'Wakanda Forever' examines grief and rage in a powerful way

A stunning tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” begins with the death of his character, T’Challa. Desperate to save her brother from the illness that has consumed him, a frantic Shuri (Letitia Wright) flits around her science lab, attempting to unearth the antidote that might save the Wakandan king. Tragically, her efforts are fruitless. Before the opening credits roll on the film, a despondent Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) tells her last living child, “Your brother is with the ancestors.”

The real-world trauma of Boseman’s shocking death from colon cancer in August 2020 collides with the aftermath of his character’s passing in “Wakanda Forever.” It’s an action-packed film full of grief, rage and the towering burden of legacy. His spirit stands at the film’s center as director Ryan Coogler examines why rage and trauma can be both a determinant and a pillar to communities of color. 

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New Netflix Western 'The Harder They Fall' was long overdue

In the golden age of Hollywood, Westerns dominated the box office. From the 1930s to the 1960s, some of the biggest films in cinema were from the genre. Jeymes Samuel puts his own stamp on the Western in his directorial debut for Netflix, out in theaters Friday. With intense action sequences, violence and a love story at the center, “The Harder They Fall” has all the components that make the genre so iconic. However, it also offers something that many past Westerns have lacked — the truth. 

According to Smithsonian magazine, 1 in 4 cowboys in the 18th and 19th centuries were Black. But looking at iconic films like “Dances With Wolves,” “High Noon” and “Rio Bravo,” it would seem that Black people don’t even exist. “The Harder They Fall,” however, positions Black people in the center of its narrative. 

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ABC's reboot of 'The Wonder Years' recaptures the dramedy's magic and adds its own

In 1988, 29 million households watched the ABC premiere of "The Wonder Years," a critically acclaimed family dramedy set in the 1960s that showcased one of the most transitional periods in American history. The show indulged TV viewers' collective love of nostalgia even as it pushed the boundaries of the sitcom genre with its realism and its vulnerable take on adolescence.

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In Amazon's 'Mary J. Blige's My Life,' she shows how much power came from her vulnerability

For the past 30 years, Mary J. Blige, aptly crowned the Queen of Hip-Hop and R&B, has spilled her guts in her music, flooring audiences with her haunting tracks like "Not Gon' Cry" and "No More Drama."

The multi-platinum Grammy winner has lived out many triumphs in the spotlight throughout her career beyond her music, including two Oscar nominations, for her supporting role and song in Netflix's "Mudbound," and her work in the fan-favorite drama series "Power Book II: Ghost." However, as much as her fans have celebrated Blige's successes, she's also been open about her hard times, which have included addiction, abuse and her tumultuous divorce following a 15-year marriage.

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In Netflix's 'Fatherhood,' Kevin Hart gives a white dad's memoir new layers of meaning

Netflix's new dramatic comedy "Fatherhood," based on Matt Logelin's memoir, follows Matt, played by comedian Kevin Hart, a soon-to-be father who isn't quite taking the impending birth of his daughter seriously enough.

Though an emergency C-section upends his plans for a night out with the guys, both Matt and his wife, Liz (Deborah Ayorinde, of "Them"), who had health concerns during the pregnancy, are delighted with their newborn baby, Maddy.

However, shortly after giving birth, Liz dies suddenly of a pulmonary embolism, leaving a reeling Matt to try and deal with his grief and a brand-new baby on his own.

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Starz's 'Blindspotting' series had a lot to live up to. So its creators forged a different path.

From "Soul Food" to "Clueless," there have been successful film-to-TV adaptations, but none have higher stakes than “Blindspotting.”

Based on director Carlos López Estrada's electrifying 2018 debut feature of the same name, which chronicled three days in life of Oakland, California, resident Collin (Daveed Diggs) and his best friend Miles (Rafael Casal), Starz's new dramedy series shifts the lens to Ashley (Emmy winner Jasmine Cephas Jones), Miles' girlfriend and the mother of his 6-year-old son, Sean (Atticus Woodward).

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Amazon's 'Without Remorse' makes Michael B. Jordan a new antihero in Tom Clancy's America

At first, Amazon's "Without Remorse" seems to have the exact blueprint as a slew of other revenge action films, like "Jason Bourne" and "John Wick." Michael B. Jordan's John Kelly finds himself on the fringes of society when, following an ill-fated mission during his final tour as an elite Navy SEAL, a violent attack at his Washington, D.C., home leaves his heavily pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) and their unborn daughter shot to death. He, of course, becomes determined to avenge their deaths.

John, however, soon realizes the deaths of his wife and daughter were just the tip of the iceberg in a sinister plot involving both the Russian and the United States governments.

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'Malcolm & Marie' isn't a romance movie. It's a war movie set in the middle of a relationship.

"Malcolm & Marie" comes with a warning label: Despite the glittering, black and white cinematography and the brilliance of both John David Washington as Malcolm and Zendaya as Marie, it tells viewers upfront that they're not watching a romance film.

Instead of witnessing two characters meeting cute, falling for one another, encountering conflict, and making a decision about their relationship, "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson cracks open a window into a long-term relationship, one burdened with the weight of time and the baggage of two very flawed people who happen to also be Black.

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In Netflix's 'Bridgerton,' Shonda Rhimes reinvents how to present race in a period piece

Television and cinema have had a long love affair with Great Britain during the lush Regency era. From classic novels reimagined on screen, like "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma," to historical dramas about their authors, like "Becoming Jane" and "Bright Star," there has always been something intriguing for moviegoers about this period. But in Netflix's new series "Bridgerton," premiering on Christmas Day, producer and media mogul Shonda Rhimes, along with "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" producer Chris Van Dusen, have completely reimagined how to present that time and place on film.

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