What to Watch
A stunning war drama, an instant horror classic, and the latest Guillermo del Toro gem
Hi friends,
In case you were one of the apparently limited viewers of Girls5eva, you might be delighted (or infuriated) to learn that the Tina Fey-produced comedy was picked up for a new season—albeit on a different platform. The series is leaving its original home Peacock to move to Netflix, a rare move for original productions but not surprising for Peacock, which has been canceling shows, even critically acclaimed ones, left and right.
As always, I hope you have a nice weekend!
OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEK
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: 89%
Our top TV show of the week is Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, an eight-part horror anthology curated by the titular director. Filled with frightful beings ranging from reanimated corpses to bloodthirsty aliens, the series makes for a perfect Halloween binge.
Aside from a star-studded cast, the series is also co-helmed by some noteworthy directors, including Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), and Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night).
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
All Quiet on the Western Front
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: 95%
Moving on to a more realistic horror, All Quiet on the Western Front is an epic film that unflinchingly shows us the savagery and senselessness of war. Set at the tail end of World War I, it follows two main stories: that of German soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), whose boyish eagerness for warfare is diminished with each bloody step he takes towards the frontline, and that of Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl), the real-life German politician tasked to negotiate a ceasefire between the French and German forces.
Grim and sobering, the movie will leave you nothing less than stunned after viewing. Like 1917 before it, All Quiet on the Western Front relies on the juxtaposition of raw brutality and peaceful quiet to effectively forward its anti-war message. The film is Germany’s official entry to the upcoming Academy Awards.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
Our first pick outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime is Barbarian, a horror film that follows a woman who gets more than what she bargained for after renting an Airbnb house. Without giving too much away, all I’ll say is that Barbarian is filled with unexpected twists and turns—an unnerving jumpscare thriller that has arrived to streaming just in time for Halloween. Streaming on HBO Max.
While you’re at it, how about adding our second pick, In the Flesh, to your Halloween binge? The short-lived BBC series is premised on a simple but ingenious idea: what if zombies could be treated and welcomed back into society? In the Flesh posits that the battle between humans and the undead would be more political and social, rather than just fatal. If you ever wished you could view a less gory Walking Dead, then the haunting and profound In The Flesh is your best bet. Streaming on Hulu.
New titles worth your time
There are two new Netflix series that are worth checking out: From Scratch, a pleasant American-Italian romance starring Zoe Saldana, and The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, an adaptation of the hit British fantasy novel, Half Bad.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Prime, new notable arrivals include Downton Abbey: A New Era, the second film in the Downton Abbey franchise, and The Devil’s Hour, a new police procedural with a spooky twist led by Peter Capaldi and produced by Steven Moffat (both of Doctor Who fame).
Great titles that will soon expire
October 31 is your last chance to watch the music drama 8 Mile, action thriller Léon: The Professional, Australian social horror The Nightingale, and crime classic Scarface on Netflix.
Over at Amazon Prime, notable titles leaving the platform on October 31 are psychological drama 21 Grams, British dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Swedish horror (and The Watch favorite) Let the Right One In, Che Guevara biopic The Motorcycle Diaries, period piece Revolutionary Road, and finally, the downsizing office drama Up in the Air.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, November 4.
Till then,
Renee
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