Articles by Jonathon Wilson
‘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...
‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Season 2 Ending Explained – Well, That Was Legendarily Terrible
Look, I’m a reasonable man, so there’s no way I was expecting the ending of The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 to be any good. Too...
‘Grenfell: Uncovered’ Review – A Bleak, Vital Account Of A Stain On Our National Conscience
Netflix is on quite a run of wrenching documentary films exposing avoidable tragedies, and there is perhaps no tragedy more flagrantly avoidable than the one...
‘Murderbot’ Episode 7 Recap – Things Are Getting Bloodier (And Arguably Better) Than Ever
You can make a lot of simple declarative statements about Episode 7 of Murderbot.
‘We Were Liars’ Ending Explained – A Bonkers Twist Is Too Little Too Late
E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars is famous in large part for a significant last-minute twist which completely recontextualises the entire story, and fans of the...
‘The Buccaneers’ Season 2, Episode 1 Recap – Apple TV+’s Gilded Age Drama Is Growing Up Fast
The tone of The Buccaneers is immediately different when Season 2 begins, and you can tell it’s going to stay that way.
‘Stick’ Episode 5 Recap – And Finally, Things Are Really Starting To Come Together
I get it now. Stick has been an incredibly mixed bag so far, with a derivative vibe, two-dimensional characters, and diminishing charms.
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Review – Death Is Funnier Than Ever In A Decade-Later Return to Form
Arriving a decade after the last one and yet somehow right on time, Final Destination: Bloodlines is the gore-soaked antidote to a strain of self-serious...
‘Justin Willman: Magic Lover’ Review – A Fun Fusion Of Magic and Comedy
Comedy and magic are so tightly intertwined that it’s a wonder we don’t get more live shows like Justin Willman: Magic Lover. In an hour-long...
‘We Were Liars’ Review – Prime Video Adaptation Proves YA Claptrap Isn’t Going Anywhere (Or Getting Any Better)
You know how racists claim not to be able to tell people of colour apart because they all look the same? That’s kind of how...
‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem’ Review – The Man Who Walked So Donald Trump Could Run
The comparison is so obvious, I might as well just lead with it. Everything about the chaotic mayoral tenure of Rob Ford, who is the...
‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Season 2, Episode 7 Recap – It Was All A (Bad) Dream
One of the most pernicious zombie media tropes is seasoned survivors suddenly becoming brain-dead to allow some drama to happen.
Until Dawn (2025) Review – A Fun and Creative Adaptation That Avoids The Usual Pitfalls
The best way to adapt a video game in live-action – animation is a different kettle of fish, as proved by Castlevania, Arcane, and most...
‘Diablo’ Review – The Rare Scott Adkins Movie Where He Isn’t the Best Thing About It
You judge Scott Adkins movies on a curve. There’s no point worrying about plot or dialogue or even acting, at least not the showy awards-baiting...
‘Echo Valley’ Review – Well-Acted Rural Thriller Takes Too Many Turns In the Wrong Direction
Echo Valley is one of those movies that start out as one thing and become something else. But it’s also a rarer type of movie...
‘Murderbot’ Episode 6 Recap – And This Is Where It All Comes Together
I’ve been cattily picking at Murderbot ever since it debuted, but in Episode 6, I felt like it was finally learning its lesson.