I vividly remember Sunday school from childhood, and the animated feature “The King of Kings” is the kind of movie that would’ve been shown in class over two weekends. Distributed by the Christianity-centered Angel Studios, and written and directed by first-timer Jang Seong-ho (a visual effects master from Korean cinema), it is less of a fully satisfying animated feature that works on its own terms than a teaching tool that is clearly intended as such. It’s actually based on a teaching tool from another century: Charles Dickens’ “The Life of Our Lord,” which Dickens based on stories that he used to tell his own children at bedtime.

There’s a framing device wherein Dickens (voiced by Ben Kingsley) tells the story that we’re all watching. It’s sparked by events in the opening sequence in which Dickens’ boisterous son makes an unfortunate scene during a theatrical reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Dickens (a devoted stage performer who remained involved in theater, including as a one-man show performer, long after he became a famous novelist). The boy is obsessed with King Arthur. Dickens informs him and his siblings that the legend of King Arthur is, like so many other stories—including “A Christmas Carol”—influenced by the New Testament.

And then we’re off to the races. The movie sprints through major points in the story, including the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem, the growth of his “flock” and his increasing notability as a thorn in the side of the Roman occupation, various major and minor miracles, and of course the condemnation to death, the scourging and crucifixion, and the resurrection. Sometimes the story cuts back to Dickens and/or his kids reacting, and other times he and his son will appear as background characters or witnesses to something that’s happening in Jesus’ story, which gets weird when Jesus starts talking back to people like a chatbot asking a website visitor if they need help with anything.

The three-dimensional, computer-generated animation will be familiar to viewers, as it’s got the same stylistic defaults we see in a lot of Disney-Pixar and DreamWorks cartoon features: characters with sticklike bodies and huge Funko Pop heads whose movements are a little too smooth even when they’re supposed to be awkward or frenzied. Thankfully, there’s no contemporary slang to “modernize” the characters, nor are there any nostalgic needle-drops of pop songs that parents and grandparents enjoyed in their youth to keep them from zoning out, so thanks for the small favors.

But things still feel a bit off once we get to the tragic part of the story, and we’re shown an array of images that create—uh, let’s say, cognitive dissonance. A Funko Pop-head Roman centurion takes a flail to the back of Our Funko Pop-head Lord, the worst of the violence thankfully hidden by a whipping post, then puts a crown of thorns on his head and sneers. As in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” the Roman centurions are depicted as sadistic bullies, but the Roman powers-that-be as something closer to full human beings: essentially conflicted bureaucrats. Pontius Pilate is a guy who has no dog in this hunt, as my Midwestern grandpa liked to say, but still has to order Jesus crucified to appease the Hebrews who want him dead. Jesus and other sympathetic characters are gifted with passing-as-Gentile facial features, while the enemies in Jesus’ faith have more stereotypically “Jewish” noses and are generally kind of disgusting from first glance. Pilate is “complicated,” but this bunch is just rotten. A few have faces that verge on the sorts of antisemitic caricatures that used to get people banned from social media.

That all of this is presented to us in the manner of an adorable Puppetoon makes it play all the more strangely. The sense that the subject and the presentation are not well matched continues to escalate, all the way through the moment when Funko Pop-head Jesus is raised up on the cross.

There is, of course, an excellent chance that you’ll see this movie and think, “What a perfect way to teach the story of Jesus to children, even ones who are not especially interested in Charles Dickens,” or perhaps, “This message of generalized kindness is badly needed during this cruel period of history.” There is perhaps also a chance that you’ll think that this material could have been handled with a lot more passion, imagination, and cleverness, as other Biblically-themed animated features (including the classic “The Prince of Egypt“) have already proved.

After a two-year wait, everyone’s favorite fungal zombie apocalypse show is finally back: The second season of “The Last of Us” premieres Sunday.

Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, HBO’s acclaimed survival drama is set in a world that has been ravaged by the outbreak of a mysterious mutant cordyceps fungus that turns human hosts into horrific, mindless monsters. An adaptation of the hit video game of the same name, the nine-episode first season followed gruff smuggler-turned-surrogate father figure Joel (Pedro Pascal) and his teen charge Ellie (Bella Ramsey) on a cross-country journey to help find a way to save the world. Ellie’s immunity to the fungus potentially holds the key to a cure.

Here’s everything you need to know about Season 1 before diving into Season 2.

How did the apocalypse happen?

In the world of “The Last of Us,” a mysterious cordyceps outbreak in 2003 devastates humanity. Those that are infected transform into zombie-like hosts that exist for the sole purpose of spreading the fungal infection to others. The longer they are infected, the more monstrous their appearance becomes.

Twenty years later, society has collapsed and survivors in America are left to live in military government run quarantine zones controlled by FEDRA (the Federal Disaster Response Agency) or former QZs that were liberated from the oppressive agency. There are also settlements that independent communities have established on their own — as well as survivors that choose to stay more isolated.

Who are the key players?

The first season introduces audiences to Joel Miller, a contractor living with his teen daughter Sarah. Sarah is killed by a soldier during the chaos of the outbreak while Joel was trying to get them to safety. He never really recovers from her loss.

By 2023, Joel has lost touch with his brother, Tommy, and is a smuggler working jobs out of the Boston quarantine zone along with his partner Tess. After a deal goes awry, Joel and Tess meet Ellie, a teenager being held captive by a rebel militia group called the Fireflies. The leader Marlene asks Joel and Tess to smuggle Ellie out of the city in exchange for supplies.

Ellie, it turns out, is immune to the cordyceps infection and Marlene has planned for her to be transported to a group of Fireflies out west in hopes of creating a cure. (Ellie’s immunity likely stems from her mother becoming infected just before giving birth to her.)

Were they successful?

Not quite! The handoff never happens because the Fireflies who were meant to escort Ellie across the country get infected before their rendezvous. Tess is also a casualty. So Joel and Ellie set off to find the other Fireflies on their own.

The two grow close over their perilous journey as Joel and Ellie encounter plenty of monsters and monstrous people. But they also cross paths with Tommy, now married and living in the peaceful settlement of Jackson, Wyo.

Joel and Ellie eventually make their way to Salt Lake City, where the teenager is taken to surgery to begin the process of figuring out a cure. But when Joel learns that the procedure will kill her (the doctors need her brain), he goes on a deadly rampage to stop the Fireflies and escapes with Ellie. As they head back to Jackson, Ellie asks Joel what happened and he tells her that the militia group had already unsuccessfully tried to develop a cure with other immune people and had given up.

Ellie (Bella Ramsey), left, and Dina (Isabela Merced), a new character introduced in Season 2.

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

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What’s next? (No spoilers)

This season is set to pick up a few years after the events of Season 1. Ellie and Joel have been living as productive members of the community in Jackson. Among the new characters to be introduced are Dina (Isabela Merced), Jesse (Young Mazino) and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). You can read a spoiler-light review here.

How about some spoilers?

Season 2 and beyond will be adapting “The Last of Us Part II.” Those familiar with the events of the video game know to expect some romance, angst, death and a whole lot of revenge. The game also introduced different factions of people who live very different lives from those in the community at Jackson. There’s also a bit more that could be introduced about the types and behavior of the infected.

After spending most of his career on the Creed and Black Panther franchises, filmmaker Ryan Coogler delivers his most original work yet with the vampire flick Sinners. According to the first reviews of the movie, it’s not only his best, but one of the best releases of the year so far. The highlights are Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance as twin brothers, the ambitious mix of genres and ideas, and the inventive use of music in the film.

Here’s what critics are saying about Sinners:

Is it one of the best movies of the year so far?

Sinners is a masterclass in filmmaking.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

It’s one of the best films of the year.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

The best movie I’ve seen in 2025 so far.
— Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

One of the most devilishly entertaining movies of the year.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews

Sinners is a bloody, brilliant motion picture.
— William Bibbiani, The Wrap

I’m already prepared to hail Sinners as the movie of the year from this point onwards.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm

I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun, nor felt so reinvigorated by, a major studio genre movie.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage

What makes it a must-see movie?

Sinners perfectly blends multiple genres to create a movie like you have never seen before.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

It works surprisingly well… due to Coogler’s very specific vision and his ability to deliver on it.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

The most impressive feat director-writer Ryan Coogler achieves is finding a balance between genre and meaning—and one begets the other.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews

What sets Sinners apart is its thematic depth. The film’s exploration of duality is masterfully layered.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Everything about Sinners is excellent, but where it fully shines is in its story, expertly brought to life by Coogler.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media

Sinners is the rare film that possesses you body and soul.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

We simply don’t get original blockbusters with this level of passion and on this scale anymore, at least outside of a Christopher Nolan or M. Night Shyamalan production.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm

Is it reminiscent of any other films?

In some ways, this is a black version of Robert Rodriguez’s ’90s head trip From Dusk Till Dawn.
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

Sinners gives Coogler an opportunity to delve further into genre along the lines of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, but more films like Desperado, Machete, and their Grindhouse entries, than their vampire collab, From Dusk Till Dawn.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

Obvious comparisons will likely be drawn to From Dusk Till Dawn. But unlike that 1996 Robert Rodriguez-Quentin Tarantino joint, Sinners isn’t winking at the audience from behind grotesque violence and droll B-movie tropes.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

Sinners has films like John Carpenter’s The Thing in mind as well.
— Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

I won’t be surprised if the first wave of critical reactions are similar to those which greeted Us, aiming to interpret the film as chasing a singular metaphor when it’s a messier beast with far more on its mind.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage

How does it compare to Ryan Coogler’s other movies?

Ryan Coogler may have just given us his magnum opus… perhaps his masterpiece.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews

This could be one of Ryan Coogler’s best films to date.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

His new work, Sinners, feels like a filmmaker liberated.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies

Sinners is Coogler utterly unleashed… He’s unshackled from the comfort of IP or franchise fare.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

It’s his most impassioned, spiritually resonant work to date.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Coogler solidifies himself as one of the best working today.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

With Sinners, he ascends to the next level.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

How is the action?

Sinners leads to a number of incredibly satisfying action set pieces, one that could garner audience reactions akin to Hitler’s assassination in Inglourious Basterds.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

[It has] tight action sequences that keep you emotionally and physically engaged.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Its action is explosive.
— Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

It’s a rip-roaring thrill ride.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm

How does it look?

Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography lends the carnage a strange elegance.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

The movie is exquisitely shot, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography immersing us in the sunlit splendor and leafy ominousness of back-country Mississippi.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Once again, Arkapaw ignites the screen with her beautiful shots, giving viewers more than just the performances and music to get lost in.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media

From an aesthetic standpoint, the film is incredibly self-assured — much of which is owed to cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw and her use of celluloid contrast. It has the deepest shadows you’ve ever seen during daylight, injecting each scene with a sense of mystery.
— Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

The cinematography is exceptional, filled with bold compositions.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Does it do a good job of immersing the audience in its setting?

Coogler takes his time building out the world of Clarksdale, Mississippi, poring over the sights and sounds of the Jim Crow South… It crucially clues us in to who the Smokestack twins are, where they come from, and what they’re fighting for.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

The world-building, while a slow burn, is immersive and detailed in a way that is so enjoyable to explore.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews

How is Michael B. Jordan’s dual performance?

To no one’s surprise, Michael B. Jordan is incredible in this movie. He does a wonderful job of creating two very different characters for the twins.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Michael B. Jordan’s performance in Sinners, particularly his portrayal of the enigmatic SmokeStack twins, is a standout in his career.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media

A career-best performance.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

It’s smart, intuitive work.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

It’s wonderfully nuanced work.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

Stellar work.
— Karl Delossantos, Smash Cut Reviews

I will freely admit that Jordan playing both twins did get a little confusing.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

Are there any other standouts in the cast?

Delroy Lindo has a standout moment in a deeply emotional monologue that quietly steals the spotlight.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Lindo steals the show as Slim — but Caton’s Sammie is the true one to watch.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

The real star of the film is 20-year-old Miles Caton.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

The real standout is Miles Caton, who is shockingly delivering his debut performance here as Sammie.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Viewers are sure to be drawn in by newcomer Miles Caton as well. I was shocked to learn that this is his first feature film, as he holds his own in scenes with powerhouse actors.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

The real standout is Nigerian British actress Mosaku.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

The entire ensemble assembled goes above and beyond to prove Coogler to very much be an actor’s director, getting top-notch performances.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

Is this heavier than the usual horror film?

It’s the rare studio production that engages your intellect while it scares you senseless.
— Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

Sinners is the rare mainstream horror film that’s about something weighty and soulful: the wages of sin in Black America.
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Yes, it’s a vampire film, but it’s also got a lot more on its mind. Coogler uses the conceits of the genre to craft a haunting allegory about the virtues we inherit and the vices that fester in the dark.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

The result is a horror film that feels deeply cultural, resonant, and original, using the lens of music and ancestral trauma to reframe the vampire mythos into something hauntingly personal.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

It boasts a powerful message about society and how people can drag others down while offering up a terrifying vampire story.
— Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

While Sinners never makes light of the history of the South, it’s not at the cost of the fun that can be had with this crossover between blues players, drinkers, and vampires.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies

Coogler doesn’t reinvent the vampire movie with Sinners, but in a current era of American cinema where messages are force-fed, a thoughtful social satire which gives viewers time to dissect––and never lets its loftier thematic aims get in the way of its junky thrills––is a breath of fresh air.
— Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage

How is its take on vampires?

Ryan Coogler has made a sexy and sweaty vampire flick unlike any other.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

The vampire design? Subtle, creepy, and just different enough to give Sinners its own unique place in the genre.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

It’s remarkable that Coogler has found a fresh angle on the tropes here. There’s a little bit of “the same but different” when it comes to the creature design.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence

Coogler shows as much interest in the metaphorical potential of the vampire as Robert Eggers did with Nosferatu earlier this year.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

The film’s visual idea of the vampire is simple but fun, mostly normal in appearance other than an uncanny glint of light in their dark eyes – using this subtlety to stoke paranoia in the increasingly confined sawmill.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies

Is there too much going on?

There’s a lot going on here… As much arthouse as grindhouse, it’s a blood-drenched mix tape that shouldn’t work. But it does.
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

The two halves sound strikingly different, but it never feels like a completely bifurcated film: you can’t have one without the other.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies

The film is inevitably too much at times, and not always in full command of its many competing flavors, but that too muchness is also the greatest strength of a visionary studio product that sticks its fangs deep into an eternal struggle: how to assimilate without losing your soul.
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire

How is the music?

The eventual turn to its riotous second half is underlined by a typically inventive soundtrack from Ludwig Göransson.
— Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies

Composer Ludwig Göransson provides a sonic backdrop unlike any other.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

An even more important aspect of Sinners than vampires is its music… I expect this to be another hot and popular soundtrack.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

Music is as integral to Sinners as its bloodsuckers… It’s blues music that is the film’s lifeblood.
— Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

The music in Sinners is not just a background element, but a character in its own right, shaping the narrative and the characters’ experiences.
— Britany Murphy, Muses of Media

The film celebrates the power of music — its ability to transcend time, connect generations, and carry the weight of grief and joy alike, making it almost its own character in the film. Academy Award-winner Ludwig Göransson’s score is one of his best.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

Are there any problems with the movie?

For many, the movie could as well do without the supernatural element, and I admit I’m one of them.
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

The movie does feel like it goes on for a little too long, even with a pretty satisfying ending that appropriately ties up a few loose ends.
— Edward Douglas, The Weekend Warrior

If Sinners had one flaw, it could be in its pacing.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse

The only real drawback is the pacing.
— Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

There are some oddities in a bold swing like Sinners, such as not one but two post-credit scenes that feel unnecessary, and the aforementioned pacing of the first half may lose some viewers before Coogler sinks his fangs deeper into the material.
— Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture

If the ending drags on somewhat indulgently (including both a mid- and post-credits scene, amazingly), well, Coogler more than earns the right.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm

Sinners opens in theaters on April 18, 2025.

Thumbnail image by ©Warner Bros.

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