What to Watch on TV and at the Movies This Week

​​⭐⭐⭐☆☆ The Little Mermaid, PG

Disney recycles its seawater-soaked Cinderella, now in a live action musical. The adventurous mermaid Ariel (charming singer Halle Bailey) yearns to see over the sea and feel the sand in her toes, if she had toes. This leads the impulsive teen to make a bargain with the sea witch squid Ursula (a crazy-delightful Melissa McCarthy, 52 — two tentacles up!). Ariel trades her shiny fins for legs in order to satisfy her curiosity and find her earthbound Prince Eric (a drippy Jonah Hauer-King). The price? Her voice. And the rage of her father, King Triton (an audaciously overserious Javier Bardem, 54). For parents and grandparents, the live-action musical is a way to get the younger kids out of the house and into the theater for an air-conditioned matinee. Although, with a 135-minute running time, as a mother myself it’s hard to imagine that’s an improvement over the kid-friendly 83-minute animated double Oscar winner from 1989. —T.M.A.

Watch it: The Little Mermaid, May 26 in theaters

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Kandahar, R​

Covert CIA Agent Tom Harris (Gerard Butler, 53) isn’t much of a husband or father. Wouldn’t you know, just as he’s about to leave Afghanistan for his daughter’s graduation, he gets yanked back for one last high-risk mission. In this nonstop action movie shot in Saudi Arabia, the man of few words and a big beard runs out one ticking clock after the next. The weathered and weary Harris confronts enemies from ISIS, the Taliban and the Pakistani secret service. Meanwhile, he must ensure that his beleaguered Afghan translator (Homeland’s Navid Negahban) survives and can be extracted — in distant Kandahar. Travis Fimmel, charismatic star of TV’s Vikings, plays Harris’ Muslim handler, along with an international cast, in an explosive adventure that hurtles from beginning to end, while underscoring the notion that terrorism and belief in Allah aren’t identical. —T.M.A.

Watch it: Kandahar, May 26 in theaters

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​Accidental Climber (2020)

Accidental Climber tells the story of retired forest worker and weekend hiker Jim Geiger, who, at 68, attempted to become the oldest American and first great-grandfather to scale Mount Everest. Follow his journey as he pushes his body to the limits — and faces the worst disaster in mountaineering history, which left 16 climbers dead in a tragic avalanche and forever changed Geiger’s life. (The full documentary is available to AARP members through June 2, 2023.)

Watch it: Accidental Climber, on AARP Members Only Access

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​​⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Monica, R

A sense of immediacy and deep conflicting emotions struggling to pierce the surface elevate this variation on the you-can’t-go-home-again theme. Knowing that her bedridden mother (a grounding and generous Patricia Clarkson, 63) may not have long to live, Monica (Transparent’s Trace Lysette) reluctantly returns to the family home from which she was exiled when she came out as a transgender woman. Now, with years passed, and a stronger sense of who she is in her body, Monica returns to ease her mother’s pain, and confronts her own identity against the backdrop of family life. Is Monica big enough, authentic enough, to love herself and share that love with the now-frail mother who once negated her existence and caused so much pain? Lysette’s committed, complex performance, in tandem with Clarkson, powers a restrained tale of reunion and resistance with a gender identity twist. —T.M.A.

Watch it: Monica, in theaters

Fast X, R

In the tenth rip-roaring Fast and Furious franchise flick, will lead-foot driver Dom (Vin Diesel, 55) survive the vengeance of Dante (Jason Momoa), embittered son of the drug lord Dom killed? And could anybody be cooler — or drive faster — than Helen Mirren, 77, as Queenie, the matriarch and Dom’s pal?

Watch it: Fast X, in theaters

Don’t miss this: 9 Reasons You Should Give the 'Fast & Furious' Films a Try

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me (Netflix Original)

You think you know all about the late blond bombshell Anna Nicole Smith? Think again. This documentary unearths never-before-seen footage, home movies and insiders who’d never spoken publicly to reveal the inner life of the model, actress and tabloid obsession born Vickie Lynn Hogan.

Watch it: Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me on Netflix

​​⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, R

“Still” may be the last adjective we’d use when discussing Back to the Future's kinetic Michael J. Fox, 61. The Canadian actor found domestic TV success at 16 — and then had three years of Hollywood poverty before stealing the show on the hit American sitcom Family Ties. In this bio-doc he addresses the youngster who topped out at 5 foot 4 inches, and the wall he hit in 1991 when at 30 he received a diagnosis: Parkinson’s disease. Now, decades later, still married to former costar Tracy Pollan, 62, and with four grown children, the ’80s icon faces the camera, revealing how he copes with pain and muscle tremors, and how his priorities shifted when forced to confront the stillness beneath the shaking surface. —T.M.A.

Watch it: Still on Apple TV+

​Don’t miss this: New Test Hailed as ‘Game Changer’ in Parkinson’s Diagnosis

​⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Book Club: The Next Chapter, PG-13

The stylish seniors have returned: salty Candice Bergen, 77, sex-bomb Jane Fonda, 85, flibbertigibbet fashionista Diane Keaton, 77, and down-to-earth Mary Steenburgen, 70. When Fonda’s swinging single decides to finally tie the knot with dapper Don Johnson, 73, her best bookish buddies grab their chardonnay and plan the over-the-top confab of fictional fantasies. They head to Tuscany, land of Under the Tuscan Sun (and so many other Italian escape fantasies). Once there, the women are ogled, robbed, wine-drunk and, yes, jailed! It’s all in good fun, though, and short on snark, as the old friends celebrate ushering their soul sister to the altar amid the twists and turns of woman’s romance fiction. This chapter’s a boisterous bachelorette party – hold the hangover. —T.M.A.

Watch it: Book Club: The Next Chapter, in theaters

​⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ BlackBerry, R

BlackBerry charts the rise and fall of Canada’s original smartphone before it was overtaken by Apple’s iPhone, only to become the tech equivalent of the AMC Gremlin. The handheld device’s genius inventor is the prematurely white-haired Mike Lazaridis (a quietly astonishing Jay Baruchel). The uber-nerd and his partner Doug (comic Matt Johnson, who also directed) create a game-changing communication tool. But they’re clueless at manufacturing and marketing. Enter Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), a recently fired corporate shark who makes a sketchy deal to co-lead the novice company. Cue the Jaws music. The suspense ramps up as the young creatives get outplayed by middle-aged corporate predators, with strong support from Saul Rubinek, 74, Cary Elwes, 60, and Michael Ironside, 73. The human-scaled case study illustrates the enormous potential of human creations, and capitalism’s tendency to maximize profit at the expense of innovation. —T.M.A.

Watch it: BlackBerry, in theaters

​⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ It Ain’t Over, PG

Baseball season’s in full swing — the perfect time to look back at legendary catcher and slugger Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra (1925-2015). The Italian American got the nickname for his tendency to sit cross-legged like a yogi; the Hanna-Barbera cartoon star Yogi Bear appropriated his name but didn’t share royalties. The sturdy sports doc, created with the approval of many in Berra’s family, notches his many achievements: a Purple Heart serving in WWII, 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (almost exclusively with the New York Yankees), 10 World Series rings as a player, plus his tenure as Yankees coach and manager. He wasn’t pretty, but Berra had a beautiful swing and a penchant for catchphrases — aka Yogi-isms — like the tautology that provides the film’s title: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Filled with game footage, home movies and knowledgeable talking heads, It Ain't Over ensures Berra’s exalted status in the annals of America’s pastime. —T.M.A.

Watch it: It Ain’t Over, in theaters

​Don’t miss this: 12 Great Baseball Movies to Stream Now

​Love Again, PG-13

Devastated by her fiancé’s death, Mira (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) sends a bunch of romantic texts to his work phone number, which has been reassigned to journalist Rob (Sam Heughan). Wanting to meet the mysterious romantic-text woman, Rob persuades his latest profile subject, Celine Dion (who plays herself in her first film role), to help out. Dion also contributed five songs to the film.

Watch it: Love Again, in theaters

​Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix Original)

In a prequel spin-off of Bridgerton, we get the origin story for Golda Rosheuvel’s sharp-tongued, snuff-sniffing Queen Charlotte (Rosheuvel, 53, with India Amarteifio as young Charlotte) — from her days as a teenager when she wed King George III (the British monarch against whom the Americans revolted). Expect more swooning romance, witty dialogue and anachronistic song choices.

Watch it: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

Amy Poehler, 51, hosts the Scandinavians behind the best-selling book about getting rid of stuff so your heirs don’t have to. They help eight people declutter their lives. “This is not a show about death,” says Poehler. “It’s about life."

Watch it: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning on Peacock

Don’t miss this: Swedish Death Cleaning Makes a Comeback

White House Plumbers

Nixon’s henchmen E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson, 61) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux, 51) try to save his presidency and nuke it instead by incompetently burglarizing his political enemies. But we’re most eager to see Kathleen Turner, 68, as the hellraiser lobbyist Dita Beard, who drank like a fish, swore like a sailor, did dirty deeds, faked a heart attack and got off scot-free while others went to jail.

Watch it: White House Plumbers on HBO

Don’t miss this: 10 Quick Questions with Kathleen Turner on AARP Members Only Access

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret , PG-13

Oh, joy! The lifesaving 1970 YA novel by Judy Blume, 85, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret springs to life in a bighearted, faithful adaptation. When tweener Margaret (a sweet and spunky Abby Ryder Fortson) moves to suburban New Jersey with her mixed-faith parents (a generous Rachel McAdams and Bennie Safdie), she leaves her darling Jewish grandma (Kathy Bates, 74) in Manhattan. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as she’s a city kid entering junior high and the danger zone: puberty. She makes new friends quickly, but can she survive mean-girl antics, interfaith confusion, playing spin the bottle — and the mystery that is menstruation? The beloved book that got so many grandmothers, mothers and daughters through the fraught narrows of the preteen years with love, laughter and easily digestible life lessons is now a film with a terrific cast, a light touch and genuine affection. —T.M.A.

Watch it: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, in theaters

​⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Somewhere in Queens, R

More than a comedian, Ray Romano, 65, won raves in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, and he’s superb in this partly autobiographical film about a doting, dysfunctional blue-collar dad, which he cowrote and directs. It’s like a funny (but deeper and more dramatic) takeoff on Everybody Loves Raymond. —Tim Appelo (T.A.)

Watch it: Somewhere in Queens, in theaters

Don't miss this: Ray Romano on His Directorial Debut at 65: ‘This Is the Story I Want to Tell'

​Barry, Season 4

Do not miss the final season of this inspired, touching, grisly comic thriller about a hit man (Bill Hader) sent to prison by his beloved acting teacher (Henry Winkler, 77, in one of his best roles), plus the hit man’s awful actress ex-wife (superb Sarah Goldberg), his ex-handler (still more superb Stephen Root, 71), and the funniest, most original foreign gangster you ever saw (Anthony Carrigan). And keep your eye peeled for some fun guest stars, like director Guillermo del Toro, 58, as a crime lord.

Watch it: Barry on HBO and HBO Max

Tiny Beautiful Things

In a show inspired by Wild author Cheryl Strayed’s real-life advice column, Kathryn Hahn, 49, plays a 49-year-old advice columnist whose life is a mess and haunted by the death of her mother (Merritt Wever) years before. Hahn says it’s nice to star in a show involving “women’s bodies that are older, that can feel deep, complicated [things], not the butt of the joke, and that are interesting, funny, illuminating and powerful. In all ways.”

Watch it: Tiny Beautiful Things on Hulu

Don't miss this: Quick Questions for Cheryl Strayed on AARP Members Only Access

Schmigadoon!, Season 2

In the new season of the Broadway musical parody show, set in magical yet crime-ridden Schmicago, Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Jane Krakowski, 54, Kristin Chenoweth, 54, Fred Armisen, 56, and Alan Cumming, 58, spoof Cabaret, Chicago, Hair, Pippin, Company, Sweeney Todd and more.

Watch it: Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+

​Don’t miss this: Quick Questions for Jane Krakowski on AARP Members Only Access

​⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Air, R

The best movie directed by Ben Affleck, 50, since 2012’s Argo, Air is a funny, stirring, All-American triumph about the intersection of passion and capitalism. Matt Damon, 52, delivers gritty humor and unexpected insight as Sonny Vaccaro, Nike’s in-house basketball zealot, who persuades company co-founder Phil Knight (Affleck) that signing Michael Jordan could turn his running-shoe empire into an NBA powerhouse. Lacking the early-’80s sporting-world cachet of Converse or Adidas, Vaccaro and his Nike colleagues — a skeptical marketing whiz (Jason Bateman, 54) and an exuberant baller turned executive (Chris Tucker, 51) — must try to seduce MJ with a brand that reflects his hardwood genius: “Air Jordan.” Affleck can be too New Age-campy as Knight. But Matthew Maher, as a visionary footwear designer, brings eccentric soul to heels and soles, and Viola Davis, 57, understates to perfection as Jordan’s mom, who conjures a business plan that empowers athletes and transforms the industry. The result is a film that salutes and embodies entrepreneurial art. —Michael Sragow (M.S.)

Watch it: Air, in theaters and on Prime Video

Don’t miss this: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Bromance Hits a New High After 50

Lucky Hank

If you liked the academic satire The Chair (and you should), you’ll love Lucky Hank. Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) is William Henry Devereaux Jr., a bitter has-been novelist who chairs the English department at a mediocre university. Loosely based on Richard Russo’s 1997 campus novel Straight Man and his real-life experiences teaching, the show presents the school as a fractious war zone, and Hank’s big mouth does him no favors. Mireille Enos (The Killing) plays his more stable schoolteacher wife, Oscar Nuñez (The Office) his dean and friend, and Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) the university’s business-minded president — Hank’s nemesis. Peter Farrelly (Green Book, Dumb and Dumber) directs.

Watch it: Lucky Hank on AMC+

​Don’t miss this: Quick Questions for Bob Odenkirk on AARP Members Only Access