With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we believe it’s our duty to highlight the recent, recommended titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week (or bi-weekly, depending on the worthy selection), one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and more. Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below, and shoot over suggestions to @TheFilmStage.
Adore (Anne Fontaine; 2013)
After Sundance Film Festival premiere and a title change (from Two Mothers), the latest drama by Anne Fontaine (Coco Before Chanel), quietly hit theaters and is now on VOD. Following Naomi Watts and Robin Wright as childhood friends who end up falling in love with each other’s son (Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville), reviews are certainly mixed. But coming from Christopher Hampton, who has previously worked on A Dangerous Method and Atonement, it may be worth seeking out, along with a supporting turn from Ben Mendelsohn. – Jack C.
Where to Watch: Amazon Video
Blue Caprice (Alexandre Moors; Sept. 13th)
In Blue Caprice, a taut character study of the two men behind the 2002 D.C. Sniper shootings, writer-director Alexandre Moors does an effective job of offering insight into the minds behind such senseless killings. Featuring two fantastic performances from Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond, playing the infamous criminals Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo (respectively), the film strives to capture an uncomfortable mood. Featuring one of the best performances from the festival in the form of Washington’s frightening portrayal of Muhammad, Moors has crafted a multi-layered dissection of one of the countries most incomprehensible crimes. – Raffi A.
Where to Watch: On Demand
Frenzy (Alfred Hitchcock; 1972)
Of all the titles lucky enough to be a part of that legendary Hitchcock oeuvre, few — if any — carry with them the same degree of pure shock value as his penultimate picture, Frenzy. What makes this hunt for a serial murderer-rapist so uncommonly discomfiting is not the content of crime, per se — no matter how discomfiting that may very well be — but the context in which it’s placed: for all the on-camera atrocity that’s committed, Frenzy is, in fact, rather funny — in a dark sense, yes, but at times playing like a legitimate comedy, one or two zany set-pieces even included. That Hitchcock could handle it so efficiently and that, sadly, he would only produce one more feature before a death at the age of 80 gives this late-career triumph melancholy undercurrents. What might we have seen if these dark artistic impulses were mined to greater and greater extents years later? If nothing else, we still have Frenzy — and, as is, Frenzy gets the job done. – Nick N.
Where to Watch: Netflix Instant
The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder; 1955)
It’s somewhat ironic that Billy Wilder‘s study of then-modern male psychology would be best-known for its image, seen above, of a buxom blonde conveniently exposed by the forces of man-made ingenuity. As iconic as this scene may prove, The Seven Year Itch is worth far more than just a couple of chuckles and some old-fashioned aesthetic charm — in reality, the picture displays a shockingly progressive understanding of male-female relationships, delivered via Wilder’s inimitable sense of visual pacing, a fine-tuned script (co-penned by George Axelrod), and Marilyn Monroe & Tom Ewell‘s respective archetype-smashing and -fulfilling turns. It’s a movie that more than earns its place in the popular culture — just not for reasons you might instantly presume. – Nick N.
Where to Watch: Netflix Instant
War Witch (Kim Nguyen; 2013)
It was a news headline focused on child soldiers in Africa embroiled in war and transformed into deity-like figures that inspired writer/director Kim Nguyen to create his Oscar nominated filmRebelle [War Witch]. Learning about prepubescent twins Johnny and Luther Htoo led to more research on the phenomenon and the idea to craft a tale speaking towards the resilience necessary for so many unwitting victims of civil unrest to survive. Atrocities are committed to them, by them, and eventually because of them once manipulation and naivety turn innocence into a distant memory. For his heroine Komona (Rachel Mwanza), twelve years on this earth could never have prepared her for the hell she’d soon be lost inside. Superstition and faith are twisted until murder is made justifiable and war an inevitable, perpetual way of life. – Jared M.
Where to Watch: Netflix Instant
Welcome to Pine Hill (Keith Miller; 2013)
Hosting screenings of such films as Christopher Nolan‘s Following and Oren Peli‘s Paranormal Activity, Slamdance Film Festival has been a birthplace for discoveries akin to its neighbor Sundance Film Festival. Now one of last year’s most acclaimed premieres, Welcome to Pine Hill, is available to stream on Netflix, following a theatrical release from Oscilloscope Laboratories. Our colleague Jordan Hoffman was a major fan of Keith Miller’s film, saying the director is a “bold, new visual artist and lead actor Shanon Harper is a unique, mesmerizing presence.” – Jack C.
Where to Watch: Netflix Instant
Wish You Were Here (Kieran Darcy-Smith; 2013)
Kieran Darcy-Smith’s Wish You Were Here arrives just in time to make you rethink that summer vacation to Cambodia. Co-written by and starring his real-life wife Felicity Price, Darcy-Smith’s Aussie mystery-thriller cashes in on middle-class traveling anxieties; intent on letting their hair down and catching some responsibility-free R&R, four adults head out from Sydney to the beach-town of Sihanoukville, and only three return. Staged as a gradually blossoming portrait of rotted morality and familial angst, Wish You Were Here is satisfyingly sinister thanks to Price and the ever-prolific Joel Edgerton as a couple haunted by the secrets they bring back with them. – Nathan B.
Where to Watch: Amazon Video
World War Z (Marc Forster; 2013)
Bite and release; that’s the new motive of the hungry undead in Marc Forster’s expensive adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z. It’s also the tactic of the film itself, that wastes no time throwing summer movie audiences into an apocalyptic, globe-trotting adventure that bears little resemblance to its source material but finds plenty of time for Brad Pitt to smile generously while trying to save the world’s sorry ass. There are no sluggish, sloppy brain-eaters in World War Z, just a coldly lethal wave of ex-humanity, now writhing, running emissaries for whatever mysterious pathogen has ravaged their bodies. As quick and relentless as its antagonists, Forster’s film marks a first; an almost family-friendly zombie thriller, that nimbly moves between big set pieces and trades up a final, massive fire-fight for a scene of quiet, deliberate creepiness. It’s not the cinematic zombie revolution rabid fans were looking for, but as a tasty big-budget monster movie, it does make for good fun. – Nathan B.
Where to Watch: Amazon Video
Zoolander (Ben Stiller; 2001)
Although it was far from a break-out hit, securing just $60 million worldwide, Ben Stiller‘s third directorial effort has gone on to attain a certified cult reputation. As we await the release of his next helming work — one that looks far removed from the wacky, hilarious antics found in this feature — it’s worth revisiting this tale of modeling… again… and again. Despite rumors of a sequel, there hasn’t been any traction in some time, so with the film recently hitting Netflix streaming, it should hopefully tide one over for now. – Jordan R.
Where to Watch: Netflix Instant
What are you streaming this week?