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Where are you, common sense media reviewers.

Steamy drama attempts visual poetry; language, smoking.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Messages abound but feel more like unanswered ques

Characters can be seen as aspirational in their at

A minor Black character rescues the main character

Guns are shown, and a character is shot at close r

Steamy sex scenes, including a threesome. Full-bod

Strong language throughout includes "bulls--t," "s

Aspirational characters drink and smoke cigarettes

Parents need to know that Where Are You is a mystery told in abstract form. Main character Nicolas (Irakli Kvirikadze) is a fashion photographer, and the movie's cinematography kind of feels like a glossy ad, full of sexy images of conventionally attractive people. Representations of women are deeply…

Positive Messages

Messages abound but feel more like unanswered questions about the root of creativity and the definition of love.

Positive Role Models

Characters can be seen as aspirational in their attractiveness and demonstration of qualities you might like in a friend (supportive) or partner (forgiving), but no one rises to the level of being a clear role model.

Diverse Representations

A minor Black character rescues the main character and is portrayed positively, but there's no meaningful diversity in this film about White European-American characters. Everyone is filmed with a lingering lens that accentuates their conventional attractiveness, and all of the women are thin. Young women seem to exist to fulfill the main character's sexual and romantic desires. And two women who have sex with the main character shortly after meeting him are killed, perpetuating the cinematic cliche that promiscuous girls must pay for their "sins," while male characters are celebrated for their conquests.

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Violence & Scariness

Guns are shown, and a character is shot at close range (presumably killed). Punch. Dead body. The photographer main character handles his model roughly, mostly indicated by her verbalizing her discomfort, which he seems to ignore. The same character clings to/wraps himself around his girlfriend and doesn't respect her repeated order to stop touching her.

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

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Steamy sex scenes, including a threesome. Full-body nudity (female and male), but genitals aren't shown. The main character is rampantly unfaithful, even when searching desperately for his missing girlfriend. In another scene, the girlfriend defends his infidelity. A woman tells a man she's just met the story of how she lost her virginity at age 16 to her 31-year-old boyfriend, and this is presented positively.

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

Strong language throughout includes "bulls--t," "s--t," and frequent use of "f--k."

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

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Aspirational characters drink and smoke cigarettes throughout.

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

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Where Are You is a mystery told in abstract form. Main character Nicolas (Irakli Kvirikadze) is a fashion photographer, and the movie's cinematography kind of feels like a glossy ad, full of sexy images of conventionally attractive people. Representations of women are deeply concerning: Women only exist here to love Nicolas and serve him sexually. He sleeps with nearly all of the young female characters, sometimes two at a time, and the movie's two middle-age women are depicted as shrews. His girlfriend ( Camille Rowe ), who has no dimension beyond being beautiful, doesn't just accept his infidelity, she defends it. And his sexual flings wind up dead, a weary cinematic cliche. There's nudity -- you'll see next to everything laid bare. Smoking is glamorized, and all of the characters drink. A handgun is photographed with noir-like glamour, and there's a presumably fatal shooting. Strong language is mostly centered on pervasive use of "f--k." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In WHERE ARE YOU, famed photographer Nicolas Yarna (Irakli Kvirikadze) has lost his touch, unable to find the truth in his subjects through his lens. When his girlfriend Matilda ( Camille Rowe ) goes missing, he drops everything to search for her -- and himself. The film is repackaged from the 2019 movie Now Is Everything .

Is It Any Good?

Imagine a 92-minute TV ad for designer perfume, and you've got Where Are You. The title is meant as a question to both the main character and the viewer about their existential state. The film wants to be deep and artsy, and some teens and creative folks may respond to it that way. But for most moviegoers, it's likely to come off as shallow and self-important.

The actors, many of them models, are filmed longingly (again, like a high-fashion ad). Scenes are presented like montages, with the camera swooping in from all angles, sometimes layering in versions of the same moment and the same dialogue -- not unlike a Terrence Malick movie. This attempt at visual poetry doesn't exactly make for a satisfying dramatic experience, but cinematographer Dante Spinotti creates such a resplendent aesthetic that it's likely Where Are You will live forever on the TV screens of nightclubs ... with the sound off.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about who the main character is in American Murderer . Are viewers meant to root for him? Why, or why not? Do you think he deserves viewers' sympathy?

Do you think the movie's representation of women is honest and accurate? How does entertainment inform our own behaviors and actions? What might viewers take away about what's acceptable or expected behavior for women?

Talk about the importance of self-expression through creativity and art. What are the benefits? What are some tips to get your creativity going if you're experiencing a block?

Movie Details

• In theaters : October 21, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : October 21, 2022
• Cast : Anthony Hopkins , Irakli Kvirikadze , Camille Rowe
• Directors : Valentina De Amicis , Riccardo Spinotti
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Female writers
• Studio : Gravitas Ventures
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 95 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : June 21, 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.

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Movie Review: Why is Anthony Hopkins in “Where Are You?”

This New Year’s Eve, revered screen star, Oscar winner, Knight Bachelor of the British Empire and CBE Anthony Hopkins will turn 85. So one always checks to see how many films he has in the can awaiting release when one reviews his latest.

You never know when he’ll hang it up and which film will be his last. But he has three more due out, as of this writing.

That’s worth noting in writing about “Where Are You,” his latest, just now going into limited release. Because even at this late stage of the game, Hopkins is still managing to break new ground on screen, and we’d hate for this fiasco to be his last.

“Where Are You,” a comically-pretentious, artless and yet self-consciously arty dream drama than bends into an inane missing person mystery, is the worst film of Anthony Hopkins’ career.

He’s not barely in it, more of a featured player with what I counted were three scenes or so. He gets top billing, because whatever else filmmakers Valentina De Amicis and Riccardo Spinotti don’t know, they’re not stupid enough to think that having Georgian hunk Irakli Kvirikadze , a bunch of runway beauties and Jack Nicholson’s son Ray topping the credits would sell one ticket.

Hopkins plays the mysterious “Thomas” who narrates as he scribbles away in the opening, pondering how “all the loves dance and completely disappear.”

He serves no discernable function in the narrative.

The film is about smoldering fashion photographer Nicolas (Kvirikadze) who has a new book of art photography out and sits down for a bizarre TV interview that is intercut with scenes of him in his idyllic, privileged life with his “muse,” the gorgeous and willowy Matilda ( Camille Rowe ).

They make love, frolic and caress each other in their seaside villa, but Matilda narrates in voice-over the trouble on the horizon. “We’ve always been a team, but the artist is nothing without his muse.”

Of course he had other loves before her. He’s even pondering temptations while they’re together, giving credence to the old saying “No matter how gorgeous she is, there’s always some dude tired of waking up next to ‘that.'”

The interviewer ( Christopher Ashman ) rudely challenges him with “Is this the last gasp of a dying artist?” and “Don’t you see how empty all of this is?” questions. But Nicolas has it all and can’t see it.

Then his BFF the surfer ( Ray Nicholson ) dies. And Matilda disappears with a “Don’t call, don’t look for me, forget me” note. Nicolas is led to believe that she’s been kidnapped. His search for her takes him to the ends of the Earth — which as U2 taught is, Joshua Tree, California.

“Where Are You” is largely a collection of beautiful people doing beautiful things in beautiful places, gorgeous women and stunning flowers, gorgeous women framed by stunning flowers. It’s all beauty without dramatic form right up to that mid-point, when melodrama — badly-written and acted melodrama — takes over. Think I’m exaggerating?

“The greatest sadness is being unable to kiss an invisible woman.”

I’m not familiar with the works of the co-writers/directors, but checking their IMDb page , this appears to be a reworking of a movie they couldn’t get released three years ago under the title “Now is Everything.” Unlike fine wines, films don’t improve simply by leaving them in a dark, cool place for a few years. And whatever they did to make this sellable didn’t “fix” it.

As for two-time Oscar-winner Sir Tony, one holds out hope for “The Son,” “Zero Contact” or “Armageddon Time,” which are rolling out over the new few weeks and months. Because nobody wants to, as Sean Connery put it, “exit with a stinker, which was “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman” in his case.

Rating: unrated, sex, nudity, profanity, off-camera violence

Cast: Irakli Kvirikadze, Camille Rowe, Madeline Brewer, Angela Sarafyan, Ray Nicholson, Mickey Sumner and Anthony Hopkins.

Credits: Directed by Valentina De Amicis and Riccardo Spinotti, scripted by Valentina De Amicis, Matt Handy and Riccardo Spinotti. A Gravitas Ventures release.

Running time: 1:35

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2 responses to movie review: why is anthony hopkins in “where are you”.

Just finished watching it and said the exact same thing. I thought it was going to be about the photograher murdering his GF in a drug/alcohol rage, then blacks out and forgets. Then A. Hopkins comes through as a hypnotherapist or something helping him remember how he chopped up the girl.

Utter, utter pretentious rubbish, like watching paint dry

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Anthony Hopkins & Camille Rowe in Thriller 'Where Are You' Trailer

by Alex Billington October 5, 2022 Source: YouTube

"You know what I see? Fear!" Gravitas Ventures has revealed a trailer for Where Are You , a psychological thriller mystery about a photographer. This initially premiered at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival last year, but made no impact and earned no buzz. Now it's being dumped on VOD later this month. A photographer experiencing an artistic decline begins taking his aggressions out on his super attractive artist girlfriend. When she cryptically disappears, he enters his own subconscious, descending down a spiral of mystery and madness on his search for her, as well as himself. The film's ensemble cast features Anthony Hopkins , Camille Rowe , Irakli Kvirikadze , Ray Nicholson , Angela Sarafyan , Mickey Sumner , Melora Walters , Christopher Ashman , Brad Greenquist , and Madeline Brewer . This is a very strange out-of-the-90s trailer that sells it like a "coming to Saturday night TV" movie special. Doesn't seem that exciting.

Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Riccardo Spinotti & Valentina De Amicis's Where Are You from YouTube :

A grieving photographer searches through the eyes of his girlfriend through the eyes of his subconscious. Where Are You is the story of a famous fashion photographer, Nicolas Yarna (Irakli Kvirikadze), who struggles with his creativity. Now adrift and isolated, a mysterious call from a stranger lures Nicolas into a fever dream-like journey in search of his girlfriend, Matilda. This forces Nicolas to discover his own truth, a truth he was once renowned for capturing in his celebrated photographs. Where Are You is co-directed by filmmakers Riccardo Spinotti & Valentina De Amicis , both director of the movie Now Is Everything previously. The screenplay is written by Valentina De Amicis, Matt Handy, Riccardo Spinotti. Gravitas will release Where Are You in select US theaters + on VOD starting October 21st, 2022 this fall.

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Anthony Hopkins, Camille Rowe, Madeline Brewer & More Starring In Indie Drama ‘Where Are You’

By Tom Grater

Senior Reporter & Deputy Film Editor, International

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EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Hopkins , off the back of securing his sixth Oscar nomination for The Father , is leading the cast of indie drama Where Are You , starring alongside model and actor Camille Rowe, Madeline Brewer ( The Handmaid’s Tale ), Angela Sarafyan ( Westworld ), Mickey Sumner ( Snowpiercer ), and Ray Nicholson ( Promising Young Woman ).

Pic is co-directed by Valentina De Amicis and Riccardo Spinotti from a screenplay by Amicis, Spinotti and Matt Handy. The film centers on a photographer experiencing an artistic decline who begins taking his aggressions out on his artist girlfriend. When she cryptically disappears, he enters his subconscious, descending down a spiral of mystery and madness on his search for her, as well as himself.

Marcella and Dante Spinotti (two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer of L.A. Confidential and The Insider ) produced the film alongside Carte Blanche’s Kyle Stroud ( In Full Bloom ) and Rocco Bovo. Heather Kritzer also produced, with Markus Bishop-Hill and Stephanie Rennie serving as executive producers.

Also in the cast are Melora Walters ( Magnolia ), Brad Greenquist ( Ali ), Rita Taggart ( Mulholland Dr .), and Georgian-American actor Irakli Kvirikadze. Spinotti also lensed the movie. Crew included four-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood ( Chicago ). The pic shot under-the-radar and is now in post-production ahead of going to market.

Anthony Hopkins is repped by UTA. Camille Rowe is repped by CAA and Management 360. Madeline Brewer is repped by CAA, Inphenate and her lawyers Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham. Angela Sarafyan is repped by Innovative Artists and Management 360. Mickey Sumner is repped by UTA and Barking Dog Entertainment. Ray Nicholson is repped by Sugar23.

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Where Are You

By Alex Saveliev | August 13, 2021

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 2021 REVIEW! “There are no meanings,” a character proclaims in Valentina De Amicis and Riccardo Spinotti’s abstract psycho-drama  Where Are You . “Words are just words.” Some will certainly view this film as just that: all sound and fury signifying nothing, or, to be fair, purporting things that have already been conveyed cinematically numerous times before. There’s no denying, however, its haunting vibes and stunning imagery. The filmmakers attempt to deconstruct the plight of a tortured, arrogant, beautiful Artiste, and in doing so, the production becomes somewhat of a tortured, arrogant, beautiful experience.

Nicolas (Irakli Kvirikadze) is a successful Italian photographer residing in Los Angeles. His subjects tend to be attractive young women, whom he frequently beds. But then there’s the alluring, mysterious muse Matilda (Camille Crowe), “an artist who writes poems,” who infiltrates his world. But the death of a close friend sends the already-pompous Nicolas into a hubristic frenzy. So Matilda disappears, leaving him a note to forget her.

From this point on, an impressionistic, fragmented narrative that somehow holds all the disparate threads together slides into complete dream logic. Nicolas receives clues, like a note scribbled in lipstick on a mirror or a meeting with an enigmatic stranger, Thomas (Anthony Hopkins), who serves him with some truth: “You say you’re interested in people, but you’re cut off from yourself.” Images and apparitions of other women (some dead) torment the photographer, ultimately leading him to Joshua Tree National Park, where he may or may not obtain closure.

“…receives clues, like a note scribbled in lipstick on a mirror or a  meeting with an enigmatic stranger …”

Imagine Nicolas Winding Refn and Terrence Malick birthing a cinematic offspring, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what to expect with  Where Are You . The synthwave score, neon colors, sparse and surreal tone are all pure Refn, while the elegiac, sweeping camerawork and editing-as-poetry certainly bring to mind Malick. From a technical perspective, the film’s a marvel. Stalwart cinematographer Dante Spinotti’s stunning imagery buoys the narrative, infusing it with vivaciousness, sophistication, and purpose. As a coherent story, however, it lags, rushing during the second half, undermining the first’s built-up artistry and sustained mood.

The filmmakers embrace the surreal nature of the story with constant intercutting between sequences and timelines, jarring edits, mismatched dialogue mixing, and so forth. Those stylistic flourishes work (for the most part). Still, when  Where Are You  attempts to reconcile its inner and outer visions by sending its protagonist into a frankly clichéd and underdeveloped journey into the heart of darkness, it all starts to grate fast. What was sensual and deeply erotic becomes perfunctory. Abstract, intriguing notions like “are we defined by what we do?” morph into bland ruminations on control and snobbery.

Kvirikadze does a fine job as the lead, although he’s somewhat impenetrable (purposefully so). Crowe is pure magic: alluring and enigmatic, she convinces as a goddess-like muse that could drive someone as conceited as Nicolas to extreme measures. Hopkins appears for five minutes, sprinkles some gravitas onto the narrative, and disappears. Who Thomas is and what purpose he serves is up to interpretation.

Sensual, erotic, pretentious, and uneven,  Where Are You  touches upon something visceral but never quite functions as a searing indictment, a surreal treatise, or a penetrating character study. Best to accept the film for what it is: a tortured Artiste, splashing vibrant paint on a canvas, hoping that using tears instead of water will add meaning to the end result.

Where Are You  screened at the 2021  Locarno Film Festival .

Where Are You (2021)

Directed and Written: Valentina De Amicis, Riccardo Spinotti

Starring: Irakli Kvirikadze, Camille Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Madeline Brewer, Angela Sarafyan, Melora Walters, etc.

Movie score: 6/10

"…haunting vibes and stunning imagery."

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Where to watch

Where are you, where are you.

Directed by Riccardo Spinotti , Valentina de Amicis

A photographer suffering under artist decline begins taking out his aggression on his girlfriend. When she disappears, he enters his subconscious, descending down a spiral of mystery and madness on his search for her, as well as himself.

Anthony Hopkins Camille Rowe Madeline Brewer Angela Sarafyan Mickey Sumner Ray Nicholson Melora Walters Brad Greenquist Rita Taggart Irakli Kvirikadze

Directors Directors

Riccardo Spinotti Valentina de Amicis

Producers Producers

Dante Spinotti Kyle Stroud Rocco Bovo Heather Kritzer

Writers Writers

Valentina de Amicis Riccardo Spinotti Matt Handy

Casting Casting

Editors editors.

Rocco Bovo Kyle Stroud

Cinematography Cinematography

Dante Spinotti

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Markus Bishop-Hill Stephanie Rennie

Sound Sound

Christina Gonzalez Domenic Orsi Kirbie Seis

Costume Design Costume Design

Colleen Atwood

Makeup Makeup

Mandy Artusato

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Carte Blanche

Alternative Titles

איפה אתה?, 웨어 아 유

Thriller Mystery

Releases by Date

12 aug 2021.

• Theatrical limited

21 Oct 2022

Releases by country, switzerland.

• Premiere Locarno Film Festival

92 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Mark Hanson

It always warms my heart to see Anthony Hopkins appear in weird low-budget curios like this. Dude clearly doesn't need to - he won an Oscar a couple years ago and didn't even show up for that, preferring to sleep through the ceremony back in Wales (the right choice). But in between regularly starring in high-profile awards-bait, he's still generously lent his talents (albeit for only a few minutes, despite what his prominent place on the poster may lead you to believe) to VOD action schlock like The Virtuoso or that bizarre NFT Zoom-filmed thriller Zero Contact .

Granted, there's a bit more of a reason that Hopkins is in this one; it's co-directed by Riccardo Spinotti, son of famed cinematographer…

Review by Chloe 1

I do not say this lightly - truly a contender for the worst film I've ever seen. Vacantly hot people twirling around for 90 minutes, attempting to deliver throw pillow sentiments as if they have genuine weight. Anthony Hopkins shows up for literally two minutes, to add a whisp of gravitas and somewhat maniacally title drop, all because he's friends with the director's dad. I started to feel really sorry for the leading man every time he attempted to 'do' an emotion.

Review by VadimBogdanov ★★ 1

somebody watched To The Wonder and Song To Song way to much

Review by jaklairity ★★★

how are you here what brought you to this place may you be able to comprehend i see thy working

i don't want to be a bother pretend i ay brother give her some chatter figure her out

Review by Anthony A. Perez ½

Yikes… just yikes… Hopkins is in like 3 minutes of this movie..

Full Video Review

Review by Jerome1994 ★ 1

Where Are You has the few minutes of Anthony Hopkins which are great but that’s really about it, everything else is a nonsensical mess that attempts to try and tell a story but completely falls flat. Very below average acting, terrible writing and the craft is just a huge mess. 

Where Are You is available on all VOD platforms. 

Review by Priyatham Akella ½ 1

Watch baited into this due to Anthony Hopkins who was on this poster, but in film for like 3minutes?

Review by TeeHawkACTORS ★

This is not an Anthony Hopkins film! He shows up at the very beginning & end & 1 pointless scene an hour into it. In fact, the whole thing is pointless & the lead is boring.

The only bright spot is Ray Nicholson, who is the spitting image of his father. If the film was about his character, & minus the pretentious jump cut editing, it might have been tolerable. 

Review by Aman Tom ½ 1

wtf i just seen? where is Anthony? yo biggest scam i've ever seen

Review by Amelie R ★½ 1

Stream of consciousness movie full of vivid colors and montage-like cuts. The format, unfortunately, made it impossible for me to build an emotional connection to any of the characters, all of them coming across as pratty and swallow.

Sad to say, I threw in the towel after 50 minutes.

Review by DysaniaNowt ½

lol I feel like I got got. Saw that Anthony Hopkins, Madeline Brewer, Angela Sarafyan, and Camille Rowe were in the cast so I thought - this can’t be too bad these are some great actors! - boy was I wrong! I didn’t finish it so not sure if Anthony Hopkins and Madeline Brewer show up later but Anthony Hopkins was from what I was able to watch in this movie for like 4 seconds(?) and I didn’t even get to see Madeline Brewer cause I couldn’t physically continue to force myself to watch this pretentious trash. I decided to fast forward to see a glimpse of Madeline Brewer but I was too far gone by then. This movie def…

Review by sim ★★

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• Cast & Crew

Where Are You

• 1 hr 32 mins
• Drama, Suspense

The story follows a photographer on an emotional spiral since he has been feeling down on his luck. His artist girlfriend tries to help, but he only takes out his aggression on her. To make matters worse, the girlfriend later disappears. The mystery soon envelops his being and fuels his suffering more.

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1:54 Where Are You

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Camille rowe, ray nicholson.

Angela Sarafyan

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God Where Are You?

Dove Review

“God Where Are You?” is a powerful film, boldly dealing with the themes of suffering and loss. The plot centers on Remo “Sonny” Boone (Wade Williams), a fighter who loses everything after his opponent dies in the ring and his boxing license is suspended by the Florida Boxing Commission. Following this ordeal, Sonny’s girlfriend leaves him, he loses his car, house, money, and, for a time, his hope.

Sonny winds up homeless on the streets, until he meets Malachi Carpenter (Kibwe Dorsey). Malachi gives him a meal at the local diner and tells him that Pastor Gary (Jeremy Kaminski) nearby has a bed he can use in the church basement. Malachi gives Sonny a book, “Gratitude Renewed,” and challenges him to read it and begin writing down the things he has to be grateful for. Sonny is reluctant at first—angry with God—but begins to jot a few things down. As he opens up to Malachi, Malachi introduces him to others, including a blind man named Bobby who had a promising future in football until a drunk driver caused an accident that killed two of his friends; yet Bobby is grateful for life. Sonny learns that Bobby became an award-winning composer as well. A woman named Cindy Grey (Tanya Christiansen) gives Sonny a ride and shares her own story of tests and trials, and how her faith was renewed.

There is a wonderful illustration in the film when Sonny is at Malachi’s diner for breakfast and is served coffee that has not been brewed, eggs that have not been cooked, as well as uncooked bacon. Malachi makes the point that the breakfast isn’t done yet, and that God is not done yet either. He helps Sonny begin to find hope again. The examples of ants rebuilding their hills when they are destroyed and beavers rebuilding torn-down dams, are powerful analogies offering Sonny hope.

The film has a satisfying conclusion, along with a few surprises. This is a must-see film that will renew hope for any viewer. We are pleased to award “God Where Are You?” our Dove Seal for Ages 12 Plus. Kibwe Dorsey and Wade Williams give inspiring performances as Malachi and Sonny. The movie has earned our best rating, five Doves.

Dove Rating Details

Strong depiction of faith being renewed

Boxing match featuring some blood and punching; man is knocked out in the ring and does not get up, dies.

Girlfriend leaves the home of a character.

O/G-1; Crap-1.

Few scenes of man drinking beer in a bar; story of drug dealing and drugs, with a policeman trying to bust guys but a dirty cop being involved; "kick the habit" comment.

Shirtless men.

Passing car has someone in it who pelts man on the side of the road with a drink; a few characters doubt the existence of God, but are shown compassion and kindness by Christians; tension between a few characters.

More Information

Film information, dove content.

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‘D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?’ documentary finds the right tone, but doesn’t find the hijacker

Endlessly fascinating netflix series considers every theory about the mysterious culprit who commandeered a jet in 1971 and parachuted into infamy..

A sketch of the runaway hijacker known as D.B. Cooper prompted much speculation about his identity.

Even if you don’t know the details of the D.B. Cooper hijacking caper, you might have seen one of a myriad of Cooper references scattered across the pop culture landscape over the years, like so many fluttering dollar bills in the wind.

• In “Loki,” we see the title character on Northwest Orient Airlines 305. He hands the flight attendant a note and says, “I have a bomb.” Later, when Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius is debriefing Tom Hiddleston’s title character, he exclaims, “I can’t believe you were D.B. Cooper!” Loki replies, “I was young, and I lost a bet to Thor.”
• On “Breaking Bad,” when Walter White enters Saul Goodman’s office for the first time, Walter is wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Saul cracks, “Ah, look at you. Should I call the FBI and tell them I found D.B. Cooper?”
• As “Mad Men” was drawing to a close, there was feverish speculation about Don Draper’s shady military history and his wobbly moral compass, and the numerous airplane references throughout the series — all of it meant to imply Don would eventually become D.B. Cooper. (Pretty sure that didn’t happen.)

There was a feature film in 1981 titled, “The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper,” with Treat Williams as the infamous hijacker and Robert Duvall as the investigator who vows to capture him. Cooper was also referenced in a number of novels; the 2004 film “Without a Paddle”; episodes of TV shows such as “Twin Peaks” and “Newsradio,” “Blacklist” and “Drunk History.” And there was an HBO documentary in 2020 titled “The Mystery of D.B. Cooper.”

Now comes the expertly crafted Netflix four-part documentary series asking the question: “D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?,” which once again shines the spotlight one of the great mysteries of all time. Unlike other 20 th century crime stories that horrify us even as they fascinate us — the Green River Killer, Son of Sam, Zodiac, et al. — there’s something almost whimsical about the D.B. Cooper case, because it involved a onetime event in which nobody was hurt. Spoiler alert: If you expect this well-directed and endlessly fascinating series to provide the definitive answer, well, we’ve underestimated D.B. Cooper once again.

In the first episode, titled “Take the Money and Jump,” director Marina Zenovich neatly lays out the details of the case. On Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 24, 1971, a man in a business suit who had purchased a ticket under the name of “Dan Cooper” boarded a Portland-to-Seattle flight, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, opened his briefcase to give her a glimpse of what appeared to be dynamite and stated his demands: $200,000 in cash, four parachutes (in case one was rigged to fail) and a fuel truck standing by in Seattle. The aircraft landed, the passengers were released, an airport executive handed Cooper the cash and the parachutes, the Boeing 727 took off — and Cooper parachuted from the plane, never to be seen again.

With the media misidentifying the suspect as “D.B. Cooper” in early reports and that moniker sticking, the FBI initiated an extensive manhunt and investigation. The sketch released to the public was such an everyman depiction that hundreds of people were certain they knew this guy. Director Zenovich alternates between appropriately grainy-looking re-creations and archival news footage as we meet a number of prime suspects, including Duane Weber, who was living a double life as a career criminal and gave a deathbed confession to his wife; transgender woman Barbara Dayton, a former Merchant Marine who told friends she was D.B. Cooper; Sheridan Peterson, who worked for Boeing; Dick Briggs, who claimed to have been a Special Forces soldier in Vietnam and lived in the area; and the most promising lead of all, one Robert Rackstraw, who checked off more boxes than anyone and was evasive about whether he was Cooper until the day he died.

Author and TV producer Thomas J. Colbert is most prominently featured among the many journalists who became obsessed with finding D.B. and he builds an extensive, elaborate, wide-ranging case that Rackstraw is indeed Cooper — but questions are raised about “confirmation bias,” the tendency to compile information that supports one’s theory.

In the third installment, titled “Seeing Jesus in the Toast,” we dive into some increasingly far-out theories, e.g., speculation Cooper was a former intelligence operative, and the identification of certain “rare earth elements” in a tie recovered from the plane that indicate Cooper might have been working at Boeing, and (sigh) gematria stuff involving converting letters into numbers and ta da! It all means … something. Or nothing. Probably somewhere in between.

As Cooper’s legend grows, the Internet gives rises to an ever-expanding range of theories, with some looking north and claiming the fictional comic book character Dan Cooper, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, was the inspiration for the real-life hijacker.

The FBI closed the case against D.B. Cooper in 2016. If Cooper is still out there, he would be at least in his 80s by now. One way or another, he’s long gone, and for once, an unsolved mystery seems like the best possible ending.

Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Are Absurdly Sexy Together in ‘A Family Affair’

BEAUTIFULLY BIZARRE

This movie may sound a little too much like “The Idea of You,” but trust us—it’s so much more fun.

Coleman Spilde

Entertainment Critic

If you enjoyed watching Anne Hathaway play a mother seduced by her daughter’s favorite superstar in last month’s The Idea of You , but found yourself thinking, “I really wish this were even more absurd and unbelievably plotted,” boy, do I have the movie for you! Yes, that’s right, we are in a twin film heyday: In just the last two years, we’ve seen Immaculate contend with The First Omen , and Elvis battle Priscilla ; Bad Boys: Ride or Die will soon face off against Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F . For god’s sake, even the kids' movies aren’t safe; two Pinocchio flicks duked it out recently, too.

And now, The Idea of You pushes up against A Family Affair , Netflix’s newest original movie, out on the streamer June 28. The two films are so similar that it’s even shockingly easy to slot different actors into the opposite film’s character outlines. There’s Nicole Kidman as the successful artist and mother, Brooke Hardwood, Joey King as Brooke’s headstrong daughter, Zara, and Zac Efron as impossibly famous hotshot Chris Cole, who comes between mother and daughter when he starts dating Brooke. Naturally, Zara is skeptical about her mother dating a self-absorbed Hollywood A-Lister known for being a Casanova. But just like in The Idea of You , Chris works to prove that his affections are true, although that’s far easier said than done for someone caught up in the whirlwind of flashbulbs and rabid fans.

None of these coincidental similarities is the fault of the actors, the film’s screenwriter Carrie Solomon, or director Richard LaGravenese. Still, I’d be remiss not to point out the glaring parallels right before our eyes. The resemblances between the two films are worth noting, since they could very well keep some viewers from indulging in A Family Affai r if they’ve already seen The Idea of You . And that would be a grave mistake, considering that A Family Affair is like the tonally erratic, Disney Channel Original Movie sister to its twin film. The movie is surprisingly bizarre, with performances that range from amiable to asinine. And yet, for all its faults, the movie is an engrossing viewing experience, if only because what happens next is always a total mystery. As far as twin films go, The Idea of You and A Family Affair are totally fraternal: similar yet distinct, and watching one makes the other all the more fascinating.

Everything in A Family Affair is just left of center, almost believable but not entirely. The film opens with a montage of fake magazine covers and real red carpet footage, which suggest that, in this world, Efron plays an even more well-respected and successful version of himself. It’s a bit depressing if you think about it too hard. But Efron is up for poking fun at himself and his industry peers for taking themselves too seriously, even if he doesn’t always strike the right tone between this conceited character and his real-life earnestness.

Chris Cole is so famous that the only thing he has room for in his personal life is his ego, and Zara, his assistant, is tasked with procuring a new pair of diamond earrings every few months as a breakup gift for Chris’ latest arm candy. It’s far from what Zara wants to be doing after already spending a few years juggling her boss’ inane tasks, especially since Chris promised her that he’d show her the movie-producing ropes if she worked for him long enough.

Zara’s career is at a standstill, while Chris’ continues to blossom, and her complaints have trickled down to her mother, Brooke, a Joan Didion-type of a prolific American writer who has grayscale author photos on the back of her books’ dust jackets. Brooke and Zara are still grieving the death of Zara’s father 11 years prior, and Brooke enjoys living vicariously through her daughter’s adventurous life.

But that all takes a turn when Zara is pushed to the limit with her foolish assistant tasks and quits her job, leaving Chris without the person he relies on the most. When he tries to make amends by visiting Zara at home, he gets much more than he bargained for after running into Brooke, who is horny as all hell after spending the better part of a decade bereft over one man. One thing leads to another, and by the time Zara gets home, she finds her mother giving her ex-boss the old reverse cowgirl.

Zara’s used to seeing her mom mourning, not moaning, and the resulting reaction is one of the film’s funniest scenes, thanks to King’s knack for physical comedy. (Buster Keaton is rolling in his grave, wishing he could’ve been alive when they made The Kissing Booth .) King dials up the slapstick, but these gags often war with the film’s more serious moments. The balance between comedy and drama is not Solomon’s strong suit, and her script bounces between the two with frustrating incompetence. Examined individually, the dramatic and comedic elements are well-constructed. Solomon—who makes her feature screenwriting debut with A Family Affair — only needs to improve the ways she meshes them together.

The narrative is further muddled by Zara’s outsized reactions to Chris’ requests, which imply that she sees him as the boss from hell, yet she treats him with the affection of a close friend. The lack of a tangible power imbalance keeps the film’s central conflicts shaky and implausible, but there’s a strange thrill to that confusion. Watching A Family Affair is a tonal and logical rollercoaster with lax safety regulations; it’s fun to stand up on the ride until you're headed straight for a steel pole. A third of the way through the film, Christmas decorations appear, despite no former mention of the movie taking place during the holiday season. It’s as if A Family Affair had been written as a Christmas movie before producers demanded rewrites, but somehow the final shooting script retained the word “Christmas” on half of its pages.

LaGravenese’s direction is executed more smoothly, with the film kept at a pace amiable enough to overlook—or, at the very least, be charmed by—the sheer outrageousness of its script. It’s tough to deny the soft pleasures of Kidman flouncing around a Nancy Meyers kitchen, lit so brightly that she appears to have stumbled onto the set of the first Sex and the City movie. And when the film moves off Zara’s character and focuses more heavily on Brooke, A Family Affair finds some stable ground to build its story. Kidman’s forays into comedy are typically dicey, but she plays Brooke straight enough to strike the right mood and make the movie briefly believable. A scene that arrives toward the end of the film, where Brooke talks about how difficult it was to juggle her career with her late husband’s terminal diagnosis, is even downright poignant. There are shades of truth and affecting emotion buried in LaGravense’s film; it just takes the right actor to draw them out.

Kidman does the same with Efron, whose daft pretty-boy character is much more enjoyable when he’s interacting with Brooke. Efron and Kidman maintain the chemistry that they had in 2012’s The Paperboy , which I suppose is what happens when you work together on a movie where one person pees on the other. Their romantic dynamic is pleasant, even if we saw the same older-younger, artist-celebrity relationship in another film just a few weeks back. Had two other, less capable actors been leading A Family Affair , the film might just land as a poorly timed, unintentional knockoff. Instead, it’s bolstered by a few talented performers who need to do little more than show up for a great time and collect a check. Their excitement over the material isn’t absent, just lacking, and it gives the entire thing a hilarious, almost parodic touch. Such is the case for every pair of twin films: One will always be worse, but that’s what makes it interesting. LaGravenese’s movie has its tongue planted in its cheek and a wink in its eye—two things its twin doesn’t have. I can’t say I’ve thought about The Idea of You much since I watched it, but I will be telling everyone to watch A Family Affair all summer long.

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D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! review – addictive, a bit of ridiculous fun

Essentially a comedy of errors, D.B. Cooper: Where are You?! is addictive and a bit ridiculous but separates Marina Zenovich’s docuseries from the rest by focusing on the dedicated crackpot sleuths and giving them their due.

Netflix docuseries D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! was released on the streaming service on July 13, 2022.

The subject of D.B. Cooper: Where are You?! is a mystery. It has been fifty years since he supposedly leaped into that dark, cold Pacific Northwest night. When that man with slick, shiny jet-black hair sat down in that Boeing 727-51, virtually nothing is known about him. Besides, he had swarthy skin and crow’s feet indicating he was in his mid-40s. He handed a note to the flight attendant—a common occurrence for women at the time. Airlines frequently marketed females as an attractive draw for businessmen to fly the skies.  

So, when Tina Mucklow read the notes, she was half-expecting some crude come-on. Except, this was different. D.B. Cooper’s note indicated that he had a bomb in his briefcase. He then asked Ms. Mucklow to sit next to him. He opened his briefcase and showed her a bomb with a rat’s-nest of wires attached to what looked like dynamite. He demanded $200,000, about one million in today’s dollars, and four parachutes, or he would set off the device.  

Marina Zenovich’s ( Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind ) engaging, if not addictive, and a bit ridiculous, docuseries exploring the case is not about the man himself but the obsessives investigating the legendary crime. There are so many theories behind the incident, it has spawned dozens of movies and television shows, and they are all different. On top of that, the people who investigated the case from the beginning, the citizen sleuths, suffered physical and mental health ailments. Nearly all began to crack and come apart at the seams when they dedicated their lives to what was eventually disproven.  

This four-part docuseries now follows one of the more egregious Netflix formats — stretching a 90-minute film into four parts. The first episode could have been done with a 15-minute setup before the credits rolled. It ‘is also scattershot and lacks focus. The last episode is more of a cooling-down period. However, when things get moving, two middle episodes are compulsively watchable.  

The series focuses on several crackpot theories. (Do not take offense since I mean this as a compliment because I love a good conspiracy theory). One comes from an investigator, Thomas Colbert, who made the case a family business. He has spent over 200,000 dollars of his own money in his investigation. His focus is a man named Robert Rickshaw, a former servicemember and pilot who had ties to the CIA during the Iran Contra affair. You will quickly find every D.B Cooper conspiracy theorist has one, but Colbert’s has gained the most traction in recent years. Well, that’s because Netflix produced this particular docuseries, so take it with a grain of salt. (HBO Max recently came out with The Mystery of DB Cooper in 2020).

D.B. Cooper: Where are You?! is a comedy of errors. It played for some laughs with a set of adorable credits that will remind you of the Steven Spielberg film, Catch Me if You Can. Her series, though, points to the absurdity of it all. Yet, Zenovich does not just gather a bunch of internet bloggers who comb through the case. You have retired and esteemed FBI agents and a man who even sat next to the infamous figure on the flight. You even have the former master of disguise at the CIA, Jonna Mendez, who offers a light touch in discussing the facts of the case while providing her interpretation.  

A good docuseries that focuses on conspiracy theories should be fun; Zenovich’s film has an abundance of that. Even if the series is a tad too long, D.B. Cooper: Where are You?! is an addictive watch. For whom exactly? Well, certainly for fans of true crime and conspiracy theories, as it takes a deep dive into obsessive online detectives to give them their due. 

What did you think of the Netflix docuseries D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!? Comment below.

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

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Stream It or Skip It: ‘Where Are You, Christmas?’ on Hallmark, Where Lyndsy Fonseca Must Save Christmas from a Black and White World

• Hallmark Channel

When Does ‘When Calls The Heart’ Return With New Episodes? Season 12 Release Date Info

Stream it or skip it: ‘two scoops of italy’ on the hallmark channel, about an american girl, an italian guy, and the gelato that brings them together, stream it or skip it: ‘a greek recipe for romance’ on the hallmark channel is just an okay recipe for a movie, hallmark legends lacey chabert, brennan elliott reunite for ‘his & hers,’ their tenth movie together.

Hallmark goes high concept with Where Are You, Christmas? , the second movie in the network’s Countdown to Christmas. Lyndsy Fonseca plays a big city professional whose trip back home takes a turn for the metaphorical and supernatural when a stray wish erases Christmas from existence and leaves her in a world without color. See? High concept! Should Hallmark have kept it simple, or does this concept take Hallmark to new heights?

WHERE ARE YOU, CHRISTMAS? : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Lyndsy Fonseca ( Next Stop, Christmas ) plays Addy, an advertising exec who spends all year trying to sell people on the more materialistic aspects of the holiday season. And when your job is Christmas, you kinda prefer to spend the holiday in the Maldives than in your hometown — a hometown with the town motto “Christmas is a way of life.” But Addy’s plans are ruined this year when her brother Connor (Andrew David Bridges) calls to let her know that he’s going to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve. Now that is a way to get your sister to come home for Christmas!

Upon arriving in Red Lake Falls, though, Addy’s car stalls out. She takes it to the local auto shop, now run by the late owner’s grandson Hunter ( Magnum P.I.’s Michael Rady). If you guessed that there’s chemistry between Addy and Hunter, you are correct . At home the vibes are not friendly between Addy and her dad ( Parks & Recreation’s Jim O’Heir), who can’t stop taking passive aggressive digs at his daughter for leaving Red Lake Falls behind and not coming home for Christmas in years.

Things take a weird turn when Addy, stressed out by her family and missing her island vacation, wishes that there was no Christmas. She should really know better than to make wishes that would lead to sweeping changes during the holiday season. Those always come true and they never turn out well! Sure enough, that’s what happens with Addy’s wish and she wakes up to a world without color and without Christmas. How will she break free of this black and white existence and save Christmas? And will she have any help on her mission? I mean, yes, she will, and his name is Hunter. But as for the other question, you’ll have to watch Where Are You, Christmas? to find out the answer.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The play on people erupting in color in a black and white world is clearly reminiscent of Pleasantville , except it’s the warm feelings of Christmas that bring people back to normal. The instant the movie shifts to black and white, though, and you start watching Lyndsy Fonseca wander around a strange world that’s just like the one she knows except for one crucial missing element, you immediately get a jolt of It’s a Wonderful Life — or, I don’t know, In the Mouth of Madness if you’re feeling spooky.

Performance Worth Watching: Good on Hallmark for letting Jim O’Heir show that he’s more than lovable punching bag Jerry Gergich. This Christmas ain’t nothing like a Gergich Christmas ! But what I was really impressed by was O’Heir’s turn towards anger and disappointment. So few Hallmark movies wedge themselves into the cracks that form between family members, and it was emotional seeing O’Heir act in that space.

Memorable Dialogue: The holiday season looks a lot different in a world without Christmas. As Addy’s mom (Julie Warner) explains: “Every year they make like a hundred New Year’s movies and they start airing them in June!”

A Holiday Tradition: Red Lake Falls throws a Christmas pageant every year and Addy’s dad organizes a charity for the troops called Operation: Christmas Smile — and Addy misses both of these events because she goes to the Maldives.

Does the Title Make Any Sense?: This is a rare example of a Hallmark holiday movie wherein the lead actually says the movie’s title out loud. It makes sense!

Our Take: Now this is more like it. Not to knock Checkin’ It Twice , which was a perfectly fun example of the Hallmark formula done well, but Where Are You, Christmas? is exactly the kind of high concept, formula-eschewing excitement that I want from Hallmark, if not downright expect. As I’ve said in my reviews before and will undoubtedly mention in many more reviews this holiday season, I do love and find comfort in the good ol’ Hallmark formula, but you gotta applaud the network for taking a bold swing like this.

The TV-G avant-garde draw here is the interplay between black and white and selective pops of color, which is an eye-catching visual trick that immediately makes Where Are You, Christmas? stand out. But even before the color starts to sporadically flourish through the population of Red Lake Falls, there is something warmly familiar about the sudden shift to black and white. The Hallmark formula was essentially invented by 1945’s Christmas in Connecticut , a screwball romcom with small-town feels and big characters. When Where Are You, Christmas? fades to black and white, that connection becomes even more apparent. Honestly, after this, I would be genuinely interested in Hallmark producing one new black-and-white holiday romance every season.

This color story proves to be more than just a visual gimmick. For one thing, the movie actually plays with the idea of a black-and-white world gradually turning to color in ways that are both thematically relevant and great visual gags. Oftentimes a Hallmark movie will forget to explore its rich premise and become more generic as the story progresses. That is definitely not the case here. In fact, the emotions of the characters who are still in black and white in a colorful world only become more intense as the movie goes on — for reasons I don’t want to spoil here.

What really makes Where Are You, Christmas? stand out, though, is what the movie has to say about the holiday season. A lot of the movies that we’ll watch on a loop across multiple cable channels for the next two months are boilerplate romances and comedies dressed up as holiday movies thanks to a Christmas tree here or an office holiday party there. That is perfectly fine, but it is wild how few “Christmas” movies have something to say about Christmas. Where Are You, Christmas? stands out because it does have something to say about the holiday, what it means, why we celebrate it, and the idiosyncratic relationships we all have with it. There is a romance here, but it’s not as integral to the story as Addy’s own inner emotional journey. You’re gonna relate, you’re gonna think, and you’re gonna feel!

I also just have to shout out Lyndsy Fonseca who does an incredible job as the lead of an incredible supporting cast. She plays a character who is both determined and exasperated at the same time — and she manages to make Addy’s frustration funny.

The only problem with Where Are You, Christmas? is that the concept feels bigger than the budget at times. Not just the budget, but the production and the shooting schedule. That is not to say that the movie looks low-budget or rushed. It looks like a Hallmark movie, one of the more visually engaging ones too. But the premise feels so special and classic, like the kind you’d find in a holiday movie on TCM, that I couldn’t help but wonder what this exact movie — cast, crew, script, everything — would be like with twice the budget and twice the shooting schedule.

This year Hallmark is releasing extended cuts of some of last year’s most popular movies on the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service. Where Are You, Christmas? is a shoo-in for next year — and, I dunno, maybe that extended cut can get some extended attention.

Our Call: STREAM IT. We’re only in Weekend #1 and Where Are You, Christmas? is already a contender for holiday movie of the season.

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D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! – Netflix Series (4/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Jul 12, 2022 | 4 minutes

D.B. COOPER: WHERE ARE YOU?! on Netflix is a new true-crime documentary series in four parts. It’s part about the unsolved mystery of his identity, but also about those obsessed with finding answers. Read our full D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! docu-series review here!

D.B. COOPER: WHERE ARE YOU?! is a new Netflix documentary series with just four 45-minute episodes. In other words, it’s a quick watch and you should expect to get hooked on it. Mostly because it has two distinct focuses.

One is the unsolved mystery of the identity of hijacker D.B. Cooper. The other is about the “Cooperites” obsessed with finding answers. Both parts are interesting, but since the case is still officially unsolved, the most interesting part of this Netflix docu-series becomes the latter.

Continue reading our D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! docu-series review below. All four episodes are out on Netflix from July 13, 2022.

Who was D.B. Cooper and what did he do?

D.B. Cooper was the hijacker who managed to get away with $200,000 when he parachuted out of a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971. He was never found and neither was the money. Well, a small amount was actually discovered by a strange coincidence which is just one small part of this elaborate mystery.

Or rather, D.B. Cooper was supposedly the name he gave on the ticket for the flight he went on to hijack.

Except, it wasn’t.

D.B. Cooper is not the name he gave. It was “Dan Cooper”. However, someone from the press overheard the name “Dan Cooper” as “D.B. Cooper”. Basically, this mystery man isn’t even called by the fake name he gave. He’s known by the name someone  thought  they overheard.

The mistake was quickly noticed, but the name D.B. Cooper was just cooler and so, this is what stuck. Yet another detail of this great mystery that is largely kept alive by people who appear to become  truly  obsessed with the case.

Just hang in there and go with the flow!

At first, this Netflix docu-series almost  seemed like somewhat of a hack job. Now, stay with me, because this is all part of the journey. We see a group of people working on the cold case of figuring out who D.B. Cooper actually was. Except, they also seem to have already made up their mind and twist every fact, detail, and “evidence” to fit this.

You sit back and watch this and think: This feels weird, wrong, and very forced! Just like watching prosecutors in cases where they’ve already decided who the killer is; Ignoring all facts that point away from “their guy” and twisting everything else in their favor.

Then we start to hear from other people and get some perspective. This is when it gets really interesting for me because now it makes sense again. We hear both from those with other theories and  those who have become fascinated with the whole concept of so many people calling themselves a “Cooperite”.

WHAT IS A COOPERITE? A Cooperite is someone who is obsessed with finding the true identity of D.B. Cooper (who actually gave the name “Dan Cooper” on his ticket). Part hobby and part identity, they have formed a community of sorts.

Usually, these Cooperites have their own theories and so there are many internal battles and very harsh words in this community. There is even a “Cooper Con”. And yes, the typical Cooperite is a white man. Sometimes a white woman. All of them seem to think he was a hero!

For me, the most interesting thing was hearing from those who look at this concept (of citizen sleuths and Cooperites) from an anthropological standpoint. Most obsessed with the case are busy saying everyone else is obsessed with it. And those on the outside just look at them and go “You’re all kind of obsessed!”

Watch  D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!  on Netflix!

Marina Zenovich is the director of  D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?  and she has done an amazing job. Presenting facts and allowing people to form their own opinion based on who you believe – or don’t! Marina Zenovich has made several great documentaries – most recently HBO Max’s The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin .

Tom Colbert is probably the main focus of this docu-series since we begin by hearing his theory. And also usually hear other people react to both him, his process, and his theory. The identity of D.B. Cooper is still not confirmed and probably never will be.

Though many “Cooperites” would have you believe that it actually is. In fact, some blame everyone from the FBI to the CIA – or even aliens – for keeping it a secret. The identity of skyjacker D.B. Cooper remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.

Is it really so important? Well, seriously, the man stole $200,000 and no one was hurt. I’d say serial killers like “Zodiac” (another case mentioned towards to end of this docu-series) are a lot more important to solve the identity of. Or various missing person cases or changed identities.

MORE NETFLIX TRUE CRIME MYSTERIES Do not miss out on Girl in the Picture  (also on Netflix) – you can find our review here >

And yet, this case is fascinating. Personally, I’d like a whole docu-series that deep dives into who it could have been.  Particularly the trans woman , Barbara Dayton. It would be so awesome if she was the one who pulled this off! if she was, then I get the whole idea of feeling like the skyjacker was a hero!

Many have been named as suspects, but in this Netflix series we focus mostly on just one (due to Tom Colbert’s theory), so it’s hard to say much about the evidence pointing to others.

All four episodes of D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! are on Netflix from July 13, 2022.

The series looks at the 50-year quest to find the mysterious man who hijacked a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971 and escaped with $200,000, never to be seen again. Five decades. Few clues. Too many suspects. The identity of skyjacker D.B. Cooper remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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‘the bear’ season 3 review: jeremy allen white’s funny, haunted, infuriating return to the kitchen.

Christopher Storer's FX-produced Hulu series continues to be packed with food porn, surprising guest stars and deep thoughts on the magic of cooking and mentorship.

By Daniel Fienberg

Daniel Fienberg

Chief Television Critic

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To pea or not to pea.

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Stella artois, chef how 'the bear' added in brand deals for season three , how to watch emmy-winning series 'the bear' season 3 online.

It’s possible that Carmy has always been Hamlet, the prodigal son returned from studies abroad to a death-rocked kingdom he doesn’t recognize anymore, a fatherless figure in search of mentorship and yet failing as a mentor himself.

After two seasons that pushed the narrative forward at an astonishing rate — sandwich shops very rarely become fine-dining establishments in such short order — the third season of The Bear finds Carmy in a true morass. He escapes the prison of his restaurant’s freezer to turn the entire establishment into a prison of nebulous rules and unmeetable aspirations. He’s stuck, but doesn’t realize he’s stuck because he’s turned a professed desire not to repeat himself into its own sort of repetition.

The Bear has, in this season, become a series filled with characters out of Hamlet. Sydney ( Ayo Edebiri ), who might seem like Ophelia if you’re fueled by the truly bizarre desire to forge a romance between Carmy and Sydney, is unable to make herself sign a partnership agreement that would give her what she once dreamt of. Richie ( Ebon Moss-Bachrach ), who might have found purpose last season thanks to a week staging at high-end restaurant Ever, seems like he could be Laertes, on the verge of leading a front-of-the-house revolt. But he can’t even make himself RSVP to his ex-wife’s wedding.

On an episode-by-episode basis, the third season of The Bear is as good as anything the show has ever done. Possibly better?

The season stars with the deceptively titled “Tomorrow,” directed by series creator Christopher Storer . Think of it as a deconstructed “Previously On” montage, stretched from three minutes to 36, or almost as an elevated clip show, looking backward as much as forward. It’s an expressive tone poem that chronicles Carmy’s journey , both the moments that filled him with wonder and the moments (courtesy of guest star Joel McHale) that irreparably damaged his psyche.

Speaking of this as a season of birth, the premiere is almost natal in its treatment of the culinary canal through which Carmy has emerged. With very little dialogue and no storyline to speak of, disconnected and beautifully shot memories — practically every guest star the show has ever had makes a return engagement — are fused by Joanna Naugle’s editing and a miraculous ambient and amniotic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (the 2025 Emmy races in several categories feel like they’re already over).

It’s one of those episodes where, by the time you fully realize and internalize what it’s doing, it’s finished and you’re thrust into the true season of the show with the equally impressive “Next,” an abrupt transition from the elegiac to more trademark chaos.

Indecision can be exciting and I found the risks The Bear takes in these 10 episodes to be thrilling. But if you’re hoping to see things progress at an adrenalized rate, this is a season in limbo that reflects its main characters and their respective holding patterns.

It all builds to a finale that’s impossibly joyful and impossibly miserable, perhaps as pure an evocation of the rollercoaster of depression as I’ve ever seen on television. The restaurant is part of Carmy’s family legacy — “legacy” is one of many running themes this season — but depression is as well and if the big question of this season isn’t “So… Now what?” it’s “What do you do when you get the thing you want and the thing you want doesn’t make you happy?”

What does it mean for viewers, when the show appears to have reached a point its characters wanted to reach and decides not to make audiences happy?

If Carmy and Sydney and Richie aren’t finding gratification, why should you? If Carmy is paralyzed by his inability to reconcile the things Claire (Molly Gordon) overheard him say in the finale, why should the show rush? If the delay in a review from the Chicago Tribune is tormenting Carmy, why should the show rush that review to the screen? If Nat is tied in knots by an ongoing pregnancy she worries will never end and will end too soon, why should the show rush that childbirth?

Hamlet at least had the decency to end with nearly everybody dead, as closed as closure gets. This, then, is less Hamlet than an Empire Strikes Back situation, where the point we reach in the finale won’t satisfy anybody, in musical theory terms a calculated denial of what is called “the tonic.”

But, again, it’s very easy to be satisfied on an episode-by-episode basis. “Next” is as funny and manic an episode as the show has ever done, another celebration of the series’ peerless use of editing to capture that razor’s edge between hilarity and tension.

Longtime series first assistant director Duccio Fabbri makes a confident directing debut on “Doors,” which somehow ratchets the chaos to new highs, while Edebiri makes her own effortlessly exceptional debut behind the camera on “Napkins,” which single-handedly makes up for how underused I felt the tremendous Liza Colón-Zayas was in the second season. “Ice Chips” is an intimate counterpoint to last season’s “Fishes,” booking Elliott’s seat at the 2025 Emmys.

Oh, and let’s start the “Thomas Keller for guest actor in a comedy” Emmy campaign now, because the French Laundry proprietor and chef has one monologue that convinced me he’s got a career as a wisdom-spouting character actor if that whole cooking thing doesn’t work out for him.

White is as impeccably frenzied and weary as ever, never softening the character’s escalating flaws. Moss-Bachrach continues his push toward making Richie the show’s hero, never fully erasing the character’s diminishing flaws. Except that Sydney is obviously the show’s real hero and Edebiri continues to deliver hilarious and heartbreaking earnestness like nobody else.

So maybe season three of The Bear really is just wheel-spinning and dragging things out. Maybe it gives the impression of being an indecisive show rather than, as it actually is, a show about characters trapped in a moment of indecision. I can’t say if this season will make viewers who watch for the plot happy, but these 10 episodes made me very pleased indeed.

Exit, pursued by thoughts of The Bear .

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I Saw My Anxiety Reflected in ‘Inside Out 2.’ It Floored Me.

In a way that’s both cathartic and devastating, Pixar’s latest portrays how anxiety can take hold, our critic writes.

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By Maya Phillips

At the climax of Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Riley, a freshly pubescent teen with a gaggle of new personified emotions, becomes so overwhelmed with anxiety that she has a panic attack.

In the theater, I whispered to my friend that I’d forgotten to bring my panic attack medication. I’d said it as a joke — but at the sight of this anxious animated teenager, my whole body’s choreography changed. My muscles tensed. I pressed my right palm down hard to my chest and took a few deep yoga breaths, trying to cut off the familiar beginnings of an attack.

This depiction of how quickly anxiety can take hold was overwhelming. I saw my own experiences reflected in Riley’s. “Inside Out 2” felt personal to me in a way that was equally cathartic and devastating: It’s a movie that so intimately understands how my anxiety disorder upends my everyday life.

“Inside Out 2” picks up two years after the 2015 film “Inside Out,” as Riley is about to start high school. With puberty comes a group of new emotions, led by Anxiety. A manic orange sprite voiced by Maya Hawke, Anxiety bumps out the old emotions and inadvertently wreaks havoc on Riley’s belief system and self-esteem as she tries to manage the stress of a weekend hockey camp.

When an emotion takes over in the “Inside Out” movies, a control board in Riley’s mind changes to that feeling’s color; Anxiety’s takeover, however, is more absolute. She creates a stronghold in Riley’s imagination, where she forces mind workers to illustrate negative hypothetical scenarios for Riley’s future. Soon, Riley’s chief inner belief is of her inadequacy; the emotions hear “I’m not good enough” as a low, rumbling refrain in her mind.

I’m familiar with anxiety’s hold on the imagination; my mind is always writing the script to the next worst day of my life. It’s already embraced all possibilities of failure. And my anxiety’s ruthless demands for perfection often turn my thoughts into an unrelenting roll-call of self-criticisms and insecurities.

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