OUT NOW:
‘The Seed’ (Shudder)
In The Seed, lifelong friends Deidre (Lucy Martin, Vikings), Heather (Sophie Vavasseur, Resident Evil: Apocalypse), and Charlotte (Chelsea Edge, I Hate Suzie) are finally getting some time away together, using the upcoming meteor shower to gather more followers for their social media channels. But what starts out as a girls’ getaway in the Mojave Desert descends into a battle for survival with the arrival of an invasive alien force whose air of mystery soon proves to be alluring and irresistible to them. Before long the situation devolves into a battle to the death, where the stakes have galaxy-wide implications. Written and directed by Sam Walker.
‘The Adam Project’ (Netflix)
The latest from filmmaker Shawn Levy (Free Guy, Stranger Things), this science fiction adventure stars Ryan Reynolds as a time-traveling fighter pilot named Adam Reed. After crash landing in 2022, he teams up with his 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell) on a mission to save the future. The film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener, Zoe Saldaña, and Alex Mallari Jr.
‘Turning Red’ (Disney+)
From director Domee Shi and the artists at Pixar, Turning Red is the latest imaginative work from the animation giants. Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter - an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda.
‘The Thing About Pam’ (Hulu)
When Betsy Faria (Katy Mixon) is murdered in small-town Missouri, the police believe it's an open-and-shut case involving her husband (Glenn Fleshler), who is arrested and found guilty of the crime. However, unanswered questions remain, and the case not only leads to a wrongful conviction but also sets into motion a chain of events that exposes a diabolical scheme involving Betsy's close friend Pam Hupp (Renée Zellweger). Never considered a suspect, even though she was the last person to see Betsy alive, Pam keeps changing her story as she evades questions and leads investigators through a chilling series of unexpected twists and turns. Based on the true 2011 case.
‘The Last Kingdom (Season 5)’ (Netflix)
The final season of the epic historical drama series has finally arrived. Season 5 begins at a time of hard-won peace between the Danes and the Saxons, but Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) is ill at ease, and can't help feeling that something ominous is looming towards his settlement - which leaves him worried for the safety of his people, and particularly his children.
‘Dune’ (HBO Max)
Filled with important exposition, terms and names that range from the indecipherable to the ridiculous (hello, Duncan Idaho), Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 science fiction novel could have easily been a big bloated disaster. Villeneuve had already proven his proficiency at blending large scale, blockbuster sci-fi worlds and concepts with cerebral and contemplative style with films like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and his obvious passion towards Dune makes for one of the most intriguing and engaging possible franchises in recent memory. With an all-star cast and an immense production, this first of two parts heavily layers itself with themes of religion, royal politics, and the human mind. But at the heart of it is an adventure between a son and his mother – and one of the best scores to ever come from legendary composer Hans Zimmer.
‘The Nightmare’ (Shudder)
This 2015 documentary from Rodney Ascher (Room 237, A Glitch in the Matrix) may as well be a horror film in its own right. Asher explores the frightening depths of sleep paralysis, a condition that affects far too many people in various disturbing ways. The documentary features extensive interviews with people who suffer from the condition, and then stages genuinely terrifying recreations of their stories.
‘Offseason’ (VOD)
Writer-director Mickey Keating’s horror film Offseason follows Marie (Jocelin Donahue), a woman who, upon receiving a mysterious letter that her mother’s grave site has been vandalized, quickly returns to the isolated offshore island where her late mother is buried. When she arrives, she discovers that the island is closing for the offseason with the bridges raised until spring, leaving her stranded. One strange interaction with the local townspeople after another, Marie soon realizes that something is not quite right in this small town. She must unveil the mystery behind her mother’s troubled past in order to make it out alive.
‘Good Girls (Season 4)’ (Netflix)
The final season of this thrilling crime comedy-drama is now streaming. Starring Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman, the series follows three women in desperate need of money. They plan a heist at their local grocery store expecting a relatively easy way to ease their financial burdens. But new to the game of crime, they get pulled in deeper than they ever imagined -- and the only way out of this will be together.
‘Memory: The Origins of Alien’ (Shudder)
This documentary is an entertaining and in depth voyage into the original sci-fi horror Alien with the visionary filmmakers who created it. See how one of the most terrifying movies of all time came to life 40 years ago, inspired by ancient mythology and our universal fears.
CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:
‘Pam & Tommy’ (Hulu)
This series follows the true story of the tumultuous, steamy and dysfunctional relationship between two superstars – Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee – following the release of their infamous honeymoon sex tape. Paving the way for a slew of other celebrity sex tapes that would follow with the rise of the internet, the scandal blew up the two to new levels of fame – for better and worse. Lily James stars as Pamela the Baywatch star with Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee the Mötley Crüe rockstar, alongside Seth Rogen playing porn actor turned electrician Rand Gauthier, the man who stole the tape and blackmailed the couple. The series also stars Nick Offerman as porn producer Uncle Miltie, who mass-produced the tape in order to sell it online, as well as Taylor Schilling playing Erica Gauthier. All eight episodes are now streaming.
‘Star Trek: Picard’ (Paramount+)
Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his companions are trapped in the 21st century when reality is broken by Q (John de Lancie) as part of the ultimate trial for Picard. They must race against time to save the future of the galaxy. The second season of the recent Star Trek spin-off show will feature several appearances from The Next Generation characters. The first two episodes are now streaming.
Also streaming now:
Netflix - ‘Beirut’, ‘Refugiado’
Hulu - ‘American Refugee’, ‘Stronger’
Shudder - ‘Darling’, ‘Corporate Animals’
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Netflix - ‘Dunkirk’, ‘London Has Fallen’, ‘Adam by Eve’, ‘A Walk Among the Tombstones’, ‘Heist: The Great Robbery of Brazil’s Central Park’, ‘Animal (Season 2)’, ‘Black Crab’, ‘Human Resources’, ‘Windfall’
Hulu - ‘Hell Hath No Fury’, ‘All Good Things’, ‘Nature Calls’, ‘You Can’t Kill Meme’, ‘Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn’, ‘Deep Water’
Shudder - ‘Triangle’, ‘Trauma’, ‘Home With a View of a Monster’, ‘Hounds of Love’, ‘Tragedy Girls’, ‘The Bunker Game’
HBO Max - ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’, ‘Halloween Kills’, ‘Phoenix Rising’, ‘DMZ’
Disney+ - ‘Daredevil’, ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’, ‘Ironfist’, ‘The Defenders’, ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’, ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’
AppleTV+ - ‘WeCrashed’
