Turn on the television in 2026 and chances are you’ll find the creative fingerprint of Taylor Sheridan somewhere on the screen. Over the past decade, Sheridan has built an expansive storytelling empire rooted in the myth and muscle of modern America: tales of outlaws, ranchers, power brokers and survivors. His work is often defined by grit, gunfire and raw masculine energy. But with The Madison, Sheridan turns inward.

This new prestige drama trades shootouts and power plays for something far more intimate: grief, family, and the slow, healing power of the land. The result is one of the most emotionally resonant series Sheridan has ever produced, anchored by a career-best performance from the legendary Michelle Pfeiffer.

Quiet, reflective and deeply human, The Madison unfolds like a long exhale; a sweeping, emotional portrait of a family learning how to live again after devastating loss.

When the American Dream Fractures

At the centre of the story is the Clyburn family, wealthy Manhattan elites who appear to embody the American Dream.
Preston Clyburn (Kurt Russell) is a celebrated New York business titan, the kind of man who has built an empire through discipline, intelligence and sheer willpower. His wife Stacy (Pfeiffer) is his perfect counterpart: elegant, philanthropic and fiercely devoted to her family. Together they have built a life of success, prestige and influence in the very heart of New York City.

Yet Preston’s heart has always belonged somewhere else.

Whenever he can escape the boardroom, he heads west to the wild quiet of Montana’s Madison River Valley, where he spends his days fishing for trout alongside his brother Paul (Matthew Fox). It’s a landscape that speaks to something older and more primal within him, a place where the noise of ambition fades into the rhythm of water and wind. But for Stacy, however, Montana has always felt like another world.

But when an unexpected tragedy shatters the Clyburn family’s carefully constructed life, everything changes. The city that once symbolised success suddenly feels hollow, and the only place that offers even the faintest possibility of peace is the vast, untamed stillness of the Madison River Valley.

And it’s there, among mountains, rivers and open skies, that the real story begins.

A Story of Loss, Memory and Renewal

While Sheridan is widely known for crafting stories about rebels and survivors battling harsh worlds, The Madison reveals a far more reflective side of his storytelling voice. Here, the conflict isn’t fought with bullets or land disputes. It’s fought inside the human heart.

The series carefully traces how grief fractures a family; and how time, memory and nature slowly begin to stitch those pieces back together. There are shocks and emotional upheavals along the way, but Sheridan handles the narrative with a patience and sensitivity that allows every character moment to breathe.

It’s a story about the weight of loss, but also about the possibility of renewal.

Sheridan has openly cited his admiration for the late Robert Redford, and that influence is deeply felt throughout the series. Like Redford’s great cinematic epics, from Out of Africa to A River Runs Through It, The Madison blends sweeping landscapes with deeply personal drama, creating a romantic melodrama where emotion and environment are inseparable. This is storytelling in the grand, old-fashioned sense — big feelings, big scenery and characters wrestling with the meaning of home.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Towering Performance

At the emotional core of The Madison is Michelle Pfeiffer’s extraordinary performance as Stacy Clyburn.

Best known for a career spanning decades of iconic film roles, Pfeiffer brings an astonishing level of vulnerability and authenticity to what is arguably her most substantial television role to date. Stacy begins the series as a woman whose identity is built around stability, family and control, someone who believes she understands exactly what her life is meant to be.

Then everything collapses.

Pfeiffer charts Stacy’s emotional journey with breathtaking precision, capturing the quiet devastation of grief as well as the tentative steps toward rediscovering purpose. There are moments of raw heartbreak, moments of anger, and moments of fragile hope, and Pfeiffer inhabits every one of them with remarkable honesty.

Watching Stacy slowly reconnect with herself; guided by the rhythms of nature and the spirit of the American West — becomes the beating heart of the series.

Just as compelling is her chemistry with Kurt Russell. Russell’s Preston is a man who has achieved everything he thought he wanted, only to realise that success cannot shield him from tragedy. Russell brings a rugged warmth and introspective melancholy to the role, making Preston feel like a man caught between two worlds: the power corridors of Manhattan and the quiet authenticity of the wilderness.

Together, Pfeiffer and Russell create a marriage that feels deeply lived-in, full of love, history and unspoken understanding.

A Family in Turmoil

Beyond its central couple, The Madison features a strong ensemble cast that adds both tension and emotional texture to the story.

Beau Garrett shines as Abigail, the Clyburns’ eldest daughter, a recently divorced mother struggling to rebuild her life while raising two young girls. Abigail’s storyline explores the complicated pressures of independence, motherhood and self-worth, offering some of the show’s most quietly powerful moments.

Meanwhile, Elle Chapman injects chaos and volatility into the series as Paige, the Clyburns’ younger daughter. A social media influencer accustomed to controlling every aspect of her curated life, Paige finds herself completely unprepared for the emotional upheaval facing her family. Her marriage to finance executive Russell (Patrick J. Adams) begins to buckle under the strain, adding a volatile modern dynamic to the story, that’s laced with plenty of outlandish, but even out of their element they still make it work.

And because this is still a Sheridan world, the rugged masculinity of the American West isn’t far away. Characters like cowboy Cade Harris (Kevin Zegers) and Sheriff’s deputy Van Davis (Ben Schnetzer) bring a welcome dose of classic Western charm; the kind of quietly magnetic men whose presence stirs more than a few romantic undercurrents.

Montana as a Character

If there is one element that elevates The Madison from strong drama to something truly special, it’s the breathtaking portrayal of Montana’s Madison River Valley.

Sheridan has always understood the storytelling power of landscape, but here the environment becomes almost spiritual. The sweeping plains, mist-covered rivers and endless skies are captured with a reverence that borders on poetic.

Every frame feels alive with texture — the shimmer of trout-filled water, the crunch of heather beneath boots, the distant thunder of wild mustangs running across open land.

The landscape doesn’t just provide scenery. It provides healing. In the quiet stillness of the valley, the Clyburn family slowly begins to confront their pain, rediscover their connections and rebuild something new from the ashes of their former lives.

Final Verdict: A Powerful, Emotional Television Experience

From its opening moments, The Madison grabs hold of your heart and refuses to let go.

This isn’t the adrenaline-fuelled storytelling that many audiences associate with Taylor Sheridan, but it may ultimately prove to be his most mature and emotionally resonant work yet. The series moves with the gentle rhythm of the river that gives it its name — sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, but always flowing toward something meaningful.

Anchored by Michelle Pfeiffer’s magnificent performance and enriched by Kurt Russell’s rugged warmth, The Madison is a sweeping romantic drama about grief, love, family and the quiet power of the natural world. It’s poignant. It’s beautiful. And by the time the credits roll, you may find yourself unexpectedly moved.

In a television landscape overflowing with spectacle and noise, The Madison reminds us of something far more enduring: that sometimes the most powerful stories are the ones that simply let the human heart speak.

The Madison is currently streaming on Neon.

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Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) makes the Christmas magic happen every year for her family but her children and grandchildren don’t realise the effort it takes until she goes missing.

Director Michael Showalter (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Wet Hot American Summer) brings a warm, Americana charm to Oh. What. Fun., embracing all the chaos, comedy and heart that comes with a family Christmas gone completely off the rails. Showalter leans into the hilarity and humanity of the season’s most pressure-cooker moments — the ones that should be joyful but often feel like a test of endurance. Christmas is notorious for the gulf between expectations and reality, and Showalter gleefully pokes fun at every awkward, stressful, deeply relatable moment. The result is a comedy that feels refreshingly real and surprisingly sincere, precisely because it mirrors what so many families experience during the holidays.

But the real revelation of Oh. What. Fun. is Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays wildly against type as Claire Clauster, a brazen, over-caffeinated Texas mum determined every year to be the ultimate Christmas matriarch. With fanatical zeal bordering on obsession (and just a touch of festive psychosis), Claire stages holiday extravaganzas that would make Martha Stewart sweat. But when her boundless giving finally runs dry and she realises her family has essentially forgotten her, Claire snaps, beautifully, and decides to pack her bags for California, seeking a Christmas gift for herself: a showstopping live appearance on the morning talk show hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). And from here, the film kicks into gloriously chaotic overdrive.

Pfeiffer is tremendous fun in the role. She goes full Texan, committing to every wild comedic beat with gusto, delivering a performance that’s big, bold, and completely unexpected. It’s a joy to watch her cut loose and deliver something so delightfully unhinged.

The supporting cast brings their own sparkle, too. Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz and Dominic Sessa shine as Claire’s grown children — Channing, Taylor, and Sammy — each bringing sharp comedic timing and plenty of family drama. Denis Leary is a hoot as Nick, Claire’s husband desperately trying to keep everything together, only to inadvertently make things worse at every turn. Their dysfunction feels real, messy and deeply funny.

But beneath the jokes and escalating hijinks, Oh. What. Fun. is ultimately a story about family — about forgiveness, appreciation and remembering what truly matters when the wrapping paper settles. It’s a reminder that perfection isn’t the point of Christmas; connection is. And sometimes the best gift you can give is simply pitching in and appreciating the mum who makes it all possible.

Cheeky, charming and cheer-filled, Oh. What. Fun. smashes a home run for holiday comedies. It’s heartfelt, hilarious, and offers a timely nudge for everyone to help the mums in their lives this festive season. So pour a cocoa, gather the family and treat Mum to Oh. What. Fun. on Prime Video — she’s earned it.

Image: Prime Video

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“My plan was to die before the money ran out,” says 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), but things didn’t go as planned.

Her husband Franklin has been dead for 12 years and with his vast inheritance gone, she cashes in the last of her possessions and resolves to live out her twilight days anonymously in a borrowed apartment in Paris, accompanied by her directionless son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and a cat named Small Frank — who may or may not embody the spirit of Frances’s dead husband.

Director Azazel Jacobs dives into the surreal with French Exit, a quirky and unique comedy, which is based on the best-selling novel from author Patrick deWitt, who also adapts his own work for the big screen, and the result is an off-kilter, somewhat strange and enjoyably funny comedy of a woman who has to come to terms with her life and who is seeking ‘something’ of a fresh start. Jacobs’ perspective with this film focuses clearly on character, and he heavily bends into his narrative’s odd leanings and the result is an intimate study of character, class, money and co-dependence.

Giving one incredible performance within French Exit is three-time Academy Award nominee and Hollywood megastar Michelle Pfeiffer, and this is a performance from the actress like never we’ve seen before. As an actress, Pfeiffer is a performer who can do it all. Her career has always seen her right at the head of the pack in Hollywood with roles in grand productions including Batman Returns, Scarface, The Witches of Eastwick and Stardust, along with more recent works including Dark Shadows and Ant-Man and the Wasp. And she’s always fantastic in everything she does. But it’s in French Exit that the full scale of her talents truly comes out and this is one incredible performance on behalf of this phenomenal actress.

As Frances Price, a widowed eccentric who has now lost her fortune she sets out to reinvent herself in Paris, away from the glamourous circles that she previously lived in and it’s in this new environment, with a new cast of strangers, that things get interesting for Frances. This is a performance where you never know what is going to happen next, and Pfeiffer teases out a dry sense of humour in Frances’ actions and behaviours and it’s fun to see her take on Paris in her own unique way. Frances could best be described as a woman with a plan, and she intends to stick to it, and the results in a narrative that pulls you in many different directions.

In viewing French Exit, I very much saw this film as an exploration of the idea of co-dependence. This mostly is shown through Frances strange relationship with her adult son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges), who is forced into accompanying his mother to Paris, as she simply can’t exist without him. While their relationship may be odd, there is a deep sense of companionship and trust held between each of them and this element of the film makes it that much more interesting from a narrative perspective.

French Exit is an intriguing and very different kind of comedy and for those who are seeking something out-of-the-usual, they’ll well be rewarded with this very original curiosity and the superb performance from Michelle Pfeiffer which anchors it.

Image: Sony Pictures

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Check out the full trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

“My plan was to die before the money ran out,” says 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), but things didn’t go as planned.

Her husband Franklin has been dead for 12 years and with his vast inheritance gone, she cashes in the last of her possessions and resolves to live out her twilight days anonymously in a borrowed apartment in Paris, accompanied by her directionless son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and a cat named Small Frank—who may or may not embody the spirit of Frances’s dead husband.

As a woman who is desperate to keep up appearances, Pfeiffer’s Frances Price is incredibly sharp and tactile as the former socialite, and this makes for plenty of hilarity as she starts to let her guard down in a new city and new locale.

With its terrific handling of dry humour and interesting point-of-view when it comes to reframing your life, French Exit makes for a sweet little treat for audiences.

French Exit will arrive in cinemas on March 18.

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The brand new trailer has just been released and it looks like a lot of fun. Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Following the events of Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) find themselves framed and on the run. With no one to trust but themselves, Pym designs a brand new suit for his daughter Hope and she teams up with Scott as The Wasp, and two set off to clear their names and stop a dangerous new threat to the world.

Building on from the first trailer, this new trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp continues to shine a light on the growing partnership and romance of Scott Lang (Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) who has now assumed the powers of The Wasp, whom she has inherited from her mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer). Rudd and Lilly again continue to build on their terrific chemistry together from the first Ant-Man and their double-team heroics produce some great action set pieces.

Lang and Dyne are definitely up against it this time and they’ll have to contend with the ruthless Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). This criminal mastermind has stolen former Ant-Man Dr Hank Pym’s research on the quantum zone and used it to create unique phasing technology which allow her to literally walk through walls and who is now intent on global domination.

While the stakes have definitely been raised this time for Lang and Dyne there’s still plenty of fun to be had in Ant-Man and the Wasp and once again director Peyton Reed’s comedic timing is perfect. Not only do we get to see Lang goofing around with his new size-altering abilities but the scene stealing Michael Pena returns as Lang’s wise-cracking best friend Luis. And if the laughs weren’t enough the trailer is also set to Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock classic 80s rap song ‘It Takes Two’.

The new poster for Ant-Man and the Wasp has also been released and it shines a unique image on the film, including giving us a first look at Hank Pym’s wife and Hope’s mother Janet van Dyne who will be portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer and who will have a key role to play in the Quantum Zone.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is sure to be all kinds of fun for Marvel fans and will be released in cinemas on July 5.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Having completed a case, world-famous private detective Hercule Poirot (Sir Kenneth Branagh), decides that a well deserved holiday is in order. And so the debonair detective boards the famed Orient Express for a bit of R&R. But when a shocking murder occurs on the train, Poirot finds his holiday interrupted and is flung into a race against time to find the murderer before they strike again.

Branagh’s envisioning of Murder on the Orient Express is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. The esteemed director and thespian channels the grandiose dramatic epics of the 1930s and 1940s with his adaptation of this classic tale. Everything is shot in camera and Branagh makes the most of his enormous set piece, The Orient Express herself. While there may be a detective, a victim and twelve different suspects, the Orient Express is just as much a character, and Branagh and his team explore much of its exotic structure in considerable detail throughout the film.

World-building plays a significant part in Murder on the Orient Express and Branagh and his team take audiences back to the by-gone era of the early 1930s. This world is informed by elegance and glamour and Branagh shows all of it up on screen. The set-building and production design of Jim Clay recreates the first class decadence of travelling on the Orient Express and every detail is catered to perfectly, from the placement of the most delicate antique furniture to ample servings of champagne and the finest gourmet dining options. Murder on the Orient Express is a piece of cinema that most definitely sets your senses on fire, and you can’t help but imagine yourself seated on this grand train.

The film also excels thanks to its stunning costuming, which have been provided by Academy Award Winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne, who captures the exquisite first-class lifestyle of the film’s principal characters. There’s an ample supply of jewellery, flowing dresses, fine suits and exotic furs. Both the ladies and gentlemen aboard the Orient Express are decked out in the most stunning costumes and I must give credit to Byrne for her realisation of Branagh’s Poirot with his distinctive three-piece suits and antique cane, the lavish ballroom dresses of Michelle Pfieffer’s Caroline Hubbard and the completely chic gangster attire of Johnny Depp’s Edward Ratchett, who is clad in bold double-breasted power suits and wears the ultimate fur coat.

All of these things bring you further into the world of Murder on the Orient Express and make for an exciting and completely mesmerising time up-on screen.

Branagh most definitely stands out as the arrogant, analytical, and obessesive compulsive Hercule Poirot, whose obsession with minute details borders on the notion of crazy and who sports one hell of a moustache. While I myself had never read any of Agatha Christie’s works before I saw Murder on the Orient Express, I was still familiar with the character of Poirot and from what I know of the grand detective, Branagh hit the nail on the head. His deductive manner and minute observations were in perfect keeping with the character, and you could tell that he was enjoying himself immensely as this debonair fellow. And that moustache, my god, it was unbelievably impressive and is worth the price of admission alone!

The film’s bolder casting was equally impressive with a staple of magnificent performances from all the supporting players involved. But there are a few of them that I need to call out, starting with Depp’s despicable gangster Ratchett. Depp plays the villain well, and here his slimy manner shines through as a cocky up-start who now finds himself in trouble. What was enjoyable was that as Ratchett, Depp obviously enjoyed being the bad guy, and this of-course shone through in his performance. Michelle Pfieffer’s widowed Caroline Hubbard brings plenty of refined elegance, as well as an unabashed seductiveness that she throws towards Poirot, for plenty of uncomfortable humour. Then there’s Josh Gad as the bullied, and horrendously uptight Hector McQueen, who has found himself as Ratchett’s assistant and whose behaviour makes him an instant suspect. Leslie Odom Jr. brings a sense of refinement as the learned Dr Arbuthnot and has no qualms about getting in Poirot’s face, while, finally, Daisy Ridley is in ingenue form as former governess Mary Debenham who’s sweet and inquisitive exterior hides an agenda all her own.

If you’re wanting a whodunnit. Then well, you’ve found it. Branagh provides plenty of suspense for his audience and shifts the suspicion around the diverse group of characters. Whenever you think you’ve found the murderer, the emphasis shifts and another suspect, even more guilty shows up. Branagh keeps his audience guessing and uses Poirot’s distinctive deductive reasoning to find his murderer. There’s no CSI here, just a detective with one hell of an intellect and a commitment to that of unshakeable justice. At times you’ll find yourself on a knife’s edge, and that’s exactly where Branagh wants you.

I hold by my words when I say you will not see the ending coming, and the shock, along with Branagh’s care for this grand story leaves you wanting more. As a standalone suspense epic, Murder on the Orient Express holds its ground, and I myself would love to see Branagh explore this fabled character further in successive sequels. So buy your ticket, and take your seat, because the shocks come quick and sharp with Murder on the Orient Express….and you won’t want to miss out on them.

Image: 20th Century Fox

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