August 28, 2025
Provided image/Patrick Brown/FX
'Alien: Earth' centers on robots with the consciousness of human children. Sydney Chandler, pictured above, plays the first prototype, Wendy.
With the news of America's impending royal wedding, the algorithms are probably pushing you to watch "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" or maybe "Happy Gilmore 2." But, with respect to Taylor and Travis, there are other shows and movies that demand your attention.
Summer TV got a late-breaking gem with "Alien: Earth," the futuristic horror series now airing on FX and Hulu. It's only three episodes in, giving newcomers plenty of time to catch up before its first season finale in late September.
"Love Is Blind: U.K." isn't nearly as prestigious, but it is wildly entertaining. The British spinoff of Netflix's marquee dating show just closed out its second season with another series of will-they-won't-they weddings — exactly the kind of suspense every little girl and boy dreams of on their big day.
A stylish heist movie and a maximalist Gothic romance are also coming to streaming platforms early next week. Here's where to find them:
The first "Alien" TV show has arrived, and it's already smarter and scarier than some of the movies in the long-running franchise.
"Alien: Earth" takes place in the year 2120, just two years before the events of the original 1979 film. Corporations have divided and conquered the planet, all while advancing increasingly less human technology. There are now people with artificial enhancements (cyborgs) and human-like robots with artificial intelligence (synthetics). But at the beginning of the series, a young tech bro — who strongly resembles the Mark Zuckerberg we met in "The Social Network" — pioneers a whole other being. His hybrids are robots infused with the consciousnesses of terminally ill children. While his technology gives them another shot at life, it also poses an ethical minefield. Things get even more complicated when a competitor's spaceship crash lands in their territory, and the hybrids discover horrors inside.
There's a lot to love about "Alien: Earth," the latest FX series from "Fargo" and "Legion" creator Noah Hawley. The show introduces interesting creatures beyond the signature xenomorph, and provides sharp commentary on innovation and what makes us human. By trapping kids in adult bodies, "Alien: Earth" also gives its cast room for funny and affecting performances. The boy genius, on the other hand, gets a much-earned evisceration. New episodes stream Tuesdays on Hulu.
Netflix's social experiment/dating dumpster fire is continuing its studies abroad. In Season 2, "Love Is Blind: U.K." has introduced us to another batch of British singles looking for love, some of them seemingly more sincere (and/or sane) than others. While the purpose of the show is to get contestants to stretch outside their usual dating pool by removing looks from the equation — hence the pods, where couples chat with a wall between them — the franchise has attracted some obvious attention seekers and made-for-reality-TV characters. Standouts this season include Patrick, a "human design coach" who makes decisions based on what his spleen, not his gut or brain, says. Stream all 10 episodes now ahead of the Aug. 31 reunion.
Is there a cooler heist movie than "Inside Man"? Let's examine the facts.
Fact No. 1: It stars Denzel Washington as a detective so cool he can pull off a fedora. Fact No. 2: It also stars a terrifyingly calm Clive Owen as the bank robber he's after. Fact No. 3: The story opens and closes with a riddle that only makes sense after the scheme's been unraveled. Fact No. 4: It's directed by Spike Lee.
Seems like a pretty open and shut case doesn't it? Stream the 2006 thriller starting Monday on Netflix.
Come for the Gothic romance in this 2015 period piece, stay for the gorgeous production design. "Crimson Peak" finds New York heiress Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) in a whirlwind courtship with a broke English nobleman (Tom Hiddleston) at the turn of the 20th century. Ignoring warnings from her father and mother's ghost, she marries him and moves into his crumbling manor. There, she finds her new husband and sister-in-law (Jessica Chastain) aren't quite what they seem.
"Crimson Peak" is a strange, heartbreaking and visually striking film. The fictional estate, painted in bright contrasting whites and reds, instantly feels like something out of a nightmare — though it's much prettier than the monsters in our stress dreams. (Elegant terror is a bit of a speciality for director Guillermo del Toro, who also helmed "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water.") Catch it on Prime starting Friday.
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