The streaming offerings both old and new continue to be abundant this week. Here are a few suggestions to cut down on scrolling and spend more time watching.
New to digital streaming platforms (Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, etc.) and On Demand is acclaimed Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska’s horror-tinged cult drama “The Other Lamb,” written by C.S. McMullen. This dark fable of blood and brimstone stars Michiel Huisman as a polygamist separatist cult leader living off the grid with a flock of dutiful young women he refers to as his “wives” and “daughters,” away from the prying, judgmental eyes of society, and law enforcement. It’s like M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” (Amazon/iTunes) meets “The Handmaid’s Tale” (series available on Hulu), with a heavy dose of Manson (check out a perfect companion piece with Mary Harron’s 2019 film “Charlie Says,” streaming on Hulu).
“The Other Lamb” sports stunningly gorgeous cinematography, with mesmerizingly long zooms and surreal, violent dream sequences. It’s anchored by an outstanding performance by Raffey Cassidy (see more of her in “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” on Amazon Prime, or in “Vox Lux” on Hulu) as a “daughter” who starts to get a taste for rebellion and revenge. Prioritizing atmosphere, mood and mystery, “The Other Lamb” is aesthetically intoxicating, and though it deals with disturbing themes of cult abuse and sexual exploitation, it’s entirely transporting.
If you need to regain your affection for Huisman afterward, check out the utterly winning 2018 romantic period drama “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,” streaming on Netflix. Huisman stars as a farmer on the British island of Guernsey who starts a book club to forge community and connection during the isolation and terror created by German occupation during World War II. It’s a soothing tonic during this time of unprecedented social isolation, and it underscores the importance of connection during times of extraordinary hardship. If you’d like another film to offer perspective on endurance through tough situations in history, “Defiance” (also on Netflix) could also scratch that itch, inspired by the true story of the Bielski brothers, Jewish farmers-turned-fighters who camped out in the woods of Belarus for two years during Nazi persecution.
Do not miss “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” now available on Hulu, and one of the best movies … ever? Celine Sciamma’s masterpiece is an utterly spellbinding tale of impossible romance in 19th century France between a portrait painter and her subject. Destined to be an unimpeachable classic, the film is like sorcery, its magic lingering long after it’s over.
Focus Features is making their recent award-winning theatrical release “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by acclaimed director Eliza Hittman available for rent on digital platforms on Friday for $19.99. Hittman, who also directed “Beach Rats” (Hulu) and “It Felt Like Love” (Amazon/iTunes), makes films of uncommon specificity and sensitivity, and the critically acclaimed “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” has already taken home major prizes at the Sundance and the Berlin International Film Festivals. Bring the arthouse to your living room this week with “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”
On the true crime front, Netflix rolls out docuseries “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” from documentarian Erin Lee Carr this week, but unfortunately, the slow-boil legal procedural just doesn’t bring the shock value of “Tiger King” (what possibly could?). The case itself, about a Massachusetts drug lab chemist who starts dipping into the lab’s stash, is shocking, but it’s ultimately a story about lawyers investigating lawyers. Carr has carved out a neat little niche for herself investigating quirks and anomalies on the legal side of law enforcement, and while “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” is scrupulously laid out, it’s a bit dry. For something juicier, try Carr’s films “Mommy Dead and Dearest” and the two-parter “I Love You, Now Die,” both available on HBO.
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