I’ve been struggling to figure out what to post in my newsletters on Mondays, since it’s way too early to post a review of a movie coming out this Friday. So I’m going to try doing a column highlighting some movies that are new to streaming (or physical media).
It seems like a good chance to highlight movies that might have whooshed in and out of theaters before you even knew they were there. If you’ve ever sat staring at the Netflix home page and wondered “How could the algorithm actually think I’d like that?” I hope this will help. And if you’ve watched something great recently that you think people should know about, drop it in the comments!
Blue Heron (Criterion Channel) – Canadian filmmaker Sophy Romvari’s semi-autobiographical family drama absolutely wrecked me, focusing on a family struggling to cope with an enigmatic, ungovernable older brother. The first two-thirds could almost be a home movie, while in the final act Romvari merges past and present, fact and fiction in an elliptical but powerful way. My full review is here.
Mile End Kicks (Netflix) – I loved Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies,” and her follow-up is another sharp and closely-observed dramedy about a young person whose passion for culture may cause more problems than it solves. Barbie Ferreira plays a young music journalist in Montreal in the ‘10s, navigating the chauvinism of indie rockers and Pitchfork bros alike as she tries to find her own voice. Incredible soundtrack, too.
The Drama (HBO Max) – Even though it happens about a half-hour in, it’s important to not spoil what the “twist” is in this lacerating film. Because it’s so uneasily fascinating to put yourself in Robert Pattinson’s shoes and wonder how you would handle the revelation that his bride-to-be Zendaya dumps on him. (You would definitely handle it better than he does.) The humor is so dry and dark that I think I would find this movie hysterical the second time I watch it.
A Private Life (Netflix) – Jodie Foster speaks French? Yes, fluently, which is one of the delights of this movie in which Foster plays an expatriate psychiatrist living in Paris who investigates the mysterious death of a patient. It’s sort of a mystery, although it’s more of a character study of Foster’s aloof character, with great supporting turns from Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Almaric and the late documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. My full review is here.
Nirvanna The Band The Show the Movie (Hulu) – If the “Jackass” crew were a pair of earnest middle-aged Canadians, maybe the result would be this hilarious comedy about two musicians going to extraordinary lengths (including time travel) to play a gig at a local club. But even that description doesn’t get at the magic of this movie and it’s surprisingly sweet look at male friendship. My full review is here.
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