📺 Watching: Presumed Innocent, Those About to Die, Lady in the Lake, Time Bandits

Plus your trusty watchlist for more TV and Movies premiering this week

Happy Thursday! It’s a busy week in the Double Take Universe: reviews today, “Sunday Sharies” this weekend, plus a “What to Watch on Peacock” coming to your inboxes tomorrow. With the Olympics opening ceremony Friday night, we guessed you might want a few ideas of what else to watch with your trial subscription of Peacock ;)

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Those About to Die (Peacock)
Lady in the Lake (Apple TV+)
Time Bandits (Apple TV+)
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+)

— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll

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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week. Our full list of July releases, including theatrical releases and streaming debuts, is available here and published monthly for our premium subscribers.

• The Decameron (Season 1) — This soapy dark comedy follows a group of nobles and their servants in 1348 Italy who attempt to wait out the Black Death plague in their countryside villa. Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep), Zosia Mamet (Girls, Veep), and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) star.
  Watch on Netflix: July 25 (all 8 episodes)

• Olympics Opening Ceremony — The Summer Olympic Games come to Paris, France! The Parade of Nations will take place on the Seine, starting at 7:30pm CEST (that’s 1:30pm EST, and 10:30am PST).
  Watch on Peacock: July 26

• Women in Blue (Season 1) — Based on true events, this Spanish-language crime drama tells the story of four women in 1970 who defy the ultraconservative norms of the time and join Mexico’s first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer.
  Watch on Apple TV+: July 31 (2 of 10 episodes)

• Knox Goes Away (Movie) — Michael Keaton stars as a hit man recently diagnosed with dementia who is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged son.
  Watch on Max: July 26 (Streaming Premiere)

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Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

Those About to Die

Photo: Peacock

Keywords: epic, historical drama, violence
Watch if you like: Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Rome
Jenni’s Rating: C-

Those About to Die is a historical drama that plunges viewers into the heart of ancient Rome. Following in the footsteps of epics like Game of Thrones, the series begins by spinning several, seemingly disparate threads that eventually all come to overlap and tangle. First we see Emperor Vespasian (Anthony Hopkins) and his complex relationship with sons who vie for both his approval and his crown. Then we follow the fraught partnership between Circus Maximus crime boss Tenax (Iwan Rheon), and his beloved, but often drunk chariot racer, Scorpus (Dimitri Leonidas). We move briefly to the rumblings of discontent from upper class citizens and senators terrified of losing power, and then, in perhaps the most compelling storyline, a Numidian immigrant Cala (Sara Martins) follows her children to Rome after her daughters are sold into slavery and her son is forced to fight as a gladiator.

As you can tell, the series sets out to do a lot, and while it may capture the social dynamics, political intrigue, and violence of the era fairly well, it is not without its flaws. Despite boasting an intriguing — if ambitious — narrative and some top-notch actors, Those About to Die often stumbles due to its clunky script. It’s not lush or campy enough to be a true guilty-pleasure watch, but neither is it sophisticated enough to qualify as prestige drama. The show feels like it wants to run in the league of Game of Thrones, but poor writing undermines its potential.

Perhaps to compensate or distract from this, the series is also incredibly gory and brutal — its episodes replete with stabbings, beheadings, and various forms of torture. The feeling that any character could meet their demise at any moment certainly keeps viewers on edge, but gore and jump-scare deaths alone don’t make for prestige TV.

Those About to Die is a bit of a mess, but I suppose it’s an entertaining mess. With its mixture of drama, violence, and historical spectacle, its almost worth waiting around to see how all the storylines converge. For those who can overlook the script's weaknesses, the series promises an engaging, if chaotic, look into the Roman Empire. I just wish it had lived up to its potential.

— Jenni

Length: 55-min runtime, 1 season / 10 episodes
Watch on: Peacock

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Lady in the Lake

Photo: Apple TV+

Keywords: mystery, period drama, noir thriller
Watch if you like: The Alienist, Perry Mason, Sugar
Jess’s Rating: C+

Two episodes in, and I find myself with very mixed feelings over this latest Apple TV+ offering. Helmed by Honey Boy director Alma Har’el and starring Natalie Portman, the series aims high with its blend of murder mystery, social commentary, and character study, but feels disjointed and lacks a hook needed to keep viewers coming back week after week.

The story follows Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), a Jewish housewife who abandons her comfortable life to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. When a young girl in her community goes missing, she sees an opportunity to prove herself. Introduced by narration in the opening moments of the series, we also meet Cleo, a Black woman working as a bartender whose body is discovered in a lake. Presumably these two arcs will intertwine, but thus far they run in parallel.

Har’el brings a distinct visual flair and confident direction to the series, weaving surrealism in with a touch of gritty noir. There are many aspects at play, but there is also the sense that it will all come together neatly in the end. That being said, it’s a frustrating experience in these early episodes; the parallel stories feel disjointed, the characters are thin, and the show bounces thematically between murder mystery and social commentary.

If you’re looking for a conventional murder mystery, this is not it. But if you’re willing to invest the time, Lady in the Lake might play out to be a moving character study and thematically rich view of a turbulent 1960s America.

— Jess

Length: 50-min runtime, Limited Series / 7 episodes
Watch on: Apple TV+

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Time Bandits

Photo: Apple TV+

Keywords: comedy, sci-fi, whimsical, family friendly
Watch if you like: The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Monty Python, Davey and Jonesie’s Locker