The Last Mercenary (Netflix film) — Jean-Claude Van Damme gets flexible again while starring as an ex-secret service agent (in France) who turns into, well, a mercenary. There are mob hijinks and a reckless youngster and bureaucrats and an errant son and yeah, this sounds like 1980s movie that landed three decades too late, but hey, we could all use some silly action on our screens to make us forget about the effects of gravity.
Jungle Cruise: (Disney film on Disney+) — Emily Blunt might be the star of the summer (after A Quiet Place 2‘s success) if this long-awaited potential blockbuster’s a hit, and the excellent news is that you can watch it in theaters or your living room. She punches The Rock in this movie, and he plays the shipper who’s attempting to guide her down the river through life-threatening obstacles. This movie’s based upon a Disney theme park ride, so expect plenty of ridiculousness including Jesse Plemons firing a torpedo at the duo after brandishing a German accent and Paul Giamatti with a pretty bird.
Outer Banks: Season 2 (Netflix series) — This is not your typical teen drama. Last season delivered loads of intrigue and flat-out woo-woo revelations following a hurricane and buried treasure and class warfare between different factions in an overall well-to-do community. There are Kooks and Pogues, and the power’s gone for the entirety of the summer, which sounds miserable, but the mysteries won’t stop, including the whereabouts of John B.’s dad. And oh yes, there’s so much soapiness to the characters’ dynamics that you might lose your footing while slipping towards that sunken treasure.
And back to your regularly scheduled programming:
Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump (HBO, 9:00pm) — This documentary series (from members of HBO’s recent Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes) dives into the usually unseen happenings at a rare privately-owned TV station. There are only 95 of these left in the U.S., and KPVM Pahrump happens to be just outside of Las Vegas, where a scrappy broadcaster’s hoping to edge into a larger market. Enjoy this colorful cast of characters and their resilient spirit during the most challenging of times.
The Beast Must Die: (AMC, 9:00pm) — Jared Harris and Cush Jumbo star in this revenge-thriller series (which originally aired on BritBox UK and achieved a viewing record) that has already been renewed for a second season. The newest installment sees Francis’s plan progress.
Roswell, New Mexico (CW, 8:00pm) — Maria will stop at nothing to thwart a murder while Jones must fill everyone in on past events in order to protect Max’s life.
The Republic Of Sarah (CW, 9:00pm) — This show follows the ending of tranquility of Greylock, N.H., after a stash of valuable coltan leads to new overlords, and a rebellious teacher (Sarah Cooper) steps in to halt the madness. This week, Sarah receives unanticipated guests amid a massive snowstorm, and road clearing is also the name of the game.
