Two years after the latest film entry in one of the greatest robotic sci-fi franchises hit theaters, confirmation has emerged that the franchise is set to return to theaters soon. When it comes to robotic sci-fi franchises, the likes of Star Wars, The Terminator, and Transformers are among the genre’s biggest names. However, the franchise currently making headlines is the latter, whose most recent installment, Transformers One, was released in September 2024 to positive reviews from critics, though it underperformed at the box office.

As one of the most popular franchises of all time, Transformers is produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy, with ownership currently shared between the two companies. Since the 1980s, the franchise has expanded across multiple film installments, one of which is set to return to theaters this fall. Titled The Transformers: The Movie, it was the franchise’s first feature film and was released in 1986 to generally negative reviews and a disappointing box-office performance. To make matters worse, the film upset audiences by killing off the Autobots’ leader, Optimus Prime, sparking backlash and even leading to a letter-writing campaign.

Now reports confirm that Hasbro and specialty distributor Fathom Entertainment have teamed up to theatrically re-release The Transformers: The Movie, which has since developed a cult following. The screening is timed to its 40th anniversary. Beginning September 17, 2026, the sci-fi classic will roll out in theaters across the U.S. through September 21. It will be presented in 4K while select international markets are expected to launch day-and-date with the U.S.

Did the Transformers Franchise Have a Strong First Film Entry?

As the first film entry in the Transformers franchise, The Transformers: The Movie delivers the familiar conflict between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. At the same time, it aimed for something far more ambitious and unexpected by taking bold creative risks, including killing off several well-known characters — most notably one of the franchise’s most beloved heroes, Optimus Prime. This year, Hasbro embraced the film’s infamous reputation and the nostalgia surrounding it by launching an Apology Tour packed with exclusive merchandise and new toy lines, seemingly in an effort to make amends with longtime fans.

Featured in the stellar voice cast of The Transformers: The Movie are franchise veterans Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Frank Welker as Megatron, alongside Orson Welles as Unicron, Judd Nelson as Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime, Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar, and Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus.

The first Transformers film re-releases in theaters this September.

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Release Date

August 8, 1986

Runtime

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84 minutes

Director

Nelson Shin

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Writers

Ron Friedman

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Producers

Joe Bacal, Lee Gunther, Margaret Loesch, Tom Griffin

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  Norman Alden

  Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime (voice)

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  Jack Angel

  Optimus Prime / Ironhide (voice)

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  Michael Bell

  Soundwave / Megatron / Rumble / Frenzy / Wheelie (voice)

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  Gregg Berger

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  Galvatron (voice)

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Will Trent received backlash after killing off several pivotal characters — and now Scott Foley is speaking out.

“What a wonderful gift to receive after a wonderful experience on #willtrent,” Foley wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of his name in the show’s title card. “Thanks to the cast and crew, the writers and creators who made the experience so special.”

He added: “This will surely make my wife and daughter say ‘Awww’ each time they pass by and really, that’s enough for me.”

Foley’s post comes after the May 5 season finale of the hit ABC series showed Angie (Erika Christensen) finally giving birth but her happiness was short-lived because her husband, Seth (Foley), died after collapsing in the hospital.

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“It’s just Game of Thrones out here,” Iantha Richardson, who plays Faith, joked during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. “I have no clue if death is imminent on this show [but] I hope not.”

Richardson, 35, recalled the reasoning she heard about Seth’s death, adding, “It sets up a beautiful emotional arc for people in the coming season of what’s to come. So there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Despite the potential onscreen growth, Richardson acknowledged how “hard” it is to see cast members leave the show.

“Losing people like that definitely keeps you on your toes. Nobody expected to lose one person — let alone two — in very different genres of what the show has. But to lose two in a matter of three weeks is just gut wrenching over and over again,” she noted. “What is expected is a lot of emotional roller-coasters. I don’t know if it’s death necessarily but I hope not. I do know that there is a lot of emotional recoil that will come in the season to come.”

Based on a book by Karin Slaughter, Will Trent follows a special agent at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation who was abandoned at birth and grew up in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Will (Ramon Rodríguez) now relies on his unique perspective while pursuing justice, resulting in the highest clearance rate in the GBI.

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In addition to Rodríguez, the show stars Richardson, Christensen, Jake McLaughlin, Sonja Sohn and Kevin Daniels. Season 4 threw viewers for a loop when Sohn’s character, Amanda, was killed off after being on the show since the beginning.

“I am never too comfortable in any space because you really just never know. But I don’t think [a possible death for Faith] is at the forefront of my mind,” Richardson told Us about her personal reaction to multiple cast exits within a matter of weeks. “I don’t think that would happen. But who knows. If it’s meant for the greater good of Will Trent then I’m sure there will be a great reason behind it and it’ll all happen in the best way. But I hope not.”

Will Trent has been renewed for season 3 and is currently streaming on Hulu.

Welcome to Plathville’s Lydia Plath and Zac Wyse were vocal about saving their first kiss for their wedding day — so how long did they wait to have sex?

During the Tuesday, May 19, episode of the TLC series, Lydia, 22, met up with her friend and bridesmaid Mariah to talk about how married life was going with Zac, 24, after tying the knot in February 2025.

“[It’s] been really great. Enjoying marriage, discovering marriage,” Lydia said.

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Related: Welcome to Plathville’s Lydia and Zac Allude to Having a ‘Naughty’ Sex Life

Welcome to Plathville‘s Lydia Plath and husband Zac Wyse are hinting that their sex life is “naughty” after saving their first kiss for their wedding. “Is the honeymoon phase over yet?” a producer asks the newlyweds, who break out into an awkward laugh, in Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek at the season 8 premiere airing […]

She then detailed how her and Zac’s first night together after kissing at the altar.

“Zac had told me leading up to the wedding, he was like, ‘You know, when it comes to sex, when it comes to intimacy, like, I want you to let me know when you’re ready,’” Lydia recalled.

The reality star remembered her now-husband saying, “‘If you want to wait a week, you know, [and] enjoy a week of kissing and making out and warming up to each other before we do anything else [we can].’ He’s like, ‘I’m here to serve you.’”

Lydia noted that Zac “really created a safe place” for her in the bedroom before confirming they had sex shortly after becoming husband and wife.

“No, we didn’t wait a week so much,” she told her friend, making a cheeky face and letting out a laugh.

Lydia explained, “I don’t want to disclose what our wedding night looked like, but it was so beautiful. It’s just so perfect and so God-centered and so just honoring.”

The TLC personality was also honest about what it was like being naked in front of somebody else after growing up in such a conservative household.

“I wouldn’t even change it in front of my sister’s till I was like 17,” Lydia confessed to Mariah. “That was honestly something that surprised both of us, just how comfortable we were with each other from day one.”

Lydia — who received backlash from her family over how quickly she married Zac — told the cameras that she’s happy with the couple’s sex life thus far. (Ahead of their special day, Lydia’s eldest brother Ethan Plath questioned Zac’s sexuality after learning they hadn’t kissed. Ethan, 28, and the rest of the family eventually apologized for being so critical.)

“There’s definitely a side of me that no one has ever seen or I never imagined was there. But, it’s for Zac only and it’s awesome,” Lydia teased before biting a banana on camera. The action, which appeared somewhat sexual, caused the crew to laugh, but Lydia insisted it wasn’t on “purpose.”

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Lydia, who moved to Colorado from Florida with Zac earlier this month, proceeded to give fans a little glimpse at the couple’s newlywed phase.

“There’s just such a beauty in sex and intimacy with your spouse. That’s like it just breeds so much deeper connection [of] joy, love,” Lydia shared. “It’s literally life giving, like, literally, but it also is life giving as a couple. Like it, it does bring life into the world, but it also brings life into your marriage.”

Welcome to Plathville airs on TLC Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.

When it comes to standing on business, Akbar V is always ready to step up to the plate. Whether it’s in her bars or on reality TV, she never shies away from speaking her mind. Now, Akbar V is back at it again and claiming a few titles. At the same time, she’s throwing shade while the internet guesses who she’s targeting.

RELATED: Claiming The Thrown! Trim Sparks Social Media Debate After Declaring Herself “The Princess Of Rap” (VIDEO)

Akbar V Claims “Princess Of Rap” And “Queen Of Atlanta” Titles Amid Shots At Female Rappers And Victoria Woods

On Sunday, Akbar V took to X with a tweet that shook the timeline. She wrote, “I’m the princess of Rap……and Queen Of Atlanta.” She later added, “Lyrically who can f*** with me … I’m really Ms. Pen Griffey.” Following the post, the rapper also teased a few freestyles. In one clip, she sampled T.I.’s ‘Rubber Band Man’ with the caption, “How it feel to be a n***a six pick.”

Akbar V later shared another freestyle with the caption, “This the time i get my lick back cause i been owing yall b****** like Tasha K.”

The rapper dropped several bars about industry relationships and drama. In one verse, she raps, “B*** ask am i the drama no bye Felicia your the friday.” In another verse, Akbar says, “they been bouncing this b*** like a ball, but it didn’t count for sh** when it got passed to Klay.” She also added, “Show us you really big mama if you can make leave his wife today show us you can post a pic with him like im out eating lunch with my hubby today.”

These lyrics had folks wondering if she was taking shots at Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, and other female rappers.

Furthermore, she later took to X to share a photo of GloRilla’s sister, Victoria Woods, also known as B-Rilla. In the caption, Akbar wrote:

“B***s will sell they soul for 2500 and a fake Cuban chain / if i send you a pic of a low cut lil titty stud just know you ain’t use to things … ran 2 Atlanta freestyle link in my bio click it.”

Social Media Reacts 

Social media users gathered across platforms as they reacted to Akbar V’s tweets. Some tried figuring out who she could be rapping about. Others debated who deserves the “Princess of Rap” and “Queen of Atlanta” titles. Some argued that regardless of how you may feel about Akbar V, her talent and bars cannot be denied.

Instagram user @jaihenry_ wrote, “A shot at Meg and a shot at latto ?! 2 women who careers and life is wayyyyy more better then yours? That’s where you went wrong at Imfao I wouldn’t even respond it’s giving peasant”

Instagram user @nea_naee wrote, “Imagine coming for a pregnant girl that ain’t even bothering youre weird for that akbar i must not be getting attention at home Imfao” 

While Instagram user @jaamianicole wrote, “shamar is the queen of atl”

Instagram user @chongkenny wrote, “Yall taking her for a joke in the comments 😂 but akbar can actually rap lyrically and use punchlines.”

Instagram user @queen__cobain added, “Lol mind y’all regardless of whatever Akbar talking bout, y’all in the comments defending a girl who’s with a married man and had a baby with him but can’t be seen with him in public 😂 y’all have truly lost the plot”

While Instagram user @the_curly_rican_0 wrote, “Name 5 Akbar V songs with a gun to yo head …. BOW YOUR DEAD 😭😭😭😭😭”

Instagram user @su.nami wrote, “ I pray to god Latto ignores this mess 😒”

Instagram user @winnie.daboo added, “I see a lot of women in the comments defending side chick behavior. It’s all fun and games until it’s YOUR husband.”

While Instagram user @she2real4fake1s wrote  “Ng| she is talented, however, her antics, husband/ baby daddy drama and the way she carries herself on social media are what’s keeping people from taking her serious.”

Akbar V Shows Love To Drake Following The Release Of His Three New Projects

While the internet thinks Akbar V is shading the girlies, she also took time to show love to Drake following the release of his latest projects, ‘Iceman,’ ‘Habibi,’ and ‘Maid Of Honour.’

The female rapper took to Instagram with a photo showing her hugged up with Drake and wrote, “Baby father you are exactly who you think u is … you are himothy @champagnepapi where everybody at that jump ship nawl stay over there cause im still with the same … yeah act like it.”

She later took to X to continue showing love to Drake and let folks know she’s been supporting him through the criticism. Akbar wrote, “Everybody had so much to say bout drake i was the only female staying down through the rough times and now yall trying to jump ship nawl we good over here.”

RELATED: Akbar V Says She’s Not Divorcing Her Husband, Issues Apology To Him After Accusing Him Of Physical Abuse & Cheating (VIDEOS)

Amanda Batula dropped a financial bombshell about her and estranged husband Kyle Cooke during the In the City premiere — surprising fans and her castmates.

During the Tuesday, May 19, episode of the Summer House spinoff, Amanda, 34, confided in Lindsay Hubbard about her and Kyle’s money drama as the pair continued to work through their marriage issues.

“He has a spreadsheet of all this money that I owed him,” Amanda claimed. “So now it’s paying him in all these lump sums.”

As Amanda vented to Lindsay, 39, a price tag popped up in the corner of the screen, claiming that Amanda owed Kyle $117,000 in “back rent.”

“I already paid it. No sweat off my back,” Amanda nonchalantly told Lindsay as the pair shopped together. “We’re good.”

Lindsay pointed out that if Amanda paid it “last week” then she understood where her “resentment is coming from,” hinting that Amanda and Kyle’s problems were only escalating.

Amanda smiled at the time, seemingly making light of the situation.

Lindsay, however, was stunned by the revelation and told their group of girl friends all about the then-couple’s strange arrangement.

“I feel so bad for Amanda and Kyle. It’s not good,” Lindsay told her pals during a girls’ night out, confirming that the pair “have very separate lives.”

Lindsay then revealed to the group, “Amanda didn’t pay rent for the last three years,” noting that Kyle, 43, has since called to collect.

“So then he tallied it all up and charged her last week. I s*** you not,” Lindsay said as the other women were left speechless. “Charged her last week so then she had to pay him.”

Lindsay has been friends with Kyle since the beginning of Summer House, which filmed in 2016 before airing the following year. She also grew close to Amanda after Amanda and Kyle started dating season 1 of the Bravo series.

During Tuesday’s season 10 finale of Summer House, Amanda told Kyle she needed “space” and went to a hotel for a few days instead of leaving the Hamptons with him like they did every summer.

The events of the In the City premiere transpired in September 2025 just a few weeks after Summer House wrapped filming. At the time, Amanda and Kyle were back to living under the same roof and going to couples therapy.

Amanda and Kyle celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary during the In the City premiere — but before they finished their drinks at the bar, Amanda dropped another bombshell.

Related: Exes Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula Pose Together at ‘In the City’ Premiere

Kyle Cooke and estranged wife Amanda Batula made their first public appearance together since their drama with Summer House costar West Wilson erupted earlier this year. The former couple — who announced their separation in January — posed together on the red carpet at the New York City premiere for their Summer House spinoff show, […]

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“I’m going to move out. I know it’s our anniversary. I’m not bringing it up, like, ‘I’m out, I’m leaving.’ This is like a month,” Amanda told Kyle. “This is not to end the relationship. I want to date again. I want to get together and spend time like this. I’m not doing this to run away. I’m doing this because I want it to work out.”

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Kyle said he was “trying to be open minded,” but later told the cameras, “It feels extreme. I’m not sold on this being the solution.”

Four months after they shot that scene, Amanda and Kyle announced in January that they were getting divorce. Amanda has since started dating Summer House costar West Wilson, who previously dated Ciara Miller, which has caused a big rift among the cast.

In the City airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

The dark comedy is a tough genre to pull off for several reasons. Some projects go too hard with the comedy, forgetting the key word that precedes it. Others are so dark that you do a double-take when you remember that you’re supposed to be laughing, too. Apple TV’s unpredictable new series, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, created by David J. Rosen, despite being billed as a dark comedy, feels more akin to a mystery thriller with some comedic bits peppered in, unquestionably thrusting you into a web of lies in need of untangling above anything else. It’s thanks to Tatiana Maslany‘s charming tour-de-force performance — which turns overused tropes on their head — that Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed becomes a solid, addictive addition to the streamer, with each episode asking: Can anyone be trusted?

What Is ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’ About?

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed wastes no time in establishing everything you need to know about Paula (Maslany) and the show itself in a very inventive way. It’s evening in NYC, and Paula is video chatting with a guy she comfortably calls “Trev” (Brandon Flynn) as he sips a beer and tells her that the goat painting she’s trying to hang up on her crisp apartment wall is way too small. In between the laughs as Paula unpacks moving boxes, she laments about how Karl (Jake Johnson) won’t let Hazel (Nola Wallace) stay over at her new place if it’s not completely set up.

Paula knows she’s a bit of a hot mess, and is both aware of the fact that she needs to get her life in order, and that, well, that’s just how she is. Maslany might be one of very few people who could deliver a line in which she jokes that she should maybe take a bath with a toaster, and it comes across as wickedly charming and magnetic. She might never fully have her life in order, but she’s doing her damn best.

The rug is pulled out from under us when Trev clocks that they only have six minutes left of their call, and says that she could “buy another hour.” Paula then asks if they could “make six minutes work.” Suddenly, pants are down, the talk gets dirty, and it’s clear that Paula’s paid for online sex from a “cam boy,” who she has been in a pseudo-relationship with for quite some time, given how much he seems to casually know about her personal life. Paula is paying for sexual pleasure, yes, but she’s also paying for someone to be her friend as she adjusts to life as a divorcee.

The aforementioned proverbial rug then gets thrown out the window when, during another virtual dinner date with Trev, his doorbell rings, and an unknown assailant attacks him, with Paula left to helplessly watch from her home in her cheetah-print bra. She shows a cop a recording from her phone of the incident on her laptop, and the cop says that Trevor is likely blackmailing her. Everything reaches peak intensity and danger when Paula starts getting calls from someone who knows specific details about her personal life — including her daughter — and who demands money, unless she wants her cam boy videos leaked. Paula’s chaotic life just got inexplicably more uncertain and unstable at the worst possible time.

Tatiana Maslany Is the Perfect Choice To Lead ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’

Image via Apple TV

What’s so great about Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is that Tatiana Maslany has the chance to fully show off all she is capable of as a performer. Of course, the series Orphan Black, which won Maslany an Emmy and planted her firmly on the Hollywood map, had her playing multiple characters, naturally conveying her range. The divisive She-Hulk: Attorney at Law allowed her to break the fourth wall and loosen up as she brought a Marvel character to life in a fun way. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed feels like a sublime convergence of her skill sets.

Maslany is also the perfect choice for a role that subverts the thankless portrayal of mothers in film and TV. In Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Paula is the “fun” parent whom her daughter, Hazel, would much rather spend time with if given the choice. She loves and is close to her father and stepmother, but Paula is undoubtedly the person she can be her carefree, silly self with. If anything, Paula is even sillier than her daughter. Ice cream for dinner and jumping on the bed is her vibe — even if she also has bills to pay and a 3rd grade soccer team to coach.

It’s fun to see the mom character being the “mess” for a change. Paula needs to get her life together; she doesn’t have all the answers a mom is expected to have, and she unapologetically has sexual desires she needs to satisfy. The show never takes a detour to fill her with shame for that, which is refreshing, akin to how the tragically forgotten HBO series Mrs. Fletcher saw its female protagonist exploring her sexuality as an adult. (It’s only when Karl has concerns about when these virtual rendezvous were taking place that it understandably becomes problematic.)

Paula’s charismatic, gives-zero-effs personality is exactly what makes Maslany’s performance all the more impressive when Paula is thrust into tense conversations with her ex and the authorities about her increasingly convoluted blackmail situation. In between Paula trying to identify the blackmailer — and eventually, a murderer — she is dealing with an intensifying custody battle with Karl, who certainly has the upper hand and plans to move Hazel to Idaho. It’s almost uncomfortable to see Johnson play someone who isn’t a charming, lovable guy, but the New Girl star pulls it off impressively. What’s interesting is that Karl is by no means a villain. In fact, he’s a great father who just wants the best for his child. It’s simply the way he’s positioned in the narrative that we are designed not to like him. As the season progresses, it’s clear that this custody fight isn’t exactly easy for him, either, and that he might even have some second thoughts about how things are being handled.

Murray Bartlett Is a Masterful Menace in ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’

Image via Apple TV

Though not much can be revealed about who exactly Murray Bartlett plays in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed and how or when he factors into Paula’s increasingly deadly circumstances, one thing is for certain: you do not want to cross him. Bartlett’s put-together, disarming personality in the series is quickly revealed to be a guise he wears in order to get what he wants and needs.

One minute, Dennis is enjoying a lovely sushi date with his boyfriend, and the next, he’s calculating his every move and putting a bag over a woman’s head in the woods. Any trace of Bartlett’s notable performances in The White Lotus and The Last of Us is nowhere to be found here, making the possibilities of the types of characters he could play in future projects seem endless.

Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg and Charlie Hall Are ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’s Scene-Stealers

Image via Apple TV

The colorful icing on the Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed cake is undoubtedly the dynamic duo that is Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg and Charlie Hall, who play Geri and Rudy, Paula’s younger, snootier coworkers. At first, they come across simply as nuisances in Paula’s life, with their only goal being to take her down a peg with their unnecessarily cruel, witty jabs. As the episodes progress, however, and the mystery gets more and more twisted, Geri and Rudy slowly become integral to the central narrative and evolve beyond “one-note” comic relief. Goldberg’s Geri deals with conflicting feelings about Paula’s circumstances, and Rudy goes from being a quirky, entitled guy with relationship baggage to someone you really root for. It’s thanks to Goldberg and Hall’s chemistry and screen presence that these two supporting characters become real standouts.

With Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Apple TV adds yet another fun, unconventional series to its expanding and star-studded library. Maslany digs into a role that’s charming and complicated, effortlessly handling the humor and heaviness that gets thrown Paula’s way. While the main mystery at hand may sometimes feel unnecessarily complex, it ultimately serves as an entertaining escape that will leave you wishing Season 2 were around the corner.

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed premieres with two episodes Wednesday, May 20 on Apple TV.

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Release Date

May 20, 2026

Network

Apple TV

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Showrunner

David Rosen

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Directors

Daniel Sackheim, David Gordon Green

Writers

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David Rosen

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Pros & Cons

• Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is a fun, unpredictable addition to Apple TV’s impressive library.
• Tatiana Maslany excels as Paula, a mother trying to figure herself out while trying to survive a deadly blackmail conspiracy.
• Charlie Hall and Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg are standouts as the complex comic relief.

• The central mystery sometimes gets unnecessarily complicated even if it remains entertaining.

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