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.

NCIS: Los Angeles

CBS rolls out another anagram-friendly crime procedural, this one starring Chris O’Donnell. What’s different about this show from the original NCIS? The location. The actors. And, um, that’s about it.

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A man and a woman smile in the cockpit of an airplane.

Operation Christmas Drop

This Netflix romcom truly embraces the generous spirit of Christmas (even if it never clearly focuses on Jesus).

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Superstore

Walk into this Superstore, and you may walk out with something you neither wanted nor needed.

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Barbarians

Barbarians is aptly named when you take all of the content contributing to its TV-MA rating into consideration.

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The Good Doctor

It’s not just the doctor who’s good. The show’s pretty OK, too.

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A man and a woman sit next to each other at a bar.

Holidate

It’s almost as if this film’s the creators were trying to prove that Holidate isn’t a romcom by making it as crude as possible.

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The Conners

The Conners, like Roseanne, would’ve never gotten a green light back in TV’s Golden Age.

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The Queen’s Gambit

Although The Queen’s Gambit tells an intriguing story, watching it can be a bit of a gambit itself.

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We see a group picture of well-dressed witches.

The Witches

The Witches’ twisted blend of pagan spirituality and its creepy premise make this a movie many families may well avoid.

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Helstrom

I’m not exactly sure who knocked on Hulu’s door to request yet another demon-themed show, but I’m not sure it was a door that needed to be opened.

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An older woman teaches a young girl about monster hunting with cobwebs all around.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting

There are some terrific messages here. But monster-y moments may push this often fun flick out of bounds for some families.

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One Day at a Time

This re-imagining of the 1970s sitcom has been critically acclaimed, but it comes with more than one problem.

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Devils

Several characters are pretty corrupted by their greed for money and power. And Devils is equally as corrupt in its portrayal of their lives.

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Archer

It appears that FX has issued its silly and salacious animated superspy with a license to appall.

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Two women talk on a porch swing.

Small Group

Ultimately, this film doesn’t paint Christianity as a lifestyle that guarantees earthly happiness and freedom from hardship.

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