Here’s what’s new and ready to stream now on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Now, video-on-demand, and other streaming services … The weekly column is featured in The Seattle Times, The Spokesman-Review, and other newspapers.
“Toy Story 4” (2019, G) reunites the toybox gang for a road trip with new friends. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, and Annie Potts headline the returning voice cast and Tony Hale is Forky, an arts and crafts project made from a plastic spork who suffers from an identity crisis. Like the previous installments, it’s both funny and poignant and great for the whole family. It makes its streaming debut on Disney+.
Shia LaBeouf writes and stars in “Honey Boy” (2019, R), the drama of the stormy childhood of a child actor loosely based on his own life. Alma har’el directs the Amazon Prime Video original feature, which was nominated for four Film Independent Spirit awards.
Alison Brie plays an isolated, socially-awkward woman whose dreams start to bleed into her reality in “Horse Girl” (2020, R), a psychological drama that delves into issues of mental illness. The film from director Jeff Baeana and cowriter Brie comes direct to Netflix from its debut at Sundance.
Three siblings discover mysterious keys to a dark supernatural world in their ancestral home in “Locke & Key,” based on the best-selling comic book series written by Joe Hill. Jackson Robert Scott, Connor Jessup, and Emilia Jones star and Carlton Cuse (showrunner for “Lost” and “Jack Ryan”) adapts and produces the live action thriller for Netflix. 10 episodes.
J.K. Simmons stars in “Counterpart: Complete Series” (2018-2019), a political thriller with a science fiction twist. It’s like a John le Carre cold war spy drama with a high concept twist out of Philip K. Dick. Originally produced for Starz, it was well reviewed but little seen and cancelled after two seasons. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
“The Cave” (2019, PG-13), the Oscar-nominated documentary about a subterranean hospital service civilians in Syria, arrives on Cable On Demand and VOD.
The modern day film noir “Long Day’s Journey into Night“ (China, 2018, not rated, with subtitles) plunges the viewer into the nocturnal world of China’s rainy Guizhou province with a puzzle-like narrative and a dreamy atmosphere. On Criterion Channel.
Cult pick: “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” (1981/2007, R) starring Harrison Ford as a cop hunting escaped replicants in the overcrowded, ecologically devastated future, was a flop upon release but became one of the most influential science fiction films of its time. The definitive director’s cut is now streaming on Netflix.
Classic pick: Paul Newman is “Hud” (1963), a cynical, hard drinking cowboy, in the superb adaptation of Larry McMurtry modern western. Costars Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal earned Oscars, as did cinematographer James Wong Howe, but Newman carries the film with his lazy, insolent performance. On Amazon Prime Video.
Pay-Per-View / Video-On-Demand
Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding star in “Last Christmas” (2019, PG-13), a romantic comedy inspired by the George Michael song, and Ewan McGregor plays adult Danny Torrance in “Doctor Sleep” (2019, R), based on Stephen King’s sequel to “The Shining.” Also on DVD and at Redbox. Also new:
- thriller “The Good Liar” (2019, R) with Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan;
- family comedy “Playing with Fire” (2019, PG) with John Cena and Keagan-Michael Key;
- indie drama “Waves” (2019, R) from filmmaker Trey Edward Shults.
Available same day as select theaters nationwide is “Come to Daddy” (2019, R), a darkly comic thriller with Elijah Wood, and World War II drama “Waiting for Anya” (2020, not rated) with Anjelica Huston and Jean Reno.
Netflix
“They’ve Gotta Have Us” (2018, not rated), a three-part documentary on black actors and filmmakers in Hollywood, and Renae Bluitt’s “She Did That” (2019, not rated), a look at four African-American women who broke the glass ceiling, arrive for Black History Month. They are joined by:
- “Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story” (2020, TV-MA), a documentary on first black race car driver to race the Indy 500;
- six-part documentary miniseries “Who Killed Malcolm X?” (2019).
International affairs: a fugitive guerilla soldier in 1944 Spain, left deaf by an explosion, tries to survive in “The Silent War” (Spain, 2019, TV-MA, with subtitles). The romantic drama “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” (India, 1994, with subtitles), top-grossing Bollywood film of all-time, is an excellent entry into the world of Bollywood musicals.
International TV: a lonely programmer calls in love with an experimental hologram designed to look like its creator in the Netflix Original limited series “My Holo Love” (Japan, with subtitles).
True stories: “#cats_the_mewvie” (2020, not rated) chronicles the rise of cat memes and icons on social media.
Kid stuff: “Dragons: Rescue Riders: Season 2.”
Animation: “Cagaster of an Insect Cage: Season 1” (Japan).
Oscar winners: The devastating Holocaust survival drama “The Pianist” (2002, R) earned statuettes for director Roman Polanski and actor Adrian Brody and “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989, PG) took home awards for best picture and actress Jessica Tandy. Future Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron’s “A Little Princess” (1995, G) was nominated for two Oscars, including cinematography by three-time winner Emmanuel Lubezki.
Classics: Testosterone runs thick in Robert Aldrich’s “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), with Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson on a mission behind enemy lines in World War II, and Don Seigel’s “Dirty Harry” (1971, R) with Clint Eastwood as a reactionary cop who breaks all the rules to track a sadistic killer.
More movies new to Netflix this month: “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” (2017, R), a western with Bill Pullman and Peter Fonda;
- romantic drama “The Notebook” (2004, PG-13) with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams;
- “Ali” (2001, R) with Will Smith in an Oscar-nominated performance as the iconic boxer;
- Robert Altman’s easy-going comic mystery “Cookie’s Fortune” (1999, PG-13) with Glenn Close and Julianne Moore;
- historical dramas “Elizabeth” (1998, R) and the sequel “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2007, PG-13) starring Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I;
- modern musical “Purple Rain” (1984, R) with Prince.
Stand-up: “Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great!” (2020, not rated).
Amazon Prime Video
Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moss star in “Listen Up Philip” (2014, not rated), an American indie drama set in the culture of American letters. Alex Ross Perry directs and 20019 Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce costars.
Jack O’Connell and Ben Mendelsohn star in the gritty prison drama “Starred Up” (2014, not rated) from David Mackenzie.
Streaming TV: a team of con artists target the greedy and the criminal in the snappy British series “Hustle: Seasons 1 and 2” (2004-2005) with Adrian Lester, Jaime Murray, and Robert Vaughn.
True stories: “I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story” (2014, not rated) profiles the “Sesame Street” puppeteer who recently passed away. Also newly arrived:
- “Finders Keepers” (2015, R), a documentary on the stranger than fiction story about the legal battle over a severed human leg found in an estate sale;
- sports series “All or Nothing: The Philadelphia Eagles” and “All or Nothing: Brazil National Team.”
International affairs: a wild buffalo breaks free and wreaks havoc in a small town in “Jallikattu (India, 2019, not rated, with subtitles). a mix of horror, action drama, and social satire. Also new:
- Tsui Hark’s martial arts action spectacle “Flying Swords of Dragon Gate” (China, 2012, R, with subtitles) with Jet Li;
- drama “A Five Star Life” (Italy, 2014, not rated, with subtitles) with Margherita Buy.
Kid stuff: special Valentine’s Day episodes of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Pete the Cat” arrive for young kids along with “Clifford: Season 1B.”
Classics: Al Pacino earned his second Oscar nomination in “Serpico” (1973, R), based on the true story of a New York cop who helped expose systematic corruption. Also new:
- “The Longest Yard” (1974, R), sports comedy with a prison twist starring Burt Reynolds;
- hit romantic drama “Love Story” (1970, PG) with Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw;
- “Room at the Top” (1959) with Laurence Harvey won Oscars for actress Simone Signoret and the screenplay;
- “The Court Jester” (1956) with Danny Kaye as a travelling clown turned royal spy.
Westerns: John Wayne stars in John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962) with James Stewart and the comic “McLintock!” (1963) with Maureen O’Hara.
Comedies: “Magic Mike” (2012, R) with Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey;
- “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” (2012, R) with Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon;
- “Hot Rod” (2007, PG-13) with Adam Samberg;
- corporate satire “A Shock to the System” (1990, R) with Michael Caine;
- cult favorite “Clue” (1985, PG) with Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry, and Christopher Lloyd.
A collection of classic Italian films are new to Prime Video, including Pier Paolo Pasolini’s feature debut and “Accattone” (Italy, 1961, with subtitles) and his acclaimed, Oscar-nominated “The Gospel According to Matthew” (Italy, 1964, with subtitles). Also newly arrived:
- anthology film “Love in the City” (Italy, 1953) with episodes by Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, and Alberto Lattuada;
- Vittorio De Sica’s Cannes-winning drama “The Roof” (Italy, 1956, with subtitles)
- romantic drama “The Visitor” (Italy, 1963, with subtitles) with Sandra Milo;
- Federico Fellini’s documentary “The Clowns” (Italy, 1972, not rated, with subtitles);
- Fernando di Leo’s mob dramas “The Boss” (Italy, 1971, not rated, with subtitles) and “Shoot First, Die Later” (Italy, 1973, not rated, with subtitles);
- Cannes-winning drama “The Stolen Children” (Italy, 1992, with subtitles).
Prime Video / Hulu
Tyler Perry makes his final appearance as the brassy matriarch in the comedy”A Madea Family Funeral” (2019, PG-13) (Prime Video and Hulu).
Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy are estranged brother who meet back up in the ring in “Warrior” (2011, PG-13), a family drama set in the world of mixed martial arts. Nick Nolte was Oscar nominated for playing their father, and alcoholic former boxer (Prime Video and Hulu).
Cult: the swashbuckling “Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter” (1974, R) stars Horst Janson as a brooding sword-wielding soldier hunting bloodsuckers with his jovial hunchbacked partner (Prime Video and Hulu).
More movies new on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu this month: Kim Jee-woon directs Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action thriller “The Last Stand” (2013, R) (Prime Video and Hulu);
- witty movie “The Cabin in The Woods” (2012, R) from writer/producer Joss Whedon and director/cowriter Drew Goddard (Prime Video and Hulu);
- romantic comedy “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001, R) with Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant (Prime Video and Hulu);
- Vincent Gallo’s “Buffalo ’66” (1998, R) with Christina Ricci (Prime Video and Hulu);
- classic romantic drama “Ghost” (1990, PG-13) with Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, and Whoopi Goldberg in an Oscar-winning performance (Prime Video and Hulu);
- comedy “Earth Girls Are Easy” (1989, PG) with Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, and an early performance by Jim Carrey (Prime Video and Hulu);
- Hammer films thriller “The Man Who Could Cheat Death” (1959) from England (Prime Video and Hulu).
Hulu
“David Crosby: Remember My Name” (2019, R) profiles the legendary musician and his fifty year-plus career.
Noomi Rapace is a grieving mother who comes to believe that her neighbor’s daughter is her own child in the psychological thriller “Angel of Mine” (2019, R). Yvonne Strahovski and Luke Evans costar.
“Into the Dark: My Valentine” is this month’s installment in the series of feature-length horror film.
International affairs: “Margarita with a Straw” (India, 2014, not rated, with subtitles) follows a young woman (Kalki Koechlin) with cerebral palsy from India to New York on a journey of self-discovery.
TV: The season premieres of NBC sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 7” and the Fox competition show “The Masked Singer: Season 3” are now available, along with series premieres of “Indebted” and “Lego Masters.”
Comedies: Follow up the original with “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” (2004, R) and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” (2016, R). Also new:
- “Hitch” (2005, PG-13) with Will Smith and Eva Mendes;
- “When Harry Met Sally” (1989, R) with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan;
- “Say Anything” (1989, PG-13) from Cameron Crowe;
- “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983, R) plus three sequels with Chevy Chase and the Griswold family.
More movies new on Hulu this month: “Precious” (2009, R) earned Oscars for supporting actress Mo’Nique and its adapted screenplay. Also new:
- historical action spectacle “300” (2007, R) from director Zach Snyder;
- Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller “28 Days Later” (2003, R);
- urban thriller “Menace II Society” (1993, R) from the Hudlin Brothers;
- the big screen action hit “The Fugitive” (1993, PG-13) with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
HBO Now
A cyborg (Rosa Salazar) revived by a paternal scientist (Christoph Waltz) leads the revolution in “Alita: Battle Angel” (2019, PG-13), the big screen adaptation of the Japanese manga from director Robert Rodriguez and producer James Cameron.
The documentary limited series “McMillion$” (2020, TV-14) unravels the elaborate multimillion dollar fraud and the larger-than-life character that hatched the con behind the McDonald’s Monopoly promotional game. New episodes on Monday nights.
More streaming TV: comedy “High Maintenance: Season 4” and a new installment of the sports talk show “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”
Available exclusively on HBO streaming platforms is the second season of “The Teenage Psychic” (Japan, with subtitles).
Disney+
“Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made” (2020, PG), a live action comedy about an elementary schoolboy detective (Winslow Fegley) and his polar bear partner, comes to Disney+ direct from its Sundance premiere. Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”) directs and Ophelia Lovibond, Wallace Shawn, and Craig Robinson costar. Also new is the young adult fantasy “Descendants 3” (2019, TV-G), originally made for Disney Channel.
Apple TV+
Rob McElhenney, Danny Pudi, and F. Murray Abraham star in “Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Season 1,” a comedy about a team of video game developers from the creators of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” New episodes arrive on Apple TV+ every Friday.
MHz
“Game of Thrones” star Kristofer Hivju plays dual roles in “Twin” (Norway, with subtitles), an eight-part crime thriller he helped create. New episodes each Tuesday.
The Criterion Channel
Julie Dash’s landmark “Daughters of the Dust” (1991, not rated, with subtitles), a drama set in the 19th century Gullah culture of America’s Southern Atlantic coast, and “Lamb” (Ethiopia, 2015, with subtitles), a coming-of-story in the mountains of Ethiopia, debut this month.
Also new this month: Cornel Wilde’s survival thriller “The Naked Prey” (1965);
- a collection of 22 “Foreign-Language Oscar Winners,” from “Rashomon” (Japan, 1950), with subtitles) to “The Great Beauty” (Italy, 2013, with subtitles), including films by Ingmar Bergman, Luis Bunuel, Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and François Truffaut;
- 17 films “Starring Sidney Poitier,” from “Cry, the Beloved Country” (1951) to “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974, PG) and including his Oscar-winning performance in “Lilies of the Field” (1963) Ralph Nelson, 1963).
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