New Releases for the week of May 9 - 15
The Mauritanian
Detained by the U.S. government without charge, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Rahim) is sent to Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where he is imprisoned for years without a trial. Slahi eventually finds hope when his case is picked up by defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Foster) and her associate, Teri Duncan (Woodley), who take the U.S. government to court. Villified by loved ones and the media, the women struggle to defend their client against damning convictions until a military prosecutor (Cumberbatch) stumbles across evidence of a wide-reaching conspiracy.
Director: Kevin Macdonald. Stars: Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zachary Levi, Saamer Usmani, Corey Johnson, Denis Menochet, David Fynn. 129 mins. 2021. Drama.
Land
In the wake of a tragic event, Edee (Wright) leaves her overwhelming life in the city and moves to the Wyoming wilderness, where she can escape what happened. Life off the grid proves more difficult than she anticipated, and when her lack of experience lands her in a life-threatening situation, Edee is rescued by a local hunter (Bichir), who promises to teach her some survival skills. As their friendship grows and their tragic pasts brings them close together, Edee is reminded of what it means to be alive.
Director: Robin Wright. Stars: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Kim Dickens, Sarah Dawn Pledge. 89 mins. 2021. Drama.
My Brother's Keeper
Travis Fox (Stallings) is returning from an overseas deployment a broken man, having lost his best friend in an IED attack that took out an entire platoon. As Travis settles his late parents' affairs in their hometown, his war-weary mind begins portraying syptoms of PTSD, sending Travis into a downard tailspin of despair. Distraught by this latest development, Travis believes that God has abandoned him and wonders if life is even worth living.
Director: Kevan Otto. Stars: Joey Lawrence, T.C. Stallings, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Robert Ri'chard, Gregory Alan Williams, Blue Kimble, Shannen Fields, Jeff Rose. 97 mins. 2020. Drama.
Dateline NBC, on NBC
NBC news anchor Lester Holt and a team of journalists present the news of the week along with fascinating human interest stories, ground-breaking interviews and hard-hitting investigations in this long-running, prime-time news magazine staple.
The Blacklist, on NBC
In this new episode, Liz (Megan Boone) and the rest of the Task Force continue their investigation of N-13 with new leads. Red (James Spader) works to infiltrate Townsend’s (Reg Rogers) criminal organization. Harry J. Lennox and Ryan Eggold also star.
Q: I just watched the episode of "The Walking Dead" in which [spoilers redacted]. Was that really the last one of the season? Nothing much happened.
"The Walking Dead" had been taking a loose approach to the concept of seasons before the pandemic, and it only got worse as filming restrictions blew "normal" out of the water. And so, the season finale you just watched (which aired on AMC on April 4, just to be clear without going into plot details) wasn't originally intended to be the season finale.
Working it: The final season of 'Pose' continues on FX
A scene from "Pose"
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M.J. Rodriguez stars in "Pose"
Young Sheldon, on CBS
Tune in for a new episode of "Young Sheldon." Gifted, socially awkward, nine-year-old child genius Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) continues to figure out how to navigate the world and his relationships while growing up with his family in Texas.
Working it: The final season of 'Pose' continues on FX
A scene from "Pose"
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M.J. Rodriguez stars in "Pose"
Young Sheldon, on CTV
Tune in for a new episode of gifted, socially awkward nine-year-old child genius Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as he continues to figure out how to navigate the world and his relationships while growing up with his family in Texas. Zoe Perry also stars.
Q: Could you please tell me if and when "Beat Shazam" will be back on TV? I haven't seen it in a while and I really loved it.
I can tell you if, but I can't tell you when. (And so, you can probably guess the "if" part.)
"Beat Shazam," the musical game show hosted by Jamie Foxx and based on the popular mobile app, has been renewed for a fourth season, but it seems that season has been waylaid by the pandemic. Of course, a lot of shows have had their schedules disrupted and have managed to recover, which makes "Beat Shazam" a bit of a mystery.
A Million Little Things, on CITY
Tune in as Season 3 of this emotional drama draws to a close. Follow a diverse group of friends as they lean on each other for support through tough times. Romany Malco, Grace Park, Christina Moses, Lizzy Greene and James Roday Rodriguez star.
