A Billy Joel doc, ‘Quarterback' and more to watch this weekend
The nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards were announced earlier this week and Apple TV+'s 'Severance' lead the pack with 27 nominations. If this week's breaking news headlines kept you too occupied to see how your favorite TV show fared, check out the list of nominees here. Plus, our awards czar Glenn Whipp weighed in on this year's snubs and surprises. We also had some fun and thoughtful conversations with nominees: Noah Wyle ('The Pitt'), Adam Scott ('Severance'), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg ('The Studio'), Jeff Hiller ('Somebody Somewhere'), Tony Gilroy ('Andor') and the 'Adolescence' team.
But if you'd rather watch TV than read about it, we've got that covered too. This week's streaming recommendations include a sprawling two-part documentary on the life of musician Billy Joel that'll surely change your commute playlist before the workweek starts again, and the return of Netflix's behind-the-scenes look at the lives, both on and off the field, of NFL quarterbacks.
Also in this week's Screen Gab, actor Brittany Snow drops by to talk about her new Netflix thriller, 'The Hunting Wives,' about a woman who moves to a small Texas town and gets drawn into the dangerous world of the wealthy and influential women in her orbit.
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'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' (HBO Max)
Over the decades, Billy Joel has created countless iconic hits that have cemented his legacy in pop music, but despite his rock star status, he's always been a man of few words, preferring to let his songs do the talking. HBO Max's new two-part docuseries, however, gives him the mic to tell the stories behind the music in his notable albums, including 'Piano Man,' 'The Stranger' and 'Storm Front,' exploring how his upbringing, marriages and addiction shaped his creative works. Part 1 of the series, premiering Friday at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT, is notable in how it reframes the narrative around his relationship with his former wife and manager Elizabeth Weber, explaining how she was instrumental in guiding his career and helping him become a superstar — and how songs like 'Big Shot' and 'Stiletto' were inspired by the rocky times in their marriage. (You'll want to tune in to Part 2 next week as well.) It's a compelling and nuanced portrait of an imperfect person who created timeless music and whose influence continues to reverberate. — Maira Garcia
'Quarterback' (Netflix)
After watching weeks of 'Love Island' (Team Amaya Papaya 4eva!), I was in need of a palate cleanser. I found it in the second season of 'Quarterback,' the seven-part series that follows three big names in the NFL's most visible position. This year's roster features the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff (formerly of the Rams) and singing favorite Kirk Cousins, who appeared in the show's first season as QB of the Minnesota Vikings before moving to Atlanta — and then the bench. Football nerds will geek out on the play calling, but what makes the show such a must-watch is seeing the human side of the pros. Watching fashionista Burrow pick out what designer items he loved and also talk about iguanas and fossils made me kind of infatuated with my football enemy. As for Goff, I really want to pet his dog Quincy. Cousins is again the star. He ups his suburban every-dad vibe by getting a haircut at Great Clips (and shows the stylist his roster photo for inspiration) but the highlight is the music. We see him explain his love of Celine Dion, find out which Tom Petty song gets him fired up and watch him rehab an Achilles injury as he sings 'Put One Foot in Front of the Other' from Rankin/Bass Christmas classic 'Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.' However, the show's obvious highlight is watching him sing Cher's 'Believe' while waiting in a drive-through. If Cousins retires from the NFL, I will be first in line to buy a ticket for his Vegas cabaret. — Vanessa Franko
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching
With her recent turns on TV, Brittany Snow has leaned into characters with some mystique. Earlier this year, she appeared in the second season of Netflix's 'Night Agent' as Alice, a new partner and mentor to the show's central character Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) in his first mission after joining the highly classified counterintelligence program. Without spilling spoilers, let's just say viewers were left with many questions about the character. In her latest series, 'The Hunting Wives,' Snow plays Sophie, an East Coast transplant with a mysterious past who steps into an elite Texas circle where power struggles, jealousy, betrayal and murder lurk beneath the surface. Available to stream on Netflix beginning Monday, the soapy thriller is based on the book by May Cobb. Snow stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the intrigue of playing an outsider, her upcoming role as a journalist and the reality competition series she savors watching. — Yvonne Villarreal
Sophie is a complex character wrestling with her past, as well as her attraction to socialite Margo (Malin Akerman), and all she represents — the freedom to do what she wants, with little concern for social mores or the law. What intrigued you about playing her? And what would Brittany Snow, unencumbered by image or expectations, be doing?
I related a lot to Sophie when I read the scripts for 'Hunting Wives.' I spent my 20s being very careful, shy and afraid of people's perceptions of me. In my early 30s, I really did have an awakening of some sort which challenged my childhood beliefs of needing to be 'good' and 'perfect.' I started realizing who I wanted to be and the woman I already was. I finally felt 'in' my body, and I didn't need to necessarily fit in. Sophie is having that awakening as well, in a different way, but one I could very much relate to.
Margo represents a side of Sophie that she has shut herself off from, mostly because she's scared of that side of herself and perhaps scared of taking up that much space. At first, the power of Margo is alluring to her because it makes her more aware of her own. As the series continues, you see Sophie realize who she really is, which creates the disillusionment of Margo and what Margo represents. I loved that aspect of the script and I loved playing a character who has a complete transformation by coming back to herself.
I think this show is the very embodiment of what I would be doing if I were unencumbered by image or expectations. It's fun, brave and I worked hard to have the confidence to do a show like this. It's all very full-circle for me.
The series brings Sophie into an elite and conservative social circle in Texas. You can sense both her discomfort and curiosity. What was it like having the character explore that world?
I am always drawn to characters who are curious. It's in my nature to sit back and observe closely. Sometimes to my detriment, I do it too well. I think the interesting thing about Sophie is her immediate curiosity as opposed to an immediate judgment. It would be a different show if she was unwilling to understand the atmosphere she's been put in. Because she's trying so hard to fit in and understand, she gets in over her head. It then takes some unraveling for her to see the truth and hold firm in her opinions.
I, myself, am pretty opinionated but I am also very understanding. I think this show has a great duality of seeing both sides with an open lens — a viewpoint that is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously.
You recently completed filming on Hulu's series about the Murdaugh murders. You play Mandy Matney, the real-life journalist who helped unravel the family's unsolved mysteries. What kind of research did you do for the role? And what struck you most about Mandy's journey?
I was so honored to play Mandy. She is a force, and I admire her greatly. I was already familiar with her podcast ['Murdaugh Murders Podcast'] and had listened to the show when it first came out. When I found out I would be playing her, I reached out to her directly and asked if we could have conversations about the murders but more importantly, about her life. We talked on the phone, hung out, had dinners, drinks and became friends. I read her book and listened to every episode of her podcast again, as well as every interview I could get my hands on. I learned so much about her, but mostly what a strong and fierce woman she is and continues to be. Her story is so much more than the Murdaugh murders, it's about overcoming so many hardships and spearheading a new way women were perceived in her field.
What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know?
After David Lynch's passing, I wanted to go back and rewatch all the classics. We started with 'Blue Velvet' [Pluto TV, Tubi], 'Eraserhead' [HBO Max], 'Lost Highway' [VOD], 'Mulholland Drive' [Philo] (my favorite), then read all the complicated articles after. I know you are never supposed to truly 'get' that movie, but after a couple rewatches, I do sort of feel like I 'get' it and what happens, in my own way. I love figuring out movies like that. Figuring out the puzzle and how it fits, only to me. I recommend everyone going back and doing that again with all his films.
What's your go-to 'comfort watch,' the film or TV show you return to again and again?
'Top Chef' [Peacock]. I've seen every single episode multiple times and it truly relaxes me. Chefs have this elegance and clear intention in making great dishes. It makes me appreciate food more. When I watch it, sometimes I eat dinner as well and I eat in the most lovely and present way. It also weirdly makes your food taste better. I can't explain it.
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Time Magazine
10 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Twists and Reveals in the Ending of Netflix's 'Untamed'
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Untamed. The temptation is strong to classify Untamed, the new series from screenwriter Mark L. Smith and his daughter Elle Smith, as Netflix's answer to Paramount's Yellowstone. In fact, it's not wrong to at least assume as much; when one studio makes a cool $2 billion from their neo-Western surprise smash, a non-zero number of competing studios will inevitably scramble to fund their own. But if Untamed is a product of the ongoing content arms race between cable networks and streaming services, it is nonetheless a better genetic match to Top of the Lake, Jane Campion's 2013 New Zealand mystery drama, whose skeletal structure reads like the unintended template for television's modern crop of regional detective dramas. Untamed, like Yellowstone, concerns itself with one of America's best ideas: its national parks. But it's also a trim limited series rooted in the stuff of parenthood, like Top of the Lake—the sins of the father (and the mother, for good measure), self-doubt, overwhelming powerlessness, and lots of grief. No conflict is had between the old ways and the new, so to speak, not even in context with white settlers' theft of Indigenous land. Instead, the show excavates the souls of its co-leads, Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), an Investigative Services Branch (ISB) agent for the National Park Service in Yosemite; and Naya Vasque (Lily Santiago), an L.A. transplant and NPS newbie, assigned to assist Turner in following the threads of a potential murder case in the park. What they unravel from that skein cuts not only to their cores as parents, but the story's supporting characters' cores, too, from Paul Souter (Sam Neill), Turner's friend, mentor, father figure, and boss as Yosemite's chief ranger, to Jill (Rosemary DeWitt), Turner's ex-wife, who can't resist the gravitational pull of his PTSD. She has her own emotional and moral baggage, too, some that's conventional, and some that's harder to spot, like sunlight glinting off a hunting rifle's scope. Jill takes the hit… Likewise, the reveal of one Sean Sanderson's fate lands one episode too late in Untamed to make an impression on the narrative; it's a missed opportunity by the Smiths to lend Jill necessary character depth. Sanderson (Mark Rankin in a walk-on role) went missing in Yosemite about five years ago in the show's timeline, but his name is brought up frequently in its present. His family is filing a wrongful death suit against the park, and their lawyer, Esther Avalos (Nicola Correia-Damude), visits Turner and Jill alike, sniffing around for information about his disappearance. DeWitt is one of our most casually gifted actors, in that whatever role she plays in whichever medium she chooses, she constitutionally reads as at-ease in her characters; they're lived-in and breathe life through the screen. Jill is no exception. But the guarantee of a good DeWitt performance can't offset Jill's meager profile on the page. She is, like Turner, figuratively haunted by the death of their young son, Caleb (Ezra Wilson), revealed in the series opener, 'A Celestial Event,' to have tragically died prior to Untamed's events–about five years, in fact. Turner is literally haunted, per his recurring conversations with Caleb; it isn't made explicit whether he's an apparition or just a hallucination, but there is nonetheless a ghostly quality to their dialogue together. In keeping with popular male balms for spiritual suffering, Turner turns to alcohol and functions as a mollusk, socially and professionally; his stoicism is an act, one his peers pick up on, and which some openly deride. 'Christ, here comes Gary Cooper,' grouses Milch (William Smillie) when Turner strides on horseback into the scene of the crime that spurs Untamed's A-plot: the murder of Lucy Cook (Ezra Franky), met in 'A Celestial Event' when she leaps off of El Capitan and into the ropes of two climbers ascending the granite monolith—a plunge she doesn't survive. The no-nonsense lawman routine is tired, within the text as well as without—if Milch and the rest of the park staff are done with Turner's schtick, then maybe television writ large should be, too—but at least it's normal. Jill, by contrast, responds to Caleb's death another way altogether. It turns out that Sanderson—he of the missing persons case—is Caleb's killer, whose crime was caught after the fact on motion cameras set up by Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel), Yosemite's Wildlife Management Officer and staff reprobate. Shane intended those cameras to document animal migration patterns; instead, they reflect Milch's words to Vasquez in the second episode, 'Jane Doe,' that when people trek into the wild, they assume no one's around to watch them, 'so they do whatever bad sh-t pops in their head.' Shane brings this information to Turner and Jill, and offers them revenge in the form of taking out Sanderson. Turner refuses; but Jill accepts. We spend most of the show assuming Turner's change in temperament, following Caleb's death, is the catalyst for his and Jill's divorce. It's a welcome change to the formula that Jill's decision to engage Shane's services is in fact what broke their marriage. If only the Smiths worked that twist into Untamed before the finale. Dropping that grenade on the audience with so little time left to feel the impact does Jill little justice, but DeWitt does, in fairness, invest great pathos in her. As much as it comes as a shock that someone so mild-mannered would turn that dark, the matter-of-factness in DeWitt's delivery reads as confrontational: given the opportunity, would you, fellow parents, make the same choice as her? …but Souter takes a fall There is, of course, another twist to accompany Jill's disclosure to her second husband, Scott (Josh Randall), as we are still awaiting resolution in the matter of Lucy Cook's death. After Turner cleverly unlocks Lucy's iPhone by applying formaldehyde to her corpse's cheeks to dupe its facial recognition biometrics, he discovers that Lucy's heretofore anonymous lover, Terces—'secret' spelled backwards—is actually Shane, and based on videos showcasing him abusing her, not to mention his pro-murder worldview, he looks like the culprit responsible for her ultimate plunge off of El Capitan. But looks are deceiving. Sure, they're not deceiving enough that we feel any kind of pity for Shane when Vasquez gets the drop on him and guns him down, saving Turner's life; unsurprisingly, Turner figures out Shane's involvement in a drug trafficking scheme in Yosemite, moving product in and out of the park through bygone mining tunnels; Shane takes the discovery badly, and nearly kills Turner in a drawn-out hunt over hill and dale. But if Shane is a monster who is guilty in the matter of how Lucy lived, as both her abusive partner and a participant in the drug ring, he is nonetheless innocent in the matter of her death. The real guilty party here is Paul Souter, who also happens to be her biological father, a truth only he and Lucy are privy to. In an abstract perspective, this makes thematic sense. Untamed is about parenthood on a molecular level: the lengths we'll go to protect our children, and the depths we plumb if we're so unfortunate as to mourn them. Vasquez' character arc involves Michael (JD Pardo), her ex-partner on the force and in life, and their son, Gael (Omi Fitzpatrick-Gonzales), whom she took with her to Yosemite for his safety; in flashbacks, we see Lucy with her mother, Maggie (Sarah Dawn Pledge), in happier times, learning about her Miwok ancestry; Paul looks after his granddaughter, Sadie (Julianna Alarcon), while his other, acknowledged daughter, who isn't seen in the show, struggles with personal demons of her own. None of this makes the screenwriting decision to put the burden of Lucy's death on Paul any more welcome or tasteful, though. It's another knife in Turner's back when he's just gotten off of bedrest, post-recovery after his grueling fight with Shane; when he connects a few stray dots that lead him to Nevada, where he meets Faith Gibbs (Hilary Jardine), whose parents fostered a slew of kids, including Lucy. Faith recalls Lucy talking about how her father, a policeman, would come for her one day, and arrest the Gibbs, who severely mistreated their various wards. The gears in Turner's head grind along as she dredges up this memory, and he confronts Paul first thing upon returning to Yosemite. All Paul can do is argue that he only meant the best by whisking her away to the Gibbses, far from her violent stepfather. It's a weak case for the character to make, given the abuse the Gibbses subjected Lucy to, and that when she comes back to the park as an adult to extort Paul, he reacts by accidentally chasing her to her death off of El Capitan–a revelation that feels quite like letting all the air out of a balloon. …and Turner moves on. Consequently, that makes a weaker conclusion for the narrative, one the series can only wrap up by having Paul use his pistol on himself and take a tumble into rushing river waters. Worse, that unceremonious and unearned end robs oxygen from Turner's own catharsis, a black flag at Untamed's last lap. Turner is the lead. His growth as a human being is what we're here for. Paul's increasingly bad decisions throw up a smoke screen around that growth, minutes before the story closes the arc of Turner's self-destructive bereavement. The pivot to Paul's complicity is especially frustrating given the wonderful foundation for Turner's ultimate closure laid out by his friend, former colleague, and Miwok community leader, Jay (Raoul Max Trujillo), in a monologue in the fifth episode, 'Terces,' about the connection he feels to his forebears through his connection to Yosemite's land. 'When it's my time to die, I will die here,' Jay says. 'But if I chose to die somewhere else, I would still have my ancestors with me, because the spirits in this valley are within each one of us.' Turner tearfully echoes the sentiment in 'All Trails Lead Here,' during a final farewell with Caleb's visage. 'No matter where I am, or where I go, you'll always be with me,' Turner chokes. When the credits roll, he's on his way out of Yosemite, the site of his anguish, for good, newly at peace and secure with the memories he has of his beloved son. Untamed incidentally reminds viewers just how vast our country is, at a moment when the world feels smaller than ever–an illusion we perform on ourselves with slavish devotion to our personal devices and social media. Paul's confession and suicide therefore strikes a sour chord on the series' driving motif. Emphasizing the bonds we hold with our loved ones, whether they're with us or not, makes a more fitting ending, for Jill, for Vasquez, and especially for Turner.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who gets the friends in a divorce? For many, the answer stings.
In Netflix's The Four Seasons, newly divorced Nick (played by Steve Carell) goes on vacation with all his old couple friends and his new, much younger partner — only to discover that his ex stealth-booked at the resort next door so she could keep an eye on them. I mean, I didn't blame her for a second. As a divorced woman, I was miffed in the first place that the selfish ex-husband still got the friend group — for his first postdivorce vacation, no less, while the ex-wife he left was stuck flying solo. Anne should have at least 'won' the friends! Navigating the awkwardness of postdivorce friendships is something that pretty much every divorced couple has to go through. The split doesn't just involve your partner; it can also mean a reshuffling — or total loss — of a once-shared social life. So, we asked divorced people how they navigated the murky waters of post-split friendships. Who got which friends? Was there drama? Hurt feelings? And, perhaps most telling of all: What happens when one person moves on romantically? We also brought in relationship experts to help make sense of the etiquette, emotions and expectations involved when divorce changes not just your relationship status, but your entire social circle. Winning over friends postdivorce Licensed marriage and family therapist Ciara Bogdanovic says that huge friendship shifts are common post-split. 'Divorce can deeply affect a person's social circle, especially when many friendships were created as a couple,' she tells Yahoo. 'Friends may feel unsure how to navigate loyalty, awkwardness or divided alliances.' No surprise there. What does feel like a surprise to some? The pressure to choose. 'Some friends may feel like they need to 'pick a side,'' says therapist Thomas Westenholz, who specializes in emotionally focused therapy (EFT). 'Oh, I picked a side!' Kate, from Wisconsin, tells Yahoo of her friends' divorce. 'I started out as friends with one (the husband) and ended up on the other's side for life.' She had gone to college with the husband, but after he left his wife and kid and quickly remarried, Kate rallied to support her suddenly single mom friend and hasn't looked back. Erin, from Mississippi, says she's had to pick sides too. But, 'interestingly enough, over time, it's all flown back together where I'm back to being friends with both parties,' she says. 'Time really can heal. It's possible.' She says neither of the exes is hurt that she's remained friends with them both. 'I went to their daughter's wedding, and that was the first time I'd seen them in a room together in 18 years. They got along well!' Bogdanovic says the idea that friends should have to choose after a divorce is a myth. It doesn't have to be this way: As Erin's story shows, friends of a divorced couple can and do continue their friendships with both individuals. Bogdanovic advises divorced folks to 'initiate time together one-on-one' with friends post-split, to ensure they get the message that you want the friendship to continue. Licensed clinical social worker Jessica Plonchak agrees that the idea of 'who gets who' is not a healthy approach to take. 'The healthier way to handle shared friendships should include allowing both parties to acknowledge the awkwardness and give them some space to decide their comfort levels,' Plonchak says. In most cases, she notes, couple friends will gravitate more toward one person naturally, whether that's because of shared interests or overall time spent together. 'Whatever the situation is, it is important not to impose loyalty on anyone and create a sense of guilt,' Plonchak adds. 'True friendships only last when both sides show respect and maturity.' Losing friends who can't handle the change As for the person divorcing, the friendship changes 'can feel like a second layer of loss; they are grieving not only the relationship but the friendships as well,' says Bogdanovic. And if friends don't 'choose' their side, they can feel further abandoned. Renée Bauer is a divorce attorney who has seen this dynamic play out both professionally and personally. 'When I was getting divorced ... I found a lot of my friendships that were tied to my husband disappeared,' Bauer says. 'It was a lonely time.' That meant pushing herself to make new friends on her own. Ann, from Ohio, says she and her ex reverted back to their individual premarriage friend groups only, so she no longer keeps in touch with friends that originated on his side. 'His friends were mostly shit anyway,' she says. 'I should have known.' Sarah, in Canada, says that her divorce caused her to lose many friendships and even relationships with family members. She tells Yahoo that her ex 'told lots of people I cheated on him.' That was a lie, she says: 'I left him because he was verbally and mentally abusive.' After her ex accused her of cheating, their friend group approached her about it, 'and I told them my side,' Sarah says. 'Others never even asked me about it, just wrote me off as a friend. I figure those people weren't my friends in the first place.' A lot of my friendships that were tied to my husband disappearedRenée Bauer Another Sarah, in Maryland, says that when she went through a divorce, she slowly lost all of her close friendships. 'Most of my closest friends from childhood and really, really long relationships started to really wither away in the years after my divorce,' she says. 'I think it's hard for our closest people to watch us go through these huge, mega shifts.' She says she felt 'a lot of judgment from my friends who were mostly newlyweds.' Ultimately, even Sarah's closest friend 'was like, 'I don't relate to you anymore,'' she says. 'And that kind of led to my entire friend group falling apart.' She adds that her ex-husband was very outgoing and charismatic, so people tended not to look beneath the surface when it came to what ended their relationship. 'There was the outward perception that he's this nice guy, and I got the 'evil bitch ex-wife' thing, which is such a common label,' she says. When a new partner enters the chat — or the group vacation If there's one thing that can complicate postdivorce friendship dynamics, fast, it's a new partner. Of course, divorced folks are going to start dating again eventually, but sometimes it happens way faster than their friends — and certainly their ex-partner — may be comfortable with. So it's important to be sensitive, patient and err on the side of overcommunication. 'Introducing a new partner into established group dynamics can put your friends in an uncomfortable position,' says Bogdanovic. Westenholz adds that it 'can feel jarring, especially if the friend group is still adjusting to the divorce. It's not necessarily a betrayal, but it can be perceived as tone-deaf.' He advises having an open conversation with your friends ahead of time about your new partner and gauging their comfort levels about meeting this person. 'Some friends may feel forced to adjust to new dynamics they didn't sign up for,' Bogdanovic points out. 'It's helpful to give your friends a heads-up, gauge their openness and accept that not all group traditions will continue in the same way. People need time to adapt, and that's OK.' Remember: True friends will last 'Some friendships may fade' postdivorce, says Westenholz, 'but others can deepen in new, more authentic ways.' Today, Sarah in Canada is so grateful to be on the other side of her divorce and friend group transformation, despite the loss of many friendships. 'My circle is small, but oh so valuable,' she says. 'I've really had to rebuild a friend group for myself in the past few years after the fallout of all that,' Maryland Sarah says. And she's better for it. After all, the friends who find us during a period of huge transition and are able to listen, empathize and stick around, those are the ones we deserve.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's new mystery thriller series has already broken into the top 10 — and it could be your perfect summer binge-watch
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you're looking for a fresh thriller to dive into this week, Netflix's new French limited series 'Under a Dark Sun' might be worth a look. It dropped on July 9, and while it didn't really make much noise last week, it has since climbed into the U.S. top 10, sitting comfortably at No. 8 as of today. The six-episode mystery follows a single mother trying to put her past behind her. But her new beginning takes a dark turn after she accepts a job at a flower farm in Provence, only to become the main suspect when the farm's patriarch is found dead. This premise alone sounds like prime material for an engaging binge-watch this week. Plus, the setting in Provence offers a unique visual style compared to typical thrillers, and I'm definitely someone who appreciates a series more when it's visually appealing. For those who enjoy twisty whodunits filled with plot twists and plenty of family drama, 'Under a Dark Sun' could well deserve a spot on your summer watchlist. Here's everything to know about the series and whether it's worth your time. What is 'Under a Dark Sun' about? 'Under a Dark Sun' follows Alba Mazier (Ava Baya), a single mother who arrives at a flower farm in Provence after receiving a mysterious job offer. Hoping for a fresh start, she instead finds herself at the center of a murder investigation when the farm's owner, Arnaud Lasserre (Thibault de Montalembert), is found dead. The situation escalates when it's revealed that Arnaud was Alba's biological father, and she's named in his will as an heir to part of his estate. As suspicion mounts, Alba must defend herself against both the law and the Lasserre family, who are determined to protect their inheritance. She finds an unlikely ally in Manon (Claire Romain), Arnaud's granddaughter and her defense lawyer, while Arnaud's widow Béatrice (Isabelle Adjani) leads efforts to cut Alba out of the picture. Should you stream 'Under a Dark Sun' on Netflix? 'Under a Dark Sun' seems to have plenty of intriguing ingredients that could make for a gripping watch. At its core, it's a sun-drenched mystery wrapped in family drama, with a single mother caught in the middle of some dangerous secrets. Not really standout material but you can't deny that it sounds genuinely interesting. At its core, it's a sun-drenched mystery wrapped in family drama, with a single mother caught in the middle of some dangerous secrets. With just six episodes, it's a relatively quick binge that won't demand a huge time commitment. The setting in sunny Provence adds an interesting visual contrast to the darker storylines, helping it feel a bit different from your usual thriller fare on Netflix. As with many international series, watching with subtitles is the best way to fully appreciate the performances and original tone. At the time of writing, 'Under a Dark Sun' doesn't have a Rotten Tomatoes score, but there are some reviews online. Decider's Joel Keller said: 'Under A Dark Sun has just enough thrills, despite a pedestrian mystery, and fun-to-watch performances by Baya and Adjani, that the show is worth a viewer's time.' Meanwhile, Charles Hartford from But Why Tho? A Geek Community stated the show 'delivers a multi-layered story that comes together in some aspects, but not others. The characters and narrative coalesce to form a tense and compelling tale that, however, never fully materializes due to presentational shortcomings.' The Review Geek's Greg Wheeler said: 'Despite its messy execution, Under a Dark Sun is an easy binge with strong performances, a compelling lead, and just enough intrigue to carry you through. If you can overlook its plot holes, there's fun to be had — just don't expect a flawless mystery here.' The general vibe is that 'Under a Dark Sun' isn't a perfect mystery, with some plot holes and uneven execution holding it back. However, strong performances from Baya and Adjani help keep the show engaging, delivering enough tension to maintain interest. While the story may feel flat at times and the presentation occasionally falters, it still offers an easy, entertaining binge for those who don't mind overlooking some flaws. If you're someone who enjoys twisty whodunits that aren't too complicated, this French limited series might be worth checking out, even if it's something you stick on in the background. You can stream 'Under a Dark Sun' on Netflix now. Otherwise, see what else is new on Netflix in July 2025. More from Tom's Guide Netflix is about to lose a gripping sci-fi thriller movie 7 new Netflix shows and movies I'd stream this week Netflix drops first trailer for new mystery thriller series
