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Wednesday review: making goth great again

“Series star Jenna Ortega and director Tim Burton bring The Addams Family to life in a quirky gothic mystery for Netflix that's monstrously fun.”

• Jenna Ortega perfectly embodies the character
• Great blend of supernatural horror, teen drama
• Adds depth to the entire Addams Family
• Visual effects are good, not great

Wednesday Addams isn’t the first character that comes to mind when you’re searching for someone with the cachet to carry a solo series, but it doesn’t take long for Tim Burton and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega to make her star power abundantly clear in Netflix’s dark, delightfully entertaining series .

Color us scared

Darkness becomes her, they mostly come out at night.

A spinoff of The Addams Family franchise,  Wednesday follows the titular, elder Addams sibling after she finds herself expelled from high school due to a nasty incident involving the water polo team and two bags of piranhas . The event prompts her parents, Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones), to enroll her in their former alma mater, prep school Nevermore Academy, which specializes in educating “outcast” children. As she attempts to forge her own path at the school, where her parents’ legacy looms large, Wednesday soon finds herself wrapped up in a mystery tied to killings in a nearby town.

Wednesday hails from Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and although it manages to channel some of the same young adult drama the pair brought to their teenage Superman series, it’s Burton’s aesthetic that informs much of the look and feel of Wednesday ‘s first, eight-episode season.

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The Sleepy Hollow and Beetlejuice director helms the series’ first four episodes, and draws from a similar palette as his 1990 film Edward Scissorhands , which had its characters bouncing between two contrasting environments: One dark and gothic, and the other bright and colorful. Like the title character of that film, Wednesday’s adventures have her and her classmates — werewolves, sirens, and gorgons among them — navigating between the stark stone and dark forest of their gothic home and the bright streets of an exaggerated small-town America.

As one might expect, Burton is right at home in the comic-gothic vibe of Wednesday’s world, but he also manages to fit Nevermore surprisingly well into the brightly colored, traditional Americana surrounding it. The two aesthetics  shouldn’t mesh as well as they do, but Wednesday makes the weaving together of these worlds feel surprisingly seamless.

While the look and feel of  Wednesday is executed amazingly well, it’s Ortega’s performance as the title character that ultimately sells the series.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone nailing Wednesday’s dry, morbid personality as well as Christina Ricci in the live-action Addams Family films of the 1990s, but Ortega runs away with the role in the Netflix series. Ortega is a talented actress whose recent, well-received performances in Ti West’s X  and  Scream suggest she’s no stranger to dark subject matter, but  Wednesday flexes an entirely different sort of approach to the material, and Ortega rises to the occasion. Her deadpan delivery rarely falters, and in those rare moments where the story calls for her to do so, Ortega finds just the right amount of subtlety to keep her character’s coming-of-age experience in character.

She’s not alone in giving a great performance, either.

In supporting roles, Guzmán and Zeta-Jones offer a version of the Addams Family central couple that’s both familiar and unique  and plays to the celebrated actors’ strengths. It’s no easy task to measure up to the portrayals of Gomez and Morticia in the original television series (John Astin and Carolyn Jones) and the two live-action theatrical features of the ’90s (Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston), but Wednesday ‘s version of the deeply romantic, macabre duo finds the happy medium between their past and present incarnations. The same is true of Fred Armisen’s too-brief appearance as Wednesday’s iconic Uncle Fester, with the Portlandia star’s wacky performance playing well off Wednesday’s dry presence.

Despite the series’ focus on Wednesday Addams, it also does a remarkable job of building out the entire Addams Family’s backstory in some fun, fascinating ways.

The fictional history of creator Charles Addams’ family of characters has rarely adhered to any sort of canon, and Wednesday sends the Addams Family timeline in some new, clever directions. The series sheds some light on Morticia and Gomez’s early years and burgeoning romance at Nevermore Academy, for example, and reveals some intriguing plot points about their time there and how it shaped some well-known aspects of the characters. Although the show keeps the spotlight on Wednesday, the story of the entire Addams Family feels significantly richer with the lore Wednesday brings to their saga.

Outside of the established Addams Family characters appearing in the series,  Wednesday also introduces some compelling supporting characters to her world.

Gwendoline Christie ( Game of Thrones ) offers a nice foil for Wednesday as the headmistress of Nevermore, while Emma Myers portrays Wednesday’s eternally perky, optimistic roommate (who also happens to be a werewolf), Enid Sinclair. Both actresses give strong performances that tease out more of Wednesday’s character and give her the sort of surrounding cast of enemies and allies that make her feel like a more fully realized character.

Ricci herself plays a recurring role in the series , too, as the school’s botany instructor, Marilyn Thornhill, and watching her and Ortega interact makes for some extra fun, self-aware humor.

Fans of popular Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will likely feel some familiarity with Wednesday , which manages to hit the sweet spot between dark, supernatural adventure and teen drama surprisingly well.  Wednesday goes quite a bit darker than that series, though, thanks to Burton’s influence and even more quirky characters.

Fans of Burton’s work, anyone looking to fill that Sabrina void, or viewers simply intrigued by the idea of a gothic horror-comedy with a compelling mystery at its center and a great cast of unique, colorful characters will find plenty to like about  Wednesday . Mysterious and spooky and altogether ooky, the series is a scream in all the right ways.

Season 1 of Wednesday premieres November 23 on Netflix.

Wednesday (2022)

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Wednesday review – Tim Burton’s witty Addams Family spin-off is perfect

This Netflix series transports Wednesday Addams into a whole new fantasy realm of her own. It’s creepy, charming and has a lead who more than matches Christina Ricci

I don’t know what the world’s coming to. You denude one bullying high-school jock of just one testicle (at a swim meet, with piranhas) and suddenly you’re packed off to a boarding school full of weirdos and outcasts.

My heart goes out to young Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), whose fate this is in the opening scenes of the latest Addams Family reinvention – a Netflix series simply called Wednesday. Ortega has the toughest of acts to follow. Christina Ricci defined the part in The Addams Family then stepped equally definitively up to the plate as the superbly unengaged ur-goth girl in Addams Family Values in 1993. But Ortega holds her own, despite two issues Ricci didn’t have to face. First, Wednesday is now a teen which means none of the deadpan, sarky responses hold quite the same charge as they did coming from a prepubescent. Second, she has to leaven it with some humanity so she can grow over an eight-hour series that is part horror story and part murder mystery but mostly a coming-of-age tale with classic tropes of high-school drama. Ricci played affectless to perfection, but she was in an ensemble cast and only had to hold our attention for a few scenes at a time. Ortega has to keep us with her all the way – and she does.

So, Wednesday enacts her piscatory revenge on the boys who were picking on little brother Pugsley, and, after the resultant expulsion, is sent to Nevermore Academy – the alma mater of her mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The school is run by an icily unsettling headteacher Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), who was also a pupil there with Morticia, and who makes her mutinous new charge roommate with peppy student Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers). “Are you OK?” says Enid at their introduction. “You look a bit pale.” If looks could kill, Wednesday would have been a very short series indeed. Their dorm mother, Miss Thornhill – played by Ricci herself, as if in benediction – visits them in the evening to see how they’re getting on. “She’s been smothering me with hospitality,” Wednesday assures her. “I hope to return the favour. In her sleep.”

Enid gives her a Clueless/Mean Girls-style tour of Nevermore’s cliques – there are the Fangs (vampires), Furs (werewolves), Stoners (gorgons) and Scales (sirens – led by the meanest girl Bianca, played with terrifying aplomb by Joy Sunday). She also offers tips for navigating her new school and introductions to some of the characters that will become central to the mysteries Wednesday will soon find herself investigating. These include: a number of killings in the local town of Jericho and surrounding woodland by what the police are finding it increasingly hard to deny must be a monster; possible attempts on Wednesday’s own life; the suggestion that her father Gomez (Luis Guzmán) committed murder himself in his youth; and whatever Wednesday’s visions – seemingly fragments of the future – are trying to tell her. Oh, and what of the sketches inside the books in the secret basement that seem to show the future? And student artist Xavier (Percy Hynes White), who can make his pictures come alive? And, don’t tell me there’s nothing more to Dr Kinbott (Riki Lindhome), the therapist in charge of Wednesday’s court-mandated counselling sessions, than meets the eye.

There are also teenage crushes, nascent relationships, a prom, secret societies and other “normie” stuff to negotiate. But, creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar also gave us Smallville , and know how to handle multiple plotlines crisscrossing the real and supernatural worlds. Plus, the show’s main director is Tim Burton, who knows a bit about this kind of thing too – and gives the whole thing the eldritch-tinged aesthetic it needs.

It loses something by not setting Wednesday against normality, as the films did, and by having a more fissured version of the Addams clan. The love and unity of the family against the world was always one of the great pleasures, in whatever incarnation you met them. But it has enough wit, charm and propulsive energy for that not to matter as much as it might have. Certainly, the 11-year-old I keep on hand to test programmes aimed at the younger demographic was rapt for the whole series, and proclaimed himself deeply satisfied by both its resolutions and its cliffhanger.

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One last point. Another great strength of the films was that the Addams parents (Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia) were still hot for each other and each as idiosyncratically attractive as the other. It was such a refreshing change from the standard “comic” arrangement whereby a great beauty is in thrall to an unregenerate schlub. In this pairing, we have regressed entirely. In every scene involving the new Morticia and Gomez, I miss that tiny point of progress more than I would have thought. There are so few that I’m always sorry to see one go.

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‘Wednesday’ Review: Jenna Ortega Delightfully Seethes in Netflix’s Moody YA Mystery

Tim Burton directs the first four episodes of this “Addams Family” riff that’s more “Veronica Mars” than “Sleepy Hollow”

How do you solve a problem like Wednesday Addams? On the face of it, the eldest child of the cheerfully goth Addams Family has it made in the shadows: She’s become the clear favorite Addams ever since her shift from a mildly morose little kid on the “Addams Family” sitcom from the ’60s (based on the comics by Charles Addams) to the deadpan comic engine of the “Addams Family” movies of the ’90s (based on both the series and the comics), where she perfectly played by a young Christina Ricci. But Ricci’s success in those Barry Sonnenfeld comedies has meant that future incarnations of the Addams Family have struggled to figure out how to keep Wednesday in the spotlight. A short-lived Broadway musical cast her as a conflicted young adult, yearning for her normie boyfriend and self-conscious about her family’s weirdness; the recent animated movies made her more of a disdainful child prodigy. Neither approach feels quite right; both sand down the character’s sharper edges.

The new Netflix series “Wednesday” attempts to restore them — sort of.

Though “Wednesday” has long been trumpeted as director Tim Burton decamping, like so many other distinctive filmmakers, for streaming television, fans expecting a triumphant return to the Hammer Horror aesthetics of “Sleepy Hollow” or “Sweeney Todd” may be disappointed. Burton directs the first four of eight “Wednesday” episodes, and while he sets the show’s template in certain ways — Danny Elfman musical themes, Colleen Atwood costumes, black tones so richly inky they feel like color, plus splashes of actual color for contrast — it’s clear from the jump that this is the Addams clan reimagined for a CW-ready fantasy-mystery YA series. Burton is just on hand to lend it a dash of genuine outsider empathy and mall-goth cred. In other words, it’s more “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” than “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

The show, created by “Smallville” vets Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, sends a reluctant Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) off to Nevermore Academy, a Hogwarts-like boarding school populated by werewolves, vampires, sirens, and other teenagers of fantastical origin. Wednesday has no equivalent powers — she has been plagued with psychic visions, but keeps this a secret from her family — but Nevermore seems like a more accommodating option after she exacts bloody revenge on some public-school bullies. Luckily, her parents Gomez (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) are alumni who have pull with the principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie).

Putting Wednesday Addams at a school full of weirdos might seem like it would moot her outcast status, but there’s at least some cleverness in the way that she maintains her remove even in a heightened environment: Truly, it’s not Wednesday’s mordant interests or black-and-white-and-black fashion sense so much as her icy and unyielding demeanor that alienates her from others. Also, these supernatural youngsters are just as plugged in as any contemporary kid, while Wednesday is proudly analog.

Wednesday abandons her plans to escape from Nevermore when a mystery falls into her lap: A student appears to be killed by a mysterious monster, then turns up seeming very much alive the next day. What’s out there in the forest? (Yes, just like in “Harry Potter,” this magical boarding school features a forbidding forest and a quaint adjoining town.) Does it have to do with her parents’ past at the school? As she investigates, Wednesday starts forming social connections, at times seemingly against her will. To add yet another comparison point to this omnivorously derivative series: She’s Veronica Mars with better clothes and worse wisecracks.

Doubtless, some fans will yearn for something bloodier, weirder, scarier, and/or wittier (or at least scripts that don’t regularly misuse certain words and phrases; yeesh). Yet taken on its relatively kid-friendly terms, “Wednesday” has its charms. Chief among these is recently anointed scream queen Ortega (of “X” and the fifth “Scream”), who carries the show through a sea of tall, handsome, largely interchangeable boys. Burton and the other directors alternate dead-center medium close-ups of Ortega that have a comic-panel clarity with wider shots that make clear just how diminutive she looks next to most of her co-stars. Ortega also seems to understand how much of the Wednesday vibe is physical, and when she occasionally breaks her requisite stillness — for sudden jerks into her psychic visions or, most delightfully, an unexpected dance sequence that’s both unbridled and tightly controlled — it’s impossible to regard anything else on screen.

The show also has a lot of fun with Wednesday’s designated sidekick/pet Thing, a disembodied hand that does her bidding (with the occasional rude gesture thrown in), and with Wednesday’s roommate Enid (Emma Myers), an untransformed werewolf who horrifies her new pal with unceasing bubbliness.

Though not all of the other student characters are so entertaining, “Wednesday” is still at its best when it keeps the familiar faces of Gomez and Morticia offscreen. Ortega has successfully reinterpreted Wednesday in a way that mixes the deadpan of Ricci (who appears here in a supporting role) with seething teenage hostility, plus some hints of vulnerability over the long haul. Guzmán and Zeta-Jones, sadly, are mostly just doing watered-down imitations of their big-screen counterparts. (Fred Armisen does capably riff off the sitcom version of Uncle Fester in his late-season appearance, generating much-needed laughs.)

Ultimately, the central mystery of “Wednesday” is more exposition-heavy (and, admittedly, suspect-packed) than truly twisty, and many of its relationships feel more dutiful than heartfelt. It’s an engaging character study under the delusion that it should also work as a lore-filled ensemble saga, borne from a desire to fit in with its chose TV genre. This is an irony dark enough for Wednesday Addams to appreciate it — and has given us a Wednesday, at least, worth appreciating.

All eight episodes of “Wednesday” premiere on Netflix on Nov. 23.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, netflix's wednesday combines teen angst and murder.

Netflix’s Addams Family series “Wednesday” successfully combines two genres in a way that makes more sense than most—the teen coming-of-age story and the murder-mystery plot. Over the last decade or so, there’s been a lot of shows that have merged the two, using violence to juice up the general teen fair of crushes, college admissions, and meddlesome parents. But where shows like “ Riverdale ” can feel forced to the point of silliness, “Wednesday” succeeds thanks to its familiar protagonist and her macabre-loving family.

Fans of the Addams clan get plenty of service in this eight-part series. Thing, the living, moving severed hand, is a full-fledged character with ongoing gags about skincare and manicures, plus an (only metaphysical) heart of his own. Fred Armisen shows up for episode seven as Uncle Fester, winkingly playing the bald criminal. And the show plays with the highly sexually charged dynamic between Morticia ( Catherine Zeta-Jones ) and Gomez ( Luis Guzmán ). There’s even a bit with the two snaps from the famous theme song. For those with only a passing affection for the Addams family or the aesthetic of executive producer and director of half the episodes, Tim Burton , some of these bits may come to grate (we get it—they’re dark!). But there’s enough other stuff for fans and non-fans to enjoy.

Jenna Ortega 's performance as Wednesday elevates the series above pure nostalgia. She’s become a force in horror thanks to roles in 2022’s “Scream,” A24’s “ X ,” and Netflix’s “You” but while Wednesday may fancy herself to be living in a scary movie, her adventures are less blood-drenched and more camp comedy. Ortega excels in the role, leaning into a deadpan humor made all the funnier by her character’s lack of interest in anything approaching laughter.

The show’s directors get a lot of mileage out of Jenna Ortega ’s physicality, particularly in the high school dance scene, where she manages to own the floor while staying true to her dark nature. And it’s not just for comedy—more than once, we see the smallness of her body on the screen as she faces off again forces much bigger than her. These angles give her confrontations extra power, marking her as an underdog even as her superior insight and tenacity set her up to be the story's clear winner.

The show also leverages classic teen tropes to bring lightness to its dark halls, starting with the “ Clueless ” tour of the cliques at Wednesday’s new school. There’s also a convoluted sporting event that's a clear parallel to Harry Potter’s Quidditch . The aforementioned prom/dance comes complete with a (what else?) “ Carrie ” moment. And there’s so much more—the stuffy headmistress, the love triangle, the secret society.

Along the way, everything works. The mystery is hard to figure out but clearly in place all along and concludes satisfactorily. The action is suspenseful with real danger looming for likable (if mostly side) characters. And the social commentary—about the vileness of settler colonialism—is gratifying. 

Adding to these elements is Wednesday’s evolution out of, or at least through teen angst. She’s extremely sure of herself but with plenty of growing up to do. That makes her both an extraordinary and typical teen, someone who thinks they know everything while continuously being made to learn more. Over the series, we see her come to better understand her parents (even her mother!) as she comes into a more mature, less knee-jerk contradictory understanding of herself.

It’s rare to see a show so successfully mix coming-to-age character development with gross and gory ghouls and a serial murder plot on top of it all. By the end, I was smiling broadly, happy to have been back with these old friends and witnessing their familiar, family-driven hijinks. 

If there’s ever a character for whom death and darkness don’t weigh her down but are a normal part of her high school years, it’s Wednesday Addams. And Netflix’s “Wednesday” makes the most of its heroine’s unique disposition.

All eight episodes screened for review. "Wednesday" premieres on Netflix on November 23rd.

Cristina Escobar

Cristina Escobar is the co-founder of LatinaMedia.Co, a digital publication uplifting Latina and gender non-conforming Latinx perspectives in media.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix, A Sharp Modern Take on the Eldest Addams Sibling

Sydney sweeney savvily shows off her scream queen chops in 'immaculate', neve campbell makes surprise return to 'scream' franchise after exiting over pay dispute, in 'miller's girl,' is jenna ortega pushing back against her teenage roles, or playing with fire, laverne cox botches hannah waddingham's name (twice) during cringe interview on e's emmys red carpet show.

The Addams Family (snap, snap) has been a hallmark of the horror-loving crowd for years. Whether in the form of the classic TV series or the live-action films, people can’t seem to get enough of this macabre family. Matriarch Morticia and the fiery Gomez may be the reasons some fans are so into the property, but it’s the eldest Addams sister who’s otherwise captured viewers’ attention: Wednesday. Though played to perfection by Christina Ricci in the past, the torch has been passed to a newcomer for Netflix’s add-adaptation. Is she fit to wear Wednesday’s all-black wardrobe?

WEDNESDAY : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: We see the exterior of Nancy Reagan High School and teens milling about. In walks Wednesday Addams, clad in black and in contrast to her fellow students. She walks down the hallway to find brother Pugsley stuffed in a locker with an apple in his mouth, freeing him from the bondage his bullies trapped him in.

The Gist: Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) has finally done it. After being expelled one too many times from high school after high school (her most recent offense being a pool full of piranhas with the swim team inside it), she’s finally being moved somewhere more “appropriate”. Gomez and Morticia (Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones) decide to send her to their own boarding school, Nevermore Academy.

There, Wednesday can be among those who are “like her”, and by that the show means werewolves, vampires, and all manner of other supernatural creatures, despite Wednesday being none of that herself. It’s all about being an “outcast” or a “normie” there, and you can guess which one Wednesday is.

But just as she’s resigning herself to her new life at Nevermore, Wednesday realizes something more serious than her flagrant disregard for authority is going on: murder. And some school gossip, or whatever. That part’s unimportant. What is important is the fact that Wednesday may be the only one at the academy who can help solve the mysterious deaths that keep occurring. And look good in monochromatic outfits.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? While of course we can draw comparisons to other versions of The Addams Family , Wednesday feels more in tune with shows like Riverdale or even the modern Nancy Drew . Yeah, it’s all about the mysteries here, and coming of age at a new school. It’s a new frontier for Wednesday.

Our Take: Overall, Wednesday is a fun departure from the typical “let’s remake The Addams Family” mode that creators often find themselves in. Its approach is novel and Jenna Ortega is a breath of fresh air in the role. Giving Wednesday a purpose beyond being dark and gloomy with a chip on her shoulder gives even the most hardcore fan a reason to tune in to see what she’ll do next on her mission to get out of Nevermore Academy – oh, and figure out who’s behind that string of murders.

Sure, it’s strange to turn Wednesday into a sleuth just like all the other shows you can think of starring snarky teens, but somehow it works here, even though it would have made much more sense to keep Miss Addams with her family as we do end up missing that dynamic a bit. Still, there’s a whole new world to explore at Nevermore with strange new characters you won’t be able to figure out right away. That element of the unknown already elevates the series into something more promising.

And Ortega pulls off her role with an astounding amount of grace and creativity, considering she already had such massive shoes to fill in Ricci’s place, though the actress does have her own character to play in Wednesday as Nevermore alum Marilyn Thornhill. It’s Ortega’s star power alone that helps drive this series from the very beginning into something that could have been mediocre into a totally watchable and exciting twist on a familiar franchise.

It isn’t all good, of course, as most of the dialogue is absolutely awful and sounds nothing like the way teens would actually communicate with each other. But these things can be overlooked, even if they do drag what should be regarded as higher-level Netflix-quality content down to The CW’s level. But overall, it’s a fun show that younger viewers will undoubtedly flock to, even with its occasionally cringe approach to worldbuilding and establishing scenes.

Sex and Skin: None in this episode, and likely none to come.

Parting Shot: Wednesday comes face to face with the very creature that looks to be causing the deaths that have been unaccounted for around Nevermore. And with a piece to the puzzle under her belt, she retreats to her room to look over her new set of clues. When her parents contact her to discuss her first week at Nevermore, she recounts the events she’s been through — admitting she “thinks she’s going to love it here” before grinning at the camera.

Sleeper Star: Emma Myers is perfectly grating as Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s roommate at Nevermore Academy. She’s a colorful foil to Wednesday’s dark personality and style, and somehow she manages to say the right thing every single time to be completely and hopelessly irritating. Myers knocks it out of the park as this character, especially when given some horrific dialogue that in no way, shape or form sounds like a teenager would say it. She’s fantastic in this role, which speaks to her acting chops, because somehow she manages to endear herself to you in the first episode, even when she really shouldn’t.

Most Pilot-y Line: After Wednesday is expelled from her “normal” high school, she makes it clear to her parents she doesn’t want to be like them, which effectively forecasts her approach to Nevermore Academy. “I have no interest in following in your footsteps,” an indignant Wednesday replies. “Becoming captain of the fencing team, Queen of the Dark Prom, President of the Séance Society.”

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Addams Family has long captivated audiences, especially Wednesday’s macabre style and deadpan demeanor. While this adaptation makes some strange decisions, it ends up working in a weird way, which will interest both old and new viewers. Just try to ignore some of the “fellow teens” dialogue from time to time, which is here in abundance.

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake .

• Jenna Ortega
• Stream It Or Skip It
• The Addams Family

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Wednesday (2022) Netflix Review & Ending, Explained – Who Could be Stalking Wednesday Addams? 

It is dark, gothic, and can be branded as an absolutely deliciously savory eight episodes, with casting, acting, costume design (Wednesday’s black-hued uniform was just outstanding!), and Tim Burton combining to provide audiences with a wonderfully unnerving dark teenage sleuth story on a Wednesday. 

Wednesday (2022) Review

Audiences hoping that that song would feature may remain disappointed, but a snap at one point would be music to their ears and serve as a cue to utter the words, “They’ve creepy, and they’re kooky….”

Burton ensures this ‘creepy and kooky’ vibe is retained throughout, partly achieved through the excellent casting choice. 

I believed she would make a good Wednesday Addams but was too old as The Addams Family had always had Wednesday and Pugsley as young children. Hence, Netflix pulled off a coup when they green-flagged this spin-off on a young adult Wednesday who attends the Nevermore Academy. Getting audiences invested with a perfect casting choice was just one part of the puzzle. 

Her delivery of to-the-point dry, and frank responses is what will be considered wicked. There may even be instances of people using the ‘Wednesday’ style of talking and walking; Ortega pulled it off well.  

Writers Alfred Gough and Mike Millar do their bit with Wednesday’s dry, frank, and downright creepy responses, having the ability to make audiences go ‘Wow.’ Particular lines that come to memory include Wednesday’s response to the Nevermore headmistress’ instruction that the students must be well-rounded. She said, “I prefer to remain sharp and edged.”

The eight episodes are closer to the 60-minute mark, but I didn’t feel it. Wednesday’s dry lines are expected beyond a point. Still, on the mystery investigation front, there is constant progress that is enough to raise questions, retain interest, and restrict you from pausing the streamer’s autoplay. 

Gwendolyn Christie ( Game of Thrones’ Brienne of Tarth) is another prominent name in Wednesday. As the headmistress of Nevermore Academy, she remains neutral to the T, a challenging task considering Wednesday is providing her with reason after reason to get expelled. The commanding presence of her character provides Tim Burton’s series with the calming influence that it needs. In a nod to this character’s past, Christina Ricci (Wednesday Addams from 1991’s The Addams Family) has a meaty role in this film as a supporting figure to Wednesday. One may think that she is just there in passing with the way she is positioned as the dorm mom, but like Principal Weems, audiences can suspect her as well, thanks to all the hints thrown at us over the course of the first seven episodes. I even considered Enid as the mastermind for a bit. 

Wednesday (2022) TV Series Ending, Explained

Laurel Gates then showed up and tried to shoot Wednesday, but she fell victim to a bee attack and a stomp from Miss Addams. 

After Principal Weems’ death, academics were suspended for the semester, and the children were sent home early. Xavier handed Wednesday a cell phone to be in touch. Once in the car, being driven home by Lurch, Wednesday opened it and saw a text message waiting for her. Two images of her were taken by a Stalker, who also threatened to kill her with a creepy animation. She dropped a monologue about threads that were still open as police vehicles raced by the car. In the final shot, Tyler transformed and seemingly was about to break free from his capture.

Who was Laurel Gates?

Eugene, the beehive guy, opted to help Wednesday examine the cave in the forest. However, he decided to go alone once Tyler showed up and took Wednesday to the Rave’N dance. He saw a figure blow up the mouth of the cave, a scene that illuminated the surroundings for a bit. He was then chased by the ‘Hyde’ and left for dead. Eugene survived and spilled the beans about a red pair of boots to Wednesday, pointing the finger at the one person in Nevermore and Jericho who had such a clothing choice. 

Marilyn Thornhill, the normie teacher at Nevermore, has been there for just a year. 

How did Laurel Gates know Tyler was a ‘Hyde’?

The Gates family despised the outcasts (Nevermore students) and kept tabs on them to destroy them. When the sheriff married a ‘Hyde,’ Laurel knew of it and then put the dots together on abilities passing down from one generation to the next. 

How did Laurel know Wednesday Addams would attend Nevermore Academy?

She didn’t. As someone against outcasts, Laurel was after anyone from Nevermore Academy. However, Wednesday’s Piranha incident at her old school, subsequent expulsion, and arrival at the school for outcasts only aided her attempts to resurrect her ancestor (Joseph Crackstone). It also provided her the opportunity to rid the offspring of the one who destroyed her family—kind of like a lucky break for the undercover Miss Thornhill. 

How did Wednesday survive after Joseph Crackstone stabbed her?

Goody Addams was able to save Wednesday due to Morticia’s pendant that was handed from daughter to mother on the first day at Nevermore Academy. 

Who saved Wednesday from the ‘Hyde’?

How did the bees converge directly on laurel gates.

Eugene learned that Wednesday was in danger and returned to the school. As something of an outcast among outcasts, one believed he didn’t have any abilities. However, he proved everyone wrong with his ability to control the bees and direct a whole horde of the insects toward Laurel Gates. It was a sort of revenge for Gates instructing Tyler to murder him.

Why did Wednesday hug, Enid Sinclair?

Who could be stalking wednesday addams  .

Wednesday, Addams received messages on her new number from some unknown individual. They contained images of her at the cafe and in Jericho. The individual on the other end hinted that Wednesday would still be under watch, and Addams also hinted at Thornhill and Tyler being mere pawns. Could there be a real master manipulator behind the scenes? 

Mayor Walker is also an option, as Wednesday Addams is aware of his role in her family’s history. 

Will there be a Season 2 of Wednesday?

Xavier asked this question at the end of the episode. Wednesday spoke about the unanswered questions at the end. There is scope for a season 2; it could take place outside Nevermore and allow characters like Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Lurch, and Uncle Fester to feature more. 

Audiences may also like to see more of the Nevermore Academy, especially a new principal and the return of characters like Enid, Xavier, Bianca, Ajax, and Eugene. This may be possible as it will help maintain Wednesday’s evolution and trust in her friends. 

Related: Netflix’s Wednesday (2022): Release Date, Trailer, Plot, Cast, And Everything We Know

Wednesday (2022) official trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73UhUTs6y0

Netflix’s Wednesday (2022) Show Link: IMDb

Trending right now.

Well, it would be stating the obvious if someone proclaimed their love for films here. Why else would they be here? What would be useful, is knowing that I adore Hitchcock, Tarantino, and Nolan. I'm not averse to any type of film though as each cinematic work of art assists me in growing as a person and a cinema lover and a writer.

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WEDNESDAY: A Welcome Addition To the Family

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Stephanie Archer is 39 year old film fanatic living in…

What is it that keeps a franchise alive? Is it the fresh new perspectives or creative differences? Is it new character stories or forms of media? What is it that drives artists to return to what has already proven successful, always at risk of losing its audience to a story that has already been told. For years, these questions have swirled around the various franchises that continue to be resurrected on our screens – and the Addams Family is no exception.

Both a live-action and animated series in the 60s and 70s, the Addams Family has grown into several films and further series over the decades – the most recent being The Addams Family (2019) and and The Addams Family 2 (2021) animated films. And while each had varying levels of reception from audiences and critics alike, the release of Tim Burton ‘s Wednesday proves the franchise is far from finished. With Tim Burton at the helm, the upcoming release focusing on the eldest daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams was filled with further anticipation as it was announced that the titular character would be brought to life by rising scream queen Jenna Ortega . With a strong foundation of a beloved kooky family already established, the stage was set – but could Burton deliver? With Wednesday , not only does Burton return to form, he proves the story of the Addams is far from over.

Two Snaps for Burton and Ortega

While Wednesday is not without its flaws, this young adult rendition of the Addams Family eldest is both entertaining and intriguing, structuring each episode to accelerate its mystery and keep its audience hooked. And not just hooked but constantly guessing. Just when you think you have figured it out, each new episode throws all suspicion and certainty out of whack. There is a craftsmanship to the number of characters presented throughout the series, each serving a purpose to the mystery, though never weighing it down and drowning in underutilization and inclusion. For many, a solid foundation has been created to explore these characters further in future seasons.

Yet its stand-out character remains Wednesday Addams. A fan favorite throughout the history of the franchise, Jenna Ortega brings a solid Wednesday to life, encompassing the elements of the character audiences have fallen in love with for decades while bringing her own flare. Ortega is Wednesday, giving a performance that is head-to-toe perfection and feels truly lived in. She commands every element of her performance, fully encompassing the spooky and dark elements of Wednesday while also bringing to life the coming-of-age aspects the series brings to the character. Ortega is a force to be reckoned with, and her performance alone will have audiences craving a second season.

Wednesday will surprise audiences and fans of the franchise as it distances itself from its source materials, giving it the chance to develop its own identity. And while many can point to this as a critique, it truly proves to be an asset. Wednesday incorporates and integrates its references to earlier works within the franchise with intention and reservation. This is not a series about the Addams Family, but rather a character study born from one. As Wednesday is broadening her world beyond that of her family, so are we from past inductions within the franchise. Yet, Wednesday never forgets its origins. And when the references come, their intentional inclusion makes them more exciting to find.

Rocky Beginnings

Wednesday is an all-around success. Bucking audience expectations, this is not a quintessential Burton creation – yet feels Burton all the same. Yet, even in the face of its success, there are avenues of the series that falter. Much of these moments fall within the series’ first episode with the introduction of the Addams clan. The chemistry between Catherine Zeta Jones ‘s Morticia and Luis Guzmán ‘s Gomez fails to land, feeling forced and acted rather than lived in. This is further compounded by the less-than-authentic interactions with Wednesday herself, leaving a lack of continuity between the titular character and the rest of the Addams family.

There is also an animosity between Wednesday and Morticia that sets up aspects of the series’ coming-of-age tale, yet fails to initially speak volumes, leaving the interactions between mother and daughter off putting and off kilter. Much of these failures fall to expectations based on previous inductions of the franchise, leaving a rift in what audiences may want and what is presented. Compounded further by the fast paced editing and pace of the first episode, as well as costumes that wear the actors, rather than the other way around, the Addams Family clan may be off putting to many by episode’s end.

Thankfully, much of the series’ struggles end here. As Wednesday settles into her new surroundings, audiences too will find themselves settling into this new take. And better yet, as elements, including the Addams Family, are reintroduced in later episodes, they feel more lived in, authentic and credible as characters within the franchise. It honestly poses an intriguing look at audience expectation and realization of artistic creation, challenging the idea of an artistic choice faltering all together. Wednesday not only becomes our guide through the twist and turns of Nevermore’s mystery, but also a guide to Burton ‘s new and refreshing take on the Addams Family as a whole.

As Wednesday works through its mystery episode by episode, the world of Nevermore and Wednesday is reshaped and expanded. It keeps audiences on their toes, limiting predictability that could have stunted the series. Helmed by director Tim Burton and commanded to life by Jenna Ortega , Wednesday is a vital addition to the franchise of the Addams Family, proving the franchise is far from dead.

Wednesday will be streaming on Netflix on November 23rd. 

Have you seen Wednesday ? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Watch Wednesday

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Wednesday review: Tim Burton directs an entertaining mesh of ideas old and new

The Addams Family daughter turns sleuth in a coming-of-age story that is a mix of many things. Far too many at times.

Tim Burton, that most quirky and vain of American Directors is back in familiar ‘acquired taste’ gothic territory. Netflix’s Wednesday is a re-imagination of The Addams Family saga that places Wednesday, the daughter of the infamous, dead-on-the-inside family at the heart of a new world. By the yardstick of creative risks, this is a big one, but in the assured hands of Burton and co, this series mostly sticks the landing. There is enough to like about the deadpan humour of a show that pits the Addams Family intrigue against weirder territory. The aforementioned charm of the original films was contrasting the absurdism of the close-knit family against the ‘normalcy’ of more recognisable humans. And though this new recalibration loses something on the way, it re-energises a dated franchise by illustrating the possibility of doubling down on the weirdness of the material.

Wednesday , played by Jenna Ortega is obviously a rabble-rouser, a nefarious if lifeless conductor of pain. “I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but I do believe in revenge”, she says at one point in the series. Wednesday exacts revenge by feeding a teenager’s genitals to carnivorous fish. Her punishment is to be relocated and bunked in with the ‘freaks’ at Nevermore – a sort of school for the outcasts. While this sounds like Professor Xavier’s school for the naturally gifted from the X-men franchise, here weirdness isn’t measured through indefinable superpowers. Wednesday, for one, doesn’t have one except maybe the inherited inability to commit to emotion. That makes her imperfect, but also the right person to query the history of Nevermore.

Nevermore is full of a diverse band of rowdy, but also woke teenagers. There are vampires, wolves, but also introverts and nerds. The definition of outcast is elastic here and Wednesday expectedly stretches it by “becoming an outcast in a place for outcasts”. The school, unsuspectedly becomes the subject of a murder investigation. A creature has been attacking ‘normies’ and ‘weirdos’ alike and the task of identifying him/it befalls a reluctant Wednesday who constantly questions her unidentifiable desire to pursue the case at all. It’s not as if she cares. Which is where this show straddles multiple themes, and though they can at times force the legs of the narrative into wobbling, they just about fit right.

What works for this episodic series is its bullish aspiration to merge several ideas. There is horror here, quirky plotlines – at one point there is an Edgar Allen Poe-themed rowing contest that obviously goes to dark lengths – teenage angst, historic revelations and just the right amount of sarcasm that the source material has always been known for. The fact that a school full of weirdos dampens the impact of that previously famed friction between two worlds puts the onus on the Wednesday to seem as human as she would also seem lifeless. Thankfully, Ortega is up to the task and delightful in a role that for a change endeavours to do more than the usual.

There is also a great supporting cast on display here, including Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Christina Ricci (who played Wednesday in the 90s films). Where the series falters to an extent is, however, a problem of its own making. Too many stories and threads begin to cross after a point and none of the side-characters are allowed time to grow on the viewer. Nevermore Academy’s mysterious history and heritage is promising material, but it begins to rush past you like the wind because far too many thematic leaps turn the show into a bit of a mess. It’s still well sutured together, and incredibly restrained despite the kookiness of the world, but Burton’s expert craft, his unique experience in setting worlds only he can imagine, can’t always replace the noisy roll-on effect of a narrative that can at times feel unfocussed.

That said, Wednesday is an impressive, if jagged mesh of things that appeal to distinct tastes. It’s a brave concoction that might dizzy and frustrate in equal amount. The only problem with it in fact, might be the fact that it never quite becomes about one thing, and kind of loses its temporal impact as it continues to flitter and flirt with different aspects of a genre-bending voyage. Sometimes it’s the supernatural task of identifying a mythical creature, sometimes it’s the morbidly human task of bunking with an annoying roomie. Pack too many ideas into one bowl and you’re inevitably going to churn out the kind of broth that is delicious, but also unspecific. To which effect, Wednesday is never not watchable but it can also at times feel overwhelmingly chaotic. It’s still unique, though, as almost everything Tim Burton does it.

Wednesday is streaming on Netflix

Manik Sharma writes on art and culture, cinema, books, and everything in between.

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Wednesday on Netflix — all you need to know about the Addams Family spin-off

Wednesday Addams gets her own Netflix series starring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán and Christina Ricci.

Wednesday on Netflix has arrived! She’s creepy and she’s kooky, mysterious, and spooky and now Wednesday Addams has got her own show.

Wednesday is directed by Tim Burton and stars YOU actress Jenna Ortega in the title role, while Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán play Wednesday's famous parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams. Other famous actors include The Sandman 's  Gwendoline Christie and even the film version's star Christina Ricci (see below for their brand new characters in the franchise). The eight-part comedy-drama series will show the iconic character from The Addams Famil y in a whole new light. 

So here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday on Netflix…

Wednesday on Netflix release date

Wednesday will arrive on Netflix on Wednesday, November 23, with all eight episodes launching worldwide.

It's been a huge hit for the streaming service, holding the record for most hours viewed in a week for an English-language series on Netflix, with 341.2 million hours, even beating Stranger Things! 

So you'll be pleased to know that Wednesday season 2 is on the cards so we'll be seeing even more from the Nevermore Academy residents. 

Is there a trailer for Wednesday on Netflix?

Yes Netflix has released full-length trailers for Wednesday . The first shows Wednesday starting off at the Nancy Reagan High School (complete with the late former First Lady's statue) where she's called a freak by the water polo team, but she soon unleashes a piranha attack in the pool! 

She gets expelled and her parents Morticia and Gomez take her off to the Nevermore Academy. Do take a look at all trailers below...

Another Wednesday trailer is set to an orchestral rendition of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones as Wednesday Addams enrols in her new school and meets her roommate there, plus it shows the cameo character of Marilyn Thornhill, aka Miss Thornhill, played by Christina Ricci, who was of course Wednesday in the 1990s films.

Here are some of our favorite moments from the Wednesday trailer . 

The first look at Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams was in the official teaser trailer. Not only do we see the infamous Addams kid, but also the family's trusty companion Thing — a live severed hand. Give this teaser a watch below...

This is in addition to another previous teaser that saw Thing warn everyone of a grave danger coming.

Enjoy this marketing ploy. pic.twitter.com/RBgB7TrV6K June 1, 2022

Wednesday on Netflix plot

Wednesday delves into the titular figure’s days as a student at the Nevermore Academy in the small town of Jericho where she has both friends and enemies! She has to navigate new, and very tangled, relationships, master her emerging psychic ability, and thwart a monstrous killing spree that’s terrorized the local school. 

And if that wasn't enough to contend with, Wednesday must also solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago.

Who's who — our guide to the main cast of Wednesday

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) Wickedly cynical and allergic to colour, Wednesday attempts to master her psychic visions at Nevermore Academy but is side-tracked by a terrifying threat.  

Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) A former high-achieving student of Nevermore, she hopes her daughter will follow in her fabulous footsteps. But is Morticia hiding a long-buried secret?

Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán) Wildly passionate about his one true love, Morticia, he’ll stop at nothing to protect his family. But what is his connection to Nevermore’s murky past?  

Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) Wednesday’s brother is obsessed with violence but has a big heart and idolises his sister. How will he cope with his partner in crime at boarding school?

Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) The charismatic headteacher also happens to be Morticia’s old roommate at Nevermore. Why does she have her beady eye on Wednesday? 

Miss Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci) An expert in botany and Wednesday’s ‘dorm mom’, Miss Thornhill is Nevermore’s first and only teacher without any supernatural powers. 

Sheriff Donovan Galpin (Jamie McShane) Jericho’s long-serving cop holds a grudge against Gomez Addams, which swiftly puts Wednesday on his radar when she transfers to Nevermore. 

Wednesday on Netflix cast — Jenna Ortega on playing  Wednesday Addams

Take a look at Jenna Ortega as iconic teen Wednesday Addams with the rest of her Addams Family, including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán above. 

Jenna says she's is excited to take the lead role: "Wednesday is currently a teenager, and we've never seen her as a teenager before. Her snarky, snide remarks might not necessarily sound as charming when they're coming from somebody who should probably know better than a 10-year-old girl. That was a balancing act. We didn’t want to make her sound like every other teenage girl, but we also didn’t want to make her too ignorant. 

"And we've never seen her on screen this much. Any other time you've seen Wednesday, she's been the one-liner, the end of a joke, she always hits it, and I think that's what people really love about her. But in this show, every scene is Wednesday. There's an opportunity to give her a bit more dimension, and she becomes a bit more of a real person, which I don't think we've ever seen before.

"I watched the movies when I was nine years old, but didn’t watch the 1960s TV show until later. I’ve been compared to Wednesday my entire life. I think it's because I tend to be very dry and monotone. But I was so nervous about playing her because I just wanted to do her justice. She’s also a Latina character and that’s never been represented, so I had an opportunity to give other girls that look like me some relatability."

Jenna reveals what was it like having Catherine Zeta-Jones play her mother, Morticia? "With a resumé and a talent like hers, I was a bit nervous. But she was so cool and normal. Wednesday's relationship with Morticia is one that a lot of girls and mothers will be able to relate to. She doesn’t want to be compared to her mother and wants to be her own person. She’s especially rebellious towards her parents."

Much-loved character Thing has a key part in this series so it must have been fun filming with a severed hand. Jenna says: "It was like working with any other actor, but when Victor Dorobantu, who plays Thing, wasn’t on set, we had a suitcase full of severed hands that would stand in. We’d be like, ‘Today, we want the flimsy one, or the stoic one.’ But, honestly, Thing is Wednesday’s best friend and she’d do anything for him. He’s the unsung hero of the show! 

Jenna is best known for her role as Ellie Alves in the second series of Netflix psychological thriller YOU . Ellie was a tech-savvy teen in the series, which starred Penn Badgley as an obsessive serial killer and bookstore clerk Joe Goldberg.  

Jenna had played a young Jane in the cult show Jane The Virgin and took a leading role in the 2015 series Richie Rich , starring as Richie’s gold-digging best friend Darcy. She went on to play Harley Diaz in Stuck In The Middle and was in the horror movie The Babysitter: Killer Queen as well as Yes Day . She’s also voiced Brooklyn in the animation Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and won critical acclaim for her performance in high school drama The Fallout .

Wednesday on Netflix cast — Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones on playing Morticia and Gomez

Luis Guzmán is playing Wednesday's father Gomez Addams. Luis is best known for his appearances in the movies Traffic , Code Black , Boogie Nights , Magnolia and How to Make It in America .  

Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Wednesday's mother Morticia Addams. Catherine is married to Hollywood star Michael Douglas and became famous for the British series The Darling Buds of May before going on to make a name in Hollywood for movies such as The Mask of Zorro , Entrapment and Chicago, for which she won an Academy Award in 2002.

Here's what Catherine and Luis have revealed about starring in Wednesday...

How did you approach playing these legendary characters? Catherine says: "Morticia is such an iconic female figure, but I put my own twist on her. I didn't want to play her as a Halloween-costumed caricature; I wanted to find the root of her, in that she’s a mother-of-two and extremely in love with her husband." Luis says: " I’ve grown up watching Gomez and he was always a fun, endearing man, with so much love for his wife and kids. I wanted to honour that, but put my stamp on it. To me, Gomez is about love and passion, and that was relatively easy to do. 

Are Morticia and Gomez still madly in love?  Catherine says: "They share true and unadulterated love, which leads to way too many public displays of affection and embarrassment for family members! They've been together since they were teenagers, so this shows their real history of love.  Luis reveals: It's definitely a pure kind of love. They have a language, which is passionate and full of admiration for each other. Gomez loves Morticia more than anything in this world."

How did you feel when you stepped into your costumes for the first time? Catherine says: " We didn’t want to put Morticia in trousers just to contemporise her; we wanted to do the iconic look. So when I first put on the dress, hair and makeup, I was just so in it that I could have been Morticia at a petrol station!  Luis says: "Once all the pieces came together – the incredible suit, the teeth, the wig, the moustache – it just came so naturally. It was like I went through my own personal rebirth as Gomez."

What will Addams Family fans think? Catherine says:-"They’re going to love this series because it’s brought the story into the 21st century and the family is dealing with issues that are relevant today. I also can't imagine how excited fans are to have a director like Tim Burton bring them the next edition of Addams Family adventures.  Luis reveals: "Times are different now, and the characters are different. We bring a whole new layer, plus it’s Tim Burton. Fans are going to love our family!"

Do take a look at Luis and Catherine as Morticia and Gomez below...

Wednesday on Netflix cast — who else is starring

Other Wednesday stars include Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth in Game Of Thrones ) playing Larissa Weems, principal of the supernatural school Nevermore Academy, who holds a long-time grudge against her former classmate Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones, see above).

Issac Ordonez can be seen as Wednesday's brother Pugsley Addams, while Victor Dorobantu is the famously hairy and bespectacled Thing and George Burcea plays the family's overly tall servant Lurch.

Thora Birch ( The Walking Dead ) was playing Tamara Novak but left the show due to personal reasons. Tamara is a staff member at Nevermore Academy with a focus on botanical classes who's also Wednesday’s "dorm mother." 

Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday Addams in the film franchise, has been signed up to play Marylin Thornhill, while Uncle Fester is played by Fred Armisen.

Mank star Jamie McShane is playing Sheriff Donovan Galpin, who's always had an issue with Nevermore Academy plus a long-held vendetta against former student there Gomez Addams. Hunter Doohan of Your Honor fame plays the Sheriff's son Tyler Galpin, a local who becomes good friends with Wednesday Addams. Tyler has a troubled relationship with his father.

The local therapist in Jericho is Dr. Valerie Kinbott, played by Riki Lindhome ( Knives Out ). She takes a particular interest in her newest patient Wednesday Addams.

As for the students at Nevermore Academy, Joy Sunday ( Dear White People ) plays popular student Bianca Barclay, who comes from a long line of Sirens with a mesmerizing power to persuade. Percy Hynes White ( The Gifted ) is charismatic and supernaturally artistic student Xavier Thorpe, who comes from a wealthy family thanks to his celebrity psychic father. Georgie Farmer ( Treadstone ) is Ajax Petropolis, a shy and awkward Nevermore Academy student who's also a Gorgon. He's very anxious about looking anyone in the eye.

Moosa Mostafa from Nativity Rocks! plays quirky student Eugene Ottinger who is president of the school’s bee-keeping club. Emma Myers ( Girl in the Basement )  stars as Enid Sinclair, Wednesday’s Californian roommate at Nevermore Academy who hails from a pack of San Francisco Werewolves. Naomi J. Ogawa ( Skylin3s ) is playing vampire Yoko Tanaka, one of the cool kids at Nevermore Academy. Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin.

Also look out for Tommie Earl Jenkins (Mayor Walker), Iman Marson (Lucas Walker), William Houston (Joseph Crackstone), Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Deputy Santiago), Oliver Watson (Kent), Calum Ross (Rowan) and Johnna Dias Watson (Divina).

Where Wednesday on Netflix is set

Netflix has announced that in Wednesday the Nevermore Academy — a very unique boarding school — will be set in deepest New England. 

Wednesday on Netflix — director Tim Burton

Although director Tim Burton is a household name when it comes to movies, this is his first directorial foray into television. However, he’s more than used to dealing with dark material having directed Batman (1989) Edward Scissorhands (1990), Corpse Bride (2005) and Alice Through the Looking Glass in 2016. He’s also behind Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, Beetlejuice and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

More about The Addams Family show and other TV adaptations

Starting life as a cartoon strip, drawn by illustrator Charles Addams, the family was first brought to life on screen in a regular sitcom The Addams Family that ran from 1964 until 1966. This starred Lisa Loring as Wednesday alongside Carolyn Jones, John Astin and Jackie Coogan. 

Following on from the 1960s show, two animated series featuring the quirky family aired in 1973 and 1992. The live-action series The New Addams Family ran from 1998 to 2001, starring Glenn Taranto and Ellie Harvie. 2019 saw another animation The Addams Family , with Charlize Theron and Snoop Dogg lending their voices. There was also a Broadway and West End musical of the show in 2010.

More about Netflix's Wednesday

• Can  Wednesday 's Jenna Ortega play the cello? 
• Meet the  Wednesday  cast: who's who in the new Tim Burton Netflix series
• Emma Myers' age and everything you need to know about the  Wednesday  star
• Wednesday  ending explained: What was the monster?

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Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story , Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress ! 

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Dead bodies, spooky imagery in darkly comic drama.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

The value of supportive friendships and family rel

Wednesday Addams is a strong, resolute, self-confi

Four actors of Latino origin play members of the A

The show's tone is dark but comic, with many visua

There's romantic tension between several character

Language and cursing includes "goddamn," "hell," "

Parents need to know that Wednesday is an edgy, darkly comic drama series centered around Wednesday Addams, a character who's appeared in different Addams Family movies and TV shows. Here, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is involved in a mystery with real deaths -- in one instance, there are images of a victim's…

Positive Messages

The value of supportive friendships and family relationships is key; on negative side, competitiveness and social status are emphasized.

Positive Role Models

Wednesday Addams is a strong, resolute, self-confident character who is easy to admire for her steadfastness, even though she's mostly despised by everyone around her. Her outlook is grim and dark, yet she is not without compassion for others, particularly those she views as needing her protection, like her younger brother. Family bonds are strong and complicated. Side characters run the gamut from villainous to relatable; best characters include Wednesday's cheery roommate Enid, and true-hearted Townie Tyler.

Diverse Representations

Four actors of Latino origin play members of the Addams family: Guzman, Ortega, Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester), and Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley). For the first time, the Latino, specifically Mexican, origin of the Addams family is addressed. Mention of the Day of the Dead, and Gomez expresses himself in Spanish. While most main characters are White, with exception of a Black student (Joy Sunday) who plays Wednesday's main rival at school, there are also Latinos such as Eugene, one of Wednesday's schoolmates, and the mayor of neighboring Jericho and his son, who are Black. A character with dwarfism is seen at a boarding school dance. Eugene has two moms.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

The show's tone is dark but comic, with many visual gags such as a fast-moving car hitting and killing three birds, and piranhas chasing after teens in a pool (later, Wednesday claims the fish killed two, but then we learn that no one died, although one boy lost a testicle). A murder mystery plays a part; we see victims: a man whose dismembered head, torso, and arms are seen briefly with blood and some gore, a car accident victim with his head wrenched unnaturally to the side.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

There's romantic tension between several characters; expect them to flirt and circle around one another before kissing and forming relationships. Morticia and Gomez Addams have a strong sexual connection in the context of a long marriage; they frequently kiss passionately with significant looks and suggestive noises.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language and cursing includes "goddamn," "hell," "s--t." Characters hurl insults at each other: "Pigsley," "psychopath," "freak."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Wednesday is an edgy, darkly comic drama series centered around Wednesday Addams, a character who's appeared in different Addams Family movies and TV shows. Here, Wednesday ( Jenna Ortega ) is involved in a mystery with real deaths -- in one instance, there are images of a victim's severed and bloody head, limbs, and torso scattered in the woods. She can also be dangerous to those around her: For example, she unleashes bags full of piranhas in a school swimming pool. But the show has many comic touches, and Wednesday herself is ultimately sympathetic, particularly when she's protecting others from bullying behavior. Violence is the biggest issue in the series, with a slavering monster, dead bodies, supernatural powers and battles, injuries, sudden deaths, and frequent mortal danger. Scary imagery includes shadowy woods, black candles burning, and characters with unusual physical characteristics (vampires, werewolves, etc.). Characters flirt and kiss, and a long-married couple kisses passionately while making sexual noises. Language includes "s--t," "hell," and "goddamn," as well as insulting language like "freak."

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (63)
• Kids say (320)

Based on 63 parent reviews

DEEPLY MACABRE GENRE AND GRAPHICS

I think it's okay for 10 year olds., what's the story.

This time, WEDNESDAY ( Jenna Ortega ) has really done it. Expelled from her latest school, she's being sent to Nevermore, the "school for outcasts" where her parents, Morticia ( Catherine Zeta-Jones ) and Gomez Addams ( Luis Guzman ), met and where Wednesday's downbeat approach to life might finally be appreciated. Alas, there's been a spate of murders in Jericho, the small town near Nevermore, and it falls to our heroine to solve the mystery under the watchful eye of her new principal, Larissa Weems ( Gwendoline Christie ).

Is It Any Good?

Beautiful to look at and perfectly cast, this promising dark series breathes new life into a classic character. Ortega is absolutely, positively the ideal Wednesday and a worthy successor to Christina Ricci, who memorably inhabited the character in two popular 1990s movies (and here shows up as Wednesday's dorm house mother, who may have hidden depths). Ortega's darkly ironic humor and barely concealed emotional pain add depth to her portrayal, and it's clear that her relationship with mom Morticia is a relatably complex one, with the two sparring and supporting each other by turns.

The boarding school setting may make some viewers miss the whole family's antics, as they've always been a loving and supportive unit despite their dark and spooky ways. But teens and tweens will enjoy the school-set murder mystery, with its Harry Potter/ Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibe, as it deals with a family secret that stretches back to Morticia and Gomez's time at the school and a mysterious Big Bad that (naturally) Wednesday alone can dispatch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the supernatural has traditionally been portrayed on television and in movies. Think about how supernatural powers figure in some of the things you've watched. Are the people with powers depicted as heroic? Monstrous? Why does it vary, and what does this say about what the supernatural represents to us?

Why is it important that Wednesday is young? How would this story change if she were an older character? What's interesting or special about youth, and why is it so often the center of drama? What types of stories make sense for young characters and not older ones?

Families can also talk about the series of comics on which Wednesday is based. Why would this series transform the light comedy of the cartoons into dark drama?

Have you seen other versions of Wednesday/the Addams Family? If so, which is your favorite, and why?

• Premiere date : November 23, 2022
• Cast : Jenna Ortega , Luis Guzman , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Christina Ricci
• Network : Netflix
• Genre : Drama
• TV rating : TV-14
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : January 20, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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A Wednesday!

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Watch A Wednesday! with a subscription on Netflix.

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Neeraj Pandey

Anupam Kher

Commissioner of Police Prakash Rathod

Naseeruddin Shah

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A Wednesday: Unpacking the complicated legacy of Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher’s contemporary classic

Post credits scene: 15 years after its release, neeraj pandey's a wednesday, starring naseeruddin shah and anupam kher, deserves to be reevaluated through a new lens..

Earlier this year, actor Naseeruddin Shah stirred a minor controversy when he suggested that the portrayal of four terrorists as Muslims in his film A Wednesday might have been indicative of subconscious bigotry. He said that he confronted director Neeraj Pandey about this, and asked why some of them couldn’t have come from different faiths, especially if the film’s central ‘message’ was that terrorism mustn’t be associated with one religion in particular. On the film’s 15th anniversary, it’s worth unpacking its legacy as not only one of Hindi cinema’s finest recent thrillers, but also as an object of deep cultural and political specificity.

Released just two years after the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, the film was designed as quite the overt response. But debutante writer-director Pandey also made sure to highlight other recent attacks on Indian soil, each of which were perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists. So, Shah’s question shouldn’t be why the four central terrorists in the film were all Muslims, but why Pandey didn’t have his protagonist cast a wider net in his revenge mission.

In A Wednesday, which remains as thrilling as ever once the cat-and-mouse chase begins — although the first 15 minutes, in which Pandey introduces the central characters, are less engaging on a rewatch — a man holds the city of Mumbai hostage by demanding the release of four terrorists. After engaging Mumbai’s outgoing Police Commissioner in a delicious negotiation in which they discuss politics and morality, it is revealed that the protagonist didn’t want to free convicted terrorists at all, but instead, he wanted to kill them in retaliation for what they’d done to his city.

But even if the central character (who remains pointedly nameless because the movie asserts that names invariably attach a person to a religion) hadn’t been a blank slate onto which the ‘common man’ of India could project himself, A Wednesday still felt it necessary to give his mission a personal touch. And by doing this, by giving Shah’s character a backstory that tied him to the 2006 train blasts, the movie robbed itself of the opportunity to make larger statements about terrorism.

His explanation for why he selected those terrorists in particular from arguably the hundreds that were in Indian prisons is explained rather unconvincingly. He tells the Commissioner that he drew lots, and the four names that he pulled out just happened to belong to people with ties to some of the most high-profile terror attacks perpetrated on Indian soil. Each of these attacks, as chance would have it, was carried out by Islamic terror organisations. And yet, the movie goes out of its way to assure the audience that it doesn’t want to suggest that only Muslims can be terrorists , but this is a case of having your cake and eating it too. If it really felt this strongly about this, it should’ve done something about it. Repeated assertions can become suspicious after a point. It’s like telling somebody that you aren’t racist. 

Of course, what Shah said isn’t wrong. And certainly, even though Pandey has played in similar sandboxes since A Wednesday, the intent behind his follow-up work hasn’t been outrightly questionable, at least not until his recent series The Freelancer. But there’s something to be said about his continued obsession with Islamic terror. If anything, it has validated Shah’s suspicions from 15 years ago.

In a passionate speech that the protagonist delivers towards the end of the movie — Shah is magnetic in this scene — he compares the terrorists to ‘cockroaches’ who’ve infested his ‘home’, cockroaches that deserve extermination. The choice of words is, unfortunately, very telling. The protagonist admits that people have become suspicious of anybody who carries an amulet, but says that he also empathises with those who cannot grow beards or wear clothes that would identify them as Muslim. 

But even though Shah was very vocal about this admittedly delicate situation, which remains more ambiguous than it perhaps seems, he neglected to complain about a more egregious statement that the movie makes. By having his character essentially coerce two cops — one an upstanding rule-follower played by Aamir Bashir and the second a rogue enforcer played by Jimmy Shergill — to execute one of the terrorists in cold blood, it whole-heartedly endorsed the concept of ‘encounter killings’. And then, if anybody was having doubts about its stance on the matter, it gets Anupam Kher ’s Commissioner shake the protagonist’s hand in the final scene, as if to congratulate him for taking matters into his own hands and doing what the police couldn’t. 

Once again, Pandey made sure to address any possible complaints about the morality of the protagonist’s actions, when he has him admit that what he was doing is unambiguously ‘wrong’. But, purely by virtue of being the protagonist — A Wednesday is told through his perspective, and not the Commissioner’s — the movie is effectively approving of his vigilante methods. If it wanted to, A Wednesday could’ve had the Commissioner confront the protagonist in their one and only meeting at the end. But instead, the Commissioner shook his hand, forever compromising the film’s own morality. 

And this is the complicated legacy that A Wednesday has left behind. As times change, our sensibilities (ideally) evolve. What was considered justifiable even as recently as 15 years ago can no longer fly. It’s important to reevaluate cultural landmarks through a new lens every once in a while. The acting by the two leads is excellent, and the filmmaking in A Wednesday is still exemplary for the most part — there is an energy and an anger with which Pandey directs — but it would be interesting to ask him if his own beliefs have changed over the years.

Post Credits Scene  is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there’s always something to fixate about once the dust has settled.

Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates . Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express .

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Review: A Wednesday

It has speed, energy, technical dazzle and is the kind of medium-budget enterprise we should be seeing much more often, writes khalid mohamed..

A Wednesday

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher Direction: Neeraj Pandey Rating: ****

A man with a slight hunch, frizzy hair and a vegetable shopping bag is nagged by his wife, “Don’t forget the tomatoes.” The man grunts, plants a bomb in a police office, walks coolly to the empty terrace of a building under construction and is about to kick off a plan of mass destruction.

That’s first-time director Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday, which could well be the story of any day in any metropolis. It has a walloping impact – and despite some sections which could be interpreted as Muslim bashing – is absolutely A-grade. It has speed, energy, technical dazzle (never mind some cheesy split screens) and it’s the kind of medium-budget enterprise we should be seeing much more often at the multiplexes. What a relief to get away from the pan caked poppets and imitation Rambo Bambos! Essentially here, two old men match their cunning and wit. And their performances are sensational.

Naseeruddin Shah, with intuitive ease, plays that duplicitous tomato shopper who threatens the city with serial blasts. And Anupam Kher, as the beleaguered police commissioner, is flawless, concealing his anxiety under a cool stealth. Shah was terrific in a cameo in Khuda Kay Liye just a few months ago. Now without much fuss or fret, he demonstrates that he’s the most valuable actor on the scene today. Kher is a marvellous counterpoint, his body lingo, talkative eyes and voice pitch defining a first-class performance.

Indeed, Pandey extracts bravura performances also from Jimmy Sheirgill, concentrated and convincing, as a rough-tactics cop, Deepal Shaw whose Hindi dialogue delivery is incomparable in the part of a TV news reporter, an attention-grabbing turn by Aamir Bashir as a ramrod-straight cop, and a strikingly expert cameo by Kali Prasad Mukherjee in the role of a taunting terrorist.

The plot could be from Die Hard with a Vengeance, or a page from the screenplay of any cat-and-mouse Hollywood thriller. Pandey’s triumph is in relating it to our current conditions, avoiding speed breakers and pinning your interest as the scenes zoom from that empty terrace to the police headquarters and to the jam packed streets.

All of 100 minutes with first-rate photography by Fuwad Khan, however, the effort’s closing segment is extremely questionable. Like it or not, there is in-between-the-lines Muslim thrashing here besides the ongoing obsession of associating terrorism with Islam (“They are cockroaches”). Are they talking pest control?

Without revealing the end, suffice it to say it has been used before in Kamal Haasan’s Hindustani. Also, several points are indigestible, like the absence of all TV crews but one at the hot spots, the police commissioner zooming off on a solo car ride, and the finale kick-off which is more fantasy-like than believable.

Indeed, the conclusion is the sort that could only happen in the movies. And that doesn’t work is an effort steeped in reality. Oh well, then, who’s perfect? A Wednesday has to be seen, absorbed and debated. Go for it.

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Break Out the Black Eyeliner and Tighten Those Pigtails: Wednesday Season 2 Is On Its Way

By Radhika Seth

The Tim Burton-produced, deliciously droll Netflix mystery starring Jenna Ortega as the titular snarky, pigtailed, cello-playing budding sociopath will be heading back to the streamer with a second season. Here’s everything we know so far.

Will the cast of Wednesday return for season 2?

Yes, the cast members who survived Season 1—Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), and Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester), alongside Ortega’s Wednesday Addams—should all be returning.

Meanwhile, the fates of those who perished the last time around is less certain. These include—spoiler alert—Riki Lindhome’s Dr. Valerie Kinbott, Wednesday’s court-ordered therapist, who was mauled by the Hyde. It’s unlikely that she’ll return for Season 2, though, of course, nothing is impossible at Nevermore.

Then there’s Gwendoline Christie’s school principal Larissa Weems, who was killed by Christina Ricci’s Laurel Gates. Speaking to Digital Spy back in 2022, Christie said of her character: “We haven’t seen her put in the ground, have we? I feel like Larissa Weems would not really be prepared to entertain or be dominated by anything as commonplace as death.” However, it’s also possible that she won’t be back for the next installment.

And as for Gates herself? Her return seems to be the most likely. Yes, she was defeated by a swarm of bees and then received a kicking from Wednesday at the end of the last season, but her death was never confirmed. As a result, it’s possible that she was hospitalized and then imprisoned for murder. When asked by Entertainment Tonight about her future on Wednesday last spring, Ricci replied: “I don’t think I’m allowed to say. On my end, the door is open. She was so fun to play! It’s always so fun to play a villain.” Watch this space.

Who’s joining the cast of Wednesday for Season 2?

Thrillingly, there will be some new blood, too: both Thandiwe Newton and Steve Buscemi have joined the cast for the second installment, per Variety . While character details are scarce, sources have reportedly told the publication that the latter will take the part of Nevermore’s new principal. At Netflix’s Tudum: A Global Fan Event in 2023, the cast also confirmed that Wednesday Season 2 would feature a new member of the Addams family—though who it will be is anyone’s guess. Ortega said that she had her fingers crossed for Cousin Itt, while Doohan and Sunday mentioned they’d love to meet Wednesday’s grandmother.

What will be the plot of Wednesday Season 2?

The plot of Season 2 is under wraps, though Ortega has revealed that the next season will be “more episodic,” with each installment functioning almost like a standalone film, as well as leaning into horror a little bit more. “We’re definitely expanding on the supernatural world,” she told Vanity Fair in February 2024. “Our show had all sorts of werewolves and vampires… and I think we expand on that a little bit. In the first season, we had episodes that really stood out visually—like the dance episode was a really big one for people, and that setting was very particular and it felt like prom night, a little bit, or Carrie . Every episode [of Season 2] that I’ve read so far is like that. It just stands out on its own as a very memorable scene or bit or setting, which I think is what I’m most excited for, because to pull that off for eight episodes is, I think, really incredible and really lucky.”

By Tatiana Dias

By Alexis Bennett Parker

Beyond the bigger picture, the actor has also expressed her approval of where Wednesday’s individual storyline will be going in Season 2. “We’re ditching any romantic love interest for Wednesday, which is really great,” she said on her episode of Variety ’s Actors on Actors in 2023. (On the Armchair Expert podcast, the actor had previously said of her character: “Her being in a love triangle? It made no sense.”) Less time zipping between love interests will hopefully mean more time to solve the mystery of the creepy texter who begins sending her cryptic, threatening messages in the final moments of Season 1.

When will Wednesday season 2 be released?

Considering that production for Season 2 was delayed as a result of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and is due to kick off in late April 2024, it’s unlikely that Wednesday will return to the streamer before 2025.

Is there a Wednesday spin-off in the works?

Yes, a Wednesday spin-off is already in early development at Netflix, and it’ll center on Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester. Expect more news in the coming months.

How should I entertain myself until Wednesday Season 2 premieres?

Rewatch the first season, and then start counting down to the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on September 6, Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to the 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice , which also stars Ortega opposite returning favourites Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton.

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‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Casts Thandiwe Newton (EXCLUSIVE)

By Joe Otterson

Joe Otterson

TV Reporter

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Thandiwe Newton is the latest new cast member to join “ Wednesday ” Season 2 at Netflix .

Variety has learned exclusively from sources that Newton will star in the second season of the megahit series. Exact character details are being kept under wraps. She is the latest new cast member to be revealed, as Variety previously reported that Steve Buscemi will also appear in Season 2.

Reps for Netflix declined to comment.

Popular on Variety

She is repped by WME and Independent Talent Group.

Few details are available about the new season of “Wednesday,” aside from the fact Jenna Ortega will return as the titular Addams Family daughter going through her teenage years. The first season ended with Wednesday successfully solving a series of grisly murders while also thwarting an attempt to destroy Nevermore Academy and its students.

“Wednesday” originally debuted in November 2022 and instantly became a massive hit for Netflix. It ranks as one of the most-watched shows the streamer has ever released and was nominated for 12 Emmys, winning four. Work on Season 2 was delayed due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes that shutdown much of Hollywood in 2023, though production is expected to begin in late April in Ireland.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar created “Wednesday” and also serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Tim Burton directed the first four episodes of Season 1 and is also an executive producer on the series. Steve Stark of Toluca Pictures and Andrew Mittman of 1.21 Entertainment executive produce as well along with Kevin Miserocchi of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, Kayla Alpert, Jonathan Glickman of Glickmania, Gail Berman, Tommy Harper, and Kevin Lafferty. MGM Television is the studio.

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Hollywood, accusers condemn reversal of Weinstein conviction: ‘We know what happened’

LOS ANGELES – Harvey Weinstein’s accusers and opponents of sexual violence in Hollywood and beyond are speaking out against the reversal of the disgraced movie mogul’s rape conviction in New York.

Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino and others who have accused the former Hollywood producer of sexual misconduct condemned a New York court of appeals’ decision on Thursday to overturn the verdict.

Weinstein has been serving a 23-year sentence since he was convicted in 2020 of rape and a felony sex crime after allegedly assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haley and once-aspiring actor Jessica Mann.

“This today is an act of institutional betrayal. And our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence,” Judd said during a news conference at the Millennium Hilton hotel in New York. “I stand shoulder to shoulder with women who have bloody knees because male sexual violence may knock us down, but we get right back up. And together we are in the struggle for freedom from male entitlement to our bodies.”

“This is unfair to survivors,” Judd added on her Instagram story. “We live in our truth. We know what happened.”

Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, remarked during the news conference that “moments like this underscore why movements are necessary and … why we keep going.”

“We are devastated for the survivors who are connected to this case and the survivors who have found some solace and catharsis in the original verdict,” Burke said. “We will always stand with resolve and resilience. … This is not a blow to the movement. It is a clarion call, and we are prepared to answer that call.”

The New York appeals court found, in a 4-3 decision , that the judge who presided over Weinstein’s 2017 trial prejudiced the case by allowing four women who said Weinstein had assaulted them to serve as witnesses, even though their allegations were not part of the case. The trial judge also made a mistake, the court determined, in permitting prosecutors to question Weinstein about uncharged and decades-old allegations if he decided to testify.

Weinstein was also convicted of rape in California and the New York ruling will have no practical effect on his imprisonment.

Sorvino wrote on X that she was “horrified” by the news, which surfaced during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“Since when don’t courts allow evidence of pattern of prior bad acts to be admitted?” Sorvino said. “He’s a prolific serial predator who raped/harmed 200+women! Disgusted w/justice system (skew toward) predators not victims.”

Weinstein has denied all allegations of sexual assault.

The Silence Breakers – a coalition of 23 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct that includes actors Judd, Rose McGowan and Rosanna Arquette – issued a statement calling the reversal “disheartening” and “profoundly unjust.”

“This ruling does not diminish the validity of our experiences or our truth; it’s merely a setback,” the Silence Breakers said.

“The man found guilty continues to serve time in a California prison. When survivors everywhere broke their silence in 2017, the world changed. We continue to stand strong and advocate for that change. We will continue to fight for justice for survivors everywhere.”

Anita Hill, chair and president of the Hollywood Commission, said in a statement that Thursday’s reversal evinces “a lack of progress in addressing the power imbalances that allow abuse to occur” and proves that “sexual assault continues to be a pervasive problem.”

“Many survivors do not pursue justice because they believe nothing will be done,” Hill added.

“Today’s decision underscores the urgent need for systemic changes in our institutions – and redoubles our commitment to survivors to push for the policies and systems that will ensure accountability and bring about workplaces free from the behavior that drives the need for these systems in the first place.”

Attorney Douglas Wigdor – who has represented eight Weinstein accusers, including two of the witnesses at the New York criminal trial – denounced Thursday’s decision as “a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence.”

“Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the intent, modus operandi or scheme of the defendant,” Wigdor said in a statement.

“The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”

In a statement provided to The Times, a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said, “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault.”

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‘Unsung Hero’ Review: Music Dedicated to the One They Love

In fact, there’s a lot of singing in the clan whose members inspired this movie and who have racked up five Grammy Awards for their Christian recordings.

• Share full article

By Nicolas Rapold

In the faith-based drama “Unsung Hero,” an Australian concert promoter trying to earn a living makes a last-ditch move to Nashville with his wife and six children. Based on an actual family of musicians, it mostly plays as a treacly tribute to the parents of Joel and Luke Smallbone — a.k.a. the Christian pop duo For King & Country — and their sister, the singer Rebecca St. James.

Viewer beware: Between the uplift and the cringe, this movie may cause whiplash. Joel Smallbone plays his own father, David, who faces financial and reputational ruin after booking a big concert and failing to pack the house. He resettles the family in the United States, but no job materializes. His pep-talking spouse, Helen (Daisy Betts), and their beatific children pull up bootstraps and practically whistle while they work, but it’s not enough.

Community, humility and the power of prayer are the lessons on offer in their story, set in the 1990s, bathed in warm light and interspersed with home video segments. Fellow churchgoers pitch in, and David gets over himself; he secures auditions for his teenage daughter, Rebecca (Kirrilee Berger), who keeps breaking into dulcet song about how everything is beautiful. The outcome of “Unsung Hero,” as written and directed by Richard L. Ramsey and Joel Smallbone, is never in doubt, though the climax has a kicker line that genuinely surprises with its laughable shamelessness.

The family business has become a success: Rebecca, Joel and Luke have won five Grammys among them. But despite the fuzzy good intentions, it’s tough to make much of this making-of story.

Unsung Hero Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes. In theaters.

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The summer after Barbenheimer and the strikes,…

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Ct man expected to be charged after one person shot in arm, another in the face with pellet gun, the summer after barbenheimer and the strikes, hollywood charts a new course.

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Anya Taylor-Joy in a scene from “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows a scene from “Twisters.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Disney/Pixar shows, from left, Sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith, from left, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, Disgust, voiced by Liza Lapira, Fear, voiced by Tony Hale and Anger, voiced by Lewis Black in a scene from “Inside Out 2.” (Disney/Pixar via AP)

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Sasha Lane, left, and Glen Powell in a scene from “Twisters.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Austin Butler in a scene from “The Bikeriders.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Kevin Costner in a scene from “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

This image released by A24 shows Justice Smith, left, and Brigette Lundy-Paine in a scene from “I Saw the TV Glow.” (A24 via AP)

This image released by Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios shows The Minions in a scene from “Despicable Me 4.” (Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows a scene from “Alien: Romulus.” (20th Century Studios via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Noa, played by Owen Teague, from left, Freya Allan as Nova, and Raka, played by Peter Macon, in a scene from “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” (20th Century Studios via AP)

This image released by MUBI shows a scene from “Gasoline Rainbow.” (MUBI via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Cailey Fleming, left, with Blue, voiced by Steve Carell, in a scene from “IF.” (Paramount Pictures via AP)

This image released by Angel Studios shows Terry Chen, left, and Greg Kinnear in a scene from “Sight.” (Angel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Daisy Ridley as Trudy Ederle in a scene from “Young Woman and the Sea.” (Vladisav Lepoev/Disney via AP)

This image released by Bleecker Street shows Robert De Niro, from left, Bobby Cannavale and William A. Fitzgerald in a scene from “Ezra.” (John Baer/Bleecker Street via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Glen Powell in a scene from “Hit Man.” (Netflix via AP)

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Isabela Merced in a scene from “Alien: Romulus.” (20th Century Studios via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Joseph Quinn, left, and Lupita Nyong’o in a scene from “A Quiet Place: Day One.” (Paramount Pictures via AP)

By LINDSEY BAHR (AP Film Writer)

“ Barbenheimer ” is a hard act to follow. But as Hollywood enters another summer movie season, armed with fewer superheroes and a landscape vastly altered by the strikes, it’s worth remembering the classic William Goldman quote about what works: “Nobody knows anything.”

Four decades later, that still may be true. Yet one thing Hollywood has learned in releasing films through the pandemic and the strikes is how to pivot quickly.

The summer of 2023 brought a new enthusiasm for moviegoing, with the fortuitous counterprogramming of “Barbie” and “ Oppenheimer ,” and surprise hits like “ Sound of Freedom ,” helping the season’s box office crack $4 billion for the first time since 2019. But before the industry could take a victory lap, there was another crisis looming with the dual Hollywood strikes , which shuttered most productions for months.

MOVIES FIND A WAY POST-STRIKE

In the fallout, theaters lost big summer titles like “Mission: Impossible 8,” “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” to 2025. But they gained a gem in Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (June 21), about a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club, as studios moved films around on the summer chessboard. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” once set to kick off the summer moviegoing season on May 3 like many Marvel movies before it, is now sitting happily on July 26, patiently waiting to dominate the summer charts.

“I do love being right there in the belly of summer,” said director Shawn Levy. “That’s a juicy moment.”

The kickoff weekend instead belongs to an original film about a different kind of superhero. “ The Fall Guy ,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is part romantic-comedy, part action-comedy, and all love letter to the stunt performers that make movies spectacular. It’s an earnest crowd-pleaser that could jumpstart a season that feels, in some ways, like a throwback, with full-throttle spectacles (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Twisters”), comedies (“Babes”), IMAX wonder (“The Blue Angels”) and even a Kevin Costner Western.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has seen the highs and lows of summer movies over the decades, with blockbusters including “ Top Gun: Maverick ” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

This season, he has three very different offerings on the calendar, two are fourth installments in popular franchises — “Beverly Hills Cop” (July 3, Netflix) and “Bad Boys” (June 7, theaters) — and one was planned for streaming but tested so well that it’s getting a theatrical rollout (“Young Woman and the Sea,” May 31).

“People just want to be entertained,” Bruckheimer said. “It really comes down to us to make the right movies that they want to go see.”

THE $4 BILLION GOAL POST

A Hollywood summer lasts 123 days from the first Friday in May through Labor Day Monday in September. Pre-pandemic, $4 billion was a normal summer intake and theaters could count on anywhere between 37 and 42 films to open on over 2,000 screens. The outlier was 2017, which had only 35 movies on over 2,000 screens and topped out at $3.8 billion. It makes last summer’s $4 billion haul with 32 wide releases (45% of the $9 billion domestic haul) even more impressive.

This summer should have 32 wide releases as well and over 40 movies opening in 500+ theaters. Notably only two of them are Marvel movies (“Deadpool” and Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter”) and are the only superhero movies on the calendar until the “Joker” sequel in the fall.

“People are going to see movies, not box office, and it looks like a really solid summer from a moviegoer’s perspective,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

REVVING UP FOR ORIGINALS

“The Bikeriders” was one that planned for an awards season rollout, with a turbo boost from stellar reviews out of the Telluride Film Festival hailing star turns for Austin Butler and Jodie Comer. But as they inched closer to its release date it became clear that the strikes were not going to resolve in time for a press tour.

“It was kind of like walking on frozen glass for three months,” Nichols said. “I was touring around doing press and trying to build this energy on my own. Let me tell you, it’s not the same as Austin Butler.”

Later in June, after a splashy Cannes debut , Kevin Costner will begin rolling out his two-part Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga,” set during the Civil War. And as always there are a slew of Sundance breakouts peppered throughout the summer, from Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow” and “Didi” to “ Thelma ” and “Good One.”

FARE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Family films often go into hyperdrive in the summer, capitalizing on long days out of school. This year has plenty, like “The Garfield Movie” and “Despicable Me 4,” re-releases of Studio Ghibli classics, and streaming options (“Thelma the Unicorn”). But perhaps none has more anticipation behind it than “Inside Out 2” (June 14, theaters), which meets up with Riley as she enters her teenage years as a new group of emotions crash Joy’s party, including Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment.

“That age gives us everything we need and love for a Pixar film,” director Kelsey Mann said. “It’s full of drama, it has potential for a lot of heart, and I could also make it really funny.”

John Krasinski is also delving into the inner world of children with his ambitious live-action hybrid “IF” (May 17, theaters) about the imaginary friends that get left behind and two humans (Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming) who can still see them.

THE ALLURE OF HORROR

Audiences seeking the adrenaline rush of horrors and thrillers have plenty of choices, including “MaXXXine,” the conclusion to Ti West’s accidental Mia Goth trilogy (“X” and “ Pearl ”) that debuts around the fourth of July.

Goth’s aspiring actress has made her way to Hollywood where a killer is stalking Hollywood starlets around the time of the home video boom of the 1980s.

“We recreated the sleazy side of Hollywood in a hopefully charming way,” West said. “It’s definitely a pretty wild night at the movies. A big, rockin’, fun movie.”

On June 28, audiences can also delve into the beginnings of “A Quiet Place” with a prequel set on “Day One” starring Luptia Nyong’o and “Stranger Things’” Joseph Quinn. Director Michael Sarnoski said they wanted to explore the “scope and promise” of a Quiet Place movie in New York. Later, Fede Álvarez brings his horror acumen to “Alien: Romulus” (Aug. 16), set between the first two.

M. Night Shyamalan is back as well with a thriller set at a pop concert (“Trap,” Aug. 9) and his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, makes her directorial debut with the spooky, Ireland-set “The Watchers” (June 7) with Dakota Fanning.

“It’s very suspenseful and unexpected,” Ishana said. “And it’s very much built for the experience of being in a theater.”

THE STARS ARE STREAMING

Much to the chagrin of theater owners, big summer movies have also existed off the big screen for years now. And the streamers have movie stars and spectacle with the festival favorite “Hit Man,” the Anne Hathaway romance “The Idea of You,” Jerry Seinfeld’s starry pop-tart movie “Unfrosted” and a Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry action comedy “The Union.”

They have franchises too: “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (July 3) was a movie that was in and out of development since the mid-1990s, but got new life when Paramount licensed the rights to Netflix.

“We raised our hand to make sure we got the franchise right and kept the integrity and fun of the original,” Bruckheimer said.

This installment adds an emotional component in which Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley reunites with his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige). It also sees the return of Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot and adds Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

On Aug. 9, Apple TV+ will also have “The Instigators,” a new action-comedy starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as normal guys attempting a heist. “Midnight Run” was one of their touchstones.

“The script was so funny and I wanted to really embrace that,” Doug Liman, who directed, said.

BUT ALSO, NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING

Remember, anything can happen with summer movies.

We can pretend we knew that “Barbie” would be the biggest movie of the year , but would anyone have bet that an R-rated drama about the father of the atomic bomb would have made almost three times as much as Harrison Ford’s last ride as Indiana Jones? Or that a $14 million crowdfunded movie from a new studio about child trafficking with next to zero promotion would earn over $250 million?

“Nobody knows anything is right,” said “The Instigators” producer Kevin Walsh. “The movie business is so unpredictable. You never know what’s going to work and what isn’t. But you have your taste. And following your taste and your instincts in this business is paramount.”

For interviews, reviews and more coverage of recent film releases, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

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‘abigail’ review: dan stevens and melissa barrera in an exuberantly over-the-top vampire horror-comedy.

Criminals get more than they bargained for when they kidnap the daughter of an underworld figure in the new Radio Silence film featuring Alisha Weir in the title role.

By Frank Scheck

Frank Scheck

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Radio silence talk 'abigail,' their 'scream' exit and trying to make 'the shining' elevators jealous, giancarlo esposito says he was so broke he considered arranging his own murder.

It’s a deliciously silly conceit, and the filmmakers — whose previous hits include Ready or Not , 2022’s Scream and Scream VI — run with it, demonstrating such an exuberant commitment to the genre that the movie industry may be facing a shortage of fake blood.   

Once her true identity is horrifyingly discovered, the criminals respond exactly as most people would. “Okay, what do we know about vampires?” one of them asks, before they reasonably go looking for vampires, wooden stakes, etc. Unfortunately for them, Abigail proves more powerful and resourceful than most of the undead, revealing a particular talent for bargaining with her would-be captors before dispatching them. In the sort of little-girl voice that would be heartbreaking if you didn’t know she was capable of biting your head off.

Vampire movies are, of course, a dime a dozen (the most recent major studio example being The Last Voyage of the Demeter ), but few are as gleefully anarchic as this one. For instance, I can’t recall any others in which a pre-teen Nosferatu, clad in a tutu, dances a pas de deux with a headless corpse.

None of it would work as well as it does without Weir’s mesmerizing turn in the title role. The young actress, who previously demonstrated her virtuosity in the film version of Matilda the Musical , is so frightening and sardonically funny as the pint-sized bloodsucker that Bela Lugosi must be turning over in his grave from jealousy. Assuming, of course, that he’s still in it.

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