The It List: 'Chevalier' tells true story of 18th-century Black composer Joseph Bologne, 'Longest Third Date' doc explores a COVID lockdown love story, Shailene Woodley stars in 'Silence of the Lambs'-inspired serial killer thriller and all the best in pop culture the week of April 17, 2023
The It List is Yahoo's weekly look at the best in pop culture, including movies, music, TV, streaming, games, books, podcasts and more. Here are our picks for April 17-23, including the best deals we could find for each. (Yahoo Entertainment may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page.)
WATCH IT: Kelvin Harrison Jr. goes above the title in Chevalier
In between films like Luce and Waves, Kelvin Harrison Jr. has quietly become one of the more intriguing young actors in the business. Now he gets his first true star project with the period piece biopic Chevalier. Harrison stars as Joseph Bologne, aka Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a groundbreaking French-creole violinist and composer who became concertmaster of the Paris symphonic institution in the late-1700s. Watch an exclusive featurette from the Stephen Williams-directed drama costarring Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton (as Marie Antoinette) and Minnie Driver above. — Kevin Polowy
Chevalier opens in theaters Friday, April 21; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Longest Third Date documents one couple's bizarre pandemic experience
Where were you in March 2020, when the world shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic? Matt and Khani, who had recently met on the dating app Hinge, were on their third date, a trip to Costa Rica, which they had decided to take on a whim. They couldn't have foreseen that their flight would be canceled, more than once, and they would be forced to cohabitate for months, although they were booted from their hotel. "OK, enough's enough," Khani says at one point in the doc. "It's not fun anymore. I just wanna go home." Matt adds, "We're running out of new things to talk about." Neither of them wanted to discuss what would happen when they finally went back to their everyday lives. And we thought it was bad being stuck in our homes… — Raechal Shewfelt
Longest Third Date premieres Tuesday, April 18 on Netflix.
WATCH IT: Shailene Woodley is on the case in To Catch a Killer
No big little lie here: Shailene Woodley joins the force to pursue a shooter-at-large in the Silence of the Lambs-influenced thriller To Catch a Killer. The actress — who has her own history with law enforcement — plays a young police investigator who is called up to the federal leagues by a stern FBI agent (Ben Mendelsohn) who believes in her abilities in spite of the mental scars she carries from a past trauma. (Speaking of traumatic, violence-sensitive viewers should be aware that the film features a disturbing, but timely sequence of a mass shooting that feels ripped from current headlines.) This exclusive clip from the film illustrates the analytical skills that make Woodley the right person to track and catch this particular killer. — Ethan Alter
To Catch a Killer opens in theaters Friday, April 21; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Zoe Lister-Jones comes (sic) into the multiverse in new series Slip
Multiverses are all the rage right now, from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness to Everything Everywhere All at Once. But we have to give the new Roku series Slip extra credit for approaching the multiverse in a wholly innovative way. Zoe Lister-Jones (Life in Pieces, Band-Aid) stars as a lovelorn New York City woman who finds herself transported to an alternate dimension every time she has an orgasm. Do we have your attention yet? Check out exclusive clip from the series above. — K.P.
Slip premieres Friday, April 21 on The Roku Channel.
WATCH IT: Ray Romano returns to his old neighborhood in Somewhere in Queens
You can take Ray Romano out of Queens, but you can't take the Queens out of Ray Romano. The New York City native returns to his home borough for his directorial debut, Somewhere in Queens, a slice-of-life story about an Italian-American family on the cusp of big changes. Specifically, Romano and his onscreen wife, Laurie Metcalf, are facing a future as empty nesters now that their teenage son (Jacob Ward) is exploring post-high school options away from their close-knit community, including an offer to play basketball at a major university. Needless to say, there's also a girlfriend in the picture and Romano gets more involved in his kid's first big romance that he should. Watch the poor girl's awkward "meet the parents" moment in this exclusive clip from the film. — E.A.
Somewhere in Queens premieres Friday, April 21 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
WATCH IT: Makoto Shinkai takes another giant leap forward in anime ranks with Suzume
Hayao Miyazaki will likely long be considered the most preeminent figure in anime feature filmmaking, but you have to wonder if Makoto Shinkai is starting to close the gap. The Your Name and Weathering With You filmmaker delivers another dazzling, charming animated adventure with Suzume, which follows the eponymous teenager as she links with a young man (and talking chair, long story) secretly charged with protecting the lands from extreme weather events. — K.P.
Suzume is now playing; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
WATCH IT: Celebrate Earth Day with a Willem Dafoe-narrated River run
April 22 is Earth Day, your annual reminder to celebrate and conserve the natural world that sustains us all. And beloved character actor Willem Dafoe is doing his part for Planet Earth by narrating the new environmental documentary River, an ode to the waterways that fulfill so many key functions for the planet and its many peoples. Filled with majestic shots of rushing rivers winding their way through tropical and temperate climates accompanied by soaring music and Dafoe's stirring words — all of which are on display in this exclusive clip — River races to the heart of why everyday should be treated as Earth Day. — E.A.
River premieres Friday, April 21 in theaters; visit Fandango for showtime and ticket information.
STREAM IT: Catch up on American Auto ahead of the Season 2 finale
Beep beep, beep beep yeah! Superstore creator Justin Spitzer puts the finishing touches on the sophomore year of his follow-up NBC series, starring Saturday Night Live veteran Ana Gasteyer as the CEO of a major automobile company who happens to have minimal industry experience. The 13-episode second season featured appearances by such comedy ringers as Seth Myers, Ryan Reynolds and Andy Richter alongside the core cast and their boardroom shenanigans as they prepare to launch a new vehicle. This clip from the finale gives off serious Veep vibes as Gasteyer and her underlings prepare for the hugely consequential opening of the Wall Street market. — E.A.
American Auto's Season 2 finale premieres Tuesday, April 18 at 8:30 p.m. on NBC; all episodes are currently streaming on Peacock.
STREAM IT: Judy Blume Forever, period.
Beloved author Judy Blume, known for her honesty about this critical and usually glossed-over time of life, which includes awkward experiences such as getting a first period, discovering breasts, falling in young love and getting in touch with one's sexuality, is profiled and lauded in this doc. It also recounts the effect that Blume's books have had on young people and pop culture, despite the resistance she has sometimes faced for refusing to treat kids like they can't handle the truth. Some of the writer's most famous fans, like actress and Girls creator Lena Dunham, show up to praise her. "She allowed young women to be as complicated and messy and funny as we are," Dunham says. Sixteen Candles star Molly Ringwald chimes in, "Everything I learned about sex or crushes, I learned from Judy." The documentary pairs well with the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Blume's iconic 1970 book, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret., which arrives in theaters later this month. — R.S.
Judy Blume Forever premieres Friday, April 21 on Prime Video.
PLAY IT: The game's afoot in a Sherlock Holmes-themed version of Scotland Yard
How do you make a new version of the tabletop classic, Scotland Yard? It's elementary, my dear Watson. Since 1983, players have teamed up to pursue Mr. X through the streets of London using taxis, buses and subways. In Ravensburger's expertly-conceived Sherlock Holmes-themed update, you're chasing after Moriarty himself via 19th century transportation methods, including horse and buggies and steam trains. The game's afoot, indeed. — E.A.
Scotland Yard: Sherlock Holmes Edition is available now at most major retailers, including Amazon.
READ IT: Cook up a feast fit for a Creeper (or a Stitch) with new Minecraft and Lilo & Stitch cookbooks
Square plates aren't included with this all-new Minecraft official cookbook from Insight Editions, but there are plenty of meal ideas to suit all kinds of appetites and skill levels in the kitchen. Heat up a hearty Suspicious Stew — filled with potatoes and mushrooms — and chase it down with a Boba-filled Slimeball Tea, followed by a sweet treat like a Torch Shooter crème brulée. If you'd rather go more tropical with your flavor profile, pre-order Insight's upcoming Lilo & Stitch cookbook, which boasts recipes for Pudge's famous peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwich and a super-sized Hawaiian pizza. Remember: Ohana means family... and families gotta eat. — E.A.
Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! Official Cookbook is available now at most major booksellers, including Amazon; Lilo & Stitch: The Official Cookbook is available for pre-order now at Amazon.