With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour)
Ana Lily Amirpour’s second feature shoots for Harmony Korine meets Mad Max and would have nearly almost hit the mark were it not for the gratingly aloof attitude and the swaths of directorial license being taken. The Bad Batch — an ambitious, expansive dystopian sci-fi western which features partying, drugs, and cannibals — might come as music to the ears of diehard fans of films like Spring Breakers and Gummo (a kid doesn’t quite eat spaghetti in a bathtub, but a kid does eat spaghetti after being in a bathtub). However, beneath its dazzlingly hip surface the script and characters leave much to be desired. It’s like taking a trip to Burning Man: a pseudo-spiritual, uniquely punky experience perhaps, but one that’s full of annoying rich kids and ultimately emotionally shallow. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
The Beguiled (Sofia Coppola)
Cannon fire rumbles menacingly in the distance, but it’s human desire that might prove to be the greater threat after all in The Beguiled. Set to the backdrop of the American Civil War, Sofia Coppola‘s film is a sumptuous and often campy erotic horror, one that marks a confident debut genre outing for a director better-known for contemporary and often quite personal filmmaking (Lost in Translation, Somewhere, etc.). Although primarily based on the 1966 book by Thomas Cullinan, it appears, at first glance, to be a remake of Don Siegel’s 1971 film adaptation rather than any sort of new reading of the original text. Coppola, of course, is far too clever for that. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
City of Ghosts (Matthew Heineman)
Cut together with gut-wrenching intensity and packed with footage that feels equal parts remarkable and horrifying, Cartel Land director Matthew Heineman returns to Sundance with City of Ghosts, a 90-minute documentary chronicling the lives of the head members of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS). A campaign made up of activists based in the Syrian city of Raqqa and around the world, these young men risk their lives to garner intel on and about ISIS, what they’re doing and what they plan to do. As the Arab Spring brought revolution to countries like Syria, the vacuum of potential democracy was filled by a militant group calling themselves the Islamic State (ISIS). – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
Gerald’s Game (Mike Flanagan)
We’ll keep this brief as we’ll be discussing in full on The Film Stage Show this weekend, but popping up at Fantastic Fest with little buzz, Gerald’s Game was quite well-received. Now, thanks to Netflix, the Stephen King adaptation is now available to stream. Coming from recent horror phenom Mike Flanagan, and starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, follows an intimate game gone wrong.
Where to Stream: Netflix
Pop Aye (Kirsten Tan)
While much attention has currently (and rightfully) been drawn toward Bong Joon Ho’s Okja within the realm of human-and-beast cinema, Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye is a worthy companion. Intimately canvassed and drawn with raw etchings of humanity and human error, Tan’s film is both a road movie and a buddy film, a familial drama and a study of the ever-evolving, industrialized landscapes where not everyone fits in. Through her insistent gaze on the human (and non-human) figures at its center, Tan never forgets why this story is being told. This focus makes Pop Aye a film that is heartwarming in its human-to-animal gaze, and yet crushing in its understanding of a human’s flaws. – Mike M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes
Spider-Man: Homecoming (Jon Watts)
Despite the fundamental truth that art is, at the most elemental level, unnecessary to survival, its unequivocal power to reward the soul and imagination proves undeniable across every culture and time period. This conviction was recently put to the ultimate test when it comes to the third launch of a Spider-Man in this infantile century, and particularly under the circumstances: crammed into a roster-heavy franchise threequel in a cinematic universe that, at the time, already spanned 13 films. While the neighborhood’s friendliest superhero was merely a blip in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland is now getting a proper introduction with his own feature, and, against all odds, it just about works. Despite succumbing to the seemingly inescapable monotony that pervades most final setpieces in this genre, the film exudes a charismatic quality of nimble fun with its playful direction and lighthearted lead performance. – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
Also New to Streaming
Amazon
HBO Go
FilmStruck
The Headless Woman
Ramona
Pierrot le fou
Following
Beautiful Days
Fountainhead
Japanese Girls at the Harbor
Mr. Thank You
Kaisha monogatari: Memories of You
MUBI (free 30-day trial)
The Future Perfect
Retaliation
Massacre Gun
Mold
Below Sea Level
You Only Live Once
Omar
Netflix
Bachelorette
Night School
Our Souls at Night
Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan