Hungry for 'True Detective'? Andrew Garfield's new Hulu series is the next best thing

Our critics' recommendations on what to watch.

April 27, 2022 at 12:00PM
Andrew Garfield (Michelle Faye/FX/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

'Under the Banner of Heaven'
2014's "True Detective" helped revive Matthew McConaughey's career and the cop-drama genre, but subsequent seasons fell short. "Under" is not part of the "Detective" family — but it might as well be. Red-hot Andrew Garfield plays a small-town detective who questions his Mormon faith while investigating some grisly murders. Like "Detective," the seven-part series is more interested in philosophical debates than in finding the killer. Minnesota native Seth Numrich plays one of the key suspects. Thursday, Hulu
NEAL JUSTIN

'Grace and Frankie'
Both Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have had better projects than this sitcom, which is wrapping up its seven-year run. But the dynamic duo has proven you can still deliver solid laughs after age 80. There's a lot of agonizing over death in these final 12 episodes, but the most memorable scenes are when the stars behave like silly teenagers. Tomlin has a great moment when she tries to set a world record for the fastest version of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Their "9 to 5" co-star Dolly Parton makes a long-anticipated cameo, but you'll have to be patient. Friday, Netflix
N.J.

'Polar Bear'
Catherine Keener isn't getting the great movie roles she once did, so sometimes we have to settle for just hearing her voice. The two-time Oscar nominee is the droll first-person narrator of this documentary, playing a polar bear cub who reminisces about playing with her brother and learning to swim and fish from her mother. Designed to play to very young children, "Polar Bear" makes for a sweet tale that includes scary moments when mom hunts for dinner and a warning about the bears' vanishing habitat. Disney Plus
CHRIS HEWITT

'David Spade: Nothing Personal'
In his new stand-up special, David Spade has a bit about buying a coat for chilly weather. That's appropriate, since he's the latest national headliner to film at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis. The locally aimed jokes don't land as well as the material about his Hollywood adventures, which include enduring less-than-glamorous accommodations for his stint on "Bachelor in Paradise." Netflix
N.J.

'Unknown'
The latest of Liam Neeson's very-similar action movies opens in theaters this week, but you'd be better off streaming this earlier, clever thriller. "Unknown" actually could have used the same title as the new movie, "Memory." Neeson plays a man who visits Berlin with his wife (January Jones), only to get involved in an accident that knocks him out. When he wakes up, another guy has assumed his identity and his wife claims to have no idea who he is. Neeson's forceful acting and Jaume Collet-Serra's taut direction keep us guessing until the end. Netflix
C.H.

about the writers

about the writers

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

See More

Chris Hewitt

Critic / Editor

Interim books editor Chris Hewitt previously worked at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where he wrote about movies and theater.

See More