This month I saw two movies. I chose them because I love true stories and I love scary stories, especially ones written by Stephen King, whose books I devoured in high school and college. “Last Breath” stars Woody Harrelson as a seasoned deep-sea diver who leads the battle to rescue a crew mate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s service. It is incredibly tense, even if you know the ending! “The Monkey” is King’s tale of twin brothers cursed by a creepy toy monkey their father owned. Sadly, people close to the brothers meet deadly consequences when encountering the monkey. If you’re a fan of the King short story, you’ll find this fun; otherwise, you can sit this one out. It’s always interesting to me how creepy simple children’s toys can be in the right movie!
Streaming really hit it out of the park this month! A couple are so exceptional I’m mentioning them again this month.
Peacock
Again, as almost every month, this is one of my top three streaming choices. If you don’t have it, “Wicked” is now available to stream on Peacock. I think it deserves to be seen on a big screen, but if you missed it in theaters, here’s your chance.
“Long Bright River” Based on the best-selling novel by Liz Moore, this exceptional series stars Amanda Seyfried as Philadelphia police officer Mickey Fitzpatrick. Mickey’s sister is a homeless addict who goes missing after a series of deaths of homeless sex workers. This gripping series is full of twists and turns and surprises I didn’t see coming, yet it is also full of forgiveness and acceptance. Despite its dark subject matter, this one does not leave you sad but hopeful. I absolutely flew through this series.
If you need a “guilty pleasure,” (AKA reality TV shows), my two favorites, “Southern Charm” based in Charleston and “Summer House” based in the Hamptons, are found on Peacock. Binging these got me through two foot-reconstruction surgeries.
Netflix
“Adolescence” This is the most talked-about series in months, in part because the entire series was shot in one take, meaning actors’ raw emotions were captured once, with no do overs! It is also the gut-wrenching story of a 13-year-old accused of killing another classmate. The story is told from the viewpoints of the parents, police officers, and the assigned therapist. Again, a deep subject but one of the most profound things I’ve streamed all year. It’s a BBC series and is produced by Brad Pitt. The young man who plays the teen has never acted. If you are a parent of a teen, please, please watch this. A friend also introduced me to the podcast “Ask Lisa” by Dr. Lisa Damour. If you don’t watch the series, at least listen to the podcast in your car.
“Zero Day” I know I mentioned this last month but wanted to mention again because this series with Robert De Niro, Connie Britton (Tammy Taylor always), and Jesse Plemons is so good it deserves a second mention. What would happen if all the internet and power grids went down in the United States? What officials could be trusted? Do I have your attention yet?
“The Electric State” This one was hailed as the most expensive movie Netflix ever made, and I think it definitely shows! Starring favorites Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) and Chris Pratt (“Parks & Rec”), this sweet movie follows the fallout of robots doing the majority of serving jobs in the world and the ensuing revolt. While this sounds very sci-fi heavy, it’s really a story of chosen family, risking your life for bigger causes and people you love. I watched this with my 33-year-old daughter and we loved it. It came as close to an in-theater experience in our family room as any movie I have ever seen on a streaming service.
Apple TV+
“Severance” is definitely the water cooler show of the year! I had tried several times to watch this show, but when my daughter and son-in-law from California were in town over Christmas, I decided to dive in with them. I enjoyed the first season much more than the second, and I’m still reeling from the season two finale. It is so thought-provoking. This show asks you to wrestle with deep questions, like doesn’t avoiding pain make us less human? Can we stuff feelings and survive? If my daughters were writing this review, they could share very profound thoughts and questions that (if I’m honest) went over my head!
“Silo” I continue to enjoy this sci-fi show that has so many allegorical storylines to our culture today.
“La La Land” This has always been a favorite movie of mine, and when I rewatched it for Movie Club, I loved it more. I highly recommend renting this even if you’ve seen it before.
Hulu
“Paradise” All episodes of this mind-blowing series are out, so start streaming now - like today! Sterling K. Brown of “This Is Us” is at the top of his game as a secret service agent to a former president who knows all is not as it seems when the president is murdered.
“Amber Alert” This edge-of-your-seat thriller follows an Uber driver and his last ride of the night as he realizes an Amber Alert vehicle is right in front of them. The Amber Alert system was established in 1996 after Amber Hagerman was abducted and killed at age 9 in Texas near her home. Her mother fought long and hard for this act.
Movie Club will take a break until August 21. Please join us then! We are having the best time. Until next month, keep passing the popcorn …
Streaming really hit it out of the park this month! A couple are so exceptional I’m mentioning them again this month.
Peacock
Again, as almost every month, this is one of my top three streaming choices. If you don’t have it, “Wicked” is now available to stream on Peacock. I think it deserves to be seen on a big screen, but if you missed it in theaters, here’s your chance.
“Long Bright River” Based on the best-selling novel by Liz Moore, this exceptional series stars Amanda Seyfried as Philadelphia police officer Mickey Fitzpatrick. Mickey’s sister is a homeless addict who goes missing after a series of deaths of homeless sex workers. This gripping series is full of twists and turns and surprises I didn’t see coming, yet it is also full of forgiveness and acceptance. Despite its dark subject matter, this one does not leave you sad but hopeful. I absolutely flew through this series.
If you need a “guilty pleasure,” (AKA reality TV shows), my two favorites, “Southern Charm” based in Charleston and “Summer House” based in the Hamptons, are found on Peacock. Binging these got me through two foot-reconstruction surgeries.
Netflix
“Adolescence” This is the most talked-about series in months, in part because the entire series was shot in one take, meaning actors’ raw emotions were captured once, with no do overs! It is also the gut-wrenching story of a 13-year-old accused of killing another classmate. The story is told from the viewpoints of the parents, police officers, and the assigned therapist. Again, a deep subject but one of the most profound things I’ve streamed all year. It’s a BBC series and is produced by Brad Pitt. The young man who plays the teen has never acted. If you are a parent of a teen, please, please watch this. A friend also introduced me to the podcast “Ask Lisa” by Dr. Lisa Damour. If you don’t watch the series, at least listen to the podcast in your car.
“Zero Day” I know I mentioned this last month but wanted to mention again because this series with Robert De Niro, Connie Britton (Tammy Taylor always), and Jesse Plemons is so good it deserves a second mention. What would happen if all the internet and power grids went down in the United States? What officials could be trusted? Do I have your attention yet?
“The Electric State” This one was hailed as the most expensive movie Netflix ever made, and I think it definitely shows! Starring favorites Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) and Chris Pratt (“Parks & Rec”), this sweet movie follows the fallout of robots doing the majority of serving jobs in the world and the ensuing revolt. While this sounds very sci-fi heavy, it’s really a story of chosen family, risking your life for bigger causes and people you love. I watched this with my 33-year-old daughter and we loved it. It came as close to an in-theater experience in our family room as any movie I have ever seen on a streaming service.
Apple TV+
“Severance” is definitely the water cooler show of the year! I had tried several times to watch this show, but when my daughter and son-in-law from California were in town over Christmas, I decided to dive in with them. I enjoyed the first season much more than the second, and I’m still reeling from the season two finale. It is so thought-provoking. This show asks you to wrestle with deep questions, like doesn’t avoiding pain make us less human? Can we stuff feelings and survive? If my daughters were writing this review, they could share very profound thoughts and questions that (if I’m honest) went over my head!
“Silo” I continue to enjoy this sci-fi show that has so many allegorical storylines to our culture today.
“La La Land” This has always been a favorite movie of mine, and when I rewatched it for Movie Club, I loved it more. I highly recommend renting this even if you’ve seen it before.
Hulu
“Paradise” All episodes of this mind-blowing series are out, so start streaming now - like today! Sterling K. Brown of “This Is Us” is at the top of his game as a secret service agent to a former president who knows all is not as it seems when the president is murdered.
“Amber Alert” This edge-of-your-seat thriller follows an Uber driver and his last ride of the night as he realizes an Amber Alert vehicle is right in front of them. The Amber Alert system was established in 1996 after Amber Hagerman was abducted and killed at age 9 in Texas near her home. Her mother fought long and hard for this act.
Movie Club will take a break until August 21. Please join us then! We are having the best time. Until next month, keep passing the popcorn …
RSS Feed