Check Yourself Before You Rec Yourself: July 13th, 2020
Image from Desert Sun
Hello! I’m back with another round of recommendations for you this month! In addition to the usual recs, I’ll also briefly mention at the end of this post a few titles that are leaving various streaming services that I think are worth your time. Oh, and I’m here to tell you that all of the Twilight movies are now streaming on Amazon Prime, if you wanna get really nostalgic one weekend.
HULU
Palm Springs (2020) – If you like Groundhog Day, Set It Up, or other romantic comedies. Every year at Sundance there’s always a film that is at the center of a bidding war and sells for an insane amount of money to a lucky (or sometimes, unlucky, depending on how the film performs) company. This year’s big seller was Palm Springs, which sold to Hulu and Neon in a partnership deal for a WHOPPING $17.5 million. Palm Springs only just hit Hulu on July 10th, and while I normally never watch new-release streaming movies so quickly, I was chomping at the bit to see what all the fuss was about. Giving away as little as possible, Palm Springs follows Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), as they encounter each other at a wedding they’re attending at a resort in Palm Springs. It’s a brisk 90 minutes, which is always great in this short attention span age, but it uses its time extremely well. Samberg and Milioti have incredible chemistry, and every scene with the both of them in it is so fun to watch that I caught myself smiling occasionally. Although I’ve only seen it once so far, I have a feeling it will become one of my constantly returned-to comfort comedies.
Constantine (2005) – If you like dark comic book movies like The Dark Knight trilogy or religion influenced supernatural movies like The Conjuring. In 2005, the world wasn’t ready for the Keanu Reeves’ led Constantine. Directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games series and I Am Legend) and featuring an all-star cast including Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, and Shia LaBeouf, Constantine follows Keanu’s John Constantine, a demon hunter who is attempting to collect enough good deeds to get him into Heaven after his attempted/survived suicide. Dark and gritty, this movie preps Keanu for his excellent work in John Wick (suit-wearing and all) and includes some awesome action sequences. While it’s no Oscar-winner, Constantine is chock full of interesting, gothic visuals and fun (if you’re into that sort of thing) moral questions about life, death, free will, and the devil. If you don’t usually go for these types of movies, Constantine is a good place to start. And who can resist Keanu Reeves?
NETFLIX
The Guest (2014) – If you like low-concept, well-made action-thrillers or movies like Escape From New York, or Green Room or Blue Ruin. The Guest is one of those genuinely delightful surprises that you never would’ve sought out yourself if someone hadn’t told you about it. I first watched it with friends back in 2017 and was blown away by Dan Stevens, who isn’t given enough credit for his acting range. The Guest stars Stevens as a soldier who arrives at the Petersons’ house to pay his respects after their son and his fellow soldier and friend is killed in Afghanistan. There are several twists and surprising turns, and the tension and suspense are maintained throughout the entirety of the film. The stunt work and action scenes are excellent—there is one scene in particular in a bar that is amazingly well shot and choreographed and is exhilarating to watch. If you’re looking for an understated thriller, with some thought-provoking commentary on war and PTSD, or something that will show a non-Downton Abbey side of Dan Stevens, look no further than The Guest.
Marriage Story (2019) – If you like character dramas or dialogue-heavy indie films like Lady Bird. I know I was going to avoid talking about the big-name movies that can be found on streaming services, but I can’t resist discussing Marriage Story. I saw Marriage Story last year at another film festival I was working at and was completely blown away. I had liked and respected the two Baumbach films I had seen, but I immediately started to seek out others after I left the theater that night. In case you haven’t heard, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, in two Oscar-nominated performances, star as Charlie and Nicole, a couple who, after being together for years, begin their journey of divorce. The premise oddly isn’t as depressing as it sounds, although there are some dramatic and hard-to-digest scenes featured throughout. But Baumbach, who has always been the king of dialogue in modern Hollywood, writes such heartbreakingly real scenes between Nicole and Charlie and takes you through a rewarding emotional journey. At the end of the film, you’ll feel cleansed (and mushy), as you sit and contemplate Charlie and Nicole’s reality and its place in the real world. Since first seeing Marriage Story I have watched all but one Baumbach film, and Marriage Story is still my favorite. It is a deeply personal and well-crafted film that is Baumbach’s magnum opus.
Sucker Punch (2011) – If you like other Zack Snyder fantasy action movies like Watchmen, Man of Steel, or 300. Look, I’ll level with you. Is Sucker Punch a good movie? No. Is it a two-hour ride of absolute insanity and ass-kicking? Yes. I first saw this movie in high school and absolutely adored it. In this Inception-esque thriller, Emily Browning stars as Babydoll, who has been locked up in an asylum in the 1960s by her abusive stepfather. To escape her reality in the asylum, she sends herself into a fantasy world full of burlesque dancing and robot fighting. The rest of the cast is incredible, featuring the likes of Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Jon Hamm, and the man himself, Oscar Isaac in one of his first roles. Like Inception, it’ll probably be a little difficult to follow on the first watch, but following the various fantasy world levels is honestly secondary to enjoying the ridiculous CGI-d fight scenes. If you’re looking for a dark action throw down that you haven’t seen before, give Sucker Punch a try.
AMAZON PRIME
Short Term 12 (2013) - If you like Indie dramas like The Glass Castle, Room, or It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Long before Brie Larson won her Oscar for Room or became Captain Marvel herself, she was Grace, a counselor at a California center for at-risk teens in Short Term 12. Day to day, she deals with issues of abuse and self-harm, and, as a result, has closed herself off emotionally to her boyfriend and other people in her life. Although definitely the heaviest selection on this list, Short Term 12 is incredibly moving and profound and launched the careers of a half a dozen now household names like Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever, John Gallagher Jr., Lakeith Stanfield, and Stephanie Beatriz. It’s beautifully directed and shot and every single performance is perfect. When I first saw it on Netflix several years ago, it moved me to tears and is a film that has stuck with me since. I highly recommend giving it a watch and being reminded of just how talented the entire cast is.
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008) – If you like teen dramas or Indies like Love, Simon, Superbad, or The Spectacular Now. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is another nostalgic pick for me. It’s one of my comfort movies and has an incredible soundtrack that is one of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time. Nick & Norah’s stars Michael Cera and Kat Dennings as the eponymous Nick and Norah, as they get to know each other over one long night in New York City while searching for the location of their favorite band’s secret show. It’s an all-in-one-day film, which is one of my favorite sub-genres, and it’s fun to be a part of their journey by proxy and to get to know these characters as they’re getting to know each other. Supporting appearances from Jay Baruchel, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, John Cho, and even Lorene Scafaria, director of Hustlers, make for an Easter egg hunt that makes it even more enjoyable. If you’re in the mood for a coming-of-age indie flick that has as many sweet moments as it does funny ones, check out Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. It holds a special place in my heart.
HBO
Long Shot (2019) – If you like Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen movies or romantic comedies like Always Be My Maybe, Crazy, Stupid, Love, or Late Night – I finally caught up with Long Shot on HBO a few weeks ago. I had heard a lot of positive things about it, but never made it over to the theater when it was playing last year (boy, do I regret that now). Long Shot follows journalist Fred Flarsky, played by Seth Rogen, as he is hired to write speeches for his old babysitter turned Secretary of State, played with grace and vigor by Charlize Theron. Although not unpredictable, Long Shot provides some genuine laughs from clever jokes and has some touching moments over its two hours. Theron and Rogen are, oddly, a believable couple, and it’s nice for Theron to be allowed to be funny and charming after seeing her in so many serious roles as of late. It’s a nice slice of escapist comedy, but you’ll need to get on this one fast, as it leaves HBO on July 31st.
Lights Out (2016) – If you like low-budget horror like Upgrade, Don’t Breathe, or Paranormal Activity. Lights Out was David F. Sandberg’s feature debut long before he was picked for Warner Brother’s and DC’s Shazam! adaptation. Based on his short of the same name, Lights Out follows a family affected by a mother’s history with mental illness that might actually be a supernatural haunting in disguise. Another short 80 minuter, this movie wastes no time jumping right into the heart of this family’s dynamics and the scares that occur when the lights are out. Sandberg does the most with his limited 5 million dollar budget to make a movie that is inventive, frightening, and a blast from start to finish. I saw this in theaters in 2016 and it’s one of my favorite theater experiences to this day. The theater was packed and the entire audience was on the edge of their seats, jumping, screaming, and laughing at all of the appropriate times. Lights Out is a great movie to watch with friends or family, and a great starter horror movie if you aren’t usually a fan of the genre.
As a bonus, here are a few things I would recommend that are leaving streaming services this month:
Obvious Child (Netflix) – Leaving July 18th
Laggies (Netflix) – Leaving July 18th
Back to the Future Parts I, II, and III (Netflix) – Leaving July 31st
Blindspotting (HBO) – Leaving July 31st
Crimson Peak (HBO) – Leaving July 31st
The Graduate (Hulu) – Leaving July 31st
Batman Begins & The Dark Knight (Hulu) – Leaving July 31st