CRITIC’S CORNER
THE HANDMAID’S TALE HULU
The dystopian feminist series, based on the Margaret Atwood novel, started out strong in April, anchored by a great performance from Elisabeth Moss and wellwritten and thoughtful early scripts. In more recent episodes, the story has veered off the rails slightly (especially as it has sped through the source material), but all the good pieces are still there. Closing its first season today, we can hope it will tighten its focus for its second, set for 2018.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD SYFY, 8 ET/PT
In Mad Max: Fury Road, director George Miller revisits his classic franchise, which starred Mel Gibson. The update features Tom Hardy as Max, but Charlize Theron steals the show as Furiosa, leading an escape from a despotic dictator in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. On top of her heartwrenching performance, the film stuns with its action sequences.
22 JUMP STREET FXX, 8 ET/PT
Sometimes nostalgic Hollywood remakes work. 21 Jump Street even managed to keep its self-referencing humor going for a delightful sequel, which sees the undercover cops, played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, going to college instead of high school, which is obviously much more believable.