Contributor: Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

The Legend of Hei 2

The Legend of Hei 2 is cute with good messages, but it’s also thematically heavy with tons of Chinese spirituality and a bit of violence, too.

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Only Murders in the Building

It’s fun, but the show is guilty of lack of restraint in the second degree—a senseless crime if ever there was one.

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On the Radar: ‘Chopped,’ AI Parental Controls and ‘Testosterone Maxxing’

How do you know if you’re “chopped?” Open AI and Meta work toward making their AI chatbots safer for teens. Why teen boys are vulnerable to “testosterone maxxing” content.

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Director of ‘Testament’ Talks Inspiration, Emotional Impact and the Book of Acts

Director Paul Syrstad talks with Plugged In about ‘Testament,’ a new series based on the Book of Acts.

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Testament

Angel Studios’ Testament is a, ahem, testament to the incredible acts of Jesus’ earliest followers as it follows their stories after Jesus.

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The Runarounds

Young viewers should perhaps run around this Prime Video show about some perpetually inebriated wannabe rock stars.

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On the Radar: Teenage Transgenderism, Labubus and SYBAU

How many U.S. teens identify as transgender? What in the world is a “Labubu?” Why are teens lying about the meaning of SYBAU?

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The Thursday Murder Club

This murder mystery’s charm is hindered by foul language that would have Miss Marple shaking her head in disapproval.

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Peacemaker

Peacemaker is to superhero as ringworm is to earthworm. It might seem like these two things are related based on their names, but they aren’t.

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My Life with the Walter Boys

This Netflix drama about a teen girl who has moved from NYC to Colorado features enough adolescent angst to electrify a small city.

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On the Radar: ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Sunburn Tattoos’ and Instagram’s Friends Reel

What is the obsession with ‘KPop Demon Hunters?’ TikTok has brought back the harmful “sunburn tattoo.” Instagram’s latest features drive us further apart.

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Sausage Party: Foodtopia

Crude, profane, salacious and offensive, Foodtopia just might make you sick to your stomach.

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Elio

Pixar’s Elio, about a lonely boy who wants to connect with aliens, offers parents a springboard to talk about God’s unfailing love for us—even when we feel alone.

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On the Radar: Kratom Dangers, the ‘Daddy Prank’ and BookTok Romance Obsession

Drinks such as Feel Free contain the opioid-like drug kratom. Teens are cringing over the “Daddy Prank” on social media. And parents might be surprised by the romance novels peddled on BookTok.

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Alien: Earth

FX’s ‘Alien: Earth’ is just the latest graphically violent entry in the already graphically violent ‘Alien’ franchise.

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