An awkward, dazzling comedy
Dear Watchers,The first season of HBO's "The Rehearsal," which aired in 2022, was an entrancing experiment. Created by and starring the comedian Nathan Fielder, the show began with a relatively simple but absurd premise: What if you could rehearse for events in your everyday life — like, for instance, having a difficult conversation with a friend? Eventually, the experiment turned into a large-scale simulation in which Fielder "rehearsed" raising a kid, a feat that, because of child labor laws and an accelerated timeline, involved a rotating cast of child actors. The second season premieres on Sunday, anticipated by the question: How is Fielder going to top that first brilliantly uncomfortable season? His answer is to turn his attention to the world of commercial airline safety, and the result is both sidesplitting and one of the most stressful television-watching experiences in recent memory. The season revolves around Fielder's personal research into the causes of aviation disasters — a premise he admits isn't particularly ripe for comedy. ("So far, I was failing," he narrates in what is perhaps the show's first joke. "We were over 10 minutes into this episode with zero laughs.") He has concluded that a primary cause of crashes is a lack of communication in the cockpit, where the second-in-command feels too intimidated to press his or her concerns with the captain. Fielder's solution? Getting the pilots to open up through his rehearsal methods involving professional actors. But in Fielder's universe, nothing is that straightforward. Working with real pilots and building a full-size replica of a Houston airport terminal, Fielder takes bizarrely hilarious detours. One involves a singing competition called "Wings of Voice." Another uses oversize puppets to examine the life of the "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Chesley Sullenberger. Fielder's life-or-death subject is distressingly topical, but "The Rehearsal" is interested in more than aviation. It is a study of human behavior and the masks people wear, investigating the psychology not only of the pilots but also of the actors Fielder employs and, ultimately, of Fielder himself. Fielder draws from his own life more than ever — including in references to his other shows "Nathan for You" and "The Curse" — all while keeping the audience guessing about how much of what he is showing us is just a character. But his typically deadpan persona takes on new weight here. "The Rehearsal" remains one of the best comedies out there, but what's at stake is no joke. Your newly available movies
A slim week for releases offers the diminished returns of the third standalone "Captain America" movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Anthony Mackie fills out Chris Evans's old costume just fine, but he is helpless against the forces of obvious production issues. Jason Statham grimly dispatching Russian goons in "A Working Man" is also familiar, but there's something to be said for keeping it simple and delivering the goods. Unless otherwise noted, titles can generally be rented on the usual platforms, including Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home and YouTube. SCOTT TOBIAS 'Captain America: Brave New World' The film, directed by Julius Onah, has the frayed tailoring of a movie marked by reshoots and changes: The writing is stiff and the ensemble is mostly charmless, while the visuals are slapdash. — Brandon Yu (Read the full review here.) 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie' The action is frenetic and gleefully vulgar; at one point a dome of bubble gum emerges from a dog's rear end. There's also some old-school slapstick; chattering fake teeth turn out to be practically world-saving. But the movie's energy doesn't pay off in dividends of real pleasure. — Glenn Kenny (Read the full review here.) 'A Working Man' This movie follows up on [Jason Statham and David Ayer's 2024 film] "The Beekeeper," a similar payback punishment picture whose forced premise wasn't helped by its garishly dressed villains. The villains here are garishly dressed too, but there's a rationale: They're Russian. In any event, Statham racks up bad-guy kills like he's collecting Pokémon. — Glenn Kenny (Read the full review here.) Also this weekend
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