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It's been a busy travel year for yours truly, from Norway to Canada. But a new movie might have ruined vacation friends for me forever.

James McAvoy invites new pals to a country getaway and breaks bad as the host from hell in "Speak No Evil," a remake of a shocking Danish flick that's a fave of many scary-movie fans. That's worth a rec in theaters, while at home the all-star "Fight Night" is available for your heist-loving pleasure. While fall TV might be different these days than in the Before Streaming Times, there's plenty to put on your calendar as you're also getting your Emmy ballot together for this Sunday's big awards show.

Now on to the good stuff:

See James McAvoy as a 'bad guy having a good time' in 'Speak No Evil'

McAvoy's far from his superhero days as X-Men leader Charles Xavier: In "Speak No Evil," Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis star as an American couple living with their daughter in London, who meet a gregarious British doctor (McAvoy) and his brood on an Italian vacation. They hit it off, the doc invites the new pals to his family's place in the remote English countryside, and then it becomes a terrifying trip of manners and malevolence. (You can also stream the original Danish "Speak No Evil," the feel-bad movie of 2022, on Shudder. Warning: It is super-duper bleak.)

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I talked with McAvoy about walking a fine line between horror and comedy with his character, a guy loving his villain era: "It sounds kind of glib, bad guy having a good time, but it's a guy doing bad things who's really trying to enjoy his life, and that's actually quite admirable."

Stream Peacock's 'Fight Night' and the best of the fall TV season

Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Samuel L. Jackson? It's hard to argue the sheer talent in the cast of "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" (now streaming on Peacock). The limited series dramatizes the stranger-than-fiction tale of an armed robbery in which masked men held up gangsters at an afterparty for a Muhammad Ali boxing match. "It's as if a less likable Ocean's Eleven crew robbed Tony Soprano and Soprano went on the warpath, amid the backdrop of the 1970s racist South," TV critic Kelly Lawler writes in her ★★★ review.

"Fight Night" is one of many must-see series this fall. Kelly runs down a bunch in her seasonal preview, including a reboot of "Matlock" (with Kathy Bates in the Andy Griffith role), buzzy Cate Blanchett drama "Disclaimer," '80s horror show "Hysteria!" and "The Penguin," with Colin Farrell as the title Batman baddie. (Between you and me, "Penguin" is definitely one to put on your watch list. More on that in the next Watch Party!)

Prepare yourself for (another) big Emmy Awards night

I know what you're thinking: "Emmys? Didn't we have those in January?" It's true, there was an Emmys show then: Last year's September ceremony was punted into 2024 by the actors' and writers' strikes. But now we're back on track, with a Sunday show hosted by "Schitt's Creek" father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy.

If you need predictions for your Emmy pool, Kelly's got the hookup on who will (and who should) win: She thinks the FX historical epic "Shōgun" takes best drama, "The Bear" grabs best comedy and viral Netflix hit "Baby Reindeer" walks off with top limited series.

Even more goodness to check out!

  • "NCIS" nerds will appreciate this piece about how they cast a new Gibbs and Strickland in CBS' upcoming "Origins" prequel show. (Boring title, especially with "Young Jethro" just sitting right there.)
  • Who's playing me in a biopic? Josh Gad, perhaps? While that gets worked out, Ian McKellen talks bad reviews and starring in "The Critic."
  • Netflix's musical crime drama "Emilia Pérez" is going to play huge this Oscar season, and Selena Gomez was "so nervous" about her first Spanish-speaking role.

Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Twitter (not calling it X!), Instagram and Threads

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