Articles by Jonathon Wilson
The Crowd Work Conundrum: Are Comedians Funnier When They Don’t Write Material?
Nate Jackson: Super Funny is a very good special by all the usual standards, but it’s fascinating in one specific, new-ish way. Bookended by perfectly funny...
Invite Only: Fan-Casting The Craziest Project X Party Ever
If you’re old enough to have been a teenager in 2012 or thereabouts, you no doubt remember Project X, a teen comedy based on a...
‘Trainwreck: The Real Project X’ Is An Impressive Example Of How To Make A Wild Party Painfully Boring
Netflix’s run of recent Trainwreck specials has been a mixed bag, wavering wildly in tone to the extent that it’s often unclear whether you’re supposed...
‘Smoke’ Focuses On Michelle In Episode 3, Leaving Proper Examination Of Its Best Twist For Later
Jurnee Smollett is very good in Episode 3 of Smoke, which I think is important to point out, since I spent most of it being disappointed that more attention wasn’t being paid to Dave.
‘Murderbot’ Goes All-Action In Episode 9, And The Simplicity Helps It
Murderbot is a weird show. I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before, but it’s worth reiterating, since even this deep into the season – Episode 9 is the penultimate outing – I’m still not sure what works best about it.
‘Heads of State’ Is A Knowingly Stupid Throwback And Is All the Better For It
As a self-important critic, I’m very much a champion of films being Very Serious works of illuminating art intended to expand our horizons and fundamentally...
In ‘The Ritual’, Al Pacino Almost Made Me A Believer
Demonic possession peaked in the ‘70s with The Exorcist and hasn’t been bettered since, which means that every movie about the subject is necessarily derivative...
‘The Old Guard 2’ Is The Awkward Middle Child Nobody Likes
I never thought The Old Guard was as good as everyone else seemed to. It was fine, don’t get me wrong. It had kinetic hand-to-hand...
‘The Buccaneers’ Season 2, Episode 3 Recap – The Truth Is Out, and So Is Nan
Love is a complicated thing, and The Buccaneers is struggling to keep track of it in Season 2.
‘Ironheart’ Ending Explained – A Long-Awaited Villain Debut Caps Off An Interestingly Flawed Season
And just like that, it’s over. Feels weird, doesn’t it? Ironheart debuted with the first three episodes, and the ending arrives just a week later....
‘Stick’ Episode 7 Recap – A Beautiful Examination Of Grief and Honesty (With Some Pacing Issues)
Grief isn't an emotion you feel; it's a prison you live inside. Sometimes it feels like home.
‘Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers’ Review – Serious, Mature Documentary Filmmaking
Over the years, Netflix has earned a deserved reputation for sensationalism. You need only have a quick browse through the true-crime thumbnails to see some...
‘Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel’ Review – A Story Of Spiralling Narcissism That Saves Its Horrors For the End
You never quite know where you stand with these Trainwreck documentaries. You’ve got the ones that are explicitly about very serious events, like a deadly...
‘Shark Whisperer’ Review – Jaw(s)-Dropping Visuals Obscure A Muddled Point
There will always be a market, one presumes, for people who get dangerously close to apex predators. It’s a hook that has entertained viewers forever,...
‘Murderbot’ Episode 8 Recap – An Invasion Of Privacy Suitably Shakes Things Up
The segment of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon that opens Episode 8 of Murderbot goes on for so long that I genuinely worried that it would constitute the entire 22-minute runtime.
‘Smoke’ Premiere (Episodes 1 & 2) Recap – Don’t Worry, It Gets A Lot Better
Apple TV+ tends to premiere new shows with multiple episodes at once, and nowhere has that strategy paid off more than in Smoke.
‘Ironheart’ Premiere (Episodes 1-3) Recap – And Just Like That It’s Halfway Done
You have to wonder what Marvel Studios is hoping for with Ironheart. I’m a professional film and TV critic, and someone had to tell me it was out.
‘The Buccaneers’ Season 2, Episode 2 Recap – This Is Why Nobody Sends Letters Anymore
Sending letters is a nightmare, isn’t it? You never know who might read them, for one thing, and then there’s the not insignificant fact that they take ages to get where they’re going.
‘Stick’ Episode 6 Recap – Some Effective Emotional Turns Are Hampered By Too-Obvious Writing
I was very surprised by how suddenly Stick got good. But I wasn't entirely surprised to discover that Episode 6 takes a bit of a downturn.
‘Trainwreck: Poop Cruise’ Review – A Luxury Liner Turns Into A Floating Latrine, And In Hindsight You Can See the Funny Side
Netflix’s spate of serious documentaries in 2025 haven’t provided much opportunity for humour, which makes Trainwreck: Poop Cruise something of a relief. You can laugh...