The biggest surprise of the week by far is Strange Darling, a wild ride that sees Reacher’s Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner fall into a romance that becomes a spectacular survival horror. It’s one best entered into while knowing as little as possible, so trust us when we say it’s worth it. In her review, Gates wrote “the more the film proves that everything is not as it seems, the more Mollner and Fitzgerald prove themselves as singular talents to watch.” A homophobic police officer, his life—and prejudices—are changed when he picks up an unassuming red envelope while investigating a case. Now bound under “ghost marriage” customs to Mao Mao (Austin Lin), a gay man who died under mysterious circumstances, Wu has to solve his “husband’s” death before he can get on with his life. Directed by Cheng Wei-hao, better known for his thrillers and horror movies, Marry My Dead Body sees the Taiwanese director bring his supernatural stylings to this ghostly absurdist comedy for a film that transcends borders.
A perfectly normal job—until a terrorist reveals a bomb onboard, which will explode if the train slows below 100 kmph. As authorities race to stop the attacker and rescue manga quiz the passengers, Kazuya is forced to keep everyone onboard safe. Nah, Speed was just the original 1975 The Bullet Train on an American bus—and this modern-day version is equal parts remake and sequel to that Sonny Chiba-starring classic. High-speed, literally explosive action, with a satirical edge, Bullet Train Explosion is a blast (sorry).
The films to avoid
Some of the films and performances mentioned here will surely shape the conversation come Oscar time. And though it may be a while before some of the less-flashy films on this list become viewable, in some form, in the United States, seeking them out will widen your world, as it has mine. Director Bong Joon-ho’s searing 2019 thriller is the first non-English film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and it’s abundantly clear why. Its bleak exploration of economic disparity and condemnation of capitalistic excess is focused on its South Korea setting, but it resonates with global audiences.
A sharply satirical horror comedy poking fun at everything from reality TV to hustle culture, this Taiwanese outing from writer-director John Hsu beats Beetlejuice at its own game. Kelly Reichardt’s almost-a-comedy about a hapless art thief in 1970s Massachusetts—played, wonderfully, by Josh O’Connor—is a perceptive portrait of a guy who, after apparently coasting through life, coasts right into a figurative brick wall. Who wouldn’t buy anything O’Connor, with his darling secret smile, tells them? Alana Haim plays his had-it-up-to-here wife; a scene in which he explains his motivation to her—everything he’s done has been “mostly” for her and the kids—is both gently funny and heartrending, not because he’s lying to her, but because he believes every inadequate word. Channing Tatum is both sinister and charming in Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut, Blink Twice, which sees a group of women taken to a remote island by a billionaire where not everything is what it seems. It often feels like a collage of similar movies that it then puts a new twist on, but it still marks Kravitz as one to watch with whatever she then decides to take on next.
“Mountainhead” is a confined movie that sees a group of wealthy tech billionaires (Steven Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef) meet in a plush mountainside lodge where an international crisis unfolds around them. Based on the trailer, it looks packed with snappy exchanges that scream vintage Jesse Armstrong. In many ways, it appears to be something of a spiritual sequel to “Succession.” Consider me fully sold.
For more to watch, read on for my top picks, a full list of everything new on Netflix this week and the scoop on what’s leaving Netflix this week. This satirical comedy-drama comes from Jesse Armstrong, the creator of the award-winning HBO show, and the man behind the excellent British comedy “Peep Show.” Armstrong knows how to write biting dialogue and craft memorable and compelling characters, even if they’re also often unlikable. Here’s a guide to the most noteworthy new additions across streaming platforms this week, and if you want to watch some TV instead, we have a rundown of the top new TV shows you can stream this week as well. This week sees plenty of new movies arriving across the best streaming services. Nicole Kidman continues to stay extremely employed as she stars in season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers, which sees nine new people head over to her character Masha’s unhinged wellness retreat.
When a handsome young stranger named Souta (Hokuto Matsumura, Josh Keaton) asks her for directions to some local ruins, she follows him out of curiosity but disturbs a living keystone, accidentally unleashing an ancient power that threatens to destroy the entire country. Drawn into Souta’s world, the pair chase the keystone, now in the form of a cat, across Japan in a desperate bid to reseal the destructive entity—a quest that would be easier if Souta hadn’t been transformed into a child’s wooden chair. An award winner at Cannes in 2019, this tale of burgeoning young love, obsession, and autonomous body parts is every bit as weird as you might expect for a French adult animated film. Director Jérémy Clapin charts the life of Naoufel, a Moroccan immigrant in modern-day France who falls for the distant Gabrielle, and Naoufel’s severed hand, which makes its way across the city to try to reconnect. With intersecting timelines and complex discussions about fate, I Lost My Body is often mind-bending yet always captivating, and Clapin employs brilliantly detailed animation and phenomenal color choices throughout. Worth watching in both the original French and the solid English dub featuring Dev Patel and Alia Shawkat, this one dares you to make sense of it all.
In his debut film Urchin, which also premiered in Un Certain Regard, Frank Dillane plays a Londoner who’s fallen through the cracks, drug-addicted and living on the streets; he resolves to clean up his life, with the usual pitfalls and some new ones. Dickinson has a light touch and a lively imagination, as well as a sense of humor; he takes material you think might be conventional and opens new windows of thinking. You could argue that it’s “easier” for famous young actors to make their first film. But if they’re using their prestige and resources to make smart, inventive debuts?
This true-crime series examines alarming theories behind the unsolved killings — and tracks down a key suspect. The Chicago Tylenol murders may be unfamiliar to many reading this article. In 1982, a series of seven shocking deaths occurred, later revealed to be cyanide poisoning from laced Tylenol pills that had been tampered with. But it’s the streaming service’s big annual event where it reveals what to expect next. Then I learned this show was created by Scott Frank, writer of acclaimed miniseries like “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Monsieur Spade,” and now it’s officially one of my most anticipated Netflix shows of the year.
Mission: Impossible Movies, Ranked
As their father approaches the end of his life, sisters Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), Katie (Carrie Coon), and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) are forced to reconnect while waiting for the inevitable. Bleak stuff, but also grounds for masterful performances from the lead trio, with Rachel having taken on the bulk of care for months, Katie casting imperious demands despite avoiding the situation, and new-agey Christina trying to keep the peace—despite being at a breaking point herself. This is almost a locked-room piece, the apartment trapping the women, forcing them to come to terms with not only their father’s death but their own relationships with each other, all while Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) haunts them even before his passing. Death may loom over director Azazel Jacobs’ drama, but His Three Daughters ultimately proves oddly life-affirming. When Mary Smith moves to her great aunt’s estate in rural England, she finds herself unspeakably bored—until she finds a rare flower that blooms only once every seven years, coveted by witches for its magical properties. Soon, she’s transported to Endor College, an academy for witches hidden in the clouds—but the warm welcome she receives from the fanciful faculty hides sinister secrets, and a dark ambition on the part of headmistress Madam Mumblechook that puts Mary’s only friend, Peter, in danger.
Your Prime Video Watch of the Week is here!
One of India’s biggest films of all time, RRR (or Rise, Roar, Revolt) redefines the notion of cinematic spectacle. Set in 1920, the historical epic follows real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitrama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) but fictionalizes their lives and actions. Although they come from very different walks of life, their similarities draw them together as they face down sadistic governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his cruel wife, Catherine (Alison Doody). No mere period fluff, RRR is a bold, exciting, and often explosive piece of filmmaking that elevates its heroes to near-mythological status.
With a mere 48 hours until he succumbs himself, Andy finds an ally in Thoomi (Simone Landers), an Aboriginal girl looking to protect her own rabid father. But with threats from paranoid survivalists and Aboriginal communities hunting the infected, it may already be too late. A unique twist on the zombie apocalypse, Cargo abandons the familiar urban landscapes of the genre for the breathtaking wilds of Australia and offers a slower, character-led approach to the end of the world.