New Releases for the week of March 28 - April 3
Missing
The mother (Long) of a young woman goes missing while on vacation in South America with her new boyfriend. Fearing the worst, daughter June (Reid) must take action and confront a deeper plot, all while being thousands of miles away. Blocked by the slow progress of international agencies, June is left to her own actions. With time running out and the dangers to her remaining family escalating, June must utilize every resource at her disposal — wit, bravado and the powers of smartphone technology — to help unravel an international plot and save her family.
Directors: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick. Stars: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Tim Griffin, Amy Landecker, Nia Long, Daniel Henney, Megan Suri. 111 mins. 2023. Thriller.
The Son
Peter Miller (Jackman) has begun a new chapter of his life, having recently married his second wife, Beth (Kirby). Suddenly, without notice, Miller’s teenage son, Nicholas (McGrath), who is battling depression, arrives at his door. Peter must navigate the delicate balance of fatherhood and marriage while coming to terms with his own strained family history, tied to Nicholas’s controlling grandfather (Hopkins). Various generations of the family must adapt and confront the history and decisions that bind them. Can Peter overcome his family trauma so he and his son can move forward?
Director: Florian Zeller. Stars: Hugh Jackman, Zen McGrath, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Quarshie. 123 mins. 2022. Drama
Plane
A commercial airliner and its passengers are caught in the ride for their lives, literally, as unlikely allies must come together to safeguard a plane and ensure everyone returns home safely. Commercial pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) is having a standard flight while discreetly transporting international homicide suspect Louis Gaspare (Colter). Caught in a horrific tropical storm, the plane is forced to make an emergency landing – and that’s only the start of the danger. Can a reluctant hero and a wanted fugitive survive the elements, armed militias and each other?
Director: Jean-François Richet. Stars : Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Tony Goldwyn, Daniella Pineda. Paul Ben-Victor. 107 mins. 2023. Action
The Kitchen, on Food Network
The hosts cook dishes in each other's style: Geoffrey Zakarian stacks an egg sandwich with tomato jam for Sunny Anderson while she mixes a gin and juice spritzer, and Katie Lee Biegel preps a salad that represents her fellow co-hosts.
Lopez vs Lopez, on NBC, Citytv
When a visiting veterinarian takes an interest, Mayan (Mayan Lopez) worries she might be destined to repeat the Lopez legacy of cheating — a legacy dating all the way back to an Aztec ancestor. The sitcom also stars George Lopez and Matt Shively.
Next Level Chef, on Fox, CTV2
Hoping to level up, the remaining chefs face a new cooking challenge in this episode. Mentors Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais continue to guide and critique their performances, as they compete for a $250,000 grand prize.
The Masked Singer, on Fox, CTV
The popular guessing game continues, with a new instalment airing tonight. Hosted by Nick Cannon, each episode in Season 9 features sudden elimination and a double unmasking, and panellists have the opportunity to keep one masked celebrity in the game.
Superman & Lois, on CW, CTV Sci-Fi
Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) and Chrissy (Sofia Hasmik) notice a small crack in Lois' (Elizabeth Tulloch) game face in this new episode, while Sarah (Inde Navarrette) and Jordan (Alex Garfin) have an awkward encounter. Jordan Elsass also stars.
The Voice, on NBC, CTV2
Expect more surprises and incredible performances, as a new episode airs tonight. Season 23 is Blake Shelton's last as a coach; he's joined by fellow coach Kelly Clarkson, as well as newcomers Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper.
Stonestreet's Santa: ‘Modern Family’ alum joins ‘The Santa Clauses’
Eric Stonestreet is set to join “The Santa Clauses”
Stonestreet’s Santa: Viewers are used to seeing Eric Stonestreet as bubbly Cameron Tucker in “Modern Family,” but for his next TV project, the Emmy-winning actor will be decidedly more "mad."
A world apart: Nat Geo treks to remote restaurants
Kristen Kish (centre) in “Restaurants at the End of the World”
Our collective obsession and endless fascination with food continues to change the way it is presented on television.
New Releases for the week of March 19 - 25
Babylon
While transporting an elephant to Los Angeles in 1926, Mexican immigrant Manuel "Manny" Torres (Calva) finds himself at a wild, debaucherous party held at a Kinoscope Studios executive's palatial estate. Manny finds himself captivated by Nellie LaRoy (Robbie), an up-and-coming actress, and befriends waning movie star Jack Conrad (Pitt), who helps Manny secure jobs that allow him to climb the studio system's ranks. Manny quickly gets caught up in the decadence and outrageous excess of the Hollywood scene, in a time when studios are transitioning from silent to sound films.
Director: Damien Chazelle. Stars: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P. J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Tobey Maguire. 189 mins. 2022. Comedy.
Seriously Red
Sticking out like a sore thumb in the corporate world, quirky Red (Boylan) famously can't hold a job, and that is reflected in her living situation: she lives in the garage behind her parent’s house. She ends up being fired from a real estate company for becoming too intoxicated at a work event, and for inappropriately dressing up like Dolly Parton. Red volunteers at an open-mic audition for Dolly Parton impersonators at a local gay bar, where she is discovered by Teeth (Barber), a manager for a Kenny Rogers lookalike (Webber), setting the stage for a journey of self-discovery.
Director: Gracie Otto. Stars: Krew Boylan, Daniel Webber, Rose Byrne, Celeste Barber, Bobby Cannavale, Thomas Campbell, Todd Lasance, Tony Barry. 104 mins. 2022. Comedy.
Lullaby
After recently welcoming their son Eli, happily married couple John (Rodríguez) and Rachel (Chaplin) are struggling to maintain a balance between their jobs, relationship and a new bundle of joy. Rachel's mother sends the couple a care package containing items that once belonged to Rachel’s sister, Vivian (Balaban), who lost both her husband and baby under mysterious circumstances. Rachel discovers an ancient hymn in a book, and upon singing the calming lullaby to baby Eli, Rachel unwittingly unleashes the biblical spirit of Lilith (Guloien), who is destined to steal the baby and bring him to the underworld.