Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 19

Tense Action Thriller Clutch Now Available on TVOD

Clutch, the latest action thriller from writer-director Michael Merino, was released this week across TVOD platforms. The film offers an intense, character-driven narrative that blends survival drama with crime thriller elements, set against the gritty backdrop of Los Angeles.

The story follows Tonya played by Sadie Katz, (Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort), a ride-hailing driver, whose routine night is violently interrupted when Xavier (Kaiwi Lyman, (Den of Thieves), a fugitive on the run, hijacks her car at gunpoint. As the night unfolds, Tonya learns that Xavier has stolen money from Fuentes (Vernon Wells), (Mad Max 2) and is pursued by Fuentes’ men. Tonya is soon forced to decide whether to help Xavier escape or risk everything to fight for her own survival.

Michael Merino, who also penned the screenplay, brings tension-building action, having previously directed Acceleration and Texas Nightmare. Merino takes full advantage of the film’s confined setting and gritty cityscape of downtown Los Angeles.

The film also features Michael Paré (Streets of Fire), Augie Duke (Moon Garden), Mike Ferguson (Desert Dawn), Eva Hamilton (Ruin Me), and Randy Charach (Vanished).

Produced by Charach Productions, MCMFILMS and distributed by Glass House Distribution, Clutch won Best Film at the IFS Awards in Los Angeles in April and ensures fast-paced edge-of-your-seat action.

The film is now available for rent on major TVOD platforms, including Amazon Prime, InDemand, Google Play, Vubiquity.

Clutch

Netflix Debuts Dutch Action-Comedy ‘Almost Cops’

The Dutch action-comedy Almost Cops has premiered on the Netflix streaming service, blending crime, mystery, and thriller elements within a buddy-cop format set in Rotterdam. The film’s original title, Bad Boa’s, holds a specific cultural meaning in the Netherlands that informs the premise. A “Boa,” or Buitengewoon Opsporingsambtenaar, is a Special Investigating Officer with limited police powers, tasked with handling minor infractions to support the primary police force. These officers can issue fines, check identification, and make arrests, with some authorized to carry handcuffs and batons. The title Almost Cops, chosen for the international release, directly plays on this distinction.

Almost Cops

A Strategic Pairing of Dutch Stars

The film’s dynamic is anchored by the deliberate casting of its two leads, whose public personas in the Netherlands create an immediate and clear contrast. Jandino Asporaat, one of the country’s most recognized comedians, stars as Ramon, an earnest and dedicated Boa trying to clean up his neighborhood. Asporaat, originally from Curaçao, is a prolific actor, writer, and producer, best known for the successful Bon Bini Holland film franchise in which he portrays multiple characters.

Playing opposite him is Werner Kolf as Jack, a reckless ex-detective demoted to Ramon’s team after an incident. Kolf is an established actor known for his work in serious Dutch crime dramas and thrillers, including Wolf, Gangsta, and the series Commandos. This casting choice immediately defines the central odd-couple conflict for the domestic audience, pitting a beloved comedian against a seasoned dramatic actor.

From Friction to a Unified Mission

While the narrative begins with the comedic friction of a mismatched partnership, it pivots on a dramatic revelation. The two officers discover they are connected by a shared personal tragedy: both have lost a loved one who was murdered. This common ground transforms their professional antagonism into a personal quest for justice. As they become a unified team, their investigation uncovers unexpected secrets, bringing them closer to the perpetrator responsible for their shared grief.

The Production Powerhouse

Almost Cops is directed by Gonzalo Fernández Carmona, whose work includes the TV film Tom Adelaar and several short films. The film is backed by a significant production collaboration. Jandino Asporaat serves not only as the lead but also as a key creative force through his production company, Het Huis van Asporaat (“The House of Asporaat”), which he runs with his brother, Kenneth Asporaat, who is also a writer and producer on the film.

The film is also produced by Huntu Productions, a joint venture between Het Huis van Asporaat and the prominent Amsterdam-based studio Kaap Holland Film. Huntu Productions was established to develop and produce inclusive comedy and drama for a mainstream audience. Kaap Holland Film has a history of both domestic hits and involvement in major international co-productions, such as Dunkirk. The screenplay was written by Joost Reijmers, Thomas van der Ree, and Kenneth Asporaat.

Supporting Ensemble and Film Details

The lead actors are supported by a large ensemble of Dutch talent, including Florence Vos Weeda, Ferdi Stofmeel, Ergun Simsek, Juliette van Ardenne, Stephanie van Eer, Rian Gerritsen, Romana Vrede, Teun Kuilboer, and Mark Rietman. Also appearing are Victoria Koblenko, Daniel Kolf, Yannick Jozefzoon, Nazmye Oral, Steef Cuijpers, Phi Nguyen, Richard Groenendijk, and Boyd Grund. The film is presented in the Dutch language with a running time of 95 minutes and has a 16+ age certification. The cinematography is by Gregg Telussa, with music by Michiel Marsman.

The film was released on Netflix on July 11, 2025.

Madea Returns to Stir Up Trouble and Mend Fences in the Bahamas

The latest chapter in one of modern cinema’s most durable and debated franchises has arrived. Madea’s Destination Wedding brings Tyler Perry’s iconic matriarch, Mabel “Madea” Simmons, out of a brief retirement and into the tropical chaos of a family wedding. The film, written, directed, and produced by Perry, continues the series’ long-standing tradition of blending broad, slapstick comedy with earnest family melodrama, this time against the backdrop of the Bahamas.

The central plot is set in motion by a surprise announcement from Madea’s grandniece, Tiffany. The family, particularly her father Brian and mother Debrah, is shocked to learn that Tiffany is engaged to a rapper named Zavier, whom she recently met, and that the wedding is scheduled to take place in just two weeks. This whirlwind romance immediately raises suspicions among the family elders. As Madea and her crew descend upon the island resort, tensions escalate. The narrative follows a familiar pattern for the franchise, where a celebratory family event becomes a crucible for testing relationships and unearthing secrets. The conflict is compounded as Tiffany herself begins to harbor doubts about her fiancé, and her mother’s unusual behavior suggests there may be more to the nuptials than meets the eye.

Perry once again takes on multiple roles, appearing as the titular Madea, her cantankerous and unfiltered brother Joe, and the more level-headed nephew Brian. The film reunites the core ensemble that has anchored the franchise for years, including Cassi Davis as the feisty Aunt Bam and David and Tamela Mann, who appear as their beloved characters Mr. Brown and Cora Simmons. This returning cast provides a foundation of familiar dynamics and running gags that will be immediately recognizable to the series’ dedicated following. Perry has noted that the new setting places Madea in a “fish out of water” scenario, a deliberate choice to inject new energy and “ridiculousness” into the character’s interactions with her environment and her ever-expanding family.

A Two-Decade Cinematic Phenomenon

The release of Madea’s Destination Wedding marks the 20th anniversary of the character’s cinematic debut in the 2005 film Diary of a Mad Black Woman. However, Madea’s origins trace back even further, to Perry’s 1999 stage play I Can Do Bad All by Myself. From these roots in the historically Black-friendly theater venues known as the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” the character has powered a billion-dollar cinematic universe that now includes thirteen films, an animated movie, and several television series.

This journey from stage to screen, and now to a global streaming platform, has been characterized by a consistent formula. The films typically revolve around a significant family event—a reunion, a funeral, a holiday, or, in this case, a wedding—which serves as a catalyst for conflict. Within this framework, Perry’s scripts weave together scenes of over-the-top physical comedy with subplots that tackle serious social issues, including domestic abuse, class anxiety, drug addiction, and infidelity. This unique tonal blend has been a hallmark of the series since its inception. Perry had previously announced his intention to retire the character following 2019’s A Madea Family Funeral, but he revived her for the 2022 Netflix film A Madea Homecoming, explaining at the time that he felt audiences were in need of the kind of uncomplicated, deep laughter the character provides. This latest film solidifies that the retirement was temporary and that the Madea brand remains a central pillar of Perry’s creative output.

An Unwavering Formula Divides Critics and Unites Audiences

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of the Madea franchise is the vast chasm between its critical reception and its commercial performance. Throughout its two-decade run, the series has been consistently met with negative reviews from film critics. Common critiques target the films’ reliance on what is often described as broad, lowbrow humor, the use of racial and gender stereotypes, and narratives that are seen as formulaic and preachy. Some prominent cultural critics, including director Spike Lee, have labeled the humor “coonery and buffoonery” and have characterized Madea herself as a modern version of the “mammy” archetype.

In stark contrast, audiences have embraced the films with unwavering loyalty. The movies regularly earn high marks in audience polling, such as the “A” grade from CinemaScore, and boast impressive viewership numbers. This popular support translates directly into financial success; the films are known for being highly profitable, often earning multiples of their modest production budgets at the box office. This disconnect highlights a fundamental difference in what critics and the franchise’s target audience value in a cinematic experience. The very elements that critics often dismiss—the predictable narrative arcs, the overt moralizing rooted in Christian faith, and the familiar character archetypes—are precisely the components that resonate with its core demographic. The films provide a sense of representation and cultural familiarity for a segment of the audience that has historically been underserved by mainstream Hollywood. The success of the franchise suggests that Perry is not failing to make the kind of complex, nuanced films that critics might prefer, but is instead succeeding in creating content that speaks directly and effectively to his chosen audience.

The Architect, His Creation, and a Strategic Alliance

At the center of this cultural and commercial phenomenon is Tyler Perry himself, a multi-hyphenate creator who controls nearly every aspect of the franchise. The character of Madea, as Perry has stated in numerous interviews, was inspired by his mother and his aunt, and is intended as a “PG version” of the tough, no-nonsense women who raised him. He was also influenced by Eddie Murphy’s multi-character performances in films like The Klumps. On screen, Madea functions as a trickster figure and a moral arbiter. She is a gun-toting, plain-spoken grandmother who uses threats, intimidation, and sharp-witted advice to mediate family disputes and guide her relatives toward what she deems the righteous path. This “tough love” approach is the engine of both the comedy and the drama in the films.

The release of Madea’s Destination Wedding is also a significant marker in the ongoing strategic partnership between Tyler Perry Studios and Netflix. In 2023, Perry signed a multi-year, first-look deal to write, direct, and produce feature films exclusively for the streaming service. This agreement was later expanded in 2024 to include a similar deal for television series, with the drama Beauty in Black being the first project announced. The partnership has also been extended to include faith-based films co-produced with DeVon Franklin. This alliance has already yielded a diverse slate of projects, including the thriller A Fall from Grace, the historical drama A Jazzman’s Blues, and the upcoming WWII film Six Triple Eight. The partnership demonstrates Netflix’s deep investment in Perry as a prolific and reliable content creator with a proven ability to attract and retain a large, loyal audience. For Perry, the deal provides a global platform and the creative freedom to produce a wide range of content, from his signature comedies to historical dramas and faith-based films. Madea’s Destination Wedding is therefore not just another installment in a film series, but a key deliverable in a much broader and strategically important business relationship that solidifies Perry’s status as a major force in the streaming landscape.

The film serves as the latest product from a remarkably efficient and successful content engine. It delivers a familiar blend of chaos, comedy, and catharsis, powered by a character who has become a cultural institution over the last twenty years. The film’s ultimate significance may lie less in its individual artistic merits and more in its function as a testament to the enduring power of a well-defined brand and the strength of the alliance between one of Hollywood’s most singular creators and the world’s dominant streaming platform.

Madea’s Destination Wedding was released on Netflix on July 11, 2025.

‘Aap Jaisa Koi’: Netflix Releases New Romantic Drama

Netflix has released its latest feature film, “Aap Jaisa Koi,” a romantic drama starring R. Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The film explores the relationship that develops between two people from vastly different worlds.

The Heart of the Story

The narrative centers on Shrirenu Tripathi (Madhavan), a reserved and traditional Sanskrit teacher from Jamshedpur, and Madhu Bose (Shaikh), a spirited and independent French instructor. Shrirenu, raised in a rigid, patriarchal family, finds his worldview challenged when he falls for Madhu, who believes in speaking her mind and objects to systemic rules placed on women. The film follows the collision of their two contrasting ideologies as they navigate family expectations and their own conditioning. The story moves beyond typical romantic tropes to explore what true compatibility looks like, questioning modern relationships and the search for love rooted in equality, or “barabari wala pyaar”. It also delves into the theme of loneliness in a hyper-connected world.

Aap Jaisa Koi – Netflix

Behind the Film

“Aap Jaisa Koi” is directed by Vivek Soni, who previously directed Meenakshi Sundareshwar. The screenplay is written by Radhika Anand and Jehan Handa. The project is produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra under the Dharmatic Entertainment banner. The lead actors are supported by an ensemble cast that includes Ayesha Raza and Manish Chaudhari. The film’s music is composed by Rochak Kohli and Justin Prabhakaran, with lyrics from Gurpreet Saini and Raj Shekhar.

Where to Watch “Aap Jaisa Koi”

Netflix

Leviathan: Where Steampunk and Bio-Punk Clash in an Alternate World War

A new global anime series has arrived, reimagining the dawn of the 20th century through a lens of steampunk machinery and bio-engineered beasts. The series, Leviathan, presents an alternate history set on the brink of World War I, where the course of history is shaped not only by political tensions but by a profound technological schism.

The narrative unfolds in a war-torn 1914, dividing the world into two factions. The Central Powers, or “Clankers,” of the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires, command diesel-powered mechanical war machines, including immense walking tanks. Opposing them are the “Darwinists” of the Triple Entente, led by the British, whose power stems from a mastery of genetic engineering—an alternate history where Charles Darwin discovered DNA. They fight alongside “fabricated beasts,” living creatures modified to serve as weapons and vehicles.

At the center of this conflict are two teenagers from opposing worlds. Prince Aleksandar “Alek” von Hohenberg, the fictional son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, becomes a fugitive after his parents’ assassination, escaping with only a loyal crew and a battle-worn Stormwalker walker. On the Darwinist side, Deryn Sharp, a commoner, disguises herself as a boy to serve as an airman aboard the HMS Leviathan, a massive flying whale that is a living ecosystem. Their paths inevitably cross when the Leviathan crash-lands in the Swiss Alps, forcing an unlikely alliance that could alter the course of the war.

Leviathan

Bringing this intricate world to the screen is the result of a significant international collaboration. The series adapts Scott Westerfeld’s popular young adult novel trilogy, with a production that places heavy emphasis on fidelity to the source material. The detailed black-and-white drawings of the original illustrator, Keith Thompson, were foundational to the anime’s visual identity. Thompson was involved from the project’s inception, with the animation team, aided by French comic artist Alex Alice, carefully translating his intricate designs for the screen.

The animation itself is handled by Studio Orange, a company known for its distinctive 3D CG work on series like BEASTARS and Trigun Stampede. For Leviathan, the studio adopted a more grounded and realistic style to suit the historical setting, focusing on conveying a sense of weight and gravity in the movements of the colossal machines and beasts. The production also saw the studio establish its own in-house background painting team, creating rich, 2D vistas that serve as the backdrop for the 3D characters and machinery. The project is spearheaded by Qubic Pictures, a company that specializes in bridging Western properties with Japanese animation studios, and is directed by Christophe Ferreira, a French director with extensive experience in the Japanese anime industry.

The adaptation’s script, which condenses the original trilogy into a cohesive narrative, was penned by Yūichirō Kido, a screenwriter with credits on series like Dr. STONE and Fruits Basket. Author Scott Westerfeld remained a constant presence in the writer’s room, reviewing every script and animatic to ensure the story’s core themes were preserved. The auditory experience is equally cinematic. The score is composed by the duo of Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi, known for their work on the Metal Gear Solid franchise and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. Further elevating the soundscape is composer Joe Hisaishi, famous for his work on Studio Ghibli films, who contributed original music, including the opening and ending themes.

The voice cast includes Ayumu Murase as Prince Alek and Natsumi Fujiwara as Deryn Sharp in the Japanese version, with Broghanne Jessamine voicing Deryn in the English-language dub. With its clash of diesel-powered metal and genetically engineered life, Leviathan offers a unique vision of a world on the brink of collapse, where the fate of nations may rest on the shoulders of two young people from enemy sides.

Leviathan began streaming worldwide on Netflix on July 10, 2025.

New French Animated Series ‘7 Bears’ Reimagines Classic Fairy Tales on Netflix

A new French animated miniseries, 7 Bears, is now available on the Netflix streaming platform. The production, with the original French title Les 7 Ours, centers on a group of seven bear siblings who become entangled in classic fairy tales and is an adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novels by French author Émile Bravo.

A Furry Twist on Familiar Fables

Each episode follows the clumsy but well-intentioned troupe of bear siblings as they attempt to play the hero, only to cause comedic chaos within well-known stories like Snow White, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. Their meddling rewrites the narratives, offering a fresh and humorous take on the source material. The series is designed for a broad audience, recommended for children aged six and over, but also crafted to engage adults with multiple layers of humor, including visual gags and satire that subverts fairy tale conventions, drawing comparisons to the Shrek franchise. Beyond the comedy, 7 Bears explores themes of questioning stereotypes, promoting creative problem-solving, and highlighting the value of family teamwork.

7 Bears

From Acclaimed Graphic Novels to a Global Audience

The series is based on the graphic novels of Émile Bravo, a celebrated French author and artist. The original book series, titled Les 7 ours nains (The 7 Dwarf Bears), includes several volumes that playfully mash up different fables. Bravo is a respected figure in the Franco-Belgian comics world, also known for his work on the Jules series, which tackles complex themes like cloning and mortality for young readers, and the award-winning Spirou, l’espoir malgré tout, a story set during the Nazi occupation of Belgium. The adaptation aims to preserve the tender and satirical spirit of Bravo’s work while making it accessible to a global audience. A key change was simplifying the title from Les 7 ours nains, a direct reference to Snow White’s companions. The broader title 7 Bears shifts the focus to the bears’ interactions with a wider range of fairy tales and creates a more distinct identity for international markets.

A Pedigree of French Animation Excellence

The production is spearheaded by Folivari, a distinguished French studio with a strong track record in high-quality animation. Folivari’s portfolio includes the César Award-winning film The Summit of the Gods and the Oscar-nominated Ernest & Celestine, both lauded for their sophisticated storytelling and distinct visual styles. The animation for 7 Bears was handled by the studio Le Cube, with additional services from Xilam Animation. The series is directed by Guillaume Rio, whose credits include Rabbids Invasion and Pat the Dog, and showrun by Robert Vargas, an Emmy-winning writer and producer with experience on projects like The Smurfs (2021) for various global platforms including Netflix and Disney+. The original author, Émile Bravo, is also credited on the screenplay, alongside Reid Harrison and Robert Vargas, indicating his involvement in the adaptation. The score is composed by Le Feste Antonacci. The project’s profile was raised through presentations at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Visual Style and Voice Cast

Visually, the series utilizes a polished 3D animation style that remains faithful to Émile Bravo’s original graphic universe while infusing it with a contemporary feel. The character designs are expressive with fluid movements, set against luminous and brightly colored backdrops. In a notable casting decision for the English-language version, all seven bear siblings are voiced by a single actress, the Paris-based American Tiffany Hofstetter. The wider cast, voicing the various fairy tale characters the bears encounter, includes Stefan Ashton Frank, Leigh Gill, Elizabeth Chu, Mia Sinclair Jenness, Melina Farahani, and Keith Wickham.

The series was released globally on Netflix on July 10, 2025.

An Expat Rom-Com with Jagged Edges: Lena Dunham’s ‘Too Much’ Arrives on Netflix

The latest television project from Lena Dunham, creator of the era-defining series Girls, is a 10-episode romantic comedy titled Too Much. The series, now available on Netflix, stars Megan Stalter of Hacks and Will Sharpe from The White Lotus as its central couple. The narrative is positioned as an ex-pat rom-com for the disillusioned, exploring whether true love is still possible for those who sincerely hope it is, even amidst the complexities of modern life. The production brings together Dunham’s distinct authorial voice with the producers of celebrated British romantic comedies like Love Actually and Notting Hill, a partnership that signals the show’s specific creative direction. This collaboration establishes a framework that both embraces and deconstructs the genre. The series aims to deliver the joy associated with classic romance while simultaneously exploring life’s harsher realities. This duality is immediately evident in the characterization of its male lead, Felix, who is described as being less like the charming hero of Notting Hill and more akin to Hugh Grant’s drunken roommate.

A New Yorker’s Messy London Chapter

The series centers on Jessica, a New York workaholic in her mid-thirties who finds herself reeling and increasingly isolated after the collapse of a relationship she believed would last forever. With every block of her home city serving as a painful reminder of her past behavior, she sees only one solution: accepting a job in London. Her intention is not to pursue a new romance but to escape, planning to live a life of solitude she romanticizes as being like a Brontë sister. Her plans are quickly upended when she meets Felix, a local musician who is described as a walking series of red flags. Portrayed as a punk elf who acts eternally 18, Felix is the antithesis of the idealized romantic hero. Despite their apparent incompatibility and the numerous problems their dynamic creates, they form an unusual and undeniable connection that proves impossible for either of them to ignore. Their relationship becomes the story’s central conflict, forcing them to confront their personal baggage and a significant cultural divide. The series poses the fundamental question of whether Americans and Brits, despite a shared tongue, actually speak the same language.

Too Much

The Creative Minds and Personal Inspirations

Too Much is a creative partnership between Lena Dunham and her husband, the British-Peruvian musician Luis Felber. They co-created the series, with Dunham serving as the primary writer and director for the ten-episode run, and Felber composing the original music and acting as an executive music producer. The show’s premise is loosely inspired by Dunham’s own life experiences, particularly her move to London in 2021, where she met and subsequently married Felber. While Dunham has downplayed the autobiographical elements, saying the series is only about 5 percent based on her life, it directly draws from her perspective as an American expat navigating the realities of London versus the fantasies she held about it. A key thematic inspiration for the series was Dunham’s observation of the significant baggage individuals can bring into a new relationship. The show is a deliberate exploration of romance in one’s thirties, a period when, unlike in one’s twenties, individuals carry the complexities of their past experiences and relationships. The production is a joint effort between Working Title Television, the company behind many formative romantic comedies, and Dunham’s own Good Thing Going banner, with Universal International Studios also involved.

Introducing the Flawed but Compelling Leads

Megan Stalter portrays the protagonist, Jessica. The character is a garrulous New Yorker from an intensely co-dependent Jewish family, described as emotional, dramatic, and someone who consistently wears her heart on her sleeve. A defining trait is her tendency to be labeled “too much,” a person who smashes her ex-boyfriend’s window and jokes that her superhero power would be eroding boundaries. This role is a significant step for Stalter, known for her scene-stealing performance as the chaotic assistant Kayla in Hacks, and marks her first lead in a major series. The casting of Stalter, a proudly queer performer, in the role of a straight romantic lead adds a layer of nuance to the show’s exploration of being an outsider, extending the theme to resonate with anyone who has ever been told they are “too much” in a world that often asks women to be less.

Opposite Stalter is Will Sharpe as Felix. At 35, Felix is a British-Japanese indie musician who acts eternally 18 and is running from an unnamed trauma. He is depicted as a grungy, repressed, rollie-smoking individual who sleeps until noon and has a history of destructive behavior. Born in the U.K. but raised between English boarding schools and his extended family in Japan, he feels he belongs in neither place, with music serving as his only real consolation. The character is now sober and attempting to find balance after a nomadic upbringing and a cycle of addiction. Sharpe is an accomplished actor, writer, and director, recognized for his role as the awkward tech entrepreneur Ethan in the second season of The White Lotus and his BAFTA-winning work in Giri/Haji. The character of Felix was intentionally made half-Japanese after Sharpe was cast, a decision that merges the actor’s own background with the role. Sharpe has spoken about how his own mixed-race heritage gave him the perspective of an outsider, which directly informs his portrayal of a character who feels perpetually displaced.

A Star-Studded Supporting Ensemble

The series features an extensive and high-profile supporting cast. Jessica’s family and New York past are populated by a number of notable actors. Rhea Perlman plays Dottie, Jessica’s outspoken grandmother who believes her family’s single status is the result of dating non-Jewish men. Rita Wilson portrays Lois, Jessica’s mother, a former 70s wild child who keeps her emotions suppressed. Lena Dunham appears as Nora, Jessica’s older, divorced sister, while Andrew Rannells plays Jameson, Nora’s ex-husband who left her after discovering polyamory. The catalyst for Jessica’s move, her ex-boyfriend Zev, is played by Michael Zegen, and Zev’s new model girlfriend, Wendy Jones, whom Jessica obsessively stalks online, is played by Emily Ratajkowski.

Upon arriving in London, Jessica’s world expands to include a new set of complex characters. Richard E. Grant plays Jonno, her new boss who runs a high-end advertising firm from the 80s. Naomi Watts is cast as Ann, Jonno’s miserable wife who eventually forms a bond with Jessica over their shared feelings of not fitting in. Felix’s parents are portrayed by Japanese screen legend Kaori Momoi as his passionately invested mother, Aiko, and Stephen Fry as his detached, business-like father, Simon. The ensemble also includes Janicza Bravo and British comedian Leo Reich as Jessica’s co-workers. Further underscoring the project’s profile is a remarkable roster of guest stars, including Andrew Scott, Jennifer Saunders, Kit Harington, Rita Ora, and Jessica Alba. The cast is rounded out by Adwoa Aboah, Adele Exarchopoulos, Daisy Bevan, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Prasanna Puwanarajah.

Deconstructing Romance: Baggage, Culture, and Modern Love

Too Much functions as a thematic evolution of Dunham’s previous work. Where Girls chronicled the messy, formative years of women in their twenties, this new series advances the timeline by a decade to examine love and life for thirty-somethings. These characters are not starting with a clean slate; they are navigating new relationships while carrying the full weight of past failures, personal trauma, and complex histories. The result is a series that is described as warmer and more focused on the pursuit of love than its predecessor, yet equally honest about the difficulties involved. The show uses the “American in London” trope to stage a nuanced cultural dialogue. The Anglo-American clash is explored beyond surface-level comedic misunderstandings about Jaffa Cakes or housing estates; it serves as a central dramatic engine, contrasting Jessica’s American emotional expressiveness with Felix’s British repression. This dynamic creates a space to investigate deeper questions about communication, vulnerability, and the different social cues that govern emotional life in each culture.

The show’s title is itself a central theme, unpacked as a commentary on the societal tendency to label women who are expressive, emotional, or have significant needs and desires as being “too much.” This label is presented as a common method of diminishing women, and the series appears to reclaim it, suggesting that being “too much” might be precisely what is required to navigate the world authentically. By grounding these larger conversations in a personal, cross-cultural love story, Too Much uses its specific narrative to explore universal themes of communication, disillusionment, and the search for connection.

All ten 30-minute episodes of the single-camera romantic comedy are produced by Working Title Television and Good Thing Going and are available for streaming.

The series was released on Netflix on July 10, 2025.

Netflix’s New Movie ‘Brick’: A Sci-Fi Thriller at War With Itself

In the new German film Brick, a couple awakens to find their apartment building inexplicably encased overnight by a mysterious, impenetrable wall. This high-concept premise, reminiscent of classic “puzzle box” stories, serves as the foundation for a science fiction thriller that has premiered on Netflix. Starring Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee, the film uses its claustrophobic setting to explore a relationship under extreme duress.

The Emotional Core Under Siege

At the heart of the narrative is the strained dynamic between Tim (Schweighöfer), a workaholic games programmer, and his partner Olivia (Fee), an architect. Their lives are shadowed by the past loss of a child, a trauma that has driven them apart. Tim has retreated into his work, while Olivia has made a desperate bid for a fresh start, quitting her job and buying a camper van for an escape they may never take. The sudden appearance of the physical wall acts as a stark metaphor for the emotional barriers they have constructed between themselves. The film’s most resonant moments are found in this human drama, amplified by the fact that Schweighöfer and Fee are partners in real life. Their authentic chemistry grounds the story, lending a palpable realism to their characters’ interactions, particularly in an explosive argument scene noted for its authenticity.

Brick

An Ensemble of Captives

The story expands beyond the central couple as they smash through walls and floors, encountering their neighbors and forming a reluctant community of survivors. The ensemble represents a spectrum of reactions to the crisis. Frederick Lau and Salber Lee Williams portray a couple who provide moments of comic relief, theorizing they are in a “twisted escape room” from within their garish, neon-lit apartment. A more cautious perspective comes from an armed, elderly man (Axel Werner) trapped with his granddaughter (Sira-Anna Faal). The group is rounded out by a conspiracy-minded policeman (Murathan Muslu), who champions the idea that the wall is not a prison, but a form of protection from a greater catastrophe unfolding outside.

A Film Divided Against Itself

Brick is the singular vision of Philip Koch, who serves as writer, director, and producer. This unified creative control has resulted in a film that has sharply divided critical opinion, largely because it struggles to reconcile its two distinct halves: the intimate relationship drama and the overarching sci-fi mystery. While the dramatic elements centered on Tim and Olivia are often praised as the film’s strength, the thriller components have drawn criticism. Many reviews point to an underdeveloped mystery with incoherent character motivations and a rushed, unsatisfying conclusion. The pacing has been a particular point of contention, described by some as brisk and entertaining in the vein of a classic disaster movie, and by others as painfully dull and sluggish. The result is a film that feels muddled, prioritizing the couple’s emotional journey to the detriment of the suspenseful premise that contains it. Some assessments also note that the English-language dubbing may detract from the naturalism of the original German performances.

Production and Release

Brick is a German production from Leonine Studios, Nocturna Productions, and W&B Television. The film’s cinematography is by Alexander Fischerkoesen, with a score composed by Anna Drubich.

The movie was released on July 10, 2025.

Netflix

Netflix’s ‘Off Road’ Charts a Course for Friendship and Discovery

Netflix has released Off Road, a six-part unscripted series that follows a 4×4 expedition through the landscapes of Central Asia with Israeli actors Lior Raz and Rotem Sela. Each 40-minute episode documents their journey across Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, framing the adventure not as a simple travel show, but as an exploration of a long-standing friendship. The series premise is built on the actors’ shared dream to undertake such a journey, one designed to challenge their personal beliefs and the foundation of their bond. This positions the authenticity of their relationship as the central narrative, with the rugged, less-traveled terrain serving as a crucible for their interactions. The show fits within the broad genre of the travelogue, a form of storytelling that blends memoir, journalism, and documentary. However, Off Road innovates by weaving in a distinct therapeutic element, focusing as much on the internal journey of its subjects as on the external one. The production is a joint effort by Faraway Road Productions and Keshet International, leveraging the global profiles of its stars to present a character-driven story to a worldwide audience.

A Study in Contrasts: Lior Raz and Rotem Sela

The series is anchored by the dynamic between its two protagonists, whose public personas are markedly different. Lior Raz is known internationally as the co-creator and star of the political thriller Fauda. His brand is deeply connected to his past, which includes service as a commando in the elite Sayeret Duvdevan undercover unit of the Israel Defense Forces and a stint in the U.S. as a bodyguard for Arnold Schwarzenegger. His career is defined by intense, action-oriented roles in projects like Operation Finale, 6 Underground, and Gladiator II, which draw on his real-world security experience. Raz has described his time in the special forces as “the highest stakes acting in the world,” an experience that has profoundly shaped his approach to his craft.

Rotem Sela, in contrast, is one of Israel’s most versatile and prominent celebrities. Her career spans modeling, hosting popular television shows like Rising Star and Ninja Israel, and acting. She gained international recognition for her leading roles in the romantic comedy Beauty and the Baker and the surrogacy drama A Body That Works, for which she won a Best Actress award at the Series Mania festival. Beyond entertainment, Sela holds a degree in law and business administration and is known for engaging in social and political discourse in Israel. The on-screen chemistry in Off Road is built on the juxtaposition of these two figures. Their established friendship, reinforced by previous work together in the series A Body That Works and the film Soda, provides a foundation of trust that allows the series to explore their vulnerabilities as they step away from their public images.

Off Road

The Unscripted Format: A Travelogue with a Therapeutic Twist

Off Road distinguishes itself with a hybrid format that merges the celebrity travelogue with a docu-therapy structure. While showcasing the landscapes of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the show’s primary focus remains on the psychological journey of its stars. A unique element is the inclusion of a therapist who accompanies Raz and Sela, actively prompting them to engage with a set of predetermined themes. These topics—including friendship, control, fame, family, personal fears, conflict, and resolution—provide a narrative framework for each episode, ensuring moments of structured introspection and emotional disclosure. This therapeutic component functions as a production device, transforming the series from a passive observational documentary into a guided emotional exploration. It is a method of ensuring the show delivers the very authenticity it aims to capture, making the process of the stars shedding their public personas a central and consistently delivered element of the series.

A Strategic Venture for Global Storytellers

The production of Off Road signals a strategic expansion for its creators. Faraway Road Productions, founded by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, built its reputation on scripted thrillers like Fauda and Hit & Run. The company’s mission is to pursue “storytelling at its boldest,” focusing on character-driven narratives that connect with global audiences. According to Faraway Road’s EVP of Content, the company is “thrilled to branch out into the unscripted space” with Off Road, applying its core mission to a new format. This move diversifies its portfolio and leverages the brand recognition built by its scripted hits.

The partnership with Keshet International, a global content producer and distributor, is also key. Keshet has a history of successfully exporting Israeli formats and is increasingly co-producing original content for global platforms. This project aligns with Keshet’s strategy to collaborate with established storytellers across genres and reinforces the growing trend of Israeli-created content being produced directly for a worldwide market.

Global Release Information

The series presents a character-driven, unscripted travelogue that uses the authentic friendship of its stars and a unique therapeutic format to explore personal discovery against the backdrop of Central Asia. Off Road premiered globally on Netflix on July 10, 2025.

Netflix Debuts French Thriller ‘Under a Dark Sun’ with Isabelle Adjani

The sun-drenched lavender fields of Provence hide a darkness in Under a Dark Sun, a new six-episode psychological thriller from France that has arrived on Netflix. The series plunges viewers into a classic noir setup under the most idyllic of skies, where a young mother’s search for a new life unravels into a desperate fight for survival. The series’ original French title, Qui sème le vent—a proverb meaning “he who sows the wind reaps the whirlwind”—points to the story’s core theme: the violent consequences of buried secrets. The international title, Under a Dark Sun, instead captures the unsettling contrast between the beautiful landscape and the sinister plot, promising a compelling and suspenseful drama.

Under a Dark Sun

Plot and Narrative Structure

The story follows Alba (Ava Baya), a young mother on the run from a troubled past who believes she has found a lifeline for herself and her son: a job as a flower picker on a prestigious farm in Provence. Her hope for a tranquil new beginning is violently shattered when the family patriarch who owns the company is murdered, and Alba, the mysterious newcomer, is immediately cast as the prime suspect.

The narrative then executes a stunning twist that transforms the plot from a whodunit into a high-stakes survival thriller. Alba discovers that her murdered employer was her biological father, a secret he kept from his powerful and wealthy family. This revelation, far from clearing her name, plunges her into greater peril. When it is discovered that the patriarch amended his will to make Alba a major beneficiary, the police believe they have their motive, noting that inheriting a quarter of his property is a “pretty good motive for murder”. Suddenly, Alba is no longer just a suspect but an existential threat to a formidable clan that will do anything to protect its secrets and its fortune. Warned that “these people will crush you” and that “everyone in my family wears a mask,” Alba must fight for her innocence and her life against her own bloodline, a family that now considers her the enemy.

The Cast: A Blend of Iconic and Rising French Talent

The series is anchored by a formidable cast that strategically blends a cinematic titan with rising French stars and actors familiar to international audiences. The presence of Isabelle Adjani, a five-time César Award winner and icon of world cinema known for her intense performances in films like Possession and La Reine Margot, lends the project immense prestige.

Leading the series is Ava Baya as the embattled protagonist, Alba. A rising talent in French film and television, Baya has appeared in the action series Ourika and the drama Notre-Dame on Fire. Her role opposite a legend like Adjani marks a significant moment in her career. The ensemble is bolstered by internationally recognized talent, including Thibault de Montalembert, known globally as Mathias Barneville in the Netflix hit Call My Agent! and for his role in the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front. He is joined by Guillaume Gouix, a respected actor acclaimed for his work in the supernatural drama The Returned and the crime film The Connection. This savvy casting ensures the series appeals to domestic cinephiles, the broad international streaming audience, and viewers eager to follow the next generation of French talent.

The Creative Team: Architects of the Suspense

Under a Dark Sun is helmed by a creative team with deep experience in the thriller genre. The series was created and principally written by Nils-Antoine Sambuc, whose work on the French adaptation of the psychological drama En Thérapie and the crime series Le sang de la vigne demonstrates his skill in crafting complex, character-driven suspense. The six episodes are directed by Marie Jardillier (Off the Hook) and Édouard Salier (Mortel, Tropic), both of whom have previously directed productions for Netflix France. This assembly of talent, with proven success in the genre and for the platform, reflects a deliberate strategy to produce a polished, high-quality thriller that aligns with the brand Netflix has cultivated for its European content.

Power, Deceit, and Family Secrets

At its heart, Under a Dark Sun is a modern French “polar,” or crime thriller, a genre that often explores the moral decay of the bourgeoisie and the corrupting influence of power. The narrative is built on a foundation of deceit, from the patriarch’s secret daughter to the family’s ruthless machinations to protect its status. The series examines how great fortunes are often built on lies and how the past is never truly buried.

The story masterfully plays with the concepts of innocence and guilt. While Alba is the protagonist, her own “troubled past” and the sudden, life-altering inheritance introduce a moral ambiguity that complicates any simple reading of her as a pure victim. She is an outsider whose arrival shatters the family’s insular world, forcing her to navigate a treacherous environment where everyone wears a mask and her own motives are constantly questioned. This conflict is amplified by the show’s setting. The juxtaposition of the sun-drenched, idyllic landscape of Provence with the ugly secrets and brutal violence it conceals is central to the show’s aesthetic and thematic force. The “dark sun” of the title is a potent metaphor for the darkness festering beneath the beautiful facade of both the family and the region itself, elevating the series from a standard mystery to a compelling piece of regional gothic.

Release and Availability

The complete six-episode limited series Under a Dark Sun is available for global streaming exclusively on Netflix. The series premiered on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.