My April 2026 Media Diet

April’s weather was all over the place. One week it was 85 degrees in our apartment, the next it dropped to 62. It seems to have settled a bit now, and on the cooler side too, which I’m not complaining about.

I read the very long and very good New Yorker piece on Sam Altman, and despite generally positive experiences with AI tools like ChatGPT, it left me pretty convinced this is all in the wrong hands. The Wired article on the micro-surveillance state at Madison Square Garden hit a similar nerve. Too much power, too much money, not enough guardrails. It’s a lot.

On a lighter note, but still firmly in consumer-tech territory, I’ve been really enjoying my new AYN Thor. Apps like GameNative and Valve working on FEX, plus near-daily graphics driver updates from the community, are pushing these Android handhelds closer and closer to Steam Deck territory. I’ve been having a great time digging into my back catalog.

Here’s the list:

🍿 Send Help. I’ll give anything Sam Raimi makes a shot. This one didn’t click. Triangle of Sadness covered similar ground and did it better. Also, I’m not convinced making Rachel McAdams “ugly” was the right call, at least for the first third. I get the intent, but come on. It’s Rachel McAdams.

🍿 The Rock. After staring at Alcatraz from our window at the Fairmont in San Francisco, I had to rewatch this 90s classic. Turns out the hotel is featured pretty heavily, which was fun. The movie itself doesn’t hold up quite as well as I’d hoped, but it’s still a good time.

📺 Daredevil: Born Again. I really want this to be great. The individual characters are compelling, but the story isn’t quite coming together this season. I am enjoying the local NYC spots though. Seeing the Brooklyn Central Library turned into a courthouse was a nice touch.

📺 Born to Bowl. A bowling documentary in the style of Hard Knocks, same narrator and everything. Sign me up. Can we get a curling season next? 👍

📺 Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. I liked this quite a bit, even if the middle drags. The finale lands in a way I didn’t expect. It feels very Mike Flanagan-coded, even coming from the Duffer Brothers. I’m a sucker for one-and-done horror series and this one is worth it.

📺 Invincible. Still enjoyable, but it really needs an endgame. How many times can someone get nearly cut in half and just walk it off? The stakes are starting to feel nonexistent.

📖 On the Calculation of Volume I. Picked this up in San Francisco. One of my favorite books is Replay and this hits a lot of those same notes. That said, the author has seven books planned, which makes me a little nervous long term.

🍿 Kingpin. This was recommended on Born to Bowl. Terrible. Do not watch.

🍿 Undertone. I wanted to like this more than I did. Within minutes it becomes clear this is one of those three-actor movies. That’s not why it’s mid, but it doesn’t help. It barely clears the already low bar it sets.

🍿 Scream 7. This franchise has lost its way. I appreciate that it hasn’t been rebooted, but at this point maybe it should be.

📺 Temptation Island. Guilty pleasure of the month. Actually one of the better ones in a while. I’ll absolutely be back next season. These people are unhinged. 👍

🍿 Hot Fuzz. I love the Cornetto Trilogy and I think this might be my favorite. It’s perfect. I would love to see Pegg and Wright team up again. 👍

📺 Colin from Accounts. Surprise hit. This Australian comedy is completely my speed. Great dialogue, genuinely funny, and has a lot of heart. I wish there were more seasons already. 👍

🕹️ Vampire Crawlers. Dungeon crawlers usually aren’t my thing, but deck builders are, and this mashup really works. The developer feels like they’re onto something, taking the “vampire” concept and applying it across genres. Keep an eye on them. 👍

🕹️ Nubby’s Number Factory. Fantastic plinko roguelike with strong Kid Pix energy. It’s on mobile now and that’s exactly where it belongs.

🍿 Sneakers. Saw this at IFC with a crowd of like-minded nerds. Great movie and I’m shocked I hadn’t seen it before. You can see hints of Ocean’s 11 and The Matrix in there, and it’s much funnier than I expected. This is why I love NYC screenings.

🕹️ Dispatch. About halfway through this narrative game that feels more like a TV show than a traditional game. I’m loving it. I didn’t realize how involved Critical Role was, and Aaron Paul showing up was a surprise. I can actually see myself replaying this to explore different choices, which I almost never do. If you like Invincible, definitely check this out. 👍