Couch Theater – November 2, 2023

#MiddleburyCT #Movies

“Fellow Travelers” (TV-MA) – Matt Bomer (“American Horror Story”) and Jonathan Bailey (“Bridgerton”) take on this steamy seven-episode miniseries that stretches from the 1950 Lavender Scare in the U.S. to the 1980 AIDS crisis. Bomer plays Hawkins Fuller, while Bailey portrays Tim Laughlin; the pair are political staffers who begin a forbidden and volatile relationship that starts in Washington, D.C. With Hawkins being a more serious and stoic man, the idealistic Tim divulges a different side to him, amid the fact that their political careers could be disintegrated in seconds if their affair was to be discovered. Allison Williams (“Get Out”) and Jelani Alladin (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”) also star in this political thriller series. The first episode is out now, with subsequent episodes releasing every Sunday. (Paramount+)

From left, Bobby Cannavale, Bokeem Woodbine and Bill Burr star in “Old Dads.” (Netflix)

“Old Dads” (R) – In this comedy film out now, stand-up comedian and actor Bill Burr (“The Mandalorian”) decides to take a seat in the director’s chair for the first time. Burr, Bobby Cannavale (“The Watcher”) and Bokeem Woodbine (“Ray”) play a trio of out-of-touch Gen Xers struggling to find their place in the modern world after selling their vintage sports jersey business. Watching as their prized business gets gutted from the inside out and revamped by a younger boss, the three men are at a loss on how to find their way in a world that they barely recognize. Burr tied in many common grievances about political correctness that are often voiced by his generation, which might incite a laugh here and there, but doesn’t necessarily make for great comedy. (Netflix)

“Book Club: The Next Chapter” (PG-13) – The sequel to the 2018 rom-com “Book Club,” starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen, premieres Oct. 31 on streaming after bombing at the box office this May. Having continued their book club virtually through COVID-19, the four ladies reunite in-person after the worst of the pandemic and decide to take a trip to Italy in celebration of Vivian’s (Fonda) engagement. Of course, nothing goes as planned once their trip begins, but they use the current book that they’re reading – Paolo Coelho’s “The Alchemist” – as motivation for continuing their haphazard, yet surprisingly delightful adventure. Andy Garcia, Don Johnson and Craig T. Nelson also co-star. (Prime Video)

“Nocebo” (NR) – As the Halloween season ends, so does the Huluween horror movie event. This year’s event featured a handful of lesser-known movies, but it didn’t mean that the horror was in short supply. This Filipino-Irish psychological thriller is no different. Eva Green (“Dark Shadows”) plays children’s fashion designer Christine, who viewers meet just as she develops a strange illness from a tick. Shortly thereafter, a woman named Diane (Chai Fonacier) appears at Christine’s house to be her caretaker. While her unorthodox black magic practices turn off Christine and her family, Diane continues to miraculously treat Christine, but her appearing at Christine’s house is far from a miracle – or a coincidence. Out now. (Hulu)

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.