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.

Defending Jacob

Apple TV+’s latest effort is a buzzy crime thriller about two layer parents defending their teen son in a murder case.

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Downhill

As bleak and as uncomfortable as this film often feels, Downhill ultimately has some heartening things to say about marriage.

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Scoob!

Scoob! is a movie that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be when it grows up.

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Dead to Me

It goes in some dark directions that plenty of viewers won’t want to go.

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Capone

Capone shows us the sad end to a bad man, but for no discernible purpose.

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Fantasy Island

Don’t go to Fantasy Island, my friends. Many who do so here regretted it, and it’s unlikely you’ll be the exception.

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Birds of Prey

Strip away the language, airbrush out the blood, and you’ve got pretty much the same movie, only better.

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Gretel & Hansel

Filled with creepy occultism, Gretel & Hansel is made of gingerbread: Alluring to look at, but structurally and morally hollow.

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The True History of the Kelly Gang

The content here is so extreme, on basically every level we document here at Plugged In.

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Mom

In Two and a Half Men producer Chuck Lorre’s hands, we can be sure of one thing in this CBS sitcom: The mothers don’t know best.

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The Willoughbys

Through this terrible family, we see what a good family looks like—and why, in fact, it’s so important.

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Mrs. America

Hulu and FX give us a riveting portrait of Phyllis Schlafly. Whether it reflects the real person or gives voice to the values she represented, is doubtful.

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Code 8

This low-budget sci-fi movie’s popularity on Netflix won’t be augmented by Plugged In’s review of it.

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Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story

Jump Shot does more than sate a basketball craving. It gives us a picture of a man who seems to deserve the title of hero.

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The Most Dangerous Game

Quibi’s action thriller stars Liam Hemsworth as a man running for his life in more ways than one.

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