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, 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, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below, and shoot over suggestions to @TheFilmStage
4:44 Last Day on Earth (Abel Ferrara)
Capitalizing on his unfortunate marginalization, Abel Ferrara creates a small, intimate canvas for the apocalypse subgenre, the one most succinct to big-budget bombast. With a clear Ferrara stand-in and his real-life partner, he uses the threat of the end to confront the demons that’ve haunted all his work, whether love, communication, addiction or art. – Ethan V.
Where to Stream: Netflix
The Art of the Steal (Jonathan Sobol)
When you’re looking to create a successful heist flick it’s usually a good idea to keep things simple — make everything as airtight as possible, don’t try for too many twists and turns, and maybe throw in a double cross to add a bit of intrigue. This is something that the underrated television show “Leverage” excelled at, allowing its stellar cast to shine above its crime of the week formula. When the theft itself is a foregone conclusion and you know it will all end in a winking smirk, you’ll find that the ability to merely enjoy the players doing their thing proves much more enjoyable than some convoluted ordeal hiding plot holes with even more outlandish plot holes. I didn’t think Jonathan Sobol‘s The Art of the Steal would be one of these gems when I sat down to watch. – Jared M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Devil’s Knot (Atom Egoyan)
The most disturbing thing about the case regarding those most commonly known as the West Memphis Three is that some version of it can be still happening, right now. The details are public, thanks in large part to the documentaries by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, as well as Amy Berg‘s more recent West of Memphis, but the newest film on the subject, Devil’s Knot — a dramatization by master filmmaker Atom Egoyan — casts its glance toward the first part of this saga, only briefly including a scene wherein the efforts of those making Paradise Lost are required. – John F. (full review)
See Also: Our interview with Atom Egoyan.
Where to Stream: Netflix
Girl Most Likely (Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini)
Girl Most Likely begins with a childhood flashback of a young girl, which is then followed by an extended point-of-view shot of the same woman many years later. While these are two distinctly different forms of cinematic storytelling, they each try to establish that this will be a film that explores womanhood and its challenges and inherent humor. The woman at the center of this is, of course, to be portrayed by Kristen Wiig. – Ethan V. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Hellion (Kat Candler)
One of the first real stunners of the year has arrived with Kat Candler‘s heart-wrenching dramaHellion. Much like last year’s Short Term 12, this is a feature-length film expanded from an already produced short that depicts troubled kids and the equally troubled adults tasked with providing stability in an unstable world. Anchored by an amazing cast who give their all to conjure emotionally-draining performances one won’t soon forget, each character is set onto a path towards learning what it means to be responsible for one’s own actions. For those of us unfortunate enough to live tragic-filled lives, it’s easy to blame circumstances, lash out at those doling out punishment, and completely ignore one’s own capacity to rise above hardship and prove detractors wrong. We’d rather throw a tantrum and play the victim than hold ourselves accountable. – Jared M. (full review)
See Also: Our interview with Kat Candler.
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
The Missing Picture (Rithy Panh)
How do you tell the story of something as horrific as Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge’s four-year rule over Cambodia after the Kampuchean Revolution when the only footage shot was that distributed by the regime itself? This is the problem director Rithy Panh faced, a teenager when war hit to disperse the citizens of Phnom Penh into work camps so they could build a newly “freed” land. He witnessed the atrocities and lived through the famine as party leaders and their dogs ate, watching those who dared steal an extra ear of corn killed without remorse. He heard his father’s refusal to “eat like an animal”, dying instead of self-imposed hunger to instill the concept of free will beyond the Angkars’ false ideology. His siblings were taken and his mother died just before returning with stolen fish to feed her. – Jared M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Omar (Hany Abu-Assad)
Omar, the latest from Paradise Now helmer Hany Abu-Assad, is quick to establish its own take. Following several close calls on the Israeli side of the West Bank (the titular character lives on one side, his friends on the other) and a brutal scene in which Omar (Adam Bakri) is tortured, one would find it impossible to side or sympathize with Israel. And while, thankfully, Omar is entirely devoid of long-winded speeches about how one side of the conflict is especially oppressive, unfair, or wrong, that doesn’t prevent the film in question from sticking out as an obvious political thriller which consistently, insistently attempts to steer us in a particular direction. With a couple third-act twists up its sleeve, Omar is, at least, almost saved from political simplicity, leaving space to be read as a tale of how paranoia and mistrust beget violence. – Forrest C. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Tim’s Vermeer (Teller)
Coming from the world of magic into another form of attraction, Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller debuted their first feature film, Tim’s Vermeer, on the fall festival circuit to instant acclaim last year and it’s now available to stream. With Penn serving as producer and Teller taking on helming duties, the documentary tracks their quest to uncover one legendary artist’s ability to create picture-perfect paintings. While anyone with a basic understanding of Photoshop can do such an activity in today’s age, the duo are looking at Dutch master Johannes Vermeer and his 17th-century works of art. They specifically follow a man named Tim Jenison who has produced a theory to how this artist was able to create such detailed works. It’s a surprisingly engaging piece of work that will make one think twice about the master’s art. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
Witching and Bitching (Álex de la Iglesia)
The pacing is relentlessly silly at times, but all I could think while watching Witching and Bitchingwas how wild the experience was. Witness the opening sequence, where robbers are dressed as street statues. One is an Army Man named Tony (Mario Casas), complete with a green machine gun. Another, Jose (Hugo Silva), is dressed as a metallic Jesus with a cross in tow (inside, a shotgun). The way the opening heist, as laughs abound, is almost completely bungled sets up exactly how competent the two crooks are. – Bill G. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
World War Z (Marc Forster)
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. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
What are you streaming this weekend?