The Upstream: February 2022
10 great movies new to streaming this month.
Since that little rodent known as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, it looks like we’ll be enduring another six weeks of prime movie-watching weather. Wonderful.
Here are 10 options new to streaming services well worth your time on a chilly night when you don’t want to leave the house.
Citizen Ruth, Criterion Collection
Get your laughs in before SCOTUS overrules Roe v. Wade this summer! Alexander Payne (Election, The Descendants) stormed out of the gate with Citizen Ruth, his directorial debut that satirizes the various zealots overly concerned with reproductive health. It’s never “both sides”-y about the two camps, though, instead showing how political fights can lose sight of the people affected by an issue that’s reduced to a debate. Here, that person is Laura Dern’s hilariously thorny Ruth, a paint fume-huffing mom-to-be just looking for some kind of clarity.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hulu
Some people will tell you that Benjamin Button is a lesser work by David Fincher, and then some people are right and know it’s among his best. It’s every bit as visually rigorous as Fincher’s more overtly meticulous films without ever feeling as frigid or airtight as those clinical works. Benjamin Button is a deeply emotional journey about the value of time and life through the lens of someone who had to experience both sensations apart from everyone else. Each time I watch this, I grow more impressed with Brad Pitt’s performance — that he’s able to emote so subtly under makeup and inside visual effects is a true marvel.
I Heart Huckabees, Amazon Prime Video
It’s a shame that David O. Russell is such an abrasive person who often makes his movies known for all the wrong reasons. (Many remember I Heart Huckabees for his on-set confrontation with star Lily Tomlin.) The legacy of the film should be how witty and wonderful this quirky comedy is! I’m so smitten by the way Russell makes the philosophical accessible as two “existential detectives” played Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman help a confused corporate drone make sense of the coincidences in his life.
The Iron Giant, HBO Max
I think we all owe it to ourselves to revisit Brad Bird’s soaringly emotional The Iron Giant. This parable effectively uses the Cold War as a backdrop to foil fear and hope for the unknown as the young Hogarth Hughes befriends a large metal being. It’s the kind of potent punch of funny, thrilling, and tearjerking that animated films so often provide.
Nightmare Alley, HBO Max and Hulu
After a brief theatrical run in December, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley is now available to stream in *two* places! This revisionist film noir remake worked pretty well for me, especially in the back half when Cate Blanchett’s take on a femme fatale enters the frame. Even in the parts I found less effective, I was riveted by Bradley Cooper’s performance and how it plays into his ongoing star image negotiating the boundaries of acceptable masculinity. (And if you don’t want to take my word for it, listen to Martin Scorsese’s praise.)
The Tree of Life, Hulu
I offered some thoughts about my evolution on this film when I re-ranked my favorite movies of 2011 last year. For those who might have missed it, I’ll give you the tl;dr — while there are portions of Terrence Malick’s sprawling opus that don’t entirely cohere, the majestic highs of this film are simply unparalleled. The Tree of Life already become a major aesthetic touchstone and influence for contemporary filmmakers, so watch it if for no other reason than observing a cinematic Rosetta Stone. (Streaming availability beyond renting doesn’t seem all too common, so take advantage while you can!)
Two Weeks Notice, HBO Max
Ah, Sandra Bullock, my high-strung, type-A spirit animal! I’m particularly smitten with her early-’00s rom-com era because they wittingly and winningly show how highly competent professionals who don’t always connect well with the people around them can be integrated into society without sacrificing their essence. (There’s no projection here, what are you talking about?!) Two Weeks Notice might not get the love of something like Miss Congeniality, but it’s got more than a fair share of memorable scenes and one-liners. And Bullock finds a remarkable foil for her comedic energy in Hugh Grant’s billionaire himbo, George Wade.
Walk the Line, Amazon Prime Video
I think Walk the Line gets a lot of unfair flack as a paradigmatic clichéd musician biopic because it’s the most directly responsible for triggering the parodic Walk Hard. This is far from the genre’s nadir (*cough* Bohemian Rhapsody *cough*). Even when it falls into some obvious tropes, it’s made imminently watchable by the ferociously committed and vulnerable lead performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.
West Side Story, HBO Max
While we wait for the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story to hit streaming, why not revisit the original on HBO Max? One need not see it to understand or appreciate the new version, but you’ll find a lot to mull over if you can recognize how screenwriter Tony Kushner slyly tweaks some of the source material.
Whiplash, Hulu
🗣NOT 🗣 MY 🗣 TEMPO! Wow, does Whiplash still hit. As both an interrogation of artistic obsession and a testament to fastidious craftsmanship, Damien Chazelle’s breakout film contains multitudes. It plays like a sports film crossed with a thriller, and then leaves you in stunned silence to ponder the deep questions it raises along the journey. It’s one of those movies I think I’ll be returning to again and again throughout the years.
WHAT I WATCHED
A whole lot of Sundance movies, thus the delay here! (One of these fests now, I’ll learn my lesson and pre-plan even more in advance.)
WHAT I HEARD
This is not entirely movie-related, but Chuck Klosterman (one of the most influential writers on my style and thinking) has a new book out about the 1990s next week — and the media tour is beginning! Enjoyed him on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week:
WHAT I READ
This book, Audienceology, about how test screenings of films shape their final form! I found a lot of the anecdotes interesting (Steven Spielberg came up with the ending for Paranormal Activity?!) but did want a little bit more from it. The book is written by someone who’s a professional in the field, so it does read a bit like a pitch deck for his company at times with little overarching throughline or conclusion.
WHAT I WROTE
For Slant, I talked to the team behind the Norwegian rom-com-dram The Worst Person in the World: director Joachim Trier along with actors Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie. The film begins its theatrical run today and will expand throughout February. I quite liked this one, and its fans include everyone from Nancy Meyers to Isabelle Huppert!
Granted, I didn’t write this myself — but you can read some of my words in Leila Latif’s BBC Culture piece entitled “Mass and the films trying to make sense of senseless violence.” I got to elaborate on why I think Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin is so special, both artistically and culturally. It’s a great piece, and I was honored to play a small part in it.
Also, subscribers got to read my conversation with a film festival programmer! More conversations like this, taking you behind the scenes of the industry, are coming your way throughout 2022:
That’s it for today! Subscribers, you’ll soon be getting more thoughts of mine on the Sundance 2022 lineup.
Yours in service and cinema,
Marshall