This week, the Must See is the surprisingly textured CODA.
IN THEATERS
CODA: Writer-director Sian Heder’s screenplay has made CODA, which could have been simplistic, into that rare, feel-good family film that is authentic, fumy and thought-provoking. Also streaming in AppleTV.
Also in theaters:
- The Green Knight: more of a test than a quest
- Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain: Bad ass romantic. Best Movies of 2021 – So Far.
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): concert with context. In theaters and streaming on Hulu. Best Movies of 2021 – So Far. Still in theaters, but getting harder to find.
- Annette: opening and closing sparks, but tiresome and creepy in between
- Zola: the road trip is not what it seems, (and neither is this movie). Still in theaters, but getting harder to find.
ON VIDEO
The most eclectic watch-at-home recommendations you’ll find ANYWHERE:
- Riders of Justice: Thriller, comedy and much, much more. It’s the year’s best movie so far. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu and YouTube. #1 on my Best Movies of 2021 – So Far
- Dirt Music: a gorgeous bodice-ripper with a WTF ending. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube.
- No Sudden Move: Steven Soderbergh’s neo-noir thriller has even more double-crosses than movie stars – and it has plenty of movie stars. HBO Max.
- Neutral Ground: the supremacist legacy of old statues. PBS.
- Mama Weed: it’s always fun when Huppert gets outrageous. Laemmle.
- Summertime: no longer invisible and unheard, giving voice through verse. Roxie and Laemmle.
- In the Heights: Vibrant, earnest and perfect for this moment. HBO Max.
- Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation: Two gay Southern geniuses, revealing themselves. Roxie and Laemmle.
- The Dry: a mystery as psychological as it is procedural. Amazon, AppleTV, Vudu, YouTube.
- Louder Than Bombs: An intricately constructed family drama. Amazon (included with Prime), Vudu and YouTube.
ON TV
On August 25, Turner Classic Movies will air Gaslight (1944), a classic suspense thriller that still has a lot to say about domestic violence and abusive power in relationships.
An evil husband (Charles Boyer) isolates his wife (Ingrid Bergman) and uses manipulation to convince her that she’s going crazy. He’s seeking to conceal his crimes and gain unfettered control of her house and fortune. He’s also dallying with the maid (a nubile 18-year-old Angela Lansbury). Fortunately, the wife’s longtime admirer (Joseph Cotton) works for Scotland Yard and starts to investigate…
Here’s my essay on Gaslight, Gaslight and gaslighting in domestic violence.