Landing around a month ago on Paramount+ Girl Taken is a based on the novel Baby Doll by Hollie Overton.
Seventeen-year-old Lily is kidnapped by her trusted teacher. Five years later she escapes captivity and returns home, revealing years of abuse in a hidden cellar and forcing her family to face the trauma in a fight to reclaim their lives.
The British series was adapted for the six-part series for Paramount+ by David Turpin, Suzanne Cowie, and Nessa Muthy.
Directing episodes are Laura Way and Bindu de Stoppani with Mick Pantaleo as producer. Executive producers include Suzi McIntosh for Clapperboard Studios and Mike Benson for Paramount+.
Filming took place in last June, with Jill Halfpenny & Alfie Allen as leads. Alongside older and younger sisters Tallulah and Delphi Evans as twins, Niamh Walsh, Levi Brown, Victoria Ekanoye, Holly Atkins, Vikash Bhai and Kiran Krishnakumar.
This was fairly B grade TV if I'm honest. Paramount+ are lucky they still have Taylor Sheridan and CBS content on their service.
That said with two Yellowstone spin-offs incoming Paramount+ has some serious drama incoming.
I don't want to be too negative about this series. Alfie Allen did play a creep well. It really is Allen season, with Lily selling out tours in Australia, that hit record, Alfie's past Game of Thrones work.
So I am not expecting Girl Taken to rate highly on my Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26 RATED list, however if you like a kidnapping drama, maybe this is for you.
Spartacus: House of Ashur is a thrilling, erotic, history-bending, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit.
What if Ashur lived and the Romans rewarded his treachery with the gladiator school where he once bled?
Welcome to the House of Ashur. No longer a slave, Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) has clawed his way to power, owning the same ludus that once owned him. But ruling a band of merciless gladiators is child’s play compared to surviving the savage world of Roman politics—a cutthroat game in which betrayal isn’t a sin, it’s currency.
Flipping tradition on its head, Ashur unleashes Achillia (Tenika Davis), a fierce and powerful gladiatrix eager to prove herself worthy in a man’s world. Together, they ignite a new kind of spectacle that shocks, disrupts, and offends the elite with every drop of blood.
Starring Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur, Graham McTavish, Tenika Davis, Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Jordi Webber, Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith, Leigh Gill, Jackson Gallagher, & Jaime Slater.
Yes this is horny AF! Like the original Spartacus run, you even get some man on man action. Plus a fair amount of penis. And the boobs! So many boobs! The million dollar question is will Starz renew the historical romp?
I bet Aussie streamer Stan wishes it would. I did read somewhere it was meant to be a miniseries, somewhere else season two was mostly writtern.
I for one would watch season two. Wanna find out how season one wrapped on Friday? What am I going to watch on Stan on Fridays now? BOO!
Gabinius is laid to rest at his villa. Caesar informs Cossutia that Pompey has been stripped of his title and protection, while Caesar himself has been promoted to legatus and ordered to find and kill him.
Servius, Gabinius' brother returns to reclaim the household and proposes holding funeral games. Believing Ashur to be beneath him, Servius has him removed from the villa but Viridia kisses him before he leaves.
Settling in, Servius tries to assert his control over Cossutia and Viridia. At the ludus, Tarchon helps train Achillia to take on the Scythian, while Proculus pairs Satyrus with Galatea, another female gladiator for the games.
Ashur gifts Achillia her own private quarters, cementing her position as champion of the ludus, while Ashur promises Korris ownership of the ludus once he is given control of Capua's games. Cornelia leaves the villa to return to Rome, with Messia following her.
At the games, Servius excludes Ashur's gladiators from all but the main event and forces him to sit with the plebians. Satyrus and Galatea defeat their opponent before Achillia battles the Scythian in a brutal fight that sees both fighters lose their weapons and intrude into the stands.
Achillia ultimately defeats the Scythian, killing her by jamming her shield into her mouth and splitting her head open. Before she leaves, Viridia sees Ashur celebrate in the stands with Hilara, saddening her.
Back at the ludus, Tarchon and Achillia sleep together.
While Caesar prepares to leave, Ashur asks him when the new arena will begin construction but Caesar tells him that Crassus has decided to use the funds to build new villas instead, despite their agreement. An enraged Ashur attacks Caesar, and after a long fight Ashur kills him by stabbing him in the chest and hacking his head open with a sword.
Will Starz renew Spartacus: House of Ashur, gosh I hope so, but I also reckon this has been a surprisingly good return to the Spartacus franchise. Bring on season two!
Hi post-apocalyptic Amazon series Fallout, concluded this past after starting right before Xmas 2025.
Based on the role-playing video game franchise created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, the series is set two centuries after the Great War of 2077, in which society has collapsed following a nuclear holocaust.
Starring Yellowjackets Queen, Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias, Frances Turner, Kyle MacLachlan, & the White Lotus MVP, Walton Goggins.
Season two continues the story set in the wasteland of post-nuclear America and introduced New Vegas, a major location from the video game Fallout: New Vegas.
Lucy and Cooper travel to New Vegas hoping to learn the truth about Vault-Tec, Cooper's wife and daughter, and Lucy's father. Maximus, having been promoted in rank within the Brotherhood, becomes increasingly disillusioned with the Brotherhood's internal corruption and the conflict between his own conscience and the order's code.
Last May, Amazon renewed the series for a third season. Which I had entirely forgotten about.
Macaulay Culkin, Justin Theroux & Kumail Nanjiani all joined the series for a varying number of episodes. I think we will get more Culkin in the third run.
If like me you took a few days to catch up, don't read on! However this season continued to be fun, with some whacky soundtrack choices along the way to Vegas!
In 2077, Hank and Steph get engaged in Las Vegas, while Cooper is arrested after taking the blame for Barb for handing the relic to the President, secretly tied to the Enclave.
In 2296, the Legion schism ends when Lacerta Legate proclaims himself Caesar and plans to seize New Vegas. Norm and Claudia survive a radroach attack at Vault-Tec HQ that kills the rest of the Vault-Tec executives as they attempt to bring Norm to trial.
In Vault 32, Steph activates a Pip-Boy from Hank's box and contacts the Enclave to begin Phase 2. Fighting between Maximus and Deathclaws reaches Freeside, where the NCR rescues him. The Ghoul enters the Vault-Tec facility with House's help.
Lucy mercy kills Welch, but is captured by Hank and then saved by the Ghoul. Lucy implants a control chip in Hank, who admits his Enclave ties before activating it himself and losing his memory. The Ghoul finds his family's cryo-pods empty and a clue pointing to Colorado. Maximus and Lucy reunite as the Legion marches into New Vegas.
In a post-credits scene, Dane retrieves Liberty Prime blueprints for Quintus.
So it looks like we are off to Colorado and possibly some more robot action.
This is a fun show in the mix of Amazon's macho male action stars and teen dramas to the max. Amazon have some big months ahead with Deadloch returning next month and Cross returning this week. I wish they had an event like Apple TV had last week.
Amazon are really coming into their own. I still need to watch Thief too. 56 Days also sounds interesting... and horny! lol
Send Help, my latest film is a darkly comedic psychological thriller from genre-bending visionary director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead).
Rachel McAdams (Spotlight, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., Mean Girls), Dylan O’Brien (Twinless, Saturday Night), Edyll Ismail (La Brea), Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Xavier Samuel (Elvis), Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians), Thaneth Warakulnukroh (Thai Cave Rescue), & Emma Raimi (Happy Pills), all star in this Aussie/Thailand production.
Linda Liddle (McAdams) and Bradley Preston (O’Brien), two colleagues who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after they are the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it becomes an unsettling and darkly humorous battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
So great seeing Aussie's Xavier Samuel and hunky Chris Pang, on the big screen, to a packed engaged cinema crowd on a Friday night.
Send Help has received positive reviews from critics, and has grossed $32.6 million against a $40 million production budget.
This film could be in line to be one of the first financial success and critical successes of 2026 at the cinema.
Filming ultimately commenced last February, in Sydney, Los Angeles, and Thailand, concluding in April.
This was fun, the audience was laughing, I was jumping a few times. This was a solid film, with a great performance from the likeable and relatable Rachel McAdams. Lets be honest, we have all felt like Linda in an office situation before.
I really enjoyed this thriller. You might even spot Centennial Park in the movie. Which is hosting Laneway this weekend.
Be safe music festival friends. Why on Earth is Laneway on a Sunday too. I went last year. That was ROUGH!
Streaming now is Dog Park on ABC iview or Sundays at 8:30pm on ABC TV. ABC has started the year strong. With Goolagong (I've almost finished it - review incoming) and new shows galore incoming. Bad Company with Kitty Flanagan & Anne Edmonds looks like a real highlight!
Breaming with an all Australian, all-star cast. This show has laughs, sense of community and warm moments. However its also a little sad too. Particularly episode five.
It has a very Melbourne feel too. One of the stars of Aussie TV's summer Brooke Satchwell is back after her great role in Dear Life. That said her role is a lot less in this six episode series.
Short, sharp and dog filled episodes were an easy Sunday binge for little old me in the middle of the summer humidity.
Roland (Leon Ford) is a fumbling, inexpressive parent to teen daughter Mia (Florence Gladwin). He’s a cold, grumpy husband to wife Emma (Brooke Satchwell). And he’s a pretty lousy dog walker to the family pooch Beattie (Indie).
Also in the cast/dog park group, Samantha (Celia Pacquola), Penny (Elizabeth Alexander), Pamelia (Grace Chow), Jonah (Ras-Andrew) & Samuel (Ash Flanders).
So its a damn fine, solid cast! It's no wonder I smashed this series in around 24 hours. It's just been one of those weeks when sitting to type this up, has been held up multiple times.
What a week, bring on the weekend. Hopefully I'll get to see Send Help or another film.
The first episode of the series took me a little more time to get into than I expected. Dog Park presents as more of a character study of this Melbourne group. More than a straight up Melbourne based Fisk comedy.
That said, this looks very much like Chippendale (my inner city suburb) of an afternoon, where neighbours, locals gather after a long day at work. To unwind with their four legged friends. Chat shit with other locals, so this was relatable.
It did however make me miss the little four legged guy I'd walk around these inner city streets. So warning you might get triggered like me.
Dog Park was great though. Give it a binge, this weekend!
Wonder Man is the 17th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, via its Marvel Television label. Streaming on Disney+, all (short) episodes were dropped last week.
The miniseries follows Simon Williams, who is trying to earn the lead role in a remake film of Wonder Man along with Trevor Slattery.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Simon Williams / Wonder Man, alongside X Mayo, Zlatko Burić, Arian Moayed, Shola Adewusi, Demetrius Grosse, Béchir Sylvain, Kameron J. Meadows, Olivia Thirlby, Byron Bowers, Joe Pantoliano, Josh Gad, and Ben Kingsley (Slattery).
Wonder Man is part of Phase Six of the MCU, and released under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.
Was it any good or is Marvel continuing to flog the dead horse until the next Avengers film lands?
Well this miniseries is literally much ado about nothing. Nothing superhero really happens. It's almost another love story to Hollywood as old Hollywood looks to the future of the US continuing to crumble under the orange rogue leader.
This series really didn't give me much hope for Marvel's TV series future. That said, Daredevil's second run was actually really good. It returns soon for its second season, so fingers crossed.
I just feel this show really had no purpose, nor direction. I wonder (lol) how long Marvel can afford to churn out these second rate projects. There second rate movies cost more when they fail at the box office, however looking at their reputation, Marvel has some work to do. Maybe superhero series peaked and there is no return.
Either way if you haven't watched the finale, Yucca Valley, maybe don't read on.
Simon returns to his apartment assuming that he will be caught.
Slattery calls him to apologise and says he has a solution: Slattery revives his Mandarin persona and publicly claims responsibility for the explosion.
Cleary knows that Slattery is just taking the blame for Simon, but goes along with it because the DODC needs more prisoners to justify their expensive Yucca Valley, California, prison.
Following Slattery's arrest, Kovak insists they continue filming and tells Simon to use Slattery's betrayal for the scene where Wonder Man is betrayed by Barnaby. Wonder Man is finished with Pantoliano taking over the role of Barnaby, and the film is a success.
Eric says he is proud of Simon. Janelle tells Simon that he now has his pick of what role to take next, and Simon decides to shadow a DODC guard under the guise of making a new film about him.
This gives Simon access to the DODC prison, just as Cleary discovers that Simon's powers use ionic energy and proposes to his boss that Simon could be an asset. Simon uses his powers to break Slattery out of prison and fly away with him.
And just like that, another Marvel series is over. Daredevil: Born Again second season begins sometime in March, whilst VisionQuest and an animated Spider-Man series will land late 2026.
Its been a hot minute minute (no summer pun intended) since I have seen two movies in one weekend. So after Primate, it's time for my Melania review.
Oh fuck that shit, no thanks. It was off to Melania's makers, an AI judge, jury and executioner film, Mercy.
The science fiction film starring Chris Pratt & Rebecca Ferguson, revolves around a detective accused of murder who must prove his innocence to an artificial intelligence judge.
Alongside Pratt & Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, & Kylie Rogers also star.
Mercy has currently grossed $28 million worldwide, while receiving negative reviews from critics.
However what do critics and award nominations mean in the world of box office and the general publics opinion anyway in 2026? Right?
I really enjoyed this film. Less than two hours, it was a full on all in, law and order via tech, delivered by a super savage Rebecca Ferguson.
Chris Pratt is guilty until proven innocent, however with some twists, turns and side plots on offer, there is a lot going on under two hours.
I was pleasantly surprised by the film. Two other friends who have very different opinions on films also enjoyed this film too.
So without. further ado, it's been a solid weekend of cinema. Maybe not for Melania's ticket sales. Ask the Orange man though and you'd get a totally different answer. Maybe she will top the nominations for next years Razzies? Surely she'll get a nod.
OK, to the star rating, 3.5 stars. Edge of year seat, Speed grade, high octane thriller.
