Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Billy Crystal as Charlie Berns walks down a street in Here Today

Here Today

Directed by and starring the legendary Billy Crystal, Here Today seems guilty of trying too hard.

Read more
Two outsiders enter the town of Schmigadoon

Schmigadoon!

It’s a lyrical homage to traditional musicals. But it hits some sour notes by rejecting traditional values.

Read more

Plugged In Pick, TV: The Mysterious Benedict Society

The show includes plenty of great lessons related to honesty, kindness and humility—underrated values today.

Read more
Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and her sister looking fierce after a destructive battle.

Black Widow

We expected a movie about a couple of highly trained killers would be exciting. We didn’t expect it to be so sweet.

Read more
A girl with glowing purple eyes

The A List

This Netflix teen drama feels like the unlikely mash-up of Mean Girls and Lost.

Read more

The Plugged In Show, Episode 85: Black Widow and the State of the Superhero Union

The Plugged In team straps on its collective cape, strikes a particularly powerful superhero pose and talks about Marvel’s newest movie.

Read more
2 men in masks in No Sudden Move

No Sudden Move

While the film can be twisty and satisfying, the lack of any real praise-worthy behavior feels a bit criminal in itself.

Read more
Soldiers in the Tomorrow War

The Tomorrow War

This is a frenetic, bloody mess in some ways. But in that mess, you have moments of moral clarity about what is worth valuing.

Read more
Two people sitting side by side

In the Dark

In the Dark is aptly named: Better to sit in the dark than watch this show.

Read more

Music Is Powerful. ‘Summer of Soul’ Tells Us So.

You’ve probably never heard of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. But for those who attended, it was life changing.

Read more

Bosch

The show, like its main character, can be pretty grim and rough

Read more

Big Shot

While Big Shot hits a few three-pointers, it tosses up plenty of bricks, too.

Read more

The Plugged In Show, Episode 83: When Antiheroes Become Our Heroes

Back in the day on TV, good was good, evil was evil, and never the twain would meet. But now, of course, they meet all the time.

Read more

Plugged In Picks, TV: Eden

It has some nice messages about purpose and family. It’s also got a few problems, so be sure to check out our review before you check out the show.

Read more
people exercising in Physical

Physical

Sheila hates everyone, most especially herself. Perhaps it’s fitting that the show, Physical, is so easy to dislike.

Read more