Introducing The Strange Harbors Podcast, a weekly discussion of film and television. With the future of HBO’s Watchmen in a state of uncertainty, we’ve decided to pivot to a more general discussion of cinema and pop culture. Join me, Derek Wong, and new host Amir Touray every week as we dive deep into big blockbusters, indie favorites, and under-seen hidden gems. Hopefully, the same insight and analysis we brought to Watchmen will translate over to your favorite films and television shows.

HBO’s new series, The Outsider, continues Stephen King’s onscreen renaissance with a harrowing adaptation of the celebrated author’s novel. Given a prestige drama sheen, the show operates as an unflinching detective story full of twists and turns, bolstered by an all-star cast. Ben Mendelsohn and Jason Bateman both shine in their respective roles as Ralph Anderson and Terry Maitland, navigating a whirlwind of grief, horror, and a touch of the supernatural. Four episodes watched for review. Minor spoilers ahead…

2019 was an embarrassment of riches when it came to cinema. While it’s true that most years require at least some thoughtful contemplation when it comes to whittling down a top ten, 2019 was especially difficult in curating a “best of” list. In the final year of the 2010s, we had tender space odysseys, biting showdowns between the haves and have-nots, treatises on loves won and lost, and deeply personal stories mined from the past - just to name a few. The movies were a hell of a place to be last year. So, let’s pour one out for the decade as it sails into history by celebrating some of my favorite films of 2019.

As we bid farewell to the 2010s, here is the A Year in Film mashup of the decade. 2019 was another great year for cinema, and now at its end, we’re celebrating all the movies that came out this year with another trailer mashup. Science fiction, drama, horror, thriller, romance - it’s all represented here in one giant extravaganza. So get comfy and grab your popcorn…

Lazy and uninspired, J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a pandering regression from the bold new direction established by Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. Even worse, it’s the first Star Wars film engineered to please its loudest and most troubled demographic: the toxic fandom. A frantic rush to bring a nine-film saga to a close, The Rise of Skywalker is filled with narrative dead-ends, aborted character arcs, and generic fetch quests, all designed to please as many people as possible. Minor spoilers below…

After the back-to-back successeses on Netflix with Gerald’s Game and The Haunting of Hill House, renowned horror master Mike Flanagan attempts to snag his whale. An adaptation of the Stephen King novel and a full-on sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Doctor Sleep is ambitious, thrilling, and beautifully realized…but ultimately a mixed bag. There’s much to love, but the film still lies in the shadow of Kubrick’s mad genius. Mild spoilers ahead…

The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s latest gangland epic, is a somber and morose journey through the life of Bufalino hitman Frank Sheeran. Based on the real Sheeran’s biography “I Heard You Paint Houses,” the film is a measured departure from Scorsese’s past filmography and the genre he helped revolutionize; the mob movie to end all mob movies, The Irishman is a masterful exploration of tragedy and the gravity of regret. Mild spoilers ahead…

The Mandalorian, director Jon Favreau’s new series on Disney Plus, probably isn’t what you’d expect from a live-action Star Wars television show. A handedly capable tentpole for the biggest streaming service launch since Netflix, The Mandalorian forgoes its advertised dark action drama and instead opts for a lighter tone. Four episodes watched for review. Minor spoilers ahead…

I don’t find myself trafficking in hyperbole or superlatives very often, but Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a cinematic masterstroke that deserves every bit of its widespread acclaim. A film that defies both genre and expectation, Parasite is a complex and scathing meditation on class and human nature that bends to the director’s razor-sharp whims. Easy to love and difficult to categorize, Bong Joon-ho’s latest is undoubtedly the best film of the year. This review will detail some broad plot points, so if you prefer a pure experience, I suggest not reading any further. Minor spoilers ahead…

Despite the return of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and director James Cameron as producer, Terminator: Dark Fate once again proves that the killer cyborg franchise is running on fumes. Touted as a return to form for the series and a long-awaited followup to Cameron’s first two sci-fi classics, the film is positioned as redemption for a series that has long been floundering and misguided. Unfortunately, however, Dark Fate serves up neither the nail-biting terror of The Terminator nor the white-knuckle action of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, all the while shedding the emotional throughlines that made them great. Mild spoilers ahead…

Breaking Bad series creator Vince Gilligan returns to helm a one-shot epilogue centered around Jesse Pinkman in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Taking place right after the events of the acclaimed AMC drama, El Camino is neither essential nor groundbreaking, but it is an absolute pleasure to behold. Like slipping on a pair of worn and comfortable shoes, Gilligan and Aaron Paul make a thrilling and confident return to the world they left behind six years ago. Minor spoilers ahead…

Joker, director Todd Phillips’ long-awaited - and controversial - take on the Clown Prince of Crime, is a prime example of a film whose architecture outstrips its narrative. Even with Joaquin Phoenix’s no-holds-barred performance, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s thunderous score, and Lawrence Sher’s stunning cinematography, Joker is nothing more than a shallow homunculus of better films. Mild spoilers ahead…

ABC’s new private eye crime show is precisely the remedy that television needs right now. Based on the graphic novel by writer Greg Rucka and artist Matthew Southworth, Stumptown is breezy, network television fun. Neither groundbreaking nor profound, what Stumptown lacks in depth is more than made up for in a likable cast and a captivating pace. Minor spoilers ahead…

Introducing the “Who Watches the Watchmen?” podcast, a weekly discussion of the new HBO original series, Watchmen. Adapted from the seminal graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons, the new HBO show will be run by Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers). Hosted by myself and Derek Wong of “The Film Trailers Podcast,” join us on our weekly journey as we cover the influential source material, the 2009 Zack Snyder adaptation, and the new show on an episode by episode basis.

Sprawling in its vision and intimate in scope, director James Gray follows up The Lost City of Z with his affecting space drama, Ad Astra. Brad Pitt puts forth one of the most subdued - yet poignant - performances of his career as astronaut Roy McBride. A powerful meditation on fathers, sons, and masculinity, Ad Astra profoundly deconstructs a traditional character archetype with a deft hand. Mild spoilers ahead…

It Chapter Two, director Andy Muschietti’s followup to 2017’s wildly successful It, is a baffling hodgepodge of half-baked ideas. Every time the film has an interesting choice to make, it makes the wrong one, squandering its stellar cast and Stephen King’s rich mythology. Frustratingly overlong and exceedingly myopic, It Chapter Two is one of this year’s most disappointing horror blockbusters.

A violent romp of class warfare, Ready or Not is a fun - if predictable - exercise in survival horror. Neither very insightful nor clever, the film is bolstered by a single silver lining: the undeniable charm of Samara Weaving. The Australian actress is far and away the best part of the movie, carrying its light narrative with her considerable charisma. And while Ready or Not may not be particularly deep, its B-movie thrills and kills are sure to guarantee at least a passably good time.

Tigers Are Not Afraid, the new film from writer and director Issa López, is a haunting blend of fairy tale and horror. Bracing and fearless in its magical realism, the film navigates a nameless Mexican city in the throes of gang warfare and violence. Anchored by a stunning and precocious young cast, Tigers Are Not Afraid is a confident effort by López that combines affecting storytelling with a poignant message. Minor spoilers ahead…