley’s take:
“In The Witcher Season 3, Henry Cavill is working overtime to make sure we miss him when he’s gone—and not just by giving us another steamy bath scene. Cavill’s monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia has been undeniable from the start. The White Wolf moves steadily, and his eyes glimmer with lupine concentration. Yellow eyes never look goofy on Cavill; his expressions make them believable. He’s is a force during fight scenes and a droll comedian during slow beats. And then there’s his low, apathetic growl—both compelling and, frankly, irresistible.
Henry Cavill’s ‘The Witcher’ Is Still the Only One We Want to Watch
But, hey: Liam Hemsworth will do, right?”
Idris Elba in Hijack.
See: Hijack
Hijack answers the age-old question, “What if the show 24 took place on a plane?” As inconceivable and inane as that might be, Hijack still gets hearts racing with its silly, 35,000-foot thrills and an unpredictable, wily lead performance from Idris Elba.
Here’s Nick Schager’s take:
“Idris Elba’s corporate negotiator Sam Nelson is no Jack Bauer, and Hijack is no 24, but that’s not to say that George Kay and Jim Field Smith’s airborne thriller doesn’t provide some pulse-pounding pleasures. Undercut by occasionally sloppy and inane plotting, and playing fast and loose with its real-time conceit—the seven-episode series takes place over the course of seven harried hours—Apple TV+’s latest (dropping June 28) never truly takes flight. Still, led by its commanding leading man, it remains an intermittently watchable exercise in pulpy tension that at least has the good sense to keep things fast, taut and concise.
Idris Elba Is a Badass Action Hero in Wannabe ‘24’ Series ‘Hijack’
Given its central conceit, there’s scant excess fat on Hijack’s bones, as the show is too busy focusing on its moment-to-moment action in the sky and on the ground to indulge in superfluous flashbacks and detours. It picks up in an airport in Dubai, where Sam and scores of others are making their way through security checkpoints to their scheduled flights. Sam’s downcast expression and ambling gait—even as other passengers frantically race to get on the plane—indicate that he’s in no rush to depart for Heathrow.”
(l-r) Heather Dubrow, Taylor Armstrong, Emily Simpson, and Gina Kirschenheiter.
See: Real Housewives of Orange County Season 17
Real Housewives of Orange County’s seventeenth(!) season feels straight from the “refresh” of a surgeon's chair, bringing back series power players to ramp up the drama and restore Bravo’s original hit to its heyday glory.
Here’s Kyndall Cunningham’s take:
“Forget my reservations about Tamra Judge being the centerpiece of Real Housewives of Orange County again after she did everything short of breaking into Bravo’s headquarters to demand her job back. After a poor showing in Season 15, I would compare her artful instigating this season to Roger Federer winning two major titles fresh off a knee injury in 2017.
Tamra Judge Is Killing It on ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ This Season
All of Tamra’s choices, thus far, feel economical and even generous to other castmates. She knows she jumped the shark and made an ass of herself on that tiny yacht in Episode 2—hence her cursory apology to Shannon, which still left room for tension between the constantly at-odds pair. She’s gradually throwing Jenn and her relationship with Ryan under the bus. She’s also helping Taylor piss off Heather, which makes me think Tamra is salty that she was essentially brought back as her replacement last season.”
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