Freeze Frame: “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” (PG-13), “Sitting in Bars with Cake” (PG-13), “The Changeling” (TV-MA)

Writer/director/star Nia Vardalos is back for round three in the broad and sappy comedy, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.” Nia and her clan travel to Greece for a big fat family reunion and to meet her father’s childhood friends from his tiny Greek village. Sadly, aside from the beautiful Greek locales, the movie hasn’t got much to offer. Even fans of the original 2002 film, the subsequent TV series and the 2016 sequel, may find this third outing to be a bit too trite. There are just few new ideas on display. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” is one wedding invitation you won’t want to accept.

Ever hear of “cakebarring?” The Amazon Prime comic drama “Sitting in Bars with Cake” stars Yara Shahidi and Odessa A’zion as twentysomething friends who try to meet people by sharing baked goods at bars. This lighthearted story turns tragic when one of the young women falls ill. The cast is likable and the script, inspired by a true story, has its heart in the right place. But in the end, “Sitting in Bars with Cake” comes off as a Gen Z soap opera.

“The Changeling” on Apple TV+ is a creepy and atmospheric limited series based on the novel by Victor LaValle. This supernatural thriller stars LaKeith Stanfield as a man who searches for his wife who mysteriously disappears after she commits a brutal crime. This well acted story unfolds so slowly that you have to wait until at least the fourth episode before you have any inkling about what’s going on. By then, you may not care. Only truly patient viewers will want to wait for the payoff…but does it ever arrive? Season 2, anyone?


Share This Episode