Despite being seen by many as a Gremlins ripoff (even though the initial script was written before the hit film went into production), Critters has amassed a cult legacy. The fandom has been will fed in recent months with the announcement of a Shudder-exclusive series and a secret film coming from Syfy.
While details are still scant on the latter project, the streaming platform has revealed Critters: A New Binge. Although the series maintains some of the camp elements of its predecessors, it doesn’t capture the same B-movie magic.
The show follows the titular Critters on a return trip to Earth in search of a comrade who was left behind years ago. Hunted by intergalactic bounty hunters, the pint-sized creatures crashland in the hometown of Christopher (Joey Morgan), a teen struggling to fit in thanks to his eating habits and his mother’s (Kirsten Robek) sexual reputation. When the two worlds collide things quickly get out of hand, spiraling ever deeper into outlandish territory by the episode.
From the opening minute A New Binge doesn’t take itself too seriously, to its advantage. Poking fun at the bad CGI in a film they are watching en route to Earth, the Critters crew is openingly acknowledging the show’s biggest shortcoming; terrible CGI and green-screen effects. Knowing this, it leans into the comedy aspects of the franchise, littering the script with as many jokes as there are scares.
However, those jokes don’t often land. There are outdated references to The Matrix and the first Mission Impossible movie that feel like your dad trying and failing to stay relevant. When the script does crib from a more recent film, the execution can still manage to be embarrassing. The more low-brow, gross humor typically garners a reaction – there’s something inherently amusing about watching the little fuzzballs throw an insult at someone. Then the second half of the series features a plot turn so wild that it’s difficult not to laugh at the fact that it’s committed to the bit so wholeheartedly.
While most of the cast is serviceable given the material they have to work with, Joey Morgan and Bzhaun Rhoden stand out from the crowd thanks to a jovial commitment to their characters’ friendship. Both of the young actors exude a natural and infectious joy as they amp up around each other. The show wisely spends a majority of the opening episodes with the pair letting their chemistry carry most scenes.
Putting aside the actual content for a second (which is weird to say in a critique of said content), but the oddest and most frustrating aspect of watching A New Binge is the format of the show. It is comprised of eight episodes, each running 8-10 minutes. It’s marketed as a full on television show, but in practice it’s more akin to a web series from the early days of Youtube.
The early episodes awkwardly attempt to fit into this structure by offering up closing scenes under the presumption that adding heightened music automatically makes it a cliffhanger. You have to watch the next episode in order to get a sense of narrative satisfaction. The second half of the run thankfully smooths this out, but I was still left feeling that this would’ve been better suited as a full-length feature.
With only a couple standout qualities, the latest entry into the Critters franchise won’t have you begging for seconds. It’s an interesting and appreciated experiment, one that Shudder could easily do with another obscure franchise, but let’s hope the next endeavor has a bit more substance.
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., affectionately known as Jr NTR, has consistently enthralled audiences with his dynamic performances and versatile acting prowess. Following the successful release of “Devara: Part 1” on September 27, 2024, fans are eagerly anticipating his forthcoming projects. Here’s an overview of what’s next for this action superstar.
1. Devara: Part 2
After the resounding success of “Devara: Part 1,” which grossed over ₹466 crore globally, the sequel is highly anticipated. Director Koratala Siva has hinted that “Devara: Part 2” will be even more intense, stating that if Part 1 showcased 10% of Jr NTR’s capabilities, Part 2 will unveil the remaining 90%. Filming is slated to commence in the first half of 2026, with a targeted release by the end of that year.
2. War 2
Expanding his horizons, Jr NTR is set to make his Hindi film debut with “War 2,” directed by Ayan Mukerji. This sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “War” will see him sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The film is part of the YRF Spy Universe and is scheduled for release on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day weekend.
3. NTR 31 (Tentative Title: Dragon)
In collaboration with acclaimed director Prashanth Neel, Jr NTR will star in a period drama tentatively titled “Dragon.” The film is set to delve into themes of immigration and is expected to be one of the most expensive projects for both the actor and the director. The movie is slated for a grand release on January 9, 2026.
Why Jr NTR is the Action Hero Everyone Wants to See
Jr NTR’s appeal as an action hero stems from his ability to seamlessly blend intense physicality with deep emotional resonance. His performances are characterized by a compelling screen presence, dynamic energy, and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences across diverse roles. This unique combination of skills has solidified his status as a leading figure in Indian cinema, making him the action hero everyone wants to see.
With a lineup of diverse and high-profile projects, Jr NTR continues to push cinematic boundaries and captivate audiences worldwide. His dedication to his craft and ability to reinvent himself with each role ensure that fans have much to look forward to in the coming years.
Headed to a wilderness retreat of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO to hopefully land a lucrative job, widower Elliot and his reluctant daughter Ridley manage to have a car accident with a heretofore-thought creature out of legend, and hijinks ensue!
Oh this is an absolute gem of a movie y’all, brought to you by the genius minds of film production company A24, a delightful blend of horror and campy, almost idiotic, comedy. Make sure your seatbelt is buckled and let’s dive into this!
So Ridley (Jenna Ortega) is you typical teenager, angsty and missing her passed-on mother, full of acne troubles and secretly vaping while her dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) ignores her for much more than appearance purposes, while he schmoozes his way into the good graces of the family they’re going to stay with. Elliot ignores everything but his continued greed, for both money and continuous stability for him and Ridley, really, he swears, so when the misty mountains cause their electronics to go haywire and Elliot’s busy with that crisis, he doesn’t notice until it’s too late and BAM. You’ve hit an actual unicorn with your car.
Like most girls, Ridley can’t help but be fascinated by the poor mythical horse-like creature, and of course she reaches out to grasp the glowing horn, filling her head full of magic and her eyes full of stars and the cosmos, while Elliot has a much more, let’s say visceral, reaction. But rather than calling, I dunno, some sort of wildlife preserve or the cops or even considering burying the unfortunate horned horse, no, the baby is loaded like a downed stag into the back of Elliott’s car and they hurry on to the CEO’s wilderness retreat.
It makes sense that the changes to Ridley’s appearance are the first thing that allows O’Dell (Richard E. Grant) and his greedy, grasping family to understand that the body of the unicorn has healing properties. Wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) is your typical utterly vapid socialite who helps the poor downtrodden of whatever’s currently popular third world country, not for the do-gooder part of it, but for the optics. And their son Shepard (Will Poulter) is a walking poster boy for the arrogant frat boy type who could never settle on just one thing to be or do, and so he tries them all – archery, photography, mixology, music and various forms of pharmaceuticals, all while sporting these terrible fashion choices in shorts and rambling proudly about his nonexistent accomplishments. Griff (Anthony Carrigan) is the family butler and general verbal punching bag, and let us not forget the unfortunate pair of doctoral research scientists who get called in to examine the unicorn, Dr. Song (Steve Park) and Dr. Bhatia (Sunita Mani).
So we have a family of covetous types who all want to divy the unicorn up and sell its various parts for as much wealth and power as they can get, plus the pair of scientists who are flabbergasted to find themselves dissecting an actual unicorn that, hey, guess what, isn’t actually dead for really-real yet. Elliott’s trying to procure his and Ridley’s slice of the action, though honestly, his lawyerly powers of persuasion seem to be rather lacking in this regard, while Ridley is off doing some actual research on medieval unicorns and what the ancient legends in tapestries had to say about them. You know how the modern genie, with his Arabian lamp and his three wishes with their horrifically ironic consequences, actually stems from the ancient legend of that old monster, the creature born from fire that wants nothing more than to destroy all human life on Earth, the Djinn? Our modern legends and beliefs about unicorns is kinda like that.
So everyone, even our scientists with their experiments and O’Dell supposedly being an experienced animal hunter, seems to have forgotten that a horse is a mammal and therefore, has parents. And while everyone is concerning themselves with what to use the babies’ various parts for, only Ridley seems to have realized, that the babies’ sire and dam are coming for it!
We all know horses are smart, and that humans and horses can form an almost mythical bond, but when a stallion or even a dam’s ire is raised, they can attack and defend just as well as any rampaging beast, and do present a very real and dire threat. And these particular horses, with their shaggy midnight-black coats and hooves the size of monster-truck hubcaps, their fangs and absolute righteous rage at their baby being stolen, not to mention both mom and dad’s inherently magical nature, and those utterly badass war-unicorn horns, are here to wreak utter destruction and death upon the humans that would dare to eat, drink and snort, their baby!
Full of utterly ridiculous fun with human greed and the scarcely-remembered wonder of those magical creatures you heard about as a child, cheer along with the Jurassic Park-like screech of our rampaging parents to save their baby, in Death of a Unicorn, in theaters now!
Upcoming NTR Junior projects
“Death of a Unicorn: A24’s Twisted Fairytale You Won’t Forget”
WonderCon 2025: A Faith Full Dickens Tale & The King of Kings Animated Movie
WonderCon 2025: Fade to Black Interviews
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