Hi friends,
While looking up this week’s top film pick, I came across the term “Palm Dog,” which I’m just learning is a very real award handed to very real canines by very real critics during the Cannes Film Festival. I’m truly at a loss for words right now. How did I not know this was a thing??
Anyway, I hope you have a good weekend. Happy fourth of July to those who celebrate!
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Queen
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: -
When famed Parisian tailor and drag performer Sylwester Borkowski learns about his family’s dire situation in Poland, he goes back home to help out despite the initial awkwardness that stems from his decades-long absence.
His granddaughter welcomes him warmly, although his daughter, still bitter from his abandonment, not so much. Queen follows Sylwester as he reconciles his past with his present and his original family with his chosen one.
The series reminded me so much of the film Swan Song, which also stars an elderly drag queen coming to terms with his bumpy past. Queen, however, stays true to its TV nature and comes off cheesier and livelier. With only four compact episodes, it makes for an easy weekend watch.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Red Rocket
On Amazon Prime Video, available to rent or buy starting at $4.99 🍅 rating: 90%
When Mikey Saber’s porn career takes a dip in California, he returns to an estranged wife in Texas, where he meets new and old friends alike and attempts to rebuild his life through a couple of odd jobs. Though Mikey eventually earns his keep, his vanity and eagerness to succeed at all costs threaten to get the best of him.
All this happens against a vibrant backdrop of local sights, beautifully lit and framed by director Sean Baker. Quaint, naturalistic, and ever-so-subtly political, Red Rocket is another great entry into Baker’s “ground-level look at modern American life,” as the critics say.
P.S. Red Rocket is rated R for strong sexual content and graphic nudity.
P.P.S. This is the film that sent me to the Palm Dog black hole.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
If for some reason you can’t see Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis on the big screen, you may be glad to know that film is now available to buy on Vudu for $24.99. It’s a steep price, especially for a movie that has been somewhat divisive among viewers and critics. Still, if you’re a fan of all-out visuals and unapologetically brash editing (read: Luhrmann’s signature style of loud, jangly filmmaking) then this comes highly recommended. Austin Butler is fascinating as the rock legend, nearly dwarfing the Tom Hanks, who plays his controversial manager Tom Parker. Though Elvis is of course a portrait of the singer it names, Parker narrates the film and a significant focus is given to Elvis’ wife, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
What if the 1960s space race never ended? This is the premise of Apple TV+’s For All Mankind, a series that premiered in 2019 and continues its strong streak with a third season this year. In this universe, the cosmonauts came first and the moon promises resources beyond belief, effectively expanding the stakes and scale of the Cold War. But even though the battles are literally out of this world, the show still feels grounded thanks to an intimate, affecting focus on its characters. If you’re looking for an epic story to lose yourself in, this is it.
New titles worth your time
New on Netflix is Alone, a docuseries from The History Channel that follows ten people as they test their survival skills out in the wilderness. Also new is the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom starring Idris Elba.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Prime, some modern classics have just arrived, namely: the Roman epic Gladiator, the real-estate drama Glengarry Glen Ross, the psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley, the period pieces Mississippi Burning and Orlando, and more recently, the romantic hit Call Me by Your Name.
Season 3 of The Boys is still ongoing on Amazon Prime. It’s a gory, raunchy, rated-R show that satirizes heroes and modern-day society. Other new shows on the streamer include The North Water, an intense 19th century period piece set in the wild waters of the Arctic Ocean, and the crime thrillers Follow the Money from Denmark and The Fall from Ireland.
Great titles that will soon expire
No noteworthy titles are expiring on Netflix.
On Amazon Prime, parts two and three of the Danish crime trilogy Pusher are expiring on July 4th.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, July 8.
Until then,
Renee
Thank you for the recommendations 😍 Really happy you included a Polish production - we have to spread the word about the amazing film-making happening in Poland!