If you're looking for a new, quality movie to stream this week, there are a ton of choices, from Spaceman, a "serious" Adam Sandler movie made by Netflix; to the streaming premier of Ridley Scott's uneven epic Napoleon.
Spaceman
Adam Sandler is best known for his wacky comedies, but he's a great actor when he feels like it. Netflix original Spaceman shows off Sandler's deeper side, casting him as Jakub, an astronaut adrift in both outer space and in his personal life. Six months into a solitary research mission on the fringes of the solar system, Jakub realizes his earthbound marriage is crumbling, and finds solace and advice from an unlikely source: Hanuš, an ancient, spider-like alien hiding in his ship. The film comes from director Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for HBO's Chernobyl, and co-stars Carey Mulligan.
Where to stream: Netflix
God Save Texas
If you've ever wondered what the hell is going on with Texas, check out God Save Texas, a trilogy of HBO-produced documentaries about the Lone Star State. Directors Richard Linklater, Alex Stapleton, and Iliana Sosa are all from Texas, and each examines their respective hometowns' place within the larger Texas story. Linklater's film is about prisons, Stapleton's is about oil, and Sosa covers the border and immigration.
Where to stream: Max
Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story
This Hulu original documentary details the past, present, and potential future of Piney Woods, one of America's oldest Black boarding schools. In Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story, director J.J. Anderson documents the day-to-day life of the students and faculty, who share their unique perspectives on education, race, family struggles, and finding their places in the world.
Where to stream: Hulu
Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate
Super-villain turned super-hero Megamind is back in this Peacock original animated movie. This time out, the big-headed blue hero is facing his most powerful enemy: his old pals in the evil Doom Syndicate. Hopefully, this sequel lives up to the high bar set by the original in 2010, a movie that kids loved and adults found tolerable, or even mildly amusing, but which was overshadowed by Despicable Me's minions.
Where to stream: Peacock
Code 8 Part 2
Code 8 was crowd-funded through Indiegogo and became a cult favorite after a Netflix pickup. Part 2 takes us back to Lincoln City and continues the story of the conflict between the "People With Powers" and the authorities. It's like a grittier, more realistic X-Men. Code 8 Part 2 begins with Connor leaving prison and trying to stay on the straight-and-narrow, but being dragged back in to life after a run-in with corrupt cops and their robotic dogs. If you're interested in a twist on the superhero genre, check it out.
Where to stream: Netflix
Blackberry (2023)
We're well into the age of movies about products and brands instead of people, but I won't whine about it too much if the genre keeps pumping out films as entertaining as Blackberry. The story of the rise and fall of the original must-have handheld device is told as comedy bordering on satire, mining laughs from the outsized personalities and cultural milieu of the first-gen smartphone world.
Where to stream it: Hulu
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman's protagonist Carrie is brilliant woman who could achieve just about anything, but she devotes her life to an unusual calling: She pretends to be drunk at bars and waits for a "nice guy" to take her home to "protect" her, only to confront him as a predator once they're alone in his shabby apartment. Part thriller, part black romantic comedy, part riff on female revenge tropes, and part exploration of the grey areas of rape culture and misogyny, Promising Young Woman isn't quite like any other movie, and it's just freakin' great. Writer/director Emerald Fennell won an Oscar for her screenplay, and if you like this one, her followup Saltburn is now streaming on Prime Video.
Where to stream: Peacock
Priscilla (2023)
Directed by Sofia Coppola, Priscilla tells the story of the complex love affair between rock n' roll sensation Elvis Presley and 14 year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. Already a superstar when they meet, Elvis whisks Priscilla away and into the fishbowl of fame, where her life whipsaws between cavorting at glamorous places as the arm candy of the most-famous man in the world, and being locked away in the lonely, airless castle of Graceland.
Where to stream: Max
Napoleon (2023)
Stanley Kubrick spent years working on a would-be epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte, only to abandon the project when he couldn't raise the budget necessary to film its epic battle scenes. Ridley Scott managed to climb that mountain, creating a two-and-a-half hour movie filled with battles that are almost as big and crazy as Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of the diminutive conqueror. Napoleon divided critics and audiences, so check it out and see where you land. (Rumor has it a four-hour director's cut will also eventually show up on Apple TV+, so maybe you'll need to reserve judgment until then.)
Where to stream: Apple TV
Last week's picks
Mea Culpa
A throwback to the erotic thrillers of the '80s and '90s, Mea Culpa was written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry. Kelly Rowland stars as Mea Harper, a criminal defense attorney whose newest client, Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), is a free-spirited artist accused of murdering his girlfriend. Things get steamy (and legally unethical) when Mea's desire takes over; but is she hot for a murderer or a wrongly accused innocent?
Where to stream: Netflix
The Abyss
Swedish disaster movie The Abyss doesn't have the budget, stars, or special effects of triple-A Hollywood spectacles, but it makes the most of its resources by presenting a smaller scale, more intimate disaster with style. Loosely based on a real earthquake in the mining town of Kiruna, The Abyss chronicles what happens to a community when huge cracks appear in the ground and everything starts shaking.
Where to stream: Netflix
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
An in-depth documentary about NBA phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo, Giannis: The Marvelous Journey charts "The Greek Freak's" epic life story, from a childhood spent in dire poverty in Greece, to being signed by the Bucks at only 18 years old, to building himself into one of the greatest power forwards to ever play basketball.
Where to stream: Prime
Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional
Comedian Jenny Slate created Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and starred in Bob's Burgers, Parks and Recreation, and many other shows. Just like the title says, Slate's a seasoned professional, and her second Prime stand-up special sees her giving her unique takes on motherhood, finding a therapist, navigating relationships, and more.
Where to stream: Prime
Mike Epps: Ready to Sell Out
Jenny Slate isn't the only comedy OG with a new special streaming this week. Stand-up Mike Epps has been performing for over 30 years, so there's no nervousness about whether his jokes are going to land, no weak moments or awkward pauses. Epps is a pro, and there's something reassuring and mesmerizing about watching someone who knows their craft this well, even when he's explaining that all his money is gone and why his relationships don't work.
Where to stream: Netflix
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
This update of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shines by focusing on the "Teenage" part of equation; its cast of funny, likable, young voice actors turn in naturalistic performances that feel like casual riffing and capture the personality of the comic book better than any other screen or TV adaptation. It looks amazing too, with a unique hand-drawn-by-computers animation style, and features some epic action set pieces. In short, Mutant Mayhem is fun for the whole family.
Where to stream: Prime
Amulet (2020)
In horror movie Amulet, a woman hires Tomaz, a homeless vet, as a live-in caretaker for her crumbling house in London. Her mother lives in the attic; at least, she says it's her mother up there. But Tomaz starts to suspect that there's something very sinister in the secret recesses of the house. If you like horror movies that build up dreadful, foreboding vibes instead of throwing jump scares at you, don't miss Amulet.
Where to stream: Hulu
Citizen Kane (1941)
Orson Welles's Citizen Kane is often regarded as the best movie ever made. I don't know about that, but it does hold up remarkably well for a movie that's almost 100 years old. Even if you know what Kane meant when he whispered "rosebud" on his deathbed because you've seen this movie a dozen times, make it 13, and I promise you'll notice something new in this rich, layered film.
Where to stream: Max
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