A New ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith,’ Animated Fantasies, ‘Transplant’ Abroad, Analyzing a Horror Master

Series Premiere

Till death do they part—not such a stretch for the newly married (in fake name only) globe-trotting assassins known only as John and Jane Smith (Atlanta’s Donald Glover and PEN15’s Maya Erskine, both terrific). In a series adaptation of the 2005 film that starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the new Smiths barely get to know each other before they’re off on their first assignment—and early on we learn what happens to Johns and Janes who’ve reached their expiration date. (It isn’t pretty.) Till then, it’s a fun and stylish ride that meshes the romcom conventions of bicker-banter-swoon with the tension of a spy thriller. The guest casting is impressive, with appearances by the likes of Alexander Skarsgård, John Turturro, Paul Dano, Sharon Horgan, Billy Campbell, Sarah Paulson, Ron Perlman and more. All eight episodes are available for binge-watching.

Movie Premiere

A charming animated fantasy stars Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird) as the voice of the Dark, an entity whose mission is to get anxious young Orion (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) to face his fears—most notably of the dark. They set off on a nighttime journey where Orion encounters other nocturnal beings including Dreams (Angela Bassett), Sleep (What We Do in the Shadows’ Natasia Demetriou), Unexplained Noises (Bridgerton’s Golda Rosheuvel) and Insomnia (Nat Faxon). By the time Light (Ike Barinholtz) returns, will Orion have conquered his neuroses?

Movie Premiere

Based on a children’s book series, a family-friendly animated action-adventure tells the story of Chinese-American teen Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo), who discovers hidden powers revealing his destiny as a Guardian of humanity. Training under a mythical tiger (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding), Tom sets out to reunite 12 Zodiac warriors to take on the evil Loo (Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh), who’s been biding her time to cause humanity a world of hurt.

8/7c

With only one episode left in its third season, the medical drama continues to split its focus between Bash’s (Hamza Haq) return to his Middle East roots, volunteering at a refugee camp in Lebanon, and turmoil back at Canada’s York Memorial Hospital. While Bash stays busy during a cholera outbreak, reuniting with a one-time friend who betrayed him, the doctors at York rally to save nurse practitioner Claire (Torri Higginson), the victim of a brutal stabbing.

Documentary Premiere

The streamer dedicated to horror salutes one of the masters, Italian director Dario Argento (Suspiria), with the premiere of Simone Scafidi’s stylish documentary profile. “Everything in Argento’s movies is trying to kill you,” says Guillermo del Toro, one of many admirers. Argento discusses his craft along with his daughter Asia Argento, who began acting in his films as a teenager.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• RuPaul’s Drag Race (8/7c, MTV): The queens get creative, writing and performing their own verses for new RuPaul songs from his Black Butta Swedish synth-pop duo Icona Pop sits in on the judging panel.
• LIV Golf (8/7c, The CW): The network’s first prime-time broadcast of the golf league’s 2024 season features highlights from the day’s events at the Las Vegas Country Club.
• True Crime Watch: On Dateline NBC (9/8c), Andrea Canning reports on the 2001 murder in Pensacola, Florida of Navy petty officer Sherri Malanik, which remained a cold case for nearly 20 years. ABC’s 20/20 (9/8c) revisits the attempted kidnapping in 2016 of teenager Madison Nygard by a man who is later pegged as the murderer of two Michigan women.
• Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers (9/8c, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries): A gilded-age mystery set in 1895 Rhode Island puts a society reporter (Ali Skovbye) on the trail of a killer when her half-brother is falsely accused of a murder during a ball at the fabled Vanderbilt mansion.
• Hightown (9/8c, Starz): Another setback for Jackie (Monica Raymund), whose latest mishap could get her kicked off the task force.
• CMT Campfire Sessions (10/9c, CMT): Dustin Lynch goes acoustic for an intimate set of his hits, including “Small Town Boy.”

ON THE STREAM:

• Past Lives (streaming on Paramount+): Nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, the romantic film starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro is now available for streaming.
• Pixar’s Self (streaming on Disney+): A stop-motion animated short depicts a wooden doll’s journey of self-discovery after she wishes upon a star (as one does in Disney’s world) to blend in with her peers.
• Dicks: The Musical (streaming on Max): An outrageous musical comedy, directed by Seinfeld’s Larry Charles, is written by and stars Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp as long-lost twins who discover each other and plot to reunite their divorced parents (Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane) in a twisted take on The Parent Trap. Also featuring Megan Thee Stallion and Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang as God.
• Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez (streaming on Hulu): A reality series gets up close and personal with WWE couple Bianca Belair and Montez Ford as she defends her title while he stages a comeback from injury.