What’s Streaming This Week (3/17 - 3/24)
March 19th, 2024
ANSELM - The Criterion Channel & $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental
While Wim Wenders’ Oscar-nominated Perfect Days got most of the attention last year, his other project was this fascinating immersive documentary about the German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer. Wenders shot the film at 6K resolution and in the 3D format, which he previously utilized for his 2011 Pina Bausch dance documentary Pina (itself Oscar-nominated). The project is meant to illuminate Kiefer’s work, life journey, inspiration, creative process, and the fascination with myth and history. Wenders has said his aim was to "blur" the boundary between film and painting. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays on home screens. Films meant to be experienced in 3D often fall a little flat when that element is removed. But Wenders is such terrific filmmaker, and Pina was still very entertaining in 2D, so we’re excited to check this one out.
BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Mixed reviews didn’t stop this Bob Marley biopic from becoming a big hit early this year. As with most ‘authorized by the family/estate’ films, critics felt the narrative was surface-level and too safe. Its success indicates to us that the market is woefully underserving the African-American moviegoer. Seriously, what films in the back half of 2023 were aimed at that segment? The Color Purple? Absolutely. It had a huge opening day…audiences were ready. But then word-of-mouth seemed to kill it. American Fiction definitely over-performed. But just as Hollywood is underserving the family audience, it’s also neglecting the AA audience. Anyway…this one should hit Paramount+ in the next few weeks.
INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL - $12.99 Sale / $4.99 Rental
The feature directorial debut of Phạm Thiên Ân, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell made a big splash when it debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section and won the Caméra d'Or, which is awarded for the best first feature film. Some have compared his film to the works of Apichatpong Weerasethakul (pronounced just as it’s spelled) and indeed it explores a sort of spiritual journey that is meditative and rewards patient moviegoers. Fast X this ain’t.
LAND OF BAD - $19.99 Sale Only
If Vietnamese meditative spiritual journeys are not your speed, this week’s aggro testosterone action thriller might be its polar opposite. Land of Bad begs you to mock its title, but the reviews have not been too terrible. Starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, here’s the plot: A covert Special Forces operation in the South Philippines spirals into a brutal 48-hour battle for survival. When an elite extraction team is ambushed deep in enemy territory, rookie officer Kinney (Hemsworth) is left outnumbered but determined to leave no man behind. With an air strike closing in, Kinney's only hope hinges on the guidance of Air Force drone pilot Reaper (Crowe), navigating unknowable danger where every move could be their last. Sounds like a certain Oscar-winner got to film his entire part in one room! Not a bad way to make a living.
March 20th, 2024
EXPEND4BLES - Starz
Who can blame Sylvester Stallone for continuing The Expendables franchise? What else is he going to do? Sure…there’s his Paramount+ family reality series, but that feels like it’s for his wife and daughters. Stallone has squeezed every last drop out of all of his hits: Rocky movies (8), Rambo movies (5), The Expendables movies (4). Stallone needs his own The Beekeeper. Next up for him is a film called Armored, in which he plays a father who works with his son as security guards for an armored truck company. They encounter a team of would-be robbers while on a bridge and become trapped and must come up with a plan to escape and ensure their survival. Alright. As always, we hope for the best.
March 21st, 2024
ROAD HOUSE - Prime Video
To some, the 1989 original Road House is sacred text. The idea of remaking a classic seems ludicrous. But it’s not like Road House is Casablanca. Musicians cover other artists’ songs. Why not update a nutty, yet still wildly entertaining, action movie from the 80s? This new Road House premiered at SXSW to positive reactions, though there was some grousing about the CGI-enhance fight sequences. Our biggest issue? PUT THIS IN THEATERS FIRST. Director Doug Liman is right (though maybe take care of that at the contract stage, Doug). What would this film’s competition be in theaters right now? The fourth weekend of Dune: Part Two? Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire? This would do minimum $20M-$30M at the box-office, then have much bigger perceived value on their streaming platform. Instead…this will drop on Thursday and likely be forgotten by Sunday. A shame.
March 22nd, 2024
ANATOMY OF A FALL - Hulu
Justine Triet’s courtroom drama/thriller has been a sensation ever since it premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the coveted Palme d’Or. Its impressive run was capped at last weekend’s Oscars, where it won the award for Best Original Screenplay. It’s kind of amazing that a (partially) French-language drama captured so much attention during awards season. But let’s be honest, it was not a fair fight. The Anatomy of a Fall team brought out their big gun. Even Ryan Gosling…who stole the show with the I’m Just Ken production number, wasn’t immune to the charms of Messi:
THE MONK AND THE GUN - TBD Sale / TBD Rental
The Monk and the Gun follows the story of Tashi, a young monk in Bhutan, and Ron Coleman, an American visitor. Tashi's lama asks for guns, an odd request considering the rarity of guns in Bhutanese society. Meanwhile, Ron is in Bhutan to acquire an antique rifle for a collector. The film explores Bhutan's movement towards democracy, while satirizing the fascination for guns and violence suggested as endemic in democratic society. The villagers humorously attempt to understand elections, while tension builds as Ron's and Tashi's stories intertwine. In the end, the movie leaves the audience to consider the true nature of modern democracy and the allure of firearms. The film was selected as the Bhutanese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, and was one of the 15 finalist films on the December shortlist. Didn’t get a nomination, but well worth checking out.
SHIRLEY - Netflix
When this Shirley Chisholm biopic was pushed to 2024 (and out for the 2023 Oscar race), there were grumblings that it was likely due to the film’s (lack of) quality. With an Oscar-winning star (Regina King), an Oscar-winning writer/director (John Ridley, who took the prize for his 12 Years a Slave screenplay), and a cast that includes Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Andre Holland, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Terence Howard, how could this not be a slam dunk for awards consideration? Well, as it turns out, Netflix likely had to many fish to fry in 2023. Nyad, Rustin, and Maestro all received acting nominations. So now Shirley can be judged on its own merits, without the ‘is it nomination-worthy?’ baggage. And guess what? Turns out the movie is pretty good! It may not factor in to this year’s awards race, but we’ll take all the good movies we can get.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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