10. “The Madness”
Here’s our prediction for the future: Colman Domingo is going to be a huge star, and will eventually become a multiple Academy Award winner or nominee (he already has one nom under his belt, “Rustin,” and another may be coming next year with “Sing Sing”). His latest is the suspenseful and gripping conspiracy thriller limited series “The Madness” created by Stephen Belber (“What We Do Next”). Domingo plays a New York media pundit who accidentally stumbles upon a dead body in the woods on a getaway vacation upstate and he becomes embroiled in a huge plot that involves white supremacists and a powerful billionaire who believes he’s above the law. Super captivating and moreover, very entertaining and bingeable, the show also features great turns by Marsha Stephanie Blake, John Ortiz, and standout newcomer Tamsin Topolski. And in our toxic age of white nationalist hate, media distrust, disinformation, rush to judgment, and a conspiracy-prone public, this post-truth thriller also resonates and has something to say. – RP
9. “Disclaimer”
Five-time Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”) directs Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett in what is essentially a seven-hour movie; what more do you need to know? The actress plays a famed documentary journalist, known for exposing people’s transgressions, who finds herself on the other end of things when a new book comes out and threatens to reveal a dark past. Yet, not everything is what it seems to be. Not about cancel culture, but our collective rush to judgment and need to punish without all the facts, Cuarón crafts a moving story about the slippery notion of truths, traumas we hold, escaping our pasts, and more. Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Lesley Manville, with a great discovery in the middle of it with the striking Leila George. – RP
8. “True Detective: Night Country”
Issa López took over the “True Detective” franchise from Nic Pizzolatto and completely reinvigorated it, taking a pretty masculine series and giving it some strong female energy. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis star as detectives in the remote location of Ennis, Alaska, where something impossible has seemingly happened to a group of nearby researchers. Blending echoes of the paranormal with an old-fashioned procedural, ‘Night Country’ never falters. – BT
7. “The Sympathizer”
The incredible Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy“) co-created and directed part of this miniseries based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The premiere alone is a great short film, detailing the final days of the end of the Vietnam War, after which our hero flees to the United States and becomes a spy for the Vietnamese government. Hoa Xuande is great as the protagonist, but it’s Robert Downey Jr. that people remember in multiple roles, recalling the energy of “Dr. Strangelove” in how the decision captures the chaotic energy of the American espionage complex. – BT
6. “Hacks“
It’s very unusual for a comedy to produce its best outing in its third season, especially when the second one ended on a note that could have been final. The junior year of “Hacks” is a stunner, a perfect blend of plotting, character, and humor, anchored by career-best work from Jean Smart. It’s the best comedy on TV–and it’s not really even close–because of its sharp writing, crisp direction, and pitch-perfect ensemble. There’s not a single weak link in this one, and the only question is if they can top this performance next season. – BT
