With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. 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, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Catfight (Onur Tukel)
Who knew that one of the year’s most potent representations of America’s addiction to abrasive conflict would be Anne Heche and Sandra Oh beating each other to a pulp? Onur Tukel’s Catfight is an unabashedly silly and political film, but it’s also a funny one, with its two lead actresses literally and figuratively hurling themselves into their roles. Heche and Oh play former college friends who bump into each other years later on the opposite sides of society — one is a struggling artist, while the other is married to a filthy rich Wall Street worker — and the tensions between them eventually boil over into a giant brawl, leaving one comatose. From there, the story turns into a cycle of misfortune and violence so unsubtle about the point it’s making that it becomes hilarious just for this alone. Couple that with a committed ensemble (including a great cameo by Dylan Baker) and Catfight becomes an entertaining breath of fresh air, a film that rubs its politics in your face without giving a damn about whether or not you like it. – CJ. Prince
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
Frailty (Bill Paxton)
The recent passing of Bill Paxton was an unexpected tragedy. To celebrate the actor’s legacy, one can revisit not only a career of unforgettable roles, but one of the few films he directed. My favorite is Frailty, a small, twisty independent drama more frightening than most horror films. Featuring one of Matthew McConaughey‘s best performances, this crime drama sees a father’s vision from God carried out by his family in murderous ways. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: Netflix
Headshot (Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel)
The Raid star Iko Uwais deserves to silat his way through a million hapless evil men, but here’s hoping that, going forward, he picks better cinematic vehicles for his frighteningly fast feet and fists. Then again, every big action star worth their salt has a host of forgettable turns peppering the true showcases for their physical greatness. At least Headshot is good fun. It’s simultaneously a testament to directors Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel’s skill and the disappointing lack in mainstream action filmmaking that their middle-of-the-road effort still stands out among the rest. – Dan S. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes
Memento (Christopher Nolan)
Christopher Nolan‘s Memento is a film that could only have been made by someone in complete control of their vision. The story of a man with short-term memory loss trying to solve the murder of his wife, played by a never better Guy Pearce, the structure of showing us things in reverse, thus giving us the same feeling as lead character Leonard, is nothing short of a masterstroke of genius. Engaging, frustrating, rewarding, and in an odd way endlessly rewatchable, Memento is the kind of mystery that will be studied for as longs as films in general are, and deserves it in no small way. Now what was I saying? – Nick N.
Where to Stream: Netflix
One More Time With Feeling (Andrew Dominik)
Is control a myth? Are accidents? Are our actions another variable in the randomness of the cosmos or are they preordained, at the mercy of the gods? These are just some of the questions swirling in Nick Cave’s head. Andrew Dominik’s devastating new documentary is, in essence, a 3D black-and-white, behind-the-scenes look at Cave and his Bad Seeds recording their new album (the excellent-sounding Skeleton Tree), but it also offers space for grief and reflection as the veteran avant-garde rocker struggles to come to terms with the death of his child. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon
What We Do in the Shadows (Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi)
As of late, there seems to be no sub-genre more worn out in Hollywood than that of the vampire. Thankfully, a pair of New Zealand’s finest comedic talents are here to breath new life into the blood-sucking mythology with the vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Sporting a Real World-esque approach, we’re introduced to our main quartet, made up of Viago, the tidy 879-year-old vampire that’s the ringleader of the group (Taika Waititi, also co-director); Vladislav, a suave, once-feared 862-year-old vampire (Jemaine Clement, co-director as well); Deacon, a 183-year-old vampire with no work ethic (Jonathan Brugh); and Peter, the decrepit, 8,000 year-old (Ben Fransham). – Jordan R. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
Also New to Streaming
Amazon
The Assignment
Lavender
Wolves
Amazon Prime
Anthropoid
The Dressmaker
The Gambler
FilmStruck
Pandora’s Box + Something Wild
The Shower + Blue is the Warmest Color
The Films of William Klein
The Films of Jean-Jacques Beineix
HBO Go
American Psycho
MASH
Rabbit Hole
Tickled
MUBI (free 30-day trial)
The Great Museum
Demons
Demons 2
Who is Dayani Cristal?
Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre
Miss and the Doctors
Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portait
Netflix
Blazing Saddles
Chicago
Ernest & Celestine
Jurassic Park I, II, and III
Midnight in Paris
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny
This is Spinal Tap
The Salvation