Variety

Video

‘Lovecraft Country’

American history is up for examination in HBO's new drama that uses horror traditions to tell a story of racism.
‘Immigration Nation’

"Immigration Nation" is a damning indictment of the systems that make ICE so powerful, and a wrenching examination of the human cost.
‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’

The CBS All Access animated series leans on a goofy sensibility, but loses some of the "Trek" earnestness.
‘On the Trail’

The HBO Max doc follows female campaign embeds, a worthy goal, but feels less urgent with 2020 politicking on hold.

‘The Tax Collector’

More committed than the role calls for, Shia LaBeouf disappears in "The Tax Collector" before getting anything interesting to do.
‘An American Pickle’

Seth Rogen plays two roles in a fish-out-of-water buddy comedy that's too cantankerous to be funny and too preposterous to believe.
Critics Pick
‘Get Duked!’

What starts as a naive camping trip for four teenage losers takes a dark —�?and hilarious —�?turn into "Most Dangerous Game" territory.
‘Made in Italy’

Mawkish and predictable, James D'Arcy's filmmaking debut, about a father and son, falls short of its melodramatic ambitions.

Luke Bryan’s ‘Born Here Live Here Die Here’

On Luke Bryan's "Born Here Live Here Die Here," as always, depth comes in the album's second half, which doesn't negate its early pleasures.
Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’

"Black Is King," Beyoncé's musical film for Disney Plus, is a colorful reminder of the glory of black lives.
Taylor Swift's 'Folklore'

It's hard to remember any superstar album that has represented a more serious act of sonic palette cleansing than Taylor Swift's "Folklore."
Logic's 'No Pressure'

If rapper Logic is retiring, as he says, "No Pressure" — which reunites him with ace producer No I.D. — is a solid sendoff.

‘Richard II’

Andre Holland leads the cast of a surprisingly intimate audio version of Shakespeare, from the Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park.
‘The Line’

Meet the COVID-19 pandemic's first responders in this streaming docu-play about health care workers.
‘And So We Come Forth’

In Richard Nelson's latest Apple Family play, a Zoom call hums with virtual unease over generational shifts.
‘The Present’

Helder Guimarães' modest Zoom-based magic show brings audiences together nightly during lockdown.