What’s Streaming This Week (1/4 – 1/11)

HALLOW ROAD – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell

Synopsis: Two parents receive a distressing late-night call from their teenage daughter, who has just accidentally hit a pedestrian. They jump in their car, racing to get there before anyone else stumbles across the scene. As they head deeper into the night, disturbing revelations threaten to tear the family apart as they soon realize they might not be the only ones driving down Hallow Road.

What We like:

• Essentially a car-bound thriller, with the majority of the story unfolding as the parents drive to reach their daughter. But if a film sticks you in one location for the majority of its runtime, it’s essential to have actors as capable and compelling as Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys.
• After world premiering at last year’s SXSW Festival, the film received positive reviews, and even won something called ‘The Duel Threat Special Award’ from the Austin Film Critics Association. Not sure what that means…but a win is a win!

What we don’t like:

• XYZ Films, a prolific production company dipping its toes in to distribution, made a valiant effort to drum up theatrical business for Hallow Road around Halloween, offering it up as a double feature with the acclaimed French/Belgian thriller Vincent Must Die. It was a unique marketing stunt, but didn’t seem to drum up much business or buzz. Let’s hope audiences find this small gem on streaming (and we’ll let you know when Vincent Must Die gets a digital date).

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK: LIVE FROM BROADWAY – Netflix

Cast: George Clooney, Mac Brandt, Will Dagger, Christopher Denham, R. Ward Duffy, Glenn Fleshler, Joe Forbrich, Ilana Glazer, Clark Gregg, Paul Gross, Georgia Heers, Fran Kranz, Jennifer Morris, Michael Nathanson, Andrew Polk, Imani Rousselle, Greg Stuhr, JD Taylor, Sophia Tzougros, Aaron Roman Weiner.

Synopsis: George Clooney’s Tony-nominated, box-office record-breaking Broadway play chronicling a time in American history when legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow took an on-air stand against a growing tide of fear mongering and disinformation—and won.

What we like:

• We’re big fans of well-executed filmed broadway performances, whether they be plays or musicals. With this and the likely digital release of Sony Pictures Classics Merrily We Roll Along in the next few weeks, it’s a big month for the genre.
• Good Night, and Good Luck received 5 Tony Award nominations, including Best Actor in a Play for Clooney. He lost to Cole Escola from Oh, Mary! (which was fantastic and should also be filmed!).

What we don’t like:

• Filmed broadway performances are tricky to get right. The joy of live theater is feeling the energy and choosing where to focus your gaze. It feels alive. Poorly filmed theater can be frustrating, limiting perspective with fussy editing. For us, the gold standard is Spike Lee’s masterful 2009 adaptation of Passing Strange (which you can stream for free on Kanopy).

TRON: ARES – Disney+

Cast: Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Gillian Anderson, Sarah Desjardins, and Jeff Bridges

Synopsis: A highly sophisticated Program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.

What we like:

• The score is by Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), with the use of the band’s name reportedly at Disney’s request. The last score released under the Nine Inch Nails moniker was the 1996 video game Quake. The duo had previously composed nineteen film, television, and game soundtracks, which were credited with their own names.
• Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B+ on an A+ to F scale, the same grade as its predecessors. So it seems like people were pretty satisfied.

What we don’t like:

• Disney bet big on this sci-fi sequel…and will likely lose a ton of money. It sure seems like Jared Leto might not be the strongest choice to be the face of your big-budget spectacle. Still…it could have a long tail on streaming. The visuals look cool, and no complaints about the score. But this will probably be the last Tron film for a while.

SOUL ON FIRE – Netflix

Cast: Joel Courtney, John Corbett, Stephanie Szostak, Masey McLain with DeVon Franklin and William H. Macy

Synopsis: After a horrific accident leaves his body scarred, a young boy strives to live and show everyone what is possible with the help of his family, his faith, his community, his longtime idol’s kindness, and the entire city of St. Louis.

What we like:

• The film tells the story of John O’Leary, who survived after being burned over 100% of his body in a childhood accident and went on to become a bestselling author and motivational speaker.
• It stars Joel Courtney as the adult John O’Leary, with John Corbett and Stephanie Szostak as his parents, and William H. Macy portraying legendary baseball announcer Jack Buck, who plays a pivotal role in the true story.

What we don’t like:

• Despite decent reviews from critics and an ‘A’ Cinemascore from audiences, the film failed to make much of an impact at the box office, earning only $7.4M domestically.

CHAIN REACTIONS – Shudder

Cast: Stephen King, Patton Oswalt, Karyn Kusama, Takashi Miike, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Synopsis: Fifty years after Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE shocked the world and forever changed the face of global cinema and popular culture, CHAIN REACTIONS charts the film’s profound impact and lasting influence.

What we like:

• This is not a standard “making-of” doc. Instead of just recounting the production history of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it focuses on personal memories, emotional responses, and cultural impact, making it almost like a shared diary of fear and inspiration.
• The film features Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama talking about how The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shaped their creativity and view of cinema.
• Director Alexandre O. Phillippe won the Best Documentary on Cinema Prize at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

What we don’t like:

• It’s been over 8 years since we lost The Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper, and it’s a shame he’s not around to give his perspective in this doc. But what a legacy he left.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION – Netflix

Cast: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Lukas Gage, Jameela Jamil, Alan Ruck, and Molly Shannon

Synopsis: Free-spirited Poppy and routine-loving Alex have been unlikely best friends for a decade, living in different cities but spending every summer vacation together. The careful balance of their friendship is put to the test when they begin to question what has been obvious to everyone else — could they actually be the perfect romantic match?

What we like:

• This adaptation of Emily Henry’s hit novel is directed by Brett Haley, who had his breakthrough with 2015’s terrific I’ll See You in My Dreams.
• The film co-stars Tom Blyth, who’s had a string of memorable performances in studio films (2023’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and indies (last year’s Plainclothes).
• What a supporting cast! Lukas Gage, Jameela Janil, Alan Ruck, and Molly Shannon (!) make us anxious to check this one out.

What we don’t like:

• The trailer is fun, but we’re bummed this is a straight to streaming Netflix release. It’s produced through Sony Pictures, and is the sort of January trifle that could kill in theaters right now. The film was shot in various locations, from New Orleans to Barcelona, that give it a travelogue feel that would be a perfect theatrical getaway in the heart of winter.

Happy Streaming Everyone!