movie review for spoiler alert

Spoiler Alert

A common complaint about LGBTQ+ movies from LGBTQ+ people is that they always end tragically. The new dramedy “Spoiler Alert” doesn’t break this mold, but given that it’s based on the life story of TV journalist Michael Ausiello , it gets a pass. Besides, Ausiello does issue a warning up top that this tale will have a sad ending. At least, he does in the book: The title of his memoir is Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies at the End , shortened to “Spoiler Alert” for its movie adaptation. 

This is a nice film. A sweet film. A film you can watch with your mother-in-law. Jim Parsons from “The Big Bang Theory” stars in a sensitive performance as Michael, a shy pop-culture junkie who doesn’t drink or do drugs and is emotionally guarded because of his traumatic past. Michael is grossed out by Grindr and timid about sex, which means he’s a poor fit for the musky dance floors of the Manhattan gay-bar circuit. (Incidentally, he does get on quite well with his eventual mother-in-law, played here by Sally Field .) 

But it’s on one of those dance floors, on a rare night out with a colleague from TV Guide , that Michael meets Kit Cowan ( Ben Aldridge ), the man who ends up being the love of his life. Kit has everything that Michael wishes he had: Confidence, cool friends, and a muscular physique. And yet, Kit is willing to wait for Michael to let down his emotional walls. Besides, Michael’s not the only one with neuroses—Kit has baggage he has to work through if he and Michael are going to live the monogamously partnered life that Michael, in particular, seems to want. 

The chemistry between Parsons and Aldridge is easy and flirtatious, mainly when they engage in witty banter. And “Spoiler Alert” does a good job of showing the lovable side of both of these flawed, vulnerable characters. You can see how these two could fall so deeply for one another that they’d stick it out through the hardest of times, from ordinary spats about sex and commitment to the far more serious threats to Kit’s health that drive the second half of the movie. (This is one of those dramedies that shifts from comedy to drama, instead of blending the two throughout the film.) 

The film is very honest about the struggles involved with long-term relationships and filled with true-to-life detail that could only have come from a memoir: Michael’s obsession with Diet Coke and The Smurfs. Kit’s love of smoking weed out of a tiny metal one-hitter and ever-present digital camera. (The film is set between the early ’00s and mid-2010s.) The packaging of their love story is more generic, however, soundtracked by “Woah OH oh” handclap music and structured around Facebook posts and visits with Kit’s parents. Director Michael Showalter does attempt one flight of surrealist fancy by inserting sequences from an imaginary sitcom based on Michael’s childhood. But given that the best things about “Spoiler Alert” are its realistic characters and setting, these pivots into broad ’80s archetypes never quite click. 

Showalter covered similar territory in 2017’s “ The Big Sick ,” which is also about a relationship (a heterosexual one this time) that’s tested by a health crisis (only it’s early in the courtship, rather than later on during a rough patch). That film was also based on a true story, but with a more fortunate outcome. In a media landscape where gay romances are rarely allowed the happy endings of straight ones, it’s an inarguable fact that in these real people’s real lives, the (presumed—she hasn’t publicly stated otherwise) straight woman survived, but the gay man didn’t, what do you do with that? Probably leave the question open (I’m certainly going to) and let “Spoiler Alert” be what it is: An effective PG-13 romantic tearjerker for mainstream audiences who are increasingly comfortable with LGBTQ+ content—a positive development, whether you’re a “clubbing on a Wednesday” type or a “fall asleep on the couch watching ‘Felicity'” one.

Now playing in theaters. 

Katie Rife is a freelance writer and critic based in Chicago with a speciality in genre cinema. She worked as the News Editor of  The A.V. Club  from 2014-2019, and as Senior Editor of that site from 2019-2022. She currently writes about film for outlets like  Vulture, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Polygon , and  RogerEbert.com.

• Jim Parsons as Michael Ausiello
• Ben Aldridge as Kit Cowan
• Sally Field as Marilyn
• Josh Pais as Scott
• Tara Summers as Mrs. Ausiello
• Winslow Bright as Kelly Roswell
• Allegra Heart as Franny
• Sadie Scott as Kirby

Cinematographer

• Brian Burgoyne
• Brian H. Kim
• David Marshall Grant

Writer (based on the book "Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies" by)

• Michael Ausiello
• Michael Showalter
• Peter Teschner

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‘spoiler alert’ review: jim parsons brings heart and conviction to michael showalter’s rom-com tearjerker.

Ben Aldridge co-stars in this moving adaptation of TV journalist Michael Ausiello’s relationship memoir, also featuring Sally Field and Bill Irwin.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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While box office pundits had a range of opinions about the commercial failure of the Billy Eichner vehicle Bros a couple months back, the general view was that the gay rom-com under-performed even within its core demographic. Spoiler Alert potentially has a shot at appeal beyond that niche, particularly with audiences starved for a genuinely moving, pleasingly old-fashioned four-hankie tearjerker whose sentiments are backed by lived experience. It won’t hurt that the December Focus Features release is also a stealth Christmas movie.

The full title of Ausiello’s book is unequivocal — Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies — and the script by actor-turned-writer David Marshall Grant and author and LGBTQ activist Dan Savage clues the audience in pretty much from the outset that this will be a grief drama.

In a mildly worrisome opening, TV Guide feature writer Michael (Parsons) gives a quick overview of a life he imagines as an ‘80s sitcom called The Ausiellos , yielding clunky inserts with studio laugh tracks that, despite Showalter’s grounding in TV comedy, needed a stronger stylistic command in order to work. Thankfully, it’s not too long before Michael interrupts his voiceover with, “OK, I’ll shut up now,” after explaining that he never planned for his story to go from sitcom to hospital soap.

The movie becomes instantly more engaging when he gets dragged by a co-worker to jock night at a queer bar and locks eyes with Kit ( Ben Aldridge ), whose standard-issue best girlfriend Nina (Nikki M. James) — cracks wise, drinks too much, falls for gay guys — encourages Michael by informing him that Kit’s type is dweeb. Which is lucky because from his failure to get Michael’s Knight Rider reference alone, Kit seems an unlikely match for the vegetarian teetotaler. That’s even before the Smurf obsession is revealed, its roots traced to Michael’s loss of his mother at a young age to cancer.

Uptight Michael would seem to have the most to gain from their union, but it turns out to be a two-way exchange. Kit has never been in a long-term relationship, always believing that quick hookups were enough, and he has never found the right moment to come out to his parents, Marilyn ( Sally Field ) and Bob ( Bill Irwin ). Stability with Michael gives him the courage to make that happen when the folks visit New York, a scene that unfolds with awkward amusement under the watchful eye of Kit’s monosyllabic roommate Kirby (Sadie Scott).

Audiences accustomed to more fireworks might grumble that Marilyn and Bob’s swift acceptance means the script sets up conflict it doesn’t deliver. But Field (who starred in Showalter’s Hello, My Name is Doris ) and Irwin are so appealing in the roles that it makes sense when they turn it around and admonish Kit for not trusting them enough to share such a fundamental part of his identity sooner.

The tone shifts smoothly once Kit discovers a growth diagnosed as a rare neuroendocrine tumor. Although they are living apart by then, Michael steps in to book appointments with New York’s best oncologists, leading to false hopes, reprieves and eventually, grim reality, faced together.

Where the drama is headed is never in doubt, and the steps it takes to get there are often familiar. Yet by this time we are sufficiently invested in the couple to care deeply. If anything, the intrusion of mortality makes the relationship more believable as both Parsons and Aldridge (Epix’s Pennyworth ) imbue their scenes with warmth and heart, regret and exquisite sadness. A visit to Kit’s parents in Ohio to break the awful news to them will have all but the most hardened viewers tearing up, as will a lovely interlude where the four of them spend a weekend together in Ocean City, New Jersey, after Kit’s radiation treatment has bought him some time.

Showalter and the writers don’t hold back on the sentiment, and it could be argued that a cut to Michael’s TV fantasy version of his life, just as his pain reaches its zenith, clouds the pathos. But this is a well-acted movie with far more authentic feeling than mawkishness; it provides a welcome reminder that there’s nothing quite so emotionally cathartic as a good cry. Home-video footage of the real Michael and Kit on the end credits adds weight to the lingering poignancy.

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Spoiler Alert Reviews

This could easily have become a cynical and manipulative tear-jerker. However, director Michael Showalter nimbly avoids mawkishness in much the same way he did with The Big Sick, and the result is both tongue-in-cheek and touching.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 4, 2024

Sure, it’s an amazingly conventional biopic, going through the ups and downs of Michael’s time with Kit. But it’s also increasingly earnest.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Mar 6, 2024

Jim Parsons, in a lead role, truly surprised me with his range. Plus, the film really takes its time ge.tting to all the sadness. You learn to love this couple through their trials and tribulations and it is wildly effective.

Full Review | Feb 27, 2024

Spoiler Alert, despite its lackluster direction and oddly generic seriocomedy, beats all the odds to reach a rare level of poignancy for mainstream efforts.

Full Review | Aug 6, 2023

Spoiler Alert is a sentimental snapshot of a relationship with an inevitable ending that shares the importance of grasping onto something you love before it leaves you through

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Great film I cried I laughed I loved how rooted in realism it was and how relatable it was Jim Parsons performance though? Great he can truly lead a movie

Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge are pure magic onscreen, with energetic chemistry that rivals any opposite-sex couple depicted in film in recent memory.

Adapted from Michael Ausiello's autobiography with warmth and realistic humour, it's directed by Michael Showalter with a terrific sense of authenticity that undercuts the homespun nostalgia and manages to avoid becoming maudlin.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 9, 2023

I can see 'Spoiler Alert' showing up on holiday watch lists year after year. I am putting the film on my “rainy day romance” binge list.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 14, 2023

When it gets welcomely thorny — when it feels specific to Ausiello and Cowan's 13-year-relationship, laying bare its early awkwardness and many imperfections — it's a richer movie.

Full Review | Feb 24, 2023

'Spoiler Alert' is a film that tells a story of a not-so-perfect relationship that will make you laugh, cry, and feel like you're part of Michael and Kit's life.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Feb 23, 2023

This is an occasionally funny, mostly sweet tearjerker of a film... and most couples will see elements of themselves.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 15, 2023

Parsons is terrific in a tough role, balancing wit with the gravitas needed as he goes from full-time writer to full-time carer. Matching him is Aldridge who imbues his ailing character with soul-enriching defiance. It’s a beautifully etched performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 10, 2023

Sometimes the tone is a little too cute but Showalter and his writers have a persuasive ability to defuse the looming threat of sentimentality with comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 10, 2023

Where other movies might indulge glibness or Oscar-clip force, Spoiler Alert opts for subtlety and clarity.

Full Review | Feb 7, 2023

It is interesting... but it is super stagey... and very mawkish

Full Review | Feb 6, 2023

Michael Showalter is competent enough to make the real-life drama sink in, and the cast is good enough to sell it.

Full Review | Jan 15, 2023

I’d say get out the tissues and enjoy this sweet, hopeful love story

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jan 13, 2023

Beautiful, devastating, and achingly honest, "Spoiler Alert" is a sweet, relatable love story — with an unsurprisingly gut-wrenching ending — about the moments that give our life meaning and the sacrifices we willingly make to pursue that meaning.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 9, 2023

In the end it's an effective tearjerker with solid and stable marks across the board (extra points for the supporting cast thanks to Sally Field and Bill Irwin stealing scenes as Kit's parents).

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jan 6, 2023

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Spoiler Alert review: A ridiculously charming leading man anchors a genre-defying love story

Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge star in a heartbreaking romance that subverts expectations.

For decades, gay love stories have been presented as tragedies, with rare exceptions swinging over to broad comedy. Spoiler Alert refuses to be either. That's not to say the real-life story of Michael Ausiello and Kit Cowan doesn't end (and begin, actually) in a hospital bed — or elicit a few laughs — but the new film spends the bulk of its 112 minutes sitting in the mundane of Michael and Kit's life: the awkwardness of early dates, the meeting of parents, the nights on the couch watching Drag Race . Yes, it chronicles Kit's cancer battle and death, but Spoiler Alert is ultimately a relationship story, one we see on screen far too infrequently.

Just like its source material — TVLine founder Michael Ausiello's bestselling memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies — the movie lets you know from the start that Michael ( Jim Parsons ) will lose Kit ( Ben Aldridge ) to a rare and aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer. Getting that out of the way up front frees director Michael Showalter ( The Big Sick ) from any inclination to inject a sense of manipulative hope. A happy ending is not an option here. We know Kit's fate and, just like Michael, can only focus on enjoying the time we have with the charming photographer.

And oh, how charming Aldridge is as Kit. The Pennyworth and Fleabag actor effortlessly exudes movie-star charisma with all the approachability of a Hallmark romantic lead. Parsons is distant in comparison (though colleagues who worked with Ausiello at EW in the late 2000s say the Big Bang Theory star successfully captures the essence of the witty man they knew), but that reservedness doesn't hinder the magnetism of the couple's early scenes together.

Screenwriters David Marshall Grant ( A Million Little Things , Brothers & Sisters ) and Dan Savage (the columnist behind " Savage Love ") seem an equally suitable match, the latter infusing a kick into what could have played out as an oversentimental episode of Grant's television work. Spoiler Alert nimbly shifts tone and time periods, and whenever it gets a little too cute for its own good, the film finds its way back into an intimate, real moment between Kit and Michael.

The central couple is so appealing that the story deflates a bit any time their world expands (through no fault of his own, Queer Eye 's Antoni Porwoski is a distracting casting choice as Kit's coworker). That observation initially includes the intrusion of Kit's parents ( Sally Field and Bill Irwin ), whose first appearance plays out more like a Will & Grace story line — though their presence is increasingly welcome as Kit's health declines. Spoiler Alert 's delicate restraint is on full display as Field's Marilyn is informed of her son's diagnosis. The actress, known for her Oscar-worthy scene-chewing, goes subtle for a change with her understated yet still heartbreaking response.

Spoiler Alert defies expectations throughout, refusing to adhere to one genre or storytelling convention. Some unexpected twists are successful (a multi-cam sitcom setting provides Michael's backstory) while others are jarring (one hard left turn in the final act, in particular), but Showalter ultimately succeeds because he never loses focus of the heart at the core of his story. Grade: B+

Spoiler Alert is out now in limited release, available wide on Dec. 9.

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Spoiler Alert Review

Big bang meets big sick..

Spoiler Alert debuts in theaters on Dec. 2, 2022.

In a year of movies about movies ( Bardo , The Fabelmans , Empire of Light , and so on), it’s almost refreshing to get one nominally about ’80s sitcoms, even though it’s really about TV journalist Michael Ausiello (Jim Parsons) telling the story of his late photographer husband, Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge), who died from cancer in 2015. Then again, Spoiler Alert is only really “about” television in the most passing sense, with brief and tenuous connections made between Michael’s perspective on his field, and his approach to real life. Parsons narrates the story, which slips into sitcom-esque flashbacks on occasion — single-camera with a laugh track seems to be the lens through which Michael views his own life — but director Michael Showalter is seldom interested in telling this tragic romance with much flair or emotional allure.

The result is a deeply plain movie that, though it has a warm and welcome palette, features great performances, and captures the outward shape of a relationship, has very little else to offer.

The title makes little sense when shortened from that of Ausiello’s memoir (“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”), but its opening scene fills in the missing gap, showing Michael laying with a terminally ill Kit on his last day alive. The rest of the movie chronicles the 14 years leading up to this moment, casting a dark and unavoidable cloud over its central relationship. Michael, a timid wallflower, reluctantly accompanies his coworker to a gay bar, where he meets the sweet and sexy Kit. A mismatch on paper, they strike an immediate and adorable chord, but the actors rarely have physical chemistry despite their numerous intimate scenes. Part of the blame falls on Showalter, who captures sex and even kissing with a stilted, distant hand — rarely has a queer film felt so safe and conventional — but Parsons and Cowan have enough by way of upbeat energy to sell at least some semblance of a dynamic between Michael and Kit.

It's difficult to gauge who either of them are as people beyond their interactions. Michael has a collection of Smurfs memorabilia that’s played for laughs, but neither man’s perspective — as a journalist and photographer respectively — seem to inform their worldview, and little about their dialogue or behavior suggests they have any kind of depth or history beyond the immediate circumstances of a scene. This is especially unfortunate given the vulnerability both actors put on display, bringing their characters’ respective insecurities to the fore (Kit is still closeted; Michael is afraid he’ll leave him for someone better).

What's the best Michael Showalter project?

However, Spoiler Alert is concerned, first and foremost, with fitting all 14 years of Ausiello’s tale into its 112-minute runtime. So, while the highs of Michael and Kit’s relationship have just enough spark to be convincing, the lows play more like boxes checked off for the sake of fidelity. This includes extended periods where they’re forced to work through their issues in couple’s therapy, but it’s all reduced to a head-scratching rom com montage that gives their most rigorous and defining romantic moments a mere passing glance.

When they’re visited by Kit’s high-strung parents (Sally Field and Bill Irwin), the situation is mildly awkward until Kit is forced to come out to them, but compared to Showalter’s The Big Sick — which was about the friction between the main character and his future in-laws — Spoiler Alert frames even this vital drama as a gag to be swept under the rug with a quickness. There certainly needn’t be a binary choice between “comedy” and “drama” (The Big Sick deftly blended the two), but Michael and Kit’s story is frequently reduced to the former for most of its chronology.

When things finally get more serious — which is to say, when Kit receives his diagnosis, and when his condition eventually worsens — the movie has no choice but to let the circumstances speak for themselves. The performances elevate the story just beyond the realm of Showalter’s dull non-embellishments, if only for him to find a sprinkle of late third-act panache when it’s least dramatically appropriate, robbing the film’s most touching moments of their power in the process.

Spoiler Alert is just about saved by its cast, especially Parsons and Aldridge. But it’s hard to avoid wondering what kind of work they might have done in the hands of a better director, one capable of molding their physical and emotional dynamic into something deeply felt — rather than simply seen — so that losing it might feel more meaningful.

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Real-life tragic romance Spoiler Alert is kneecapped by the plainness of its storytelling, and only marginally saved by its performances. Based on the memoir by journalist Michael Ausiello, about his husband who died from cancer, the film eventually strays into heart-wrenching territory, but only ever so briefly.

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Review: ‘Spoiler Alert’ — You’re gonna need those Kleenex

This image released by Focus Features shows Jim Parsons, left, and Ben Aldridge in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (Giovanni Rufino/Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Jim Parsons, right, and Ben Aldridge in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (Linda Källérus/Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Jim Parsons, left, and Ben Aldridge in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (David Scott Holloway/Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Ben Aldridge, from left, Jim Parsons, Sally Field and Bill Irwin in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (Linda Källérus/Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Sally Field, left, and Jim Parsons in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Jim Parsons in a scene from “Spoiler Alert.” (Focus Features via AP)

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In one of the more effective moments of “Spoiler Alert,” the camera does something unexpected and wise: it leaves the room. At the very moment a dining-table conversation becomes unbearably painful, the viewer is moved outside, where we can only watch the characters in shadows through a window, hearing nothing.

We don’t need to hear the words. We know that Kit (Ben Aldridge) and his boyfriend Michael (Jim Parsons) are telling Kit’s parents (a heartbreaking Sally Field and Bill Irwin) that their handsome, charismatic son has a likely fatal disease. We know them all well enough to fill in the blanks.

It’s a moment of admirable restraint, in a film that doesn’t always make that choice. While often deeply moving, “Spoiler Alert,” directed by Michael Showalter and based on the relationship memoir by Michael Ausiello, seems at times unable to decide what kind of film it is, resulting in a number of jarring tonal shifts — particularly one at the very end, which distances us from the characters and their plight just when we’re feeling the most committed to them. At times “Spoiler Alert” feels like an edgy, clever film that plays wittily on the main character’s lifelong obsession with TV. At others, it feels like a more formulaic, holiday-themed tearjerker — the passing years are marked in a Christmas card montage! — that wrings our tears in unsubtle ways.

It’s no crime to be the latter, but the film often reminds us that it seeks to be the former. In any case, bring those Kleenex because you’ll need them. You WILL cry. That much is a given.

We witness the couple’s first meeting at a bar. Michael, a journalist who covers television (Parsons both stars and produces), is hardly one for bars. He’s a “work late, get up early guy” and sticks to Diet Coke. But a colleague has dragged him out, and now he sees Kit across the dance floor, and he’s gorgeous, so, well, that’s that. (Aldridge IS impossibly charming — if you don’t know this actor already you will probably, like me, start randomly Googling “Tell me about Ben Aldridge.” And — spoiler alert! — he’s British and totally nails the American accent.)

Soon after, the two are having dinner and talking about their lives. Truth is, there is little that ostensibly links these two — not their jobs, not their family circumstances, certainly not Michael’s obsession with the Smurfs, though we’re getting ahead of ourselves there. But chemistry works in mysterious ways. Soon they’re at Kit’s apartment, awkwardly hooking up.

Well, awkwardly for Michael, who’s way less comfortable, and explains that he is a FFK (former fat kid) and thus has body issues. In case you can’t quite picture this, we have a running motif where Michael’s youth is depicted as an old-fashioned sitcom — a device that feels clever at first, but wears thin.

Anyway, soon Kit has given Michael closet space in his apartment. When Kit comes down with appendicitis (unrelated to later health issues) his parents insist on coming to New York, and this results in a hilarious attempt by Michael to “de-gay” Kit’s apartment (did we mention? Kit hasn’t come out to his parents yet.) That “Beaches” DVD? Gone. “When Harry Met Sally” too. And much more.

Once at home, though, it takes Mom only a few minutes to figure out that Michael, who somehow knows where the spare sheets are, is more than a casual friend. “I’m gay,” Kit blurts out finally, and the parents are upset — because he hadn’t told them earlier. “We’re actually kind of hip,” says Dad. It’s Field more than anyone in the film who’ll bring you to tears as she navigates love and loss.

More than a decade goes by (punctuated by those Christmas cards) and the couple is having domestic trouble and living separately. But then tragedy strikes, bringing them closer together. We witness the excruciating doctor visits, the differing medical opinions. Soon Kit is starting chemotherapy, and when there’s no bed available, only a chair — a painful situation for Kit — Michael goes into full “Terms of Endearment” mode. “Get my husband a bed!” he bellows at the nurse.

And just when you think it’s all a little TOO Shirley MacLaine, he cops to the joke: “It worked for Shirley MacLaine,” he tells Kit. It’s a sign of the film’s frequent tonal shifts that you weren’t quite sure.

In any case, from here, you’re on your own, dear viewer, because my careful notes devolve into “noooo” and “sooo sad.”

Spoiler alert: Love — romantic, platonic, parental — often comes at a terrible price.

“Spoiler Alert,” a Focus Features release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America “for sexual content, drug use and thematic elements.“ Running time: 112 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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‘Spoiler Alert’ Review: Jim Parsons & Ben Aldridge In Adaptation Of Michael Ausiello’s Memoir

By Todd McCarthy

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Spoiler Alert is about as funny and upbeat a film you could possibly make when the subject is the illness and death of one of the partners in the central relationship. It’s a gay Love Story with laughs, albeit with a twist, as the film challenges itself to be both amusing and emotionally involving where matters of life and death are concerned. Fortunately, it manages to more or less succeed on both counts due to its ever-ready wise-crack nature and sympathetic direction.

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With its straightforward, presentational approach, Spoiler Alert mostly satisfies as an engaging and sympathetic account of an unusual but credible relationship; from emotional and experiential perspectives, Kit induced Michael to finally cast his lingering childhood attachments aside and become a man, while Michael inspired Kit to become more serious and focused about life and work. Undoubtedly, it was rather more complex than that, but then those interested in the details and difficulties of their relationship can double their pleasure by diving into the book by Ausiello, who is the founder and editor-in-chief of Deadline’s sister site TVLine.

The film will no doubt be too simplistic for those close to the scene and the individuals involved, but it does helpfully and engagingly illuminate a moment in time that, despite persistent difficulties and challenges, involved palpable progress and societal change.

Focus Features releases Spoiler Alert in select theaters Friday before it expands wide the following weekend.

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Review: In ‘Spoiler Alert,’ the tears will flow despite the narrative gimmicks

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In the summer and fall of 2022, “Fire Island” and “Bros” made inroads as high-profile gay rom-coms, queering the familiar genre. Now, arriving just in time for Christmas, we have “Spoiler Alert,” a heart-rending holiday weepie about two men in love, facing cancer together. Based on the memoir by TV journalist Michael Ausiello, “Spoiler Alert” tells the story of Ausiello’s marriage to Kit Cowan: how they fell in love and forged a partnership, with all the attendant struggles of a long-term relationship, and then walked together through Kit’s battle with a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer.

“The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons plays Michael, the dweeby-cute TV nerd who writes for TV Guide and collects Smurfs paraphernalia, while English actor Ben Aldridge plays Kit, an undeniably hot aspiring photographer. One night, a co-worker drags Michael to “jock night” at a bar after work, where he locks eyes with Kit on the dance floor, and the rest is history.

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The screenplay marks the feature screenwriting debut of Dan Savage , known for his sex advice column “Savage Love” in the Seattle alt-weekly the Stranger, as well as his long-running podcast, “Savage Lovecast.” Savage adapted Ausiello’s 2017 book with David Marshall Grant, and the screenplay maintains the grounded honesty that feels typical to Savage’s work, despite the sappy Hollywood romance trappings of the film.

Directed by TV and film veteran Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick,” “Lovebirds” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), “Spoiler Alert” is aesthetically unshowy, aside from a few meta moments meant to demonstrate how Michael copes with life’s challenges through media. The characters watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” or “Felicity” for connection and comfort, and there’s also the matter of the Smurfs collection, with which a psychoanalyst could have a field day. Showalter also employs TV tropes to capture Michael’s childhood flashbacks to his mother’s own battle with cancer, shot and styled like a ‘90s family sitcom, complete with laugh track. During one particularly heart-wrenching moment, Showalter allows Michael to step out of his own grief to assert his TV journalist side, interviewing Kit as he would an actor on set.

Spoiler alert: Ben Aldridge, star of ‘Spoiler Alert,’ is on the cusp of stardom

The English actor is vaulting from the stage and TV into two major film roles: romantic tragicomedy ‘Spoiler Alert’ and horror thriller ‘Knock at the Cabin.’

Nov. 15, 2022

Showalter is not a cinematic stylist, per se, but more of a nuts-and-bolts filmmaker, managing tone and pace. The meta TV moments make “Spoiler Alert” more interesting to watch, and help illustrate our protagonist’s mind-set, but you almost wish the filmmakers took the conceit further. There’s a challenge to balance this experimentation with the other goal of the film, which is to be a big, right-down-the-middle mainstream romance.

Though Parsons’ performance doesn’t always work, “Spoiler Alert” is a breakout role for Aldridge, who demonstrates his leading hunk potential as Kit, as well as his ability to break your heart. Along with Sally Field, who plays his mother Marilyn, the pair bring a sincerity to their performances that provide the gut-punch that will draw your tears. Despite the narrative elements that are part of Michael’s coping mechanisms, Aldridge and Field effectively salvage the emotional core of “Spoiler Alert,” bringing us back to the heart of the matter, and giving space to the feelings that should flow freely in a film like this. Spoiler alert: Don’t forget the tissues.

Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

‘Spoiler Alert’

Rated: PG-13, for sexual content, drug use and thematic elements Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes Playing: Starts Dec. 2, AMC The Grove, Los Angeles; AMC Century City

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‘Spoiler Alert’: Nice guys find one another for a beautiful, ultimately tragic love story

Jim parsons, ben aldridge have natural chemistry in a film that deftly blends wry humor with heartfelt drama..

Christmas enthusiast Michael (Jim Parsons, left) gets to spend many a holiday with Kit (Ben Aldridge) in “Spoiler Alert.”

Focus Features

They shortened the title of Michael Ausiello’s 2017 memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” to the generic and vague “Spoiler Alert” for the movie, but Michael Showalter’s warm, funny and moving adaptation makes it clear from the opening scene that we’re about to watch a love story that ends in tragic and premature death. We start at the end and then make our way back to the beginning — and what transpires over the course of a 13-year relationship and over the course of the movie has us reaching for the tissues when we return back to the hospital and that opening scene.

Now we know about the two wonderful, real, flawed and lovely people in this relationship. Now we know everything they’ve been through up to this moment. Now we have great empathy for them, and we wish it could end differently, but we already know it won’t.

Director Showalter (who mined similar territory in “The Big Sick,” one of the best movies of 2017) and screenwriters David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage display a deft touch for blending wry humor with heartfelt drama, and Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge have a natural and comfortable chemistry in a story that hits a lot of familiar notes but contains some creatively clever devices while packing, yes, a whole lot of heart.

With a nod to such classic weepers as “Love Story” and “Terms of Endearment” (which actually gets a shout-out in one memorable scene), “Spoiler Alert” is a beautifully rendered drama-comedy about a seemingly mismatched couple who overcome their respective insecurities and misgivings and find a sense of belonging neither has really known as an adult. They also resent one another, get into some terrible fights, begin to doubt whether they should stay together and even separate at one point — just like probably half the couples we know, and half the relationships we’ve been in.

Serving as the narrator for the story, Parsons’ Michael is a tall and handsome but socially awkward dweeb who writes for TV Guide, which is kind of a dream come true for Michael because he grew up in a single-parent household and loved watching soap operas with his mother (Tara Summers). When we flash back to Michael’s childhood, it’s in the form of a conventional 1980s sitcom, though the canned laughter hardly seems fitting, given Michael comes home from school with stories of being bullied for his size and because his father died.

On a rare night out, Michael meets the hunky photographer Kit (Ben Aldridge) in a gay club, and they exchange some passionate kisses — but Michael is still surprised when Kit calls and they start dating. (In one particularly touching and effective scene, Michael and Kit are in Kit’s bedroom, about to become intimate, when Michael stops Kit from removing his shirt and explains that as an “FFK” — Former Fat Kid — he still has body issues. Kit handles the situation with kindness and gentle humor, and we begin to see the promise in this relationship.)

Even as the relationship grows, Michael and Kit encounter a number of possible stumbling blocks, from Michael’s obsession with Smurfs, yes, Smurfs, to Kit revealing he’s never told his parents he’s gay to Michael’s suspicions about Kit’s friendship with a handsome co-worker. The years go by, chronicled by one Christmas card after another. (Michael is very passionate about celebrating Christmas because it reminds him of the happiest part of his childhood. There’s never any talk about going to church or faith; it’s all about the trees and the lights and the dinner parties and the annual holiday card photo.)

More than a decade into the relationship, Michael and Kit find themselves growing apart and Kit even moves out as they see a therapist and work on repairing things — and that’s about the time Kit gets diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Cue the scenes of Kit feeling the effects of chemotherapy, of the doctor issuing increasingly dire warnings, of one last idyllic weekend on the shore, with Kit’s parents joining Michael and Kit, of the uptight Michael finally agreeing to smoke pot with Kit. There’s a very late moment when “Spoiler Alert” takes a pretty big swing that initially comes off as jarring and threatens our emotional investment in the proceedings, but thanks to the strong writing and the powerful performances by Parsons and Aldridge, the scene eventually lands.

As you’d expect, Sally Field and Bill Irwin are great together as Kit’s parents, who are so loving and accepting, you wonder why Kit waited so long to come out to them. Mostly, though, this is the story of Michael and Kit, and even though they’re not going to get the 40 or 50 years they might have hoped to have together, they’re eternally grateful for the time they did have, and we feel fortunate to have spent time with them.

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Spoiler alert review: parsons & aldridge exude warmth in engaging romantic drama.

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It’s been a while since there was a film that falls under the tear-jerker category. For the screening of this film, there were even small tissue packs handed out to audiences. On that front, Spoiler Alert absolutely delivers without being contrived. Directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage, the film is based on the 2017 memoir by Michael Ausiello, called Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies . Packed with genuinely heartfelt moments, plenty of humor, and solid cast performances, Spoiler Alert makes for quite a lovely watch.

Michael Ausiello ( The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons) is an entertainment journalist living in New York. Michael is consumed with his work, which includes watching several hours of television and occasionally writing about Fear Factor , but he’s convinced to go out to a bar, where he meets and instantly clicks with Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge) , a photographer. It’s not long before they’re seeing each other all the time, and, over several years, Michael and Kit’s relationship grows stronger. But after 14 years together, and a few speed bumps, everything changes when Kit is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Related: Michael Ausiello Interview: Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert knows exactly the kind of film it is and sits comfortably in the space it has created. There is comfort in this, and the film has the right amount of heart and humor that one doesn’t find in romance films much anymore. While based on Ausiello’s real-life relationship with his late husband, Spoiler Alert effectively employs certain tropes without ever feeling particularly trope-y. As a director, Showalter has a firm grasp on what the film is about and where its heart lies, giving the audience a well-paced and heartwarming story that is elevated by its lead and supporting actors.

Parsons and Aldridge are fabulous together; they’ve got a good amount of chemistry and, even when their characters are not in a particularly good place in their relationship, the actors exude a warmth that showcases how much Michael and Kit care for and love each other despite everything. Sally Field and Bill Irwin — who portray Kit’s parents, Marilyn and Bob, respectively — are also excellent, grounding the film and filling it with support and a spirited energy that livens up their scenes.

What works the least, however, are the 80s sitcom scenes, which are interspersed throughout Spoiler Alert as a way for the audience to glimpse Michael’s past and, crucially, his relationship with his mother. However, these scenes don’t add anything meaningful to Michael’s personal story, nor are they funny as standalones. They distract from the overall narrative, and take up time that could have been better spent on deepening Michael and Kit’s relationship. That said, these moments, unnecessary as they are, don’t take away from the overall story.

Spoiler Alert doesn’t force its sorrow on the audience to make them cry or feel sympathy. Rather, the film develops the characters’ relationship enough so that when cancer rears its ugly head, the audience understands the gravity of the situation without being exploited by the narrative. What’s more, the film provides space for the characters — through lingering eye contact, heartbreaking pauses, and humor — to feel their feelings, which adds authenticity and vulnerability to the story. Yet despite the heaviness of the situation, the romantic drama doesn’t take itself too seriously; there is always a glimmer of hope or comedic dialogue breaking through the fog of despair.

Spoiler Alert may not be the film leading awards chatter this winter, but it is touching, funny, hopeful, and full of love. Paired with genuinely moving performances, the romantic drama is like a warm embrace, with an equal amount of humor, sorrow, and love wrapped up in it.

More: Empire of Light Review: Colman & Ward Are Stellar In Sam Mendes' Bland Film

Spoiler Alert was released in theaters Friday, December 9. The film is 112 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug use and thematic elements.

Spoiler Alert

• Movie Reviews
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Spoiler Alert

The story of Michael Ausiello and Kit Cowan's relationship, which takes a tragic turn when Cowan is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The story of Michael Ausiello and Kit Cowan's relationship, which takes a tragic turn when Cowan is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The story of Michael Ausiello and Kit Cowan's relationship, which takes a tragic turn when Cowan is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

• Michael Showalter
• David Marshall Grant
• Michael Ausiello
• Jim Parsons
• Ben Aldridge
• 52 User reviews
• 67 Critic reviews
• 61 Metascore
• 1 win & 6 nominations

Top cast 36

• Michael's Sitcom Older Brother

• Sitcom Young Michael

• Mrs. Ausiello
• Dr. Underwood
• Nurse Angelique

• Night Nurse
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• Trivia In a December 2022 article for the Daily Beast, Kevin Fallon reported that in Michael Ausiello 's capacity as a TV reporter for publications including TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, and TVLine, Ausiello had interviewed Jim Parsons several times over the years that Parsons starred on The Big Bang Theory (2007) . When Ausiello's source memoir was released in 2017, Ausiello asked Parsons to moderate a Los Angeles Q&A session on it, and when Parsons read the book to prepare for the panel, his husband, Todd Spiewak , found him sobbing in their living room. Spiewak suggested to Parsons that if he had such a strong emotional reaction to the story, he should option it for the movies - which is what they ended up doing together (both Parsons and Spiewak are producers).
• Goofs Immediately before Michael and Kit lie down under their first Christmas tree, there are several presents underneath. When they lie down, there are no presents.

Michael Ausiello : [listening to the cupboard sound] Oh god! Am I going back in the closet?

• Connections Featured in The View: Sally Field/12 Days of Holidays (2022)
• Soundtracks Can't Get You Out of My Head Written by Rob Davis , Cathy Dennis Performed by Kylie Minogue

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• steveinadelaide
• Feb 14, 2023
• How long is Spoiler Alert? Powered by Alexa
• December 9, 2022 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
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• Alerta de spoiler
• Semi-Formal Productions
• That's Wonderful Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Dec 4, 2022

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 52 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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‘Spoiler Alert’ Review: Michael Showalter’s TV-Obsessed Tearjerker Is Short on Surprises

David ehrlich.

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One of the more memorable episodes of Michael Ausiello’s 2017 memoir finds the television journalist (and obsessive) visiting the Brooklyn set of “The Americans” on the same afternoon his longtime boyfriend, photographer Kit Cowan, sees a colorectal specialist about the severe pain he was experiencing. Mere seconds before sitting down for a chat with stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, Ausiello receives a text informing him that Cowan’s doctor has found a growth; already traumatized by watching his mother die from cancer when he was a child, Ausiello jumps to the worst possible conclusion.

Time would tragically justify such catastrophizing (Ausiello’s book is called “ Spoiler Alert : The Hero Dies”), but for the moment, he can only sit through an interview he’d been too excited about to reschedule, his mind entirely in Manhattan as he struggles to do a job that often seemed more like a fantasy.

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Powerful beyond the obvious reasons, the scene also inverts the sacred pact Ausiello made with television as a child, when he was a closeted young outsider who found warmth and comfort in the suds of his favorite soaps. Once upon a time, TV was where he would turn when everything else was too painful; on the other side of the looking glass, he finds himself pretending to care about the fantasy world so he can return to his pain. While (very proud about being) friends with the talent, Ausiello recognizes how unhelpful it would be to share his private distress with the public figures sitting across from him, and the specificity of that tension allows the entire scene to ring true.

That same moment is revisited in Michael Showalter’s “Spoiler Alert” — a weirdly generic seriocomic weepy that betrays the fact it wasn’t scripted by Ausiello himself at almost every turn — but it’s abbreviated beyond any discernible point and stripped of the details that made it scar on the page. Instead of sitting its protagonist down with Russell and Rhys on the set of “The Americans,” the movie puts Michael (a sweet if simpering Jim Parsons ) in the middle of an on-camera with an unnamed actor on an unnamed show.

If either of those elements were real, I didn’t recognize them, and if either of them is meant to have special meaning for Michael, he seems as oblivious to that as I was. As it’s staged here, the scene doesn’t register as anything more profound than “someone gets some ominous news about their partner.” I’m obviously not suggesting Showalter needed to rebuild the set of “The Americans” for this adaptation to work (Russell’s other major TV show gets a cameo instead). But that tendency to lose specifics in favor of broad emotional beats proves typical of a movie that offers all the surprise and immediacy of a rerun, even as its drama hinges on the idea of someone processing their own story for the first time.

It’s a wasted opportunity, as David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage’s standard-issue screenplay hints at the uniqueness of Ausiello’s lived experience, and how a richer film might’ve leveraged it into a portrait of how people use fictional narratives to frame their very real pain — for better or worse. From the opening scenes, “Spoiler Alert” taps into the idea that Michael spent his childhood sitting at the foot of a black mirror that rarely allowed him to see his own reflection (in part because his TV was always on, and in part because there were few gay characters on it during his glory days as a couch potato).

Even as an openly gay adult in the early aughts, which is when this movie begins, Michael’s continuing struggle to feel comfortable in his own skin seems to stem from the sense that TV never allowed him to entertain the idea that he might be the main character in his own story. There’s also the implication that he’s used television as a buffer to protect himself from personal drama since his mother’s death, and “Spoiler Alert” clumsily explores both of those ideas at once through snippets from a fake ’80s sitcom about Michael’s childhood, which are too unnerving to jive with the fluff that Showalter pads around them.

Michael also generates some discomfort on his own. When a TV Guide coworker convinces him to ignore the “Fear Factor” listicle he’s working on and join him for jock night at a local gay club, Michael rolls up in a flat-brimmed Yankees hat and a grimace that screams, “I’d rather be watching ‘Survivor.’” And when a hunk named Kit hits on him anyway, Michael’s only move is to make an extremely painful “Knight Rider” reference.

This will not be the most cringe-worthy or revealing expression of his obsessive viewing habits. Michael soon likens himself to a network sitcom in contrast to Kit’s premium cable show (adding to the meta-joke of Parsons’ casting), and Showalter upholds that self-image by shooting “Spoiler Alert” with all the grace and will of “Will & Grace.” The director’s unfussy style feels anonymous without the wit that propped up “The Big Sick” or the larger-than-life absurdity that animated “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” and while some of the more unexpected gags make for laugh-out-loud moments (a TV-themed bit on the steps of City Hall that feels like a nice little gift to the New Yorkers), most of the movie is streaked with a weak lightness that awkwardly hovers between funny and not.

One easy source of comedy: The fact that Kit doesn’t even own a TV. He’s played by a smoldering and semi-tender Ben Aldridge, who uses his muscles to force some nuance into a movie that starts losing his character to cancer long before it actually kills him. What does register about the semi-closeted Kit is that — for all his J. Crew looks and natural confidence — he’s more insecure about how he presents himself to the world than meek little Michael has ever been. Michael is an orphan, while Kit is still closeted to his restless triathlete mom ( Sally Field , seizing on the part like a septuagenarian wind-up toy) and his seemingly inflexible dad (the ever-reliable Bill Irwin).

Epitomized by the lovely and lived-in scene where Kit reveals the truth to his parents, these two men answer each other in a way that allows their turbulent love story to achieve an implicit residue of truth. “Spoiler Alert” sticks to that residue through thick and thin, even though it stumbles through its efforts to give it more texture (e.g. a cheating subplot that barely makes an impression before it returns, at the worst possible moment, for a self-reflexive climactic reveal that confuses far more than it clarifies). By the time we reach the “crushingly bittersweet handjobs set to blubbering ambient music” part of the story, that over-cranked music cue feels right at home in the kind of movie that uses Julien Baker songs to pave over patchy screenwriting as it races to surrender its characters to their circumstances.

Terminal cancer has a nasty habit of sanding everyone down to the same shape, but anyone touched by it can feel like they’re being plunged into unexplored territory — even if they’ve already been there once before. Where “Spoiler Alert” winds up is a moot point, but it loses its sense of self so completely along the way that it can only force you back on your own fears of loss in lieu of anywhere else to go. It made me cry at the end, but my tears were as canned and untrustworthy as the sound of a sitcom laugh track. I could barely remember what I had just watched, only that it was often honest enough to make me want to be with my family but never specific enough to justify the fact that I wasn’t.

Focus Features will release “Spoiler Alert” in theaters on Friday, December 2.

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Michael Ausiello's memoir about how a successful TV journalist found himself in the middle of his own tragic melodrama doesn't push the Charlie Kaufman-esque touches far enough.

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As a film critic, I don’t watch much television. There simply isn’t time, what with all the new movies opening each week. As for the critics and columnists who cover television, I don’t know how they do it. How do these people — folks like Michael Ausiello , editor-in-chief of TVLine (owned by Variety parent company PMC) and author of “ Spoiler Alert : The Hero Dies” — manage to keep up with the sheer volume of new shows on TV, much less nurse a partner through a terminal battle with Stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer?

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Consider how banal most of Kit and Michael’s conversations come across. Kit watched “zero television” before they started dating, which keeps the zero-calorie pop-culture trivia to a minimum, and yet the couple isn’t much chattier than Kit’s “monosyllabic” roommate (Sadie Smith). The book is flip, irreverent and disarmingly familiar, like a one-sided conversation with your funniest gay friend. The movie removes the “The Hero Dies” subhead and withholds that information. From the opening scene, we know Kit winds up in the hospital, but we may well spend the rest hoping for his recovery. Zoe Kazan’s character pulled through in “The Big Sick,” after all, so why can’t Kit, folks may wonder? Because that would be all wrong, and yet, Showalter can’t help teasing the possibility.

You can feel Savage’s touch in several of the movie’s best scenes, like the first time Kit brings Michael back to his place, and the “FFK” (former fat kid) feels uncomfortable about removing his shirt. The monumental shift in gay acceptance of the past 20 years has happened alongside the explosion of pornography, which amplifies body shame and confidence issues for so many. “Spoiler Alert” is one of the only films to confront the toll this is taking. (This may just as likely be Grant’s influence, mind you. The co-writer, who is also an actor, plays the couple’s therapist.)

Later, when Michael finally allows Kit over to his apartment, we discover the reason he’s been reluctant for Kit to see it — a would-be deal-breaker for most guys that the script is sensitive enough to recognize as an unresolved dimension of his childhood trauma. The conversation that follows, in which both men admit to being scared, is another terrific moment, rhyming with a touching scene later in the movie, when Kit gets his cancer diagnosis. Throughout, “Spoiler Alert” shows a maturity toward modern relationships, whether straight or queer, that’s refreshing and instructive.

Unfortunately, too much of the movie simply doesn’t work. While plenty experienced at playing geeks, Parsons seems miscast, stuck giving supporting-actor energy in a big-screen leading role. It was clever getting a popular TV star to play Michael, who’s perhaps 30 when introduced, but Parsons looks older than Ausiello does today, and there’s a weird problem with the lighting where everyone (but especially him) seems buried beneath layers of bad makeup.

While the movie’s self-aware title lends itself to Brechtian touches, the director doesn’t go far enough in the Charlie Kaufman direction — or, as TV inspirations go, he stops far short of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” the groundbreaking ’80s sitcom that frequently broke the fourth wall. “Spoiler Alert” stumbles when attempting such tricks, as in Michael’s moving farewell to Kit, when the camera pulls back to reveal the crew.

Reviewed at Wilshire Screening Room, Nov. 21, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 112 MIN.

• Production: A Focus Features release and presentation of a That's Wonderful, Semi-Formal production. Producers: Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick. Executive producers: Michael Ausiello, Eric Norsoph, Jason Sokoloff.
• Crew: Director: Michael Showalter. Screenplay: David Marshall Grant & Dan Savage, based on the book “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” by Michael Ausiello. Camera: Brian Burgoyne. Editor: Peter Teschner. Music: Brian H. Kim.
• With: Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, Nikki M. James, Bill Irwin, Jeffery Self, Sally Field

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Parents' guide to, spoiler alert.

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Common Sense Media Review

Emotional gay romantic dramedy has drug use, swearing.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Spoiler Alert is a terminal-illness romance dramedy based on TV Guide writer Michael Ausiello's memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies. The film opens by making viewers aware of where the story is going -- but, still, bring tissues. Michael's (Jim Parsons) relationship…

Why Age 14+?

Characters smoke pot; it's depicted as a sign of character growth. Character tau

Plot revolves around a long-term romance. Passionate and affectionate kissing. A

A few uses of words including "ass," "crap," "s--t," and "turd ball." "Oh my God

Diet Coke is a recurring product mentioned verbally and visually. Other brands m

The sad, difficult road of trying to fight cancer is depicted.

Any Positive Content?

A gay couple (played by gay actors Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge) is portrayed wi

Themes of love and loss are addressed through the lens of gratitude.

When Michael's ex-boyfriend gets a terminal illness, he steps up and helps manag

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters smoke pot; it's depicted as a sign of character growth. Character taught how to smoke pot on camera. Drinking, including at a bar. References that one character smokes pot all the time and that another drinks too much wine. Joke about Vicodin.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Plot revolves around a long-term romance. Passionate and affectionate kissing. A sex scene shows a close-up on characters' faces. Sexual situations in which clothes are coming off, but camera cuts away before showing sex. Cheeky art that implies sex. Men shown bare-chested and in underwear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few uses of words including "ass," "crap," "s--t," and "turd ball." "Oh my God!" used as an exclamation. Sexual lingo used in a joking way: "jerking each other off," and "getting laid."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Diet Coke is a recurring product mentioned verbally and visually. Other brands mentioned as a punchline.

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

A gay couple (played by gay actors Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge) is portrayed with authenticity over a long period of time. Screenplay was written by Dan Savage and David Marshall Grant, who are both gay, and gay/queer friends and allies are part of the characters' life, including Black female friends. Main characters are White. Discussions of identity are part of dialogue, but they're not the sole focus. Boundaries are set and respected. But a disability story (terminal illness) is used to further a non-disabled character's narrative.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

Positive role models.

When Michael's ex-boyfriend gets a terminal illness, he steps up and helps manage his care, making sure his final days are the best they can be. Parents are shown as loving and supportive, including when their child comes out to them.

Parents need to know that Spoiler Alert is a terminal-illness romance dramedy based on TV Guide writer Michael Ausiello's memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies. The film opens by making viewers aware of where the story is going -- but, still, bring tissues. Michael's ( Jim Parsons ) relationship with his boyfriend (and later husband), Kit ( Ben Aldridge ), is depicted affectionately and authentically, with passionate kissing, a hot and heavy "first time" (the camera cuts away after showing some playful foreplay), and an intimate sex act that keeps the focus on the characters' faces. Characters smoke marijuana, and, by movie's end, drinking and getting high are equated with maturity. Expect a bit of strong language ("ass," "s--t," "oh my God") and sexual lingo ("jerk off'). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say
• Kids say (1)

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In SPOILER ALERT, TV journalist Michael ( Jim Parsons ) sees his life as a 1980s family sitcom, in which hardships are met with laughs and hugs. When he meets photographer Kit ( Ben Aldridge ), they become a picture-perfect couple. Then, just as they hit a rough patch, Kit gets a worrisome diagnosis that threatens their happy ending. The movie was adapted from Michael Ausiello's autobiographical novel Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies.

Is It Any Good?

Terminal-illness romances are nothing new, but this dramedy gives the subgenre fresh life by putting a gay male couple at the center of the story. Directed by Michael Showalter, who covered similar subject matter in The Big Sick (also based on a true story), every beat in Spoiler Alert is true to what audiences are used to seeing in romances. The meet-cute. The awkward/nerdy main character and the gorgeous love interest. The sharing of insecurities and haunting life events. An obstacle to overcome, like parents who may not be accepting. And a moment or two of passion before the camera cuts away without actually showing anything too risqué. Showalter combines romcom conventions with a more dramatic genre sometimes referred to as "sick lit" cinema -- i.e., book-based romances in which at least one partner in the central couple is dying. And he completely delivers: Spoiler Alert goes toe-to-toe with cancer comedies, romantic comedies, and terminal romances. Audiences typically adore these films, while critics are more "meh," and Spoiler Alert is no exception. But in this case, being a B movie is perfect.

The film's very averageness fosters the normalization of mainstream LGBTQ+ stories. It's impossible not to wonder: What if Hollywood had always shown queer characters and their stories this way? How might the world be different? How many lives would be better? And how many people might still be alive? It's no coincidence that one of the movie's screenwriters is Dan Savage , who started the "It Gets Better" campaign to encourage queer kids to hang in there. Even in 2022, in a time where more and more folks understand that "love is love is love," normalizing a gay romance in the media could help create positive and lasting change.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity and criticisms of romance movies where one partner has a terminal illness. Why do you think audiences respond to these stories? Do you think these types of films romanticize dying or make being ill seem in any way appealing? How does Spoiler Alert compare to others you've seen?

How are queer characters and relationships depicted in Spoiler Alert ? Why is positive diverse representation in the media important?

How are marijuana use and drinking depicted? Michael begins by not drinking, smoking, or taking drugs. By the end, he does. Why do we need to be aware of the way media portrays alcohol and drugs and how that might affect our own behavior?

Michael's relationship with Kit shapes and changes Michael's life, which is why it's cinematic. If you were to make a movie about an important moment that changed your life's path, what would it be?

Think about the interaction between Michael and Kit's friend Ruth, and describe yourself in one word.

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 2, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : December 20, 2022
• Cast : Jim Parsons , Ben Aldridge , Sally Field
• Director : Michael Showalter
• Inclusion Information : Gay actors, Female actors
• Studio : Focus Features
• Genre : Drama
• Character Strengths : Gratitude
• Run time : 112 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sexual content, drug use and thematic elements
• Last updated : May 25, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

The Big Sick

Terms of Endearment

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The Fault in Our Stars

The Sun Is Also a Star

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Romantic comedies, related topics.

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Amber Alert review: A movie about child abduction that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout

The suspenseful thriller film, Amber Alert is certainly not the first to address issues pertaining to child abduction. This theme has been used (and frequently overused) in numerous projects throughout the years. Consider the film Taken , the entire narrative of the film series revolves around kidnapping and the protagonist's relentless efforts to rescue the abducted individual.

However, in some ways, Amber Alert is different from the rest of the movies that have been released in the past in the genre as there is no specific motive in this one. Jaq (played by Hayden Panettiere) and Shane (played by Tyler James Williams) having pasts that could have served as some sort of an impetus in aiding the rescue operation, helped in retrieving the abducted kid out of sheer goodwill above anything else.

The technical aspects of the film— its cinematography, direction, and thrilling action sequences create a fascinating experience, a perfect recipe for a successful film.

Amber Alert sheds light on victims of child abduction

When young Charlotte was taken while she was playing with her sibling and their mother was momentarily distracted, those who entered the theaters without knowing about the film's premise quickly realized that it would be a heavy subject matter.

As the story of the film unfolded before them, the audience was confronted with the distressing imagery of an abduction. Besides, the viewers were shown multiple scenes throughout the movie that emphasized the brutal reality of the kidnapping trade, including instances of individuals being forced into trafficking, among other horrors.

Also read: My First Film review: Most authentic storytelling one has ever witnessed .

Amber Alert depicts human kindness

Amidst the chaos that ensues as a result of Charlotte's abduction are Jaq and Shane who are initially just going about their day without an iota of knowledge about what lies ahead of them. While Jaq is running late for a date, Shane is giving her a ride despite him not being headed in the same direction. The two take the ride and are almost instantaneously hit in the face with an Amber Alert that requires immediate attention.

A young child, Charlotte has been abducted— the same child mentioned earlier. The alert contains photographs taken by the victim's mother of the vehicle that abducted her.

Jaq and Chase could have ignored the alert (like most people who were running late would have), but when they saw the vehicle in front of them resemble the details provided by the alert, they were put in a tough spot where they were compelled to act out of compassion.

Also read: Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie review: A squirrel's adventure beyond the ocean depths .

Amber Alert gives an adrenaline rush

Amber Alert contains several chase sequences, between Chase (who usually drives the car containing him and Jaq throughout the film) and the miscreants he and Jaq are trying to track down to retrieve Charlotte.

These sequences are intense and thrilling, guaranteeing that the audience remains captivated throughout its entire developmental stretch. The adrenaline rush experienced in the film extends beyond the roads, occurring in various other locations, including the places where the abducted children, including Charlotte, are held.

The atmosphere in one of the film's final destinations (the place where the children are kept) is ten times more unsettling than the environment on the road, where cars are chasing each other. The scenes in this location are disturbing and gory, to say the least. Nonetheless, it adds to the film's overall experience.

Also read: The Champion (2024) review: Is the new Netflix sports drama worth watching?

Amber Alert is currently being screened in theaters across the United States.

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'Spoiler Alert': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything You Need to Know

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It’s the time of the year when Christmas films line up to premiere on the big screen. And among them is the upcoming romantic dramedy Spoiler Alert , which promises to make more than one viewer both laugh and weep. Based on the 2017 best-selling memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies written by Michael Ausiello , the movie is a biographical feature following the relationship between the author and his husband Kit Cowan. Ausiello wrote for TV Guide for nearly eight years, and later wrote and reported for Entertainment Weekly before launching his own site, TVLine. Cowan, on the other hand, was an experienced photographer.

Distributed by Focus Features and produced by That's Wonderful Productions and Semi-Formal Productions, the film is being helmed by director Michael Showalter , who has previously directed The Big Sick and has extensive experience as a comedy writer and producer for features such as Wet Hot American Summer and Search Party . Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge lead the cast, with Parsons also participating as a producer alongside Alison Mo Massey , Jordana Mollick , Alyssa Murphy , Todd Spiewak , and Showalter. Ausiello is involved as an executive producer, along with Michael Scott Allen , Eric Norsoph , and Jason Sokoloff . The screenplay for the film was written by David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage .

Spoiler Alert is a romantic tale about love and loss, both a comedic and tragic story that navigates a real-life relationship’s ups and downs. If this sounds like something you’d love to add to your Christmas watchlist , keep reading to know where to watch, when it’s set to premiere, who is joining the cast, and everything else we know so far.

RELATED: 'Spoiler Alert' Poster Gives a Look at Jim Parsons in Michael Showalter's Adaptation

After nearly four years from the time production began in December 2018, Spoiler Alert is finally ready to hit the big screens across the world. Spoiler Alert ’s theatrical release will arrive in batches. The first lucky ones to enjoy the film on December 2, 2022 , will be the viewers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. The greater domestic release will be on December 9, and the international public will have to wait just a few more days until December 16 to watch the movie.

The film will first be available only in selected theaters across the United States, as well as internationally. It is uncertain which theater chains will be screening the film, so you'll have to keep an eye on your movie theater of choice to find out if Spoiler Alert will be added to their lineups. For those who prefer to watch it at home next to their Christmas trees, there is no word yet on which streaming platforms will include Spoiler Alert in their listings or when it will be available on these.

The Spoiler Alert trailer came out in late September, just in time to add to the anticipation of 2022 Christmas movies. And while Christmas is not the film's main concern, it seems that one of the things the two lovebirds have in common is the holiday spirit, based on their first conversations and their annual Christmas cards. Michael says in the trailer he was always afraid that Kit would end up breaking his heart. After watching it, it seems like many hearts will be broken in theaters during the nearly two-hour runtime of the movie once it's released.

By the looks of the trailer, Michael Ausiello and Kit Cowan meet at a party in 2001. The two fall in love and, through each one’s quirks and differences, they build a relationship that evolves as the years go by. Ausiello is the narrator who takes the audience through their key moments as a couple, from their early years and deep conversations, their unusual hook-up scenarios, their Christmas souvenirs, and meeting his in-laws for the first time, to the moment Cowan is diagnosed with terminal cancer, their marriage, and many other highlights between the treatment and the farewells.

Related: Jim Parsons on ‘The Boys in the Band’ and Why He Wrote Ryan Murphy a Letter

The Spoiler Alert cast features some renowned names and familiar faces. As mentioned already, Jim Parsons leads as Michael Ausiello, the main character and the narrative voice that tells the story. Parsons is best known for his comedy work, especially his role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory , which earned him four Emmy Awards. He has also played big roles in productions like Hidden Figures and Ryan Murphy ’s Hollywood , for which he was also an Emmy nominee. In addition to Spoiler Alert , another upcoming project for Jim Parsons is Just by Looking at Him , a comedy film written and directed by Ryan O'Connell .

Ben Aldridge portrays Kit Cowan, rounding out the starring duo with Parsons. The English actor played Captain James in the series Our Girl , had a recurring appearance on the multiple Emmy Award-winning show Fleabag , and can be found most recently in HBO’s Pennyworth . We will see him next in the upcoming drama Tyger and the horror film Knock at the Cabin , among names like Dave Bautista and Rupert Grint .

Two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field appears as Marilyn, who is Kit's mother. Field is best known for roles such as Mrs. Gump in the multi-Oscar-winning and iconic film Forrest Gump , Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man , and Gidget in the memorable 1960s series of the same name, among many other groundbreaking performances that are just too many to name. Field can be seen next in the comedy film 80 for Brady .

Bill Irwin is Kit Cowan’s father in the movie. He has already done some great work with director Showalter, with both of them having been a part of the recent Hulu series The Dropout . Irwin's other career highlights include his involvement in the Sesame Street franchise and the 2008 drama film Rachel Getting Married , not to mention the groundbreaking X-Men -adjacent series, Legion . His upcoming films include Best Place in the World and Rustin , the latter with Colman Domingo , Jeffrey Wright , and Chris Rock . Other actors who are part of the ensemble cast include Antoni Porowski ( Queer Eye ), Nikki M. James ( BrainDead ), Jeffery Self ( Search Party ), Paco Lozano ( Manifest ), and Tara Summers ( Mercy Street ).

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The Wild Robot should be the future of animation 

It’s time for DreamWorks’ glow-up era

by Petrana Radulovic

In late 2022, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish came as a complete surprise. Instead of a tired Shrek spinoff using the same overdone style of the previous five Shrek-related movies , DreamWorks delivered a gorgeously animated and poignant story that harkened back to the actual meaningful themes of the original Shrek , before the franchise became one big pop culture spoof .

The Wild Robot , DreamWorks’ latest movie, proves that the departure in The Last Wish wasn’t a fluke, but the beginning of a new era. From director Chris Sanders ( Lilo & Stitch , How to Train Your Dragon) , The Wild Robot is a tenderly crafted story that pushes computer animation in a beautiful new direction — and is exactly the sort of movie that the current animation landscape so desperately needs.

[ Ed. note: This review contains minor spoilers for The Wild Robot .]

Based on the middle-grade book by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot follows a robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) who finds herself stranded on a remote island. Roz’s directive is to assist people in everyday tasks, but the wild, human-less environment offers little for her programming. After a while, she eventually figures out how to communicate with the wildlife, who react in overwhelmingly hostile ways until she accidentally adopts a newly hatched gosling, who imprints on her. Roz declares her new directive: help the runty gosling grow up and be ready for his first migration in the fall. With the help of a fast-talking fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) — who sees the big robot as a ticket to safety — Roz raises the little gosling, who she names Brightbill (Kit Connor). But the trio are an odd match in the forest, and they struggle to fit in with the rest of the woodland community. The friction that threatens Brightbill’s chances for survival.

The Wild Robot takes place roughly over the course of a year on the forest island (which seems to be located nebulously in the Pacific Northwest), and through all the seasons and weather. The visuals are immensely captivating, and the setting is so vibrant and lush. All of the animation is painterly and stylized, in a manner similar Puss in Boots: The Last Wish , but taken in its own direction. Concept art for animated movies often is more stylized, especially in texture and coloring, than the final products, which for years have chased a photorealistic look, but The Wild Robot closes that gap, looking just as rich as a painting. The trees aren’t rendered in microscopic detail, and the water isn’t supposed to look like hyper realistic water; instead, Sanders captures the feeling of this wild landscape, both in its beauty and its hardship — swaths of autumnal color, a violent thunderstorm that shakes the island to its core, a bitter snowstorm that chills all the creatures, and more.

Beautiful animation is one thing, but The Wild Robot is built on a damn good story. Robots going against their programming and unlikely parent-child-esque relationships are common tropes, but Sanders isn’t afraid to drill down to the emotional core, even if that means not flinching away from sadder moments. His script homes in on Roz and Brightbill’s connection, threading in moments like Roz letting the little gosling help build shelter, even though the tiny branches he carries don’t really assist her current directive, or Brightbill curling up right under Roz’s neck joint when she powers down and he falls asleep. But it also pulls back to show how their blossoming dynamic impacts the rest of the forest. For a story that’s so intrinsically tied to its environment, that’s a necessity.

The film’s emotional power is particularly evocative because Roz’s design has no facial articulation. It’s all conveyed through her overall body language and the lights that flicker on her “eyes.” Nyong’o’s voice performance anchors Roz’s character. Many of the formative moments in Roz and Brightbill’s relationship come before Brightbill can talk too, so it’s all fueled through their body language, character designs, and Nyong’o’s acting — a testament to the strength of the cartooning.

Roz and Brightbil’s mother-son relationship certainly drives a lot of the movie, especially since it challenges Roz’s prior programming. But it’s one part of the greater ecosystem, and the story ripples through the rest of the forest critters, which in turn comes back to the ebbs and flows of their special connection. There’s only so much Roz can teach Brightbill about swimming, when she’s a robot made by humans and drawing from human-centered databases; this puts him at odds with his fellow geese, and in turn, he lashes out at Roz. It’s all woven tightly together, with enough space given for each emotional beat, be they wondrous, comedic, or bittersweet.

Even though it’s a movie full of talking animals, The Wild Robot never feels cheap or full of gags – but it’s genuinely funny. Catherine O’Hara’s weary possum mom provides a lot of laughs, as does a single-minded beaver voiced by What We Do in the Shadows ’ Matt Berry . The giggles strengthen the heart of the movie, which is about the complications of parenthood, the importance of kindness, and the unlikely bonds we forge with others that reveal hidden sides of ourselves.

DreamWorks released two theatrical movies in 2024, and they both indicate two paths forward not just for DreamWorks, but for American animation. One was the entirely fine Kung Fu Panda 4 , a sequel that basically set up more sequels and didn’t really do anything new. And the other is a masterpiece. The Wild Robot is exactly the type of movie that the American animation landscape — so full of sequels and disappointing nostalgia-fests — needs. It’s fresh and not tied to an existing billion-dollar IP. It’s a good story that tackles big themes, but never in a way that seems too lofty for children or too pandering for adults. And it looks amazing, another step forward in the new direction that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spearheaded in 2018 . DreamWorks has two roads in front of it, and it’s clear which path the studio should take.

The Wild Robot is out in theaters now.

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Anatomy of a Scene

Watch a Chaotic Rehearsal in ‘Saturday Night’

The director Jason Reitman narrates a sequence from his film about the production of the first episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Spoiler alert, making the show wasn’t easy.

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‘Saturday Night’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The director jason reitman narrates a sequence from his film about the making of the first episode of “saturday night live.”.

Hey, this is Jason Reitman. I’m the co-writer and director of “Saturday Night.” “O.K, let’s see if we can get through one of these skits.” “Sketches! Davey, please.” So what you’re seeing here is a scene from very early in the film. We’re getting introduced to characters left and right. And what we really wanted from the very beginning was a completely immersive experience. You’re watching a movie that is 90 minutes of real time, the 90 minutes leading to the first episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The last line we knew from the beginning it was going to be, “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night.” “What’s the problem?” “What’s going on, Dan?” “It’s a little lodged.” And we’re seeing the rehearsal of a sketch with John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Garrett Morris. And we wanted to give the audience a pure adrenaline roller coaster ride of what it’s like to be there minute to minute as things are happening. And at the beginning, it’s going through the normal steps of trying to figure out blocking and camera work. And by the end, it’s obviously it’s a total catastrophe and it’s one of the many things that hopefully keeps you on the edge of your seat as you’re watching this film. And to do that, we needed to create a living, breathing set where every background actor was brought through a boot camp where they learned how to do their jobs, whether it was cable lighting, sound, and every actor was mic’d every single day. “I’m president of Trojan Horse Home Security.” “I’ve broken into your home tonight to illustrate to you and your family just how ...” [LOUD CRASH] Boom! There goes the light boom. And this refers to something that’s actually happening that Lorne just kept requesting more and more lights. He was being demanding because he had never made television before. No one on that show had done television before. In order to create this kind of chaos on screen, what we found is that we actually had to choreograph this movie like a dance film. I’d have a giant white board like a football coach, and I would have to write plays for all the extras and background actors and crew just so everyone would know where to be. We were given this giant stage to create chaos every single day. And what continues to boggle my mind is that Lorne Michaels does this every Saturday. “I don’t guys. It was kind of exciting. Like, it’s probably good luck.”

By Mekado Murphy

In “Anatomy of a Scene,” we ask directors to reveal the secrets that go into making key scenes in their movies. See new episodes in the series on Fridays. You can also watch our collection of more than 150 videos on YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel .

Creating chaos onscreen requires a lot more planning than it might seem. That’s the case in this sequence from “Saturday Night,” the latest film from Jason Reitman, which looks at how the first episode of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” came together.

In the scene, the “S.N.L.” cast members John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Garrett Morris are rehearsing a sketch.

“At the beginning, you know, it’s going through the normal steps and trying to figure out camerawork,” Reitman says of the scene in his narration, and by the end, “it’s a total catastrophe.”

So how did Reitman go about building this out-of-control situation? For one, he put his background actors through a boot camp, where they learned how to do the jobs of the crew people they were portraying. And beyond that, he created detailed plans for the production team to follow.

“We had to choreograph this movie like a dance film,” Reitman said. “I’d have a giant whiteboard like a football coach. And I would have to write plays for all the extras and background actors and crew, just so everyone would know where to be.”

Read the “Saturday Night” review.

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Mekado Murphy is the assistant film editor. He joined The Times in 2006. More about Mekado Murphy