Stream on Demand: ‘Python’ lands on Netflix and ‘RBG’ visits Hulu
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
Inspired by a true story and shot in and around Portland, “Leave No Trace” (2018, PG) is a touching indie drama starring Ben Foster as a troubled military vet and loving single father trying to raise a daughter (Thomasin McKenzie in a revelatory performance) off the grid. On Cable On Demand and VOD, also on DVD and at Redbox.
“RBG” (2018, PG) charts the life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from legal scholar to pop culture icon. It debuts on Hulu.
Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn star as a married couple struggling to have kids late in life in “Private Life” (2018, not rated), a spiky drama with comic edges from director Tamara Jenkins. It comes direct to Neflix from the film festival circuit.
“Into The Dark: The Body,” a darkly comic tale of a hitman hauling a body across town on Halloween, is the debut installment of the horror anthology series created by horror specialist Blumhouse Production for Hulu.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sketch troupe that changed TV comedy with “Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Complete Series,” featuring all 45 episodes original episodes, plus “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979, R), concert movies “Monty Python: Live at the Hollywood Bowl” (1982, R) and “Monty Python Live (Mostly): One Down, Five to Go” (2014, TV-MA), the six-part documentary “Monty Python’s Almost the Truth” (2009), and more, all new to Netflix this month.
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” (2018, R), starring Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin, blurs the line between the war on drugs with the war on terror. Also new is the horror prequel “The First Purge” (2018, R) and the documentaries “Three Identical Strangers” (2018, PG-13) and “A Dangerous Idea” (2018, not rated).
Available same day as select theaters nationwide is “Loving Pablo” (2018, R) with Javier Bardem as drug lord Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as journalist Virginia Vallejo, and heavy metal comedy “Heavy Trip” (2018, Finland, not rated, with subtitles).
Netflix
Netflix Original horror film “Malevolent” (2018, not rated) stars Florence Pugh and Ben Lloyd-Hughes as a fake paranormal investigators in a real haunted house.
Jason Clarke is Ted Kennedy in “Chappaquiddick” (2017, PG-13), which dramatizes the real-life car accident that killed a young woman (Kate Mara) and the scandal that ensued.
Netflix is picking up “Designated Survivor,” the unusual Kiefer Sutherland political drama that was recently canceled by ABC. As it prepares to give the show a third season, you can now stream the first two seasons.
More streaming TV: BBC documentary series “
Foreign language TV: “Élite: Season 1” (Spain, with subtitles) is melodrama set in an exclusive private school where the rich and poor clash. Also new: the workplace sitcom “YG Future Strategy Office: Season 1” (South Korea, with subtitles); the romantic drama “Little Things: Season 2” (India, with subtitles) set in modern Dubai.
Kid stuff: “Creeped Out: Season 1” offers spooky stories for older kids, while the animated “Super Monsters: Season 2” and feature-length adventure “Super Monsters Save Halloween” play it for humor for younger tykes.
Also new this month: coming of age drama “London Town” (2016, R) set during the rise of punk in early 1980s England; the Blaxploitation parody “Black Dynamite” (2009, R) with Michael Jai White; “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” (2008, R) with Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks; the romantic drama “The Lake House” (2006, PG) with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves; the dystopian thriller “V for Vendetta” (2005, R) with Natalie Portman; Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning “Mystic River” (2003, R) with Sean Penn and Tim Robbins; the romantic drama “Message in a Bottle” (1999, PG-13) with Kevin Costner and Robin Wright; Jackie Chan’s U.S. breakthrough action hit “Rumble in the Bronx” (1995, R); Mel Brooks’ comedy classic “Blazing Saddles” (1974, R); and for kids and families there’s the comedy “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985, PG) and the fantasy adventure “The NeverEnding Story” (1984, PG).
Stand-up: “Joe Rogan: Strange Times” (Netflix Original)
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video original series “The Man in the High Castle” returns for a third season of the alternate history thriller of America under Nazi occupation.
Haunting horror remake “Let Me In” (2010) relocates the adolescent vampire drama from Sweden to the American Midwest and made a star of Chloë Grace Moretz.
The live TV version of “Arsenic & Old Lace” (1962) features Boris Karloff in the role of Jonathan, which he created on Broadway but never before played on screen.
Foreign affairs: Wong Kar-wai’s gorgeous, ruminative romantic drama “In the Mood for Love” (Hong Kong, 2000, PG, with subtitles) with Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung is streaming under the title “Those Good Old Years.”
Also new: sweeping fantasy adventure “The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven’s Palace” (China, 2013, not rated, with subtitles) with Donnie Yen and Chow Yun-fat; Jean-Pierre Melville’s crime classic “Le Doulos” (France, 1963, with subtitles) with Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Also new this month: Edward Norton is “The Illusionist” (2006, PG-13) in the turn-of-the-20th-century magician mystery; comedy reboot “Get Smart” (2008, PG-13) with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway; John Boorman’s “The General” (1998, not rated) with Brendan Gleeson as a real-life Irish criminal; indie comedy “Kicking and Screaming” (1995), the debut film from Noah Baumbach; the romantic comedy “IQ” (1994, PG) with Walter Matthau as Albert Einstein, matchmaker; the romantic drama “Frankie & Johnny” (1991, R) with Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer; Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War drama “Full Metal Jacket” (1987, R); the fantasy “Legend” (1985, PG) with Tom Cruise; the Oscar-winning crime drama “Witness” (1985, R) with Harrison Ford in Amish country; “Ragtime” (1981, PG) from Oscar-winning director Milos Forman; the epic drama “Exodus” (1960) with Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint; and teh social drama “Let Us Live” (1939) with Henry Fonda.
More streaming TV: family sitcom “Growing Pains: Complete Series” (1986-1992) with Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron and comic supernatural mystery series “Pushing Daisies: Complete Series” (2007-2009) from “Hannibal” and “American Gods” creator Bryan Fuller.
True stories: award-winning documentary “Hoop Dreams” (1993, PG-13) follows the lives two students from inner-city Chicago struggling to becomes college basketball players.
Prime Video and Hulu
Director Bill Condon won a writing Oscar for “Gods and Monsters” (1998), starring Ian McKellan as “Frankenstein” director James Whale in his final days (Prime Video and Hulu).
“Galaxy Quest” (1999, PG), a “Star Trek” spoof with Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, has become a cult comedy in its own right (Prime Video and Hulu).
When making your Halloween list, don’t forget to add “Zombies of Mass Destruction” (2010, R), a satirical and witty gore-fest produced in and around Seattle by local filmmakers (Prime Video and Hulu).
Also new this month: theater drama “Stage Beauty” (2004, R) with Billy Crudup and Claire Danes (Prime Video and Hulu); the indie Thanksgiving comedy “Pieces of April” (2003, PG-13) with Katie Holmes (Prime Video and Hulu); the crime thriller “The Way of the Gun” (2000, R) with Ryan Phillippe and Benicio Del Toro (Prime Video and Hulu); the timely social satire “Election” (1999, R) with Reese Witherspoon (Prime Video and Hulu); Paul Verhoeven’s cult science-fiction thrillers “Starship Troopers” (1997, R) (Prime Video and Hulu) and “Robocop” (1987, R) (Prime Video and Hulu); the science-fiction conspiracy drama “The Arrival” (1996, PG-13) with Charlie Sheen (Prime Video and Hulu); Kathryn Bigelow’s “Blue Steel” (1990, R) with Jamie Lee Curtis (Prime Video and Hulu); and Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” (1980, R) with Robert De Niro (Prime Video and Hulu).
Hulu
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993, PG) brings the playfully macabre humor of Tim Burton to life through the old-school magic of stop-motion animation by director Henry Selick and music of Danny Elfman. It’s a Christmas movie and a Halloween treat all in one and is family friendly to boot!
True stories: “The Gospel According to André” (2017, PG-13) profiles trendsetting fashion editor André Leon Talley.
Foreign affairs: the powerful immigrant drama “
Also new this month: Christopher Nolan’s “Insomnia” (2002, R) with Al Pacino and Hilary Swank; the romantic comedy “Music and Lyrics” (2007, PG-13) with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore; Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning Vietnam War drama “Platoon” (1986, R); the Oscar-winning comedy “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967) with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier; the cult melodrama “Valley of the Dolls” (1967) with Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, and Susan Hayward.
HBO Now
Paul Thomas Anderson’s fashion world drama “Phantom Thread” (2017, R) earned five Oscar nominations, including acting nods for Daniel Day-Lewis and Lesley Manville.
Also new: the animated comedy “Early Man” (2018, PG) and the documentaries “Queen of the World” (2018, not rated) and “Student Athlete” (2018, not rated).
Older films returning to HBO include the animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009, PG) from Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Inherent Vice” (2014, R) with Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin.
Arriving Saturday night is the comic thriller “Game Night” (2018, R) with Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams.
FilmStruck
TCM Select Pick of the Week is “Random Harvest” (1942), one of 16 films featuring “Star of the Week: Greer Garson.”
Also featured is “Director of the Week: Roberto Rossellini,” from his landmark neo-realist classics “Rome Open City” (Italy, 1945) and “
New on disc and at Redbox this week:
“Leave No Trace,” “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “The First Purge,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Tales from the Hood 2”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at http://streamondemandathome.com.
Leave No Trace
Private Life
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Loving Pablo
The Man in the High Castle
https://youtu.be/Xunwv3rRWYo man
Let Me In
RBG
Dheepan
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Phantom Thread