The best comedy series you've all been sleeping on is returning to screens soon
Its first season scored an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ever since the first season of the Apple TV+ series The Afterparty premiered in January 2022, JOE has been singing its praises.
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (the duo behind 21 Jump Street, The LEGO Movie and the now in cinemas Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and created by Miller himself, the comedy-mystery's first batch of episodes revolves around a Justin Bieber-esque celebrity found dead at his mansion. This was during the afterparty for his high school reunion.
After the discovery, a police detective (Tiffany Haddish) arrives at the scene and makes all of the guests (each of which are played by great comedic actors) stay for interrogation. Each episode centres around one suspect being interviewed in which they give their perspective on how the preceding night played out.
Making the show unique is that each of these retellings is told via a different type of film genre.
Funny, inventive and surprisingly gripping on the mystery front, The Afterparty's first season scored an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, if you missed the series upon its initial release, now is the time to catch up ahead of its second season premiere.
Featuring the return of Haddish, along with her co-stars from season one Sam Richardson (I Think You Should Leave) and Zoë Chao (Love Life), season two centres around a different case - with the plot synopsis stating:
"A wedding is ruined when the groom is murdered and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner (Haddish) returns to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve the whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers and business partners, and hearing each suspect’s retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style."
Like the first season, The Afterparty has assembled a great cast for its second batch of episodes including Anna Konkle (PEN15), Elizabeth Perkins (Big), Jack Whitehall (Bad Education), John Cho (Searching), Ken Jeong (The Hangover), Paul Walter Hauser (Blackbird), Poppy Liu (Dead Ringers), Vivian Wu (The Joy Luck Club) and Zach Woods (The Office).
Comprising of 10 episodes, The Afterparty season two will premiere on Apple TV+ on 12 July with two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday.
You can check out the trailer for the show's return right here:
Earlier this week, JOE covered the latest teaser for the Netflix horror thriller Bird Box Barcelona in a separate article.
Meanwhile, for more of the big trailer releases in the world of film and TV this week, see below.
Bottoms
Starting with movies, Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and Rachel Sennott (The Idol) star in this comedy as two teenage girls who start a fight club in an effort to lose their virginities to cheerleaders.
Bottoms does not have an Irish release date yet but will be out in the US on 25 August.
Expend4bles
This fourth entry in the Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone-fronted action franchise arrives in Irish cinemas on 22 September.
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds
This documentary about the most iconic video game creator in the world will be released in Ireland sometime after its world premiere at the Tribeca International Film Festival in New York on 17 June.
Insidious: The Red Door
The fifth entry in the horror franchise, Insidious: The Red Door is being described as "the final chapter of the Lambert family’s terrifying saga" and is out in cinemas on 7 July.
Past Lives
In this already very acclaimed romantic drama, two deeply connected childhood friends are separated but reunite in New York decades later.
Starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo, Past Lives will be out in Irish cinemas on 8 September.
Poor Things
Reteaming her with Yorgos Lanthimos, the director of The Favourite, Emma Stone leads the cast of this surrealist sci-fi rom-com as Bella, a woman brought back to life by a scientist (Willem Dafoe).
Co-starring Mark Ruffalo as a man Bella runs off with, Poor Things will also be released in theatres on 8 September.
Talk to Me
One of the most anticipated horror movies of the year, this Australian movie revolves around a group of friends who discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand.
The film lands in Irish cinemas on 28 July.
Fellow Travelers
Moving onto TV, Fellow Travelers follows the lives and volatile romance of two men (Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer) from the '50s to the '80s.
The series is set to premiere on Paramount+ later in the year.
Good Omens: Season 2
Based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s best-selling novel, Good Omens returns for a second batch of episodes on Prime Video on 28 July, which will dive deeper into the friendship between the fussy angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and the fast-living demon Crowley (David Tennant).
Special Ops: Lioness
From Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, this spy thriller follows a young Marine (Laysla De Oliveira) recruited to join the real-life Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organisation from within.
Co-starring Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña, Special Ops: Lioness will premiere on Paramount+ on 23 July.
The Witcher Season 3
Last but not least, Henry Cavill's final season on The Witcher as Geralt of Rivia - before Liam Hemsworth takes over the role - will be released in two parts on Netflix, with the first part dropping on 29 June.
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