Though the film is steeped in the iconography of DC Comics characters like Batman, Penguin, and Joker, “The People’s Joker” takes more shots at “Saturday Night Live” and Lorne Michaels than it does at the Batverse. (Okay, diehard Batman fans may bristle at seeing him portrayed as a creepy groomer, but is that such a stretch for a vigilante billionaire with unprocessed childhood trauma?) The film’s pointed jabs at commercial comedy as a propaganda machine for the billionaire class has far more bite, and any attempt by a corporate entity to silence that message only proves the point....

Prior to 2021, no originals series from a streaming service had won the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy. HBO’s programs won three of the last four years, with “Watchmen,” “Chernobyl,” and “Big Little Lies” beating out competition from Netflix like “When They See Us,” “Unorthodox,” and “Unbelievable.” FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” broke up the premium cable network’s hot streak by winning the category in 2018, topping Netflix’s “Godless....

HBO has renewed Fielder’s “The Rehearsal” for Season 2. The critically acclaimed dramedy concludes its first season this week. The genre-bending series explores the lengths one man (Fielder) will go to reduce the uncertainties of everyday life. With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Fielder allows ordinary people to prepare for life’s biggest moments by “rehearsing” them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design. When a single misstep could shatter your entire world, why leave life to chance?...

At the risk of grading “The Sea Beast” on too generous a curve, Williams’ film would stand out from the annual flood of sub-Pixar kiddie fare and generic subscription fodder even if it had nothing to offer beyond its self-belief. It tells a simple but epic story against the backdrop of a well-realized fantasy world, it does so at a measured pace that provokes the imagination rather than pummeling it into submission, and it stays on course by leveraging spectacular action (highlighted by several blistering pirate fights and a PG-rated kaiju brawl) into an effective fable about the perils of inherited prejudice....

North Carolina novelist turned politician Peterson stood trial for allegedly murdering Kathleen in 2001 and was convicted in 2003. Peterson later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in an Alford plea in 2017 and was released from prison. The Peterson family story was at the center of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s 2004 documentary “The Staircase” before inspiring the HBO Max series of the same name, helmed by Antonio Campos. “Oh God, no,” Peterson told Variety about watching the series....

The other two #1 positions were taken by 2013 Jason Statham-starrer “Homefront” (Google Play), likely boosted by its bargain $3.99 price. At Spectrum, “The Deep Blue Sea 3” took the top spot as it moved off premium pricing. Among the titles that debuted last Friday, “The Vanished,” directed by actor Peter Facinelli and starring Thomas Jane and Anne Heche as parents searching for their daughter, scored best. It was in second or third place at three sites (Spectrum ends its chart before Friday releases)....

But they’re still there. “The Witcher” Season 2 can grow a tad exhausting as it walks through the world-building due diligence expected of a worldwide fantasy franchise (with four spin-offs already in the works). Not for the life of me could I explain what’s going on with the impending war, or what role the Elves will or won’t play in it — all I know is Legolas wouldn’t raise his bow for any of these schmucks — but hot damn, when “The Witcher” lets its lead off the leash, Netflix’s epic adventure absolutely rips....