What’s Streaming This Week (7/21 - 7/28)
Monday, July 22nd, 2024
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE - Netflix
What we like:
Director Gil Kenan takes over directing duties from Jason Reitman (the two co-wrote this sequel), and we have fond memories of his Oscar-nominated 2006 animated film Monster House.
It’s great to see the original Ghostbusters crew back (again), and we’re hoping Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts got nice fat paychecks….but…
What we don’t like:
…is there really any massive enthusiasm around this franchise? Have these legacy sequels left any sort of cultural footprint?
Here’s a (horrifying) fun fact: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire co-star William Atherton appeared on a 1981 episode of The Phil Donahue Show and claimed he successfully changed his sexual orientation:
The whole episode is a fascinating, and disturbing, snapshot of people’s attitudes around LGBTQ+ issues in the early 80s.
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024
BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
What we like:
Slap? What slap? Will Smith is back with a major blockbuster, his first theatrical release since his Oscar win/kerfuffle. It seems the audience has forgiven (or forgotten).
Michael Bay, the director of Bad Boys (1995) and Bad Boys II (2003), appears as an irked driver in the film.
At 1 hour 55 minutes, this is the shortest Bad Boys film in the franchise. We applaud the brevity!
What we don’t like:
What’s Will Smith got against alligators? This is the second film in a row, after 2022’s Emancipation, that he fights with one.
FEMME - Hulu
What we like:
A British thriller written and directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping (in their feature debut), Femme is a feature-length adaptation of their BAFTA-nominated 2021 short film of the same name.
That short starred The Iron Claw’s Harris Dickinson and I May Destroy You’s Paapa Essiedu, whose roles are played in the feature by George Mackay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett.
The film went on to receive 11 British Independent Film Award nominations, winning three: Best Costume Design, Best Hair & Makeup Design, and Best Joint Lead Performance.
What we don’t like:
The film didn’t attract much of an audience in theaters, grossing less than $200K at the domestic box-office.
KILL - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
What we like:
This ultra-violent Hindi-language action thriller from India premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, and was first runner-up for the People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness. It lost to Dicks: The Musical.
Three days prior to Kill's North American theatrical release, Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, who have previously collaborated on the John Wick franchise, announced an English-language remake of the film.
What we don’t like:
While it certainly gets to the heart of the story, we feel like the title could be improved. It’s an SEO nightmare. How about Kill Train? Or The Last Car Carnage? Slaughter in the Caboose? We’re just spitballin’ here.
Friday, July 26th, 2024
THE ARCTIC CONVOY - $16.99 Sale / TBD Rental
What we like:
This Norwegian import tells the story of the perilous voyage of a freighter delivering supplies to Allies on the eastern front during World War II.
The film comes from the producers Norway’s recent hit disaster films The Wave and The Quake.
What we don’t like:
It feels a bit like we’re scraping the bottom of the (ice) barrel in terms of WWII stories here. Still, Norway deserves to showcase their heroes, and it’s always incredibly satisfying to see Nazis defeated!
HUMANE - Shudder, AMC+
What we like:
The feature directorial debut of Caitlin Cronenberg. Nepo baby discourse be damned, we want as many films as possible from the Cronenberg family.
The film has a terrific premise: In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father's plan to enlist in the government's new euthanasia program goes horribly awry.
What we don’t like:
With a day-and-date digital release, the film didn’t have much of an opportunity in theaters. It grossed a paltry $44k at the domestic box-office.
KNOX GOES AWAY - Max
What we like:
One of our favorite actors, Michael Keaton, takes another swing in the director’s chair, helming his first film since 2009’s The Merry Gentleman.
The film also gives Keaton a meaty role as an actor: it follows a contract killer (Keaton), who after being diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia, is presented with the opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son.
What we don’t like:
Reviews coming out of the 2023 Toronto Film Festival were pretty mixed, with most critics still praising Keaton’s performance.
THE LAST BREATH - $19.99 Sale / $6.99 Rental
What we like:
Regular readers will know we’re all in for any kind of shark thriller, no matter how trashy. This one looks pretty standard, but we don’t care! Give it to us!
Love the poster, even if it seemingly defies shark behavior. In our extensive shark research, it’s our understanding sharks tend to attack from below. They rarely pop up behind you and chomp down.
What we don’t like:
This is the final film role for esteemed British actor Julian Sands, who died while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles last year.
SLEEPING DOGS - Hulu
What we like:
Last week saw Russell Crowe giving a one-room performance in the action thriller Land of Bad, and this week he’s playing retired homicide detective Roy Freeman, who while undergoing treatment for Alzheimer's disease, is forced to re-open an old case involving the murder of a college professor.
The film reunites Crowe with his Gladiator co-star Tommy Flanagan, who played Cicero in the 2000 Best Picture Oscar winner.
What we don’t like:
Reviews were not kind, with Owen Gleiberman of Variety describing it as follows: “It’s patchy, it’s badly lit, it’s glum, it’s overloaded with suspects, and it’s almost proud of its contrivances. Yet in its logy, booby-trapped way, it keeps you watching.”
Saturday, July 27th, 2024
WICKED LITTLE LETTERS - Netflix
What we like:
A true 2024 unicorn: Wicked Little Letters was an arthouse hit in the Spring, grossing over $5M at the domestic box-office. That’s huge for a film that appeals mostly to older audiences, who have been the most reluctant to return to theaters after COVID.
We love Olivia Colman in comedic mode, and here she gets to chew the scenery and gleefully scream the c-word with gusto.
What we don’t like:
Indie distributor Sony Pictures Classics used to churn out multiple arthouse hits every year, with a reliable output of costume dramas and acclaimed foreign films that would often gross between $5M - $10M each. In the last four years, their films have struggled to reach even $1M.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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