What’s Streaming This Week (3/10 - 3/17)
March 12th, 2024
DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS - $29.99 (Sale) / $19.99 Rental
The response to this Ethan Coen directed crime comedy was a bummer. We don’t mean the critical response. Coen Brothers comedies are usually a vibe not everyone gets on board with. We mean its utter failure at the box-office. Projected to earn about $4M on its opening weekend, it ended up grossing a paltry $2.4M. Universal/Focus has gotten a lot of flack for its aggressive PVOD strategy. We get it. But they are also the only studio releasing a robust, diverse film slate. They have 22 theatrical releases scheduled for 2024. No other studio comes close. So if they can make it work through PVOD and Peacock, we’re cheering them on. Drive-Away Dolls was always going to be a tough sell, but for the audience who vibes with it, it will be cherished.
ORIGIN - $14.99 Sale / 5.99 Rental
An ambitious big swing from filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Origin is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (an Oscar nominee for King Richard), as she writes the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Over the course of the film, Wilkerson travels throughout Germany, India, and the United States to research the caste systems in each country's history. Reviews were mostly positive, and the film even got the coveted ‘Frances Fisher Endorsement’ that got Andrea Riseborough an Oscar nomination last year. Alas, didn’t work this year.
SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
It’s never encouraging when a film premieres in theaters a full year after its Sundance Film Festival debut. But the indie film market is tough right now. Arthouses continue to struggle, and A24 seems to be the only distributor with breakout hits. And even they’re shifting their strategy. So this Oscilloscope release had a tough go of it when it hit US theaters on January 2024. It’s a shame, as it features a terrific lead performance from Daisy Ridley. She plays a socially awkward office worker who spends most of her time in isolation and daydreams of her own death, until a new colleague pricks the bubble of her own isolation. Ok…so maybe the title kept audiences away. But this indie gem is well worth your time.
March 14th, 2024
FRIDA - Prime Video
Carla Gutierrez’s documentary about the life of painter Frida Kahlo world-premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. It’s Gutierrez’s feature directing debut, and it sparked when she noticed the abundance of existing writing from the Mexican painter not yet told in narrative form. She then approached Julie Cohen and Betsy West, the directors of RBG and Julia, for insight on how to make a larger-than-life documentary about the female icon. The result is an ambitious film that uses animation, voice-over acting, and archival footage to paint a portrait of the artist’s fascinating life. We’re excited to check this out.
THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES - Hulu
Director Nick Broomfield tackles another music subject, after previously chronicling Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love (Kurt & Courtney), Whitney Houston (Whitney: Can I Be Me), and Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls (Last Man Standing: Suge Knight and the Murders of Biggie & Tupac). This time he tells the sad story of Brian Jones, the founder and original leader of The Rolling Stones, whose battles with drugs and alcohol caused his ouster from the band and lead to his death at age 27. In fact, Jones' death was the first in a string of 1960s rock tragedies, and was followed within two years by the drug-related deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Alan Wilson, and Janis Joplin. The coincidence of their deaths at the same age has been referred to in popular culture as the "27 Club.”
TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (TAYLOR’S VERSION) - Disney+ (Premieres at 9p ET/6p PT)
Disney paid a reported $75M for exclusive streaming rights to ‘Taylor’s Version’ of the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film, outbidding Netflix and Universal. And exclusive is the key word here. The film is no longer available to rent on digital platforms. No word yet if it will eventually be available to purchase digitally or through physical media. Taylor’s Version will include four additional songs: "Maroon", "I Can See You", "You Are In Love" and "Death By A Thousand Cuts". In addition to those main show songs not included in the theatrical cut, the film will also have an acoustic collection after the credits. The whole thing clocks in at 211 minutes, a full 40 minutes longer than the original.
March 15th, 2024
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM - $16.99 Sale / $6.99 Rental
This French import received a leading 12 nominations at the 49th César Awards, and it won 5 awards: Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Original Music, Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects. It lost the big categories to Anatomy of a Fall (not surprising), but it’s an indication of how well-received it was in its native country. The premise: In a world hit by a wave of mutations that are gradually transforming some humans into animals, François (Romain Duras) does everything he can to save his wife, who is affected by this mysterious condition. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, he embarks with Émile, their 16-year-old son, on a quest that will change their lives forever. Sounds amazing, we’re in!
DREAM SCENARIO - Max
Another week, another Nicolas Cage movie! This one looks to be a cut above his recent B-movie tinged crime thrillers and westerns. It comes from writer/director Kristoffer Borgli, who made a splash last year with the twisted Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. In Dream Scenario, Cage plays Paul Matthews, a mild-mannered biology professor who starts inexplicably appearing in the dreams of people around the world. Reviews were mixed/positive, with some critics loving it, while others loathing it. Definitely looking forward to catching up with this one now that it’s coming to Max.
IRISH WISH - Netflix
First, she was Falling for Christmas, now Lindsay Lohan returns to Netflix just in time for St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Wish. Looks fun. Here’s how she describes her character: "She's a bit of a bookworm. She's a nerd, which I loved playing. But she's a sweetheart. She's kind of naive, and she keeps it that way because her head is always focused on writing and stuff." We can’t stop thinking Jodie Foster in Contact was referring to Lindsay:
STOPMOTION - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
We’ve been looking forward to this one! Stopmotion is a 2023 British live-action/adult animated horror film directed by Robert Morgan, in his feature-length debut. It stars Aisling Franciosi (from the brutal film The Nightingale) and combines live action and stop motion animation. Meagan Navarro’s rave review at Bloody Disgusting is a must read. The film has done very well in theaters in its first two weeks, earning over $700k. It’s scheduled to launch on Shudder at the end of May. Check it out.
TROLLS BAND TOGETHER - Peacock
Well…we’re going to make a bold statement: Trolls-mania has officially peaked. Sure…the latest film has grossed $177M worldwide. But it was a quiet run, and the $85M domestic total is a little more than half of what the original earned in theaters in 2016 (the first sequel went straight to Peacock during the pandemic). Sure, there will probably be more sequels. And television series. Maybe a broadway musical. But for now…our beloved Trolls should take a break. Rest, dear Trolls. Rest on Peacock.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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