ready for some football

College Football Championship weekend kicks off in Houston with free concerts, events, and more

America's eyes will be on Houston on Monday, January 8, as the city hosts the College Football Playoff National Championship game at NRG Stadium, broadcast live on ESPN. Houston, notably, scores the championship game as the College Football Playoffs toast 10 years.

The game sees No. 1-ranked Michigan Wolverines — who bested Alabama in the Rose Bowl — face off with the No. 2-ranked Washington Huskies, who just broke UT fans' hearts after beating the Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.

While swarms of Wolverines and Huskies will hit H-Town for Monday's championship game, locals won't need a championship ticket to get in on the action, thanks to a jam-packed weekend of events — almost all of which are free.

Downtown has been dubbed Championship Campus for the big weekend activities: Playoff Fan Central, AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!, the Trophy Trot 5K and 10K, Taste of the Championship, and the Allstate Championship Tailgate.

We've got the playbook for all the fun starting Friday, January 5. But first, an insider tip:

CultureMap readers who use luxury rideshare service Alto can score $10 off two rides through Monday night. To help pregame, beloved Houston brewery Karbach is getting the first round for Alto users with free beers in the car during championship weekend rides through Monday (for riders 21 and older — sorry, high schoolers). Be sure to use code CHAMPIONSHIP when booking an Alto trip online.

Now, game on.

Playoff Fan Central: Friday-Sunday, January 5-7 at the George R. Brown Convention Center

The free, three-day, family-friendly activities kick off at noon on Friday. Expect games, serious athletic drills, autograph signings, cool activations, youth sports clinics, pep rallies, photo opps, and special exhibits celebrating all things college football.

Arrive early (9 am) on Saturday for Media Day. Fans get free access as Michigan and Washington coaches and players are interviewed; fans can listen in with mini radios supplied at the program.

College Football Playoff National Championship 2024 Houston drills Work those agility drills at Fan Fest.Photo courtesy of College Football Playoffs

It's not just the football teams facing off: The Michigan and Washington bands will perform on Sunday at 2 pm and 3 pm, respectively, for what promises to be a super sonic showdown.

AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!: Friday-Sunday, January 5-7 at Shell Energy Stadium

Kudos to event organizers and sponsors for securing musical talent that demands top-dollar tickets — for free. These AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! free concerts get the energy pumping, starting with Kidz Bop on Friday.

Country stat Megan Moroney takes the stage Sunday along with Jon Pardi and Jake Owen.Photo by David McClister

Rap and hip-hop fans should be ready to line up for rap stars Jack Harlow, the pride of Kentucky rap who's making waves with his new VR concert experience. Two-time Grammy nominee Latto, many remember her as the star of The Rap Game reality show, also takes the stage on Saturday. They'll be joined by towering (he's 6'5) Georgia rapper 2 Chainz, a former college athlete himself, who hooped for Alabama State University.

Sunday gets country with Grand Ole Opry member/crooner Jon Pardi, who just revealed he's sober and is a refreshing country throwback. Handsome star singer-songwriter (and passionate golfer) Jake Owen is also on the bill, as is and multi-platinum country artist-songwriter Megan Moroney, a rising, charismatic star.

Fans must register for concert tickets online in advance, show the QR code via the CFBPlayoff mobile app at the convention center, and secure a wristband for entry to all shows except Kidz Bop on Friday.

Trophy Trot: Sunday, January 7 downtown

Get that pre-game cardio in with a family-friendly run/walk starting at 9 am. New this year, participants can compete in both 5K and 10K distances. Each Trophy Trot participant receives a T-shirt and medal, with numerous chances to win tickets to the CFP National Championship game the next day. Registration is open now.

All proceeds benefit Extra Yard for Teachers, the College Football Playoff Foundation's nonprofit that inspires and empowers quality teachers.

Taste of the Championship: Sunday, January 7 at Union Station in Minute Maid Park

As we reported, this premium dining experience and fundraising event boasts a veritable gourmet feast from an all-star roster of chefs and more than 30 restaurants. James Beard Award-winning chef, media personality, and CultureMap Wine Guy Chris Shepherd will host, backed up by Louisiana-based party band The Phunky Monkeys. All proceeds benefit the CFP Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers platform. Find tickets here.

Southern Smoke Festival 2023 Houston food all stars Aaron Bludorn and Chris Shepherd headline Taste of the Championship. Photo by Emily Jaschke

Allstate Championship Tailgate: Monday, January 8 at NRG Stadium

What's a big-time football game without a tailgate? Fans with a ticket to Monday's showdown should head to Blue Lots 16, 17, and 18 starting at 11 am. This tailgate features interactive games, activations, concessions, award-winning musical acts, live performances by each team’s marching band, and a chance to watch the live ESPN broadcasts.

Again: Fans must present a national championship game ticket for entry to the Allstate Championship Tailgate.

Stay on top of all the action and updates at Championship Campus online and follow @CFBPlayoff on social media.

College Football Playoff National Championship 2024 Houston trophy

Photo courtesy of College Football Playoff National Championship

Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship game will kick off with a weekend of free events.

Movie Review

Over-the-top thriller The Housemaid revels in camp, chaos, and excess

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

---

The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

movies film