OUT NOW:
‘Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin’ (Paramount+)
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin will be the seventh film in the franchise and the first in six years after 2015’s The Ghost Dimension. The new film will launch exclusively on Paramount+ – one of the first big exclusives for the streaming service and will act as a reboot rather than a sequel. Those looking to jump back into the franchise without worrying about the intertwined story of the first six films can breathe a sigh of relief. Next of Kin is directed by William Eubank, known for last year’s underrated sci-fi horror Underwater. To add to the fresh excitement of the reboot, the film is also written by Christopher Landon, fresh off of helping reviving the fun of the slasher genre with Happy Death Day and Freaky. This also marks a return for Landon to the Paranormal Activity world, having previously written the second, third, fourth, and fifth installments.
‘Horror Noire’ (Shudder)
A new anthology horror film is always welcome, and Horror Noire is a worthy addition to the underrated format. The film contains six horror stories from Black directors and screenwriters Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, Victor LaValle, Shernold Edwards, Al Letson and Ezra C. Daniels. It stars Lesley-Ann Brandt (Lucifer, Spartacus), Luke James (The Chi, Thoughts of a Colored Man), Erica Ash (Survivor’s Remorse, A Black Lady Sketch Show), Brandon Mychal Smith (Four Weddings and a Funeral, You’re the Worst), Sean Patrick Thomas (Macbeth, The Curse of La Llorona), Peter Stormare (American Gods, Fargo) Malcolm Barrett (Genius: Aretha Franklin, Timeless) and Rachel True (The Craft, Half & Half), among others.
‘Hypnotic’ (Netflix)
Kate Siegel is fresh off of starring in the astounding Midnight Mass, and now stars in a new thriller directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote. Siegel plays Jenn, who, feeling stuck both personally and professionally, turns to a mysterious hypnotherapist (Jason O'Mara) for help, only to find herself caught in a deadly mind game. The sessions become much more intense than she was expecting and her life soon gets far, far worse. Siegel is a modern day Scream Queen and certainly seems set to prove it once more.
‘The Marksman’ (Hulu)
Ex-Marine and hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when he witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) and his mother (Teresa Ruiz) fleeing from a band of assassins sent by a ruthless drug cartel. After being caught in a shootout, Miguel's mother begs Jim to take her son to the safety of their family in Chicago. Defying law enforcement, Jim and Miguel hit the road and slowly begin to forge an unlikely friendship while the cartel's relentless assassins blaze a bloody trail, hot on their heels.
‘Army of Thieves’ (Netflix)
In this prequel to Zack Snyder's zombie action flick Army of the Dead, small-town bank teller Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer) gets drawn into the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious woman recruits him to join a crew of Interpol’s most wanted criminals, attempting to heist a sequence of legendary, impossible-to-crack safes across Europe. Schweighöfer also directed the film, and it's a bit of a departure in terms of tone but still takes place in the same universe.
‘Silent Night’ (Hulu)
Direced by Camille Griffin, Silent Night is about an extended family coming together for a Christmas dinner in the country while destruction looms. Nell (Keira Knightley), Simon (Matthew Goode), and their boy Art (Roman Griffin Davis) are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.
‘The Addiction’ (Shudder)
This 1995 vampire film is smartly directed by Abel Ferrera and stars Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco and Kathryn Herbe. After being bitten by a vampire (Sciorra), a New York grad student (Taylor) tries to come to terms with her new lifestyle and constant thirst for blood, adopting the philosophy of a nocturnal comrade. The film has been considered an allegory about drug addiction as well as an allegory of the theological concept of sin.
‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ (Netflix)
The most viewed film on Netflix this past week, Guy Ritchie's take on the classic legends stars Charlie Hunnam in the titular role. The film is an iconoclastic take on the classic Excalibur myth, tracing Arthur’s journey from the streets to the throne. When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy…whether he likes it or not.
‘Just Before Dawn’ (Shudder)
Just Before Dawn is a 1981 American independent slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman and starring Chris Lemmon, Gregg Henry, Deborah Benson, Jamie Rose, and George Kennedy. The film follows a group of hikers who travel into the Oregon mountains to visit property inherited by one of them, only to be hunted by a ruthless backwoods killer. The film was shot in the Silver Falls State Park in Silverton, Oregon. Despite not being a commercial success when released, the film received positive reviews, with many praising the atmosphere and cinematography. The film has gained a cult following over the years.
‘We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks’ (Netflix)
Filmed with the startling immediacy of unfolding history, Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney's We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks is a riveting, multi-layered tale about transparency in the information age and our ever-elusive search for the truth. Detailing the creation of Julian Assange's controversial website, which facilitated the largest security breach in U.S. history, the film charts the enigmatic Assange's rise and fall in parallel with that of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the brilliant, troubled young soldier who downloaded hundreds of thousands of documents from classified U.S. military and diplomatic servers.
CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:
‘Y: The Last Man’ (Hulu)
Adapted from the hit comic book series of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, this series from Eliza Clark expands and even challenges the source material to create something even greater. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a man named Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer) is the last surviving male human on the planet. The series follows Yorick as he traverses the new world, as its survivors struggle with their losses and attempt to restore world society—led by Yorick’s mother, who is the new U.S. President Jennifer Brown (Diane Lane). The first nine episodes are now streaming.
‘Creepshow’ (Season 3)’ (Shudder)
The classic horror anthology series by Stephen King and George A. Romero was finally brought back from the dead in 2019 thanks to Shudder, delighting fans and capturing the spirit of the original films. Executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero, who is best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Creepshow’s third season features all new horrifying tales. A comic book comes to life in a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters, and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. You never know what will be on the next page. All six episodes are now streaming.
‘Succession (Season 3)’ (HBO Max)
HBO has knocked it out of the park once again with Succession, a show that tracks the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father (Brian Cox) begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control. The first two seasons of the series quickly garnered praise for being one of the best new shows on television and has been showered with awards. The third miraculously looks like it’s only getting better as the Roys continue to vie for their father’s assets. The first two episodes of the new season are now streaming.
Also streaming now:
Hulu - ‘Come Away’, ‘For Madmen Only’, ‘First Date’
Shudder - ‘Rituals’
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Netflix - '21 Jump Street', 'A River Runs Through It', 'Addams Family Values', 'Dracula (1992)', 'It Follows', 'Last Action Hero', 'Moneyball', 'Snakes On a Plane', 'Tagged', 'The Forgiven', 'The General's Daughter', 'The Nightingale', 'Thir13en Ghosts', 'When a Stranger Calls', 'Lords of Scam', 'The Harder They Fall', 'Big Mouth (Season 5)', 'Narcos: Mexico (Season 3)', 'Yara'
Hulu - '10,000 BC', 'Borat', 'Boyz N' the Hood', 'Dark Shadows', 'Fargo', 'The Fifth Element', 'The Fighter', 'The Fly', 'I, Tonya', 'Inception', 'The Legend of Zorro', 'The Matrix Trilogy', 'Minority Report', 'Resident Evil', 'Rush Hour Trilogy', 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street', 'Animaniacs (Season 2)'
Shudder - 'Dead & Beautiful', 'Behind the Monsters', 'Wait Until Dark', 'Blood on Satan's Claw', 'The Dark', 'The Closet', 'Prom Night', 'Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II', 'Leatherface'
HBO Max - 'Caddyshack', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'Eyes Wide Shut', 'Full Metal Jacket', 'The Bourne Trilogy', 'The Wolverine'
Amazon Prime Video - 'Alien', 'Alien 3', 'Alien Resurrection', 'Alien vs Predator', 'Children of Men', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Jingle All the Way', 'Kung Pow: Enter the Fist', 'Predator 2', 'The Black Dahlia', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', 'Vantage Point', 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?', 'Courage the Cowardly Dog'
Disney+ - 'X-Men: First Class'
