Crime drama fans have plenty to unpack this week between highly anticipated television returns and unexpected streaming hits. Paramount+ just dropped a brand new trailer for the 18th season of Criminal Minds, officially setting the premiere for Thursday, May 8. The 10-episode season will roll out weekly, and the first look already promises plenty of tension. The footage kicks off with a deeply unsettling “buried alive” scenario, showcases franchise veteran A.J. Cook leaning into a much more badass side of JJ, and reveals a posthumous guest appearance by the late Linda Lavin in an undisclosed role.
The BAU Returns to Chaos
Picking up a full six months after the events of the last finale, the new season finds the Behavioral Analysis Unit dealing with the fallout of the brutal prison yard attack on Elias Voit. With the notorious Sicarius Killer, played by Zach Gilford, sidelined by his injuries, his dark web followers have been activated to wreak havoc across the country. To stop the bloodshed, the BAU is forced into an uneasy alliance with the wildly unpredictable Voit, who clearly still has his own agenda.
Production on this latest run wrapped up in mid-December after a quick four-month shoot. The show’s official Instagram account celebrated the milestone late last summer, dropping a few behind-the-scenes photos that even confirmed the return of JJ’s signature side-part hairstyle. Hardcore fans were quick to point out that the special agent hasn’t sported that look since Season 9.
Familiar Faces and Fresh Blood
Expect to see the core team back in the bullpen. Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Penelope Garcia, Dr. Tara Lewis, and Luke Alvez are all returning, alongside Ryan-James Hatanaka’s Tyler Green, who is essentially operating as an unofficial BAU consultant at this point. But the biggest news for long-time viewers is the highly anticipated return of Matthew Gray Gubler. After missing the first two seasons of the Evolution revival due to scheduling conflicts—and his current involvement in the CBS pilot Einstein—Gubler’s Spencer Reid is finally slated to appear in a portion of one episode.
On the newcomer front, Lucifer and Dexter alum Aimee Garcia joins the cast for a multi-episode arc as Dr. Julia Ochoa. She plays a top-tier neuropsychiatrist assigned to help a high-profile patient recover from injury-induced brain trauma. Given how Voit ended the previous season, it is a very safe bet that he is her new patient. Showrunner Erica Messer has hinted that this season will feel distinct from the last two. While the shadow of Voit still heavily impacts the team, the narrative is shifting back to a hybrid format that includes standalone cases. The agents barely have a second to breathe, bringing a completely different pace and a new kind of exhaustion to the story.
A Divisive Prime Video Hit to Tide You Over
For those who simply can’t wait until May for their next dose of murder and deception, an under-the-radar movie is currently having a moment on Amazon Prime Video. The Minute You Wake Up Dead, a 90-minute feature starring Morgan Freeman and Cole Hauser, completely bypassed theaters in several overseas markets but has somehow managed to crack the top 10 film charts on the streaming platform.
The film centers on a desperate, heavily indebted financial advisor named Russ Potter. He finds himself tangled in a dangerous scam alongside a wealthy widow named Delaine Moore. Predictably, things go sideways, a murder occurs, and Russ suddenly becomes the prime suspect. It falls on Sheriff Thurmond Fowler, played by Freeman, to unravel a messy web of financial greed, hidden motives, and outright deception as the pressure mounts on everyone involved in the small town.
Love It or Hate It
Interestingly, the movie’s streaming success completely defies its critical reception. The thriller holds a dismal 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with virtually zero support from critics, though the low number of official reviews definitely skews that metric. However, average Prime Video users are far more forgiving, awarding the film a solid 3.8 out of 5 stars.
Audiences are completely divided on its actual merits. Some fans praise the pacing and unpredictable twists, noting that the constant double-crossing keeps things entertaining and secures its status as a highly watchable crime flick. On the flip side, plenty of viewers are tearing the movie apart. Harsher reviews point out the amateurish execution, citing flat dialogue, uninspired camera work, and a total lack of genuine suspense. Critics in the user review sections complain that the project suffers from an identity crisis, stretching what should have been a tight short film into a feature-length drag. Even with a Hollywood heavyweight like Morgan Freeman attached, some felt the script was just too weak to save.
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