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The panel’s lack of enthusiasm for this category expresses itself in a drastic falloff after the first three contenders, as different from each other as TV movies can be. “Rebel Ridge,” the intense actioner with a should-be star-making performance by Aaron Pierre, is at No. 1. Tied for second are the fourth “Bridget Jones” movie, rom-com “Mad About the Boy,” and “Mountainhead,” which Lorraine Ali calls a “billionaire satire.”
“We all gripe about this category every year,” acknowledges Tracy Brown, “but I think the toughest thing … is the range of projects it encompasses, from the more blockbuster-skewing ‘Rebel Ridge’ to the more firmly indie ‘Am I OK?’. And we all need to be OK with that.”
Kristen Baldwin sums up the frustration on the part of some panelists: “Suggestion: Change the name of this category to Nontheatrical Movies. The concept of a ‘TV Movie,’ as we once knew it, is dead.”
Still, Matt Roush sees something to celebrate at the summit, saying “Mountainhead” “feels like a front-runner on pedigree alone,” citing its writing and direction by ‘Succession’s’ Jesse Armstrong, and its starry cast. “This darkest of farces is also frighteningly timely.”
1. “Rebel Ridge”
2. (tie) “Mountainhead”
2. (tie) “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
4. “Out of My Mind”
5. “The Gorge”
6. “G20”
7. “Am I OK?”
Los Angeles Times
Lorraine Ali
1. “Mountainhead”
2. “Rebel Ridge”
3. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
4. (tie) “G20”
4. (tie) “The Gorge”
“Starring Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef, the billionaire satire ‘Mountainhead’ slid in just under the eligibility wire. Peacock’s ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ is the fourth film in the rom-com saga starring Renée Zellweger and packs the most name recognition.”
Entertainment Weekly
Kristen Baldwin
1. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
2. “Mountainhead”
3. “Rebel Ridge”
4. “Out of My Mind”
5. “Am I OK?”
“Suggestion: Change the name of this category to Nontheatrical Movies. The concept of a ‘TV Movie,’ as we once knew it, is dead.”
Los Angeles Times
Tracy Brown
1. “Rebel Ridge”
2. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
3. “Mountainhead”
4. “The Gorge”
5. “Am I OK?””
“We all gripe about this category every year, but I think the toughest thing about the TV movie race in the time of streaming is the range of projects it encompasses, from the more blockbuster-skewing ‘Rebel Ridge’ to the more firmly indie ‘Am I OK?’ And we all need to be OK with that.”
Shadow and Act
Trey Mangum
1. “Rebel Ridge”
2. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
3. “Mountainhead”
4. “G20”
5. “The Gorge”
“‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ getting an Emmy nod would seem justified, since it didn’t get a theatrical run in the U.S. It appears to be a lock — just like ‘Mountainhead,’ which is battling ‘Rebel Ridge’ to be at the top.”
TV Guide
Matt Roush
1. “Mountainhead”
2. “Out of My Mind”
3. “Rebel Ridge”
4. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
5. “Am I OK?”
“In a traditionally meh field, HBO’s late-May entry ‘Mountainhead’ feels like a front-runner on pedigree alone: written and directed by ‘Succession’s’ Jesse Armstrong, about a gathering of toxic tech titans including Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith. This darkest of farces is also frighteningly timely.”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. “Rebel Ridge”
2. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy”
3. “Out of My Mind”
4. “Mountainhead”
5. “The Gorge”
“For the first time in what feels like decades, you could make an argument that the TV movie contenders are at least as good as the limited series. I don’t know about you, but I’d rewatch the latest ‘Bridget Jones’ movie twice before ever dipping into ‘Disclaimer’ again.”
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