Dwayne Johnson turning to mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr in ‘The Smashing Machine’ and Louis Tomlinson releasing his third solo album are some of the new TV shows, movies, music and games I went to the device near you.
Among the live streaming shows worth your time this week, as chosen by The Associated Press. Entertainment journalists: Ryan Murphy’s new series “The Beauty” tackles beauty standards with some horror mixed in, Jeremy Allen White stars as The Boss in “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” and Megadeth came out with a bang with their latest self-titled album.
— Dwayne Johnson Transform into mixed martial arts pioneer Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a surprisingly gentle drama about winning, addiction, and self-worth, set to premiere on HBO Max on Friday, January 23. In his review, Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle wrote that the effectiveness of Johnson’s performance “is let down by a film that fails to grapple with the violent world around Mark, resorting instead to a gentle appreciation for these mixed martial arts fighters. But what resonates is the image of a human giant learning to accept defeat.” Director Benny Safdie won the directing award for his efforts in the film Venice Film Festivalalthough the awards season spotlight has shifted to his brother Josh, who made “Marty Supreme.”
HBO Max also has “Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man,” directed by Judd Apatow. Arrives on Thursday. The two-part documentary includes interviews with Brooks himself as well as the likes of Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler and Conan O’Brien.
– Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography “Springsteen: Save me from nowhere” It also premieres on Hulu and Disney+ on Friday, January 23. The film is written and directed by Scott Cooper. Stars Jeremy Allen White As The Boss during the making of the soulful “Nebraska” album. In his review for the AP, Mark Kennedy called it “an endearing, unassuming portrait of an icon,” adding that it’s almost a mirror of the album itself, “unexpected, complex, and very American gothic.”
– There are a few other film festival gems coming to more niche streaming companies as well. The documentary “Mr. Nobody vs. Putin,” a 2025 Sundance selection about a Russian teacher who secretly documents the transformation of his classroom into a military recruitment center during the invasion of Ukraine, airs on KINO Film on Thursday. And Moby has Paolo Sorrentino “beauty” Starting Friday, January 23. Venice star Tony Servillo won Best Actor for his role as the fictional Italian president.
— It would be more correct to call it a symphony of decay. Last summer, American thrash metal giants Megadeth announced they were going out with a bang. They will soon embark on a farewell tour, but before that, they will do just that releasing their latest album, Titled “Megadeth”. There’s pressure, and they answer the call with their intricate guitar work.
– She is perhaps best known as a frank and cold force in Titan boy band one direction, On Friday, Englishman Louis Tomlinson will release his third existential solo album, “How Did I Get Here?” His work usually derives from his direct influences, britpop Most notable are 2020’s “Walls” and 2022’s “Faith in the Future.” “How Did I Get Here?” The singles “Lemonade” and “Palaces” seem to indicate that these influences are still there, but they’re subtle now in favor of sunny pop-rock choruses.
– The Great Lucinda Williams He is back with a new song titled “The World Gone Wrong.” It’s of course uniquely Williams – at the intersection of rock, Americana, country and folk – and filled with inspired collaborations from Norah Jones, Brittney Spencer and more. They shared a powerful rendition of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble In The World” with… mavis staples, It makes it necessary to listen.
— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
– The new FX series co-created by Ryan Murphy tackles beauty standards with some horror mixed in. “beauty” Featuring an all-star cast including Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos and Isabella Rossellini. Bella Hadid also guest stars. Kutcher plays a tech billionaire who creates a drug that can lead to so-called physical perfection but not without serious consequences. “The Beauty” is based on the comic book of the same name and premieres Wednesday on Hulu and Disney+ globally.
— “Drops of God” Wednesday also returns to Apple TV for its second season. The film revolves around two estranged brothers (played by Fleur Gvrère and Tomohisa Yamashita) who compete to inherit their late father’s estate, which comes with a huge wine collection. In Season 2, they must search for the source of an unlabeled bottle of wine believed to be the best in the world.
– In the wake “Hot competition” Phenomenon, Netflix has its own ice-warming love story that premieres Thursday. The movie “Hated Rivalry” is based on a series of exciting romance books. “Find her edge” Adapted from a YA novel. The film revolves around a female figure skater training for the World Championships, who finds herself in a love triangle with her current and former skating partners.
Scott Foley and Erin Hayes star in a new faith-based family drama called “It’s not like that” Coming to Prime Video on Sunday, January 25. Foley plays Malcolm, a pastor and father of three whose wife recently died, while Hayes plays Lori, a divorced mother of two teenagers. Their families have always been close but Malcolm and Laurie find themselves relying on each other more and more as they navigate being single parents.
– Flint Buckler, champion Escape ever afterHe lives in the world of short stories. But that fantasy is diminished when a greedy corporation invades the books, turning them into cyberpunk dystopias and Lovecraftian nightmares. Can Flint work his way to the top, or will he settle for a crappy office cubicle? Developer Sleepy Castle Studio says it was inspired by Nintendo’s classic Paper Mario games, and the cartoony 2D settings show that influence. Turn the page on Friday, January 23 on Switch, Xbox
— MIO: Memories in Orbit It’s another 2D adventure rooted in one of Nintendo’s classic games – in this case, Metroid, the mother of an entire subgenre. You’re a small robot in a huge spaceship called the Ark, but your AI bosses have stopped working. It’s up to you to figure out what went wrong while fighting the rogue machines, and the more you explore, the more skills you gain. The ship’s sprawling interior has a hand-drawn pastel look that you might not expect in a sci-fi game. Launches Tuesday on Switch, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5 or PC.