Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan in thought-provoking return of ‘Beef’

It doesn’t take long to get the gist of Lee Sung Jin’s second season of Netflix’s “Beef,” which squeezes a number of themes from generational battles to marital issues to class warfare into an eight-episode run that began (April 16) and it’s positively brilliant.

What makes it so? Through the exploration of the assorted inadequacies of two couples – one millennial, the other Gen Z – and their lives of sometimes quiet desperation.

But that’s not all, as the series progresses, an increasing number of layers peel away to reveal the sinister, manipulative nature of humanity – poor, middle class, wealthy – all of it.

It begins with a marital spat between Josh (Oscar Isaac) his wife Lindsay (Carey Mulligan). He’s the general manager of a country club, she a housewife who assists him whenever and wherever she can.

Club employees Ashley (Cailee Spaeny) and Austin (Charles Melton), a Gen Z engaged couple, witness that spat and blackmail begins when Ashley, a beverage cart girl at the club who doesn’t have benefits, finds herself needing healthcare.

Josh buys her silence with a promotion to a position to she’s not even remotely qualified. But blackmail is blackmail.

As for Josh and Lindsay, they’re pretenders. They mingle in the world of the rich and famous – like Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps – but cannot afford to reside in it. Josh lives in a state of denial while she is well aware of that fact.

Although those couples are central to the series, “Beef” goes well beyond them and to watch it unfold is a delicious experience with the subterfuge, backstabbing and the detailed look at human frailty and amorality in some cases.

Isaac and Mulligan, to little surprise, anchor it all and Spaeny and Melton prove to be equally effective. But the beauty in Jin’s creation is that he brings along a host of supporting characters that more than move the proceedings and move the story forward.

“Beef” offers more than its share of surprises, proves to be razor sharp in its criticism of society, especially the flawed systems that cause harm in this country, and is the type of compelling television that is imminently bingeable.

Streaming: Eight episodes currently streaming on Netflix

Grade: A-

‘Balls Up’ is a pure raunch fest that over does it

There was a time when a movie like “Balls Up” would have them lined up at movie theater box offices. It’s a throwaway comedy with a few cheap laughs featuring Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser as a couple of condom salesmen.

No, the filmmakers weren’t exactly going for highbrow and given it comes from Peter Farrelly, that should not have been the standard. Farrelly has directed some comedy classics – “There’s Something About Mary,” “Dumb and Dumber” and “Kingpin” – but his career has been a bit more scattershot since those 90s-era efforts.

But times have changed since the 1990s and what shocked then in an R-rated film may as well be a PG-13 today. “Balls Up” takes advantage of that fact, pushing boundaries.

Wahlberg is Brad and Hauser is Elijah two salesman schlubs assigned to try to place their company’s new product – an all-coverage condom – as the prophylactic of Brazil. Hilarity allegedly ensues. It’s hit or miss. But I endured it so others would not have to.

‘Man on Fire’ remake set for April 30 debut on Netflix

“Man on Fire” was a Denzel Washington flick that scored well with critics, but not so well with audiences, which, of course, makes it perfect for a Netflix remake as a TV series. It stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Take a look:

Netflix’s ‘Virgin River’ takes top spot in streaming ratings

“Virgin River” is still going strong in its seventh season on Netflix judging from this week’s Nielsen ratings. And “Zootopia 2” is a powerhouse on Disney+.

Overall

• “Virgin River” (Netflix) – 1.594 billion minutes

• “Beauty in Black” (Netflix) – 1.416 billion

• “Zootopia 2” (Disney+) – 1.306 billion

• “One Piece” (Netflix) – 1.27 billion

• “The Pitt” (HBO Max) – 1.143 billion

Originals

• “Virgin River” (Netflix) – 1.594 billion minutes

• “Beauty in Black” (Netflix) – 1.416 billion

• “One Piece” (Netflix) – 1.27 billion

• “The Pitt” (HBO Max) – 1.143 billion

• “The Madison” (Paramount+) – 979 million

Movies

• “Zootopia 2” (Disney+) – 1.306 billion

• “Nobody 2” (Netflix) – 499 million

• “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” (Netflix) – 404 million

• “War Machine” (Netflix) – 391 million

• “Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzger Story” (Netflix) – 324 million

George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Netflix’s thought-provoking ‘Beef’ returns with Carey Mulligan