Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Apocalypse in the Tropics (Petra Costa)
Five years, the closest presidential election in Brazilian history, and one insurrection after her last examination of Brazil’s tumultuous socio-political sphere, Petra Costa––the brilliant documentarian behind Elena and The Edge of Democracy––hones in on Jair Bolsonaro, the radical evangelical right that won him the presidency in 2018, and the theocracy they collectively fight to instate. With Costa’s nearly unfettered access to the main characters of modern Brazilian politics, the events of Apocalypse in the Tropics practically unfold in real time––a thrilling, profound documentary horror. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
No Sleep Till (Alexandra Simpson)
Following theatrical releases of Eephus and Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, the latest from Omnes Films is coming to theaters and digitally today. Alexandra Simpson’s feature-directing debut No Sleep Till premiered at Venice last fall, played at New Directors/New Films and the Los Angeles Festival of Movies in the spring, and now arrives this month. Jared Mobarak said in his review, “A hurricane is coming and Atlantic Beach, Florida is directly in its path. The tourists have already left. Most residents remain. Why? Because this is hurricane country. None of this is new. Maybe the storm will hit. Maybe it won’t. Is that chance worth the time and effort of skipping town? Or is the excitement of experiencing it as it washes over you too good to pass up? And what about those who simply can’t be bothered either due to age or complacency? This is home, after all. For some, this is all they’ve ever known. Alexandra Simpson’s No Sleep Till plays out in a slice-of-life documentarian style. It’s a quiet piece with gorgeous images (kudos to cinematographer Sylvain Froidevaux) and interesting characters engaged in the seemingly wild juxtapositions inherent to maintaining a mundane status quo through the uncertainty of impending chaos.”
Where to Stream: Metrograph at Home (on Sunday)
The Other Queen of Memphis (Luna Mahoux)
Belgian artist Luna Mahoux films Memphis rapper La Chat as she offers a history of the Southern city’s music scene. A collaborative work between the artist and her subject, The Other Queen of Memphis presents a singular vision of a highly influential rap scene in the United States. Presented in collaboration with AIRTIME.
Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club
Queens of Drama (Alexis Langlois)
The relationship the queer community has with an ever-expanding and rotating lineup of pop divas goes back decades, even if the current iteration of that relationship in the social media age––via the wars between unhinged stan accounts and, of course, endless posts about flop stars doomed to the “Khia asylum”––feels like an entirely new evolution in parasocial fandom. The decades-spanning pop industry satire Queens of Drama might skip over the present day altogether, spending more time reflecting on the mid-2000s dominance of stars manufactured by the Simon Cowell machine than anything more contemporary, but it feels completely of-the-moment for how it establishes the ways in which cultural backlash has transformed for the digital age. It’s reductive to view this as solely a product of the pearl-clutching right when this toxicity can often originate within the queer community––particularly for openly queer artists, who tend to receive just as much vitriolic scrutiny within the LGBTQ community as they do those wanting to erase them from existence. – Alistair R. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Suze (Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart)
Nearly two years after its festival premiere Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart’s humorous and thoughtful dramedy Suze is finally getting a release. Led by Michaela Watkins in her finest performance yet, the film captures a unique perspective on shared heartbreak, following a single mother who is in low spirits after her daughter heads to college. Meanwhile, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she takes in her daughter’s ex-boyfriend (Charlie Gillespie), who is reeling from their breakup. While, formally, Clark and Stewart may not be exploring anything new, there’s a real emotional perceptiveness and sense of empathy as the unexpected scenario builds, while never losing a sense of when to inject the right dose of comedy. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Tubi
Also New to Streaming
Hulu
The Amateur
Kino Film Collection
As I Open My Eyes
How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer