Review: 'The Afterparty' with Tiffany Haddish is more for movie lovers than mystery lovers

Viewers will have fun figuring out which films are being honored.

July 12, 2023 at 1:00PM
Tiffany Haddish, left, and Elizabeth Perkins in the second season of “The Afterparty.” (Apple Plus TV/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It's a golden age for all-star whodunits with pleasing puzzlers such as the "Knives Out" movies and Kenneth Branagh's interpretations of Agatha Christie classics. "The Afterparty" isn't in their league, but film aficionados should check it out.

In the second season, now streaming on Apple Plus TV, Tiffany Haddish jumps at the chance to solve another murder, this time at an estate wedding whose guests include Aniq (Sam Richardson) and Zoe (Zoe Chao), suspects from Season 1.

The mystery is a distraction. Creator Christopher Miller ( "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse") is much more interested in showing off his movie knowledge, using each of the 10 episodes to honor a different auteur. Fellow film geeks will recognize the tributes to Steven Soderbergh, Wes Anderson and Alfred Hitchcock. The cast, which includes Elizabeth Perkins, Ken Jeong and Paul Walter Hauser, are ample co-conspirators.

The series would be juicier if Haddish had more to do than slip in accounts of her sexual exploits and the writers had cooked up a decent whodunit. Maybe they were too busy re-watching classic cinema to bother.

Also this week

'Full Circle'

Soderbergh seems to be paying homage to himself in his latest TV series, a complex thriller harkening back to the director's most ambitious features, "Traffic," "Ocean's Eleven" and "Contagion." It's full of seemingly unrelated characters enmeshed in a botched kidnapping. Claire Danes, Dennis Quaid and CCH Pounder are just a few of big stars who keep you entranced even when you're hopelessly lost. Thursday, Max

'Wham!'

The late George Michael's upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems justified after watching this upbeat documentary about his rise to fame with childhood buddy Andrew Ridgeley. Director Chris Smith ("American Movie") relies almost entirely on archival interviews with the bandmates who have nothing but warm fuzzies for each other, even after Michael decided to dissolve the partnership. The doc barely touches on his solo career and the downside of fame. For that, you'll have to watch "George Michael Freedom Uncut," available for streaming on demand. Netflix

'Survival of the Thickest'

Comedian Michelle Buteau has loosely adapted her book of personal essays into this charming sitcom about a plus-size stylist recovering from a bad breakup. It's hard to feel sorry for the character; she bounces back like she just got adopted by the "Sex and the City" gang. Thursday, Max

'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'

The release of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" has given fans another reason to resurrect criticism of this 2008 adventure. There's no doubt that the film is the worst of the five. It spends way too much time setting up Shia LaBeouf to inherit the whip and fedora, a plan that was mercifully scrapped. There are also long passages of wordy exposition, a sin for a franchise that depends heavily on constant action. But give it another chance. Cate Blanchett makes a delicious villain and director Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game during a car chase through the mountains. Showtime Anytime, and available on demand on several other platforms

about the writer

about the writer

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.

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