Hi friends,
I’m usually indifferent to kid-centric media, and I imagine I won’t be actively seeking them for quite some time, but every now and then I encounter something created for younger viewers that I actually enjoy, along with other adults. This week’s top movie pick is one such film. I appreciate when children’s films get “sneakily deep” as one reviewer puts it, and are able to make something enjoyable for viewers of all ages. Here’s hoping we see more stories strike that delicate balance.
I hope you have a nice weekend!
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Paper Girls
New on Amazon Prime 🍅 rating: 100%
It’s November 1st, 1988. Four paper girls, tired of their delivery routes being disrupted by Halloween fanatics, decide to go after their perpetrators to teach them a lesson. But instead of costumed pranksters, they instead find futuristic soldiers. They’re then unwittingly thrown into a battle between warring time-travelers, which sends them off on a dangerous and trippy world-saving adventure.
Paper Girls’ emphasis on nostalgia, friendship, and sci-fi has led many reviewers to liken it to Stranger Things, but I’m actually reminded more of Showtime’s excellent series Yellowjackets—both are tender coming-of-age stories encased in alluring, rough-and-tough exteriors. All eight episodes of this exciting new show premiered earlier today on the streamer.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
The Sea Beast
On Netflix 🍅 rating: 94%
The Sea Beast tells the story of Jacob, a legendary sea monster hunter, and Maisie, a wannabe monster hunter herself. When a dangerous encounter isolates them from the rest of the crew, they’re forced to team up and reconcile their opposing beliefs—Maisie believes there’s good in the beasts, but Jacob has yet to be convinced.
Action-packed, fast-paced, and thoroughly entertaining, The Sea Beast is a perfect weekend watch. The part-Moana, part-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean tale also has the added bonus of being age-appropriate (rated PG), making it suitable for those spending their precious TV time with kids.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
Remember Nightmare Alley? The Guillermo del Toro remake that garnered a lot of nominations and seemingly not much else—neither awards nor recall? As it turns out, the movie is actually pretty good, just unfortunately dwarfed by a great predecessor and flashy competition. The 2021 version of Nightmare Alley is glamorous and gory, a twisty thriller that follows carny Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) as he cons and kills his way to the top. The stylish noir film is streaming now on HBO Max.
Apple TV+ premiered season 3 of its British miniseries Trying last week, and it’s every bit as sweet and funny as the first two seasons. Whereas young couple Jason and Nikki had tried and failed and tried again to adopt children previously, here they’ve finally gotten their wish, but with more than a few caveats. Still, John and Nikki remain steadfast in their beliefs on love and family in this realistic but still impressively charming show.
New titles worth your time
New on Netflix is the compelling three-part docuseries The Most Hated Man on the Internet, about the so-called King of Revenge Porn—a man who posted multiple women’s nudes on the internet. He’s thankfully challenged by Charlotte Laws, the mother of one of his victims.
On Amazon Prime, great new titles include Bong Joon-ho’s Mother, a twisty South Korean murder thriller; The Long Walk Home, an American racial period piece set in 1955 Alabama; and Evil, a Swedish drama that explores school bullying through its complicated protagonist, Erik.
Great titles that will soon expire
Worthwhile titles expiring on Netflix by July 31st include coming-of-age gem The Edge of Seventeen and modern classics Forrest Gump and Little Women (the 1994 version, starring Winona Ryder). July 31st is also your last chance to catch all seasons of the NBC hit comedy 30 Rock as its license expires on the next day, August 1st.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Prime, the biopic Antwone Fisher, the stop-motion charmer Fantastic Mr. Fox, the heartwarming Australian film Last Cab to Darwin, the French animation Louise by the Shore, and the touching Japanese family drama I Wish are all leaving the streamer on July 31st.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, August 5.
Till then,
Renee