The Clearing
Disney+
Prepare to be unsettled as this new Aussie series invites you into fictional cult The Kindred, inspired by real-life cult The Family. Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches) plays Freya, a very paranoid single mum who sees threats to her and her son's safety around every corner. It soon becomes apparent why - she was raised in The Kindred. The story follows two timelines: Freya and her son now, and earlier when she was a child, tasked with bringing her newest 'sibling' (ie, child unwittingly drawn into the cult) into line and following cult rules. Each child has their hair bleached blonde, and all are given names starting with 'A'. At the head of the Kindred is the stylish Adrienne (Miranda Otto, oozing entitled charm as the cult leader), with Guy Pearce's Dr Bryce Latham by her side. The cultists are desperate to impress Adrienne ("Mummy" to the children), resorting to measures like kidnapping and physical punishment in the hopes it will please her. The Twelve's Kate Mulvany is a particularly unhinged disciple. The crux of the first couple of episodes is young Sara - renamed Asha - and her attempt to flee the Kindred after being kidnapped. The young actors do a remarkable job and show great promise as fledgling performers. Episodes will drop weekly after the initial two and time will tell how the mystery unfolds. Palmer fans will be pleased to spot a cameo from her real-life eldest son Bodhi as one of her character's son's friends.
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XO, Kitty
Netflix
Remember that meddling little sister from To All the Boys I've Loved Before (and related sequels)? Well, she's not quite as little anymore, and she's got her own show. XO, Kitty follows Katherine Song Covey (Kitty to her friends), now 16-ish and in her penultimate year of high school, as she discovers her late mother attended school abroad in her own junior year, attending the Korean Independent School of Seoul. And, what are the odds, Kitty's long-distance boyfriend Dae - who she met very briefly while on a family holiday in the country - also attends that same school. So, being the self-determined kind of teen she is, she applies for and achieves a scholarship to attend, and convinces her father to let her go. Many hijinks ensue once she arrives, as it turns out Dae (much like Kitty's sister Lara Jean in the first film) is in a fake relationship with Yuri, daughter of the principal (played by Lost alum Yunjin Kim). The corny and fun, K-drama inspired series is filled with messy, conflicting teen emotions. It's light and easily bingeable. It's certainly not elevated content, but by the time you've reached the end you've fallen in love with all the characters a little. Or maybe a lot.
The Family Stallone
Paramount+
Fans of Rocky and Rambo look away - ol' Sly Stallone is now on a reality show. And not an interesting one with competition - a Kardashian-esque trash fest following the actor, his wife Jennifer and three daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet. Cameos from his famous friends including Al Pacino and Dolph Lundgren cannot entice anyone to watch this program, surely. Everything about it is cringeworthy, from Sistine crying when Sylvester comes home after six months on set, to brother Frank Stallone's sculpture of Sly's abs in his apartment. It's unclear who this show is meant for - fans of the action star wouldn't be interested in reality fare, and reality fans probably don't care for Stallone.
