If you’re looking for a new or newish movie to watch this weekend, but you’ll only accept the highest quality entertainment, read on. Your streaming choices include a good-kind-of-mindless John Cena vehicle (Ricky Stanicky), a fantasy movie starring Millie Bobbie Brown (Damsel), and the first- and second-most Oscar-nominated films of 2023 (Oppenheimer and Poor Things, respectively).
Ricky Stanicky
Wrestler-turned-movie-star John Cena is always funnier than you think he’ll be, and Ricky Stanicky gives Cena the chance to sink his teeth into a hammy role as the title character. In this Amazon-produced comedy from director Peter Farrelly, Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler play Dean, JT, and Wes, lifelong pals who and have been pretending to have a friend to use as an alibi or scapegoat since they were kids—if they want a night out with the guys, they just say they’re visiting Ricky Stanicky in the hospital. When their partners become suspicious and demand to meet Stanicky, the trio hire “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena), a washed-up actor who specializes in x-rated celebrity impersonations, to portray Ricky. Things quickly spiral out of control as Ricky refuses to drop the role and inserts himself into every aspect of their lives.
Where to stream: Prime
Damsel
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown plays Elodie in Damsel, a fantasy movie that turns fairytale tropes upside-down. After her betrothal to a prince, Elodie learns that her fate isn’t to live happily ever after, but to be sacrificed to a dragon. To survive (and bring down the evil royal family who cast her into the dragon cave) Elodie will have to face the fire-breathing beast herself. No knight in shining armor is coming to save the day.
Where to stream: Netflix
Poor Things (2023)
Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things is a dizzying mash-up of horror, romance, science-fiction, and comedy. Emma Stone turns in a fascinating, utterly all-in performance as Bella Baxter, a young woman who has the brain of a baby implanted in her head by a mad doctor (played by Willem Dafoe). Set in a steampunk/fairytale version of Victorian Europe, Poor Things is endlessly visually fascinating, intellectually stimulating, and funny as shit. It’s a must-watch (catch it before the March 10 Oscar ceremony, where it is nominated for 11 awards).
Where to stream: Hulu
The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping
This unsettling documentary details the scary world of the “troubled teen” industry, where children are kidnapped and forced to live in horrendous conditions in often abusive institutions, all with the blessing of their parents. Through interviews with traumatized survivors, The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping digs up copious dirt on The Academy at Ivy Ridge in Ogdensburg, NJ, a “disciplinary boarding school” that was rocked with accusations of abuse and torture before being shuttered in 2009.
Where to stream: Netflix
Dune (2021)
With the sequel in theaters, it’s the perfect time to rewatch 2021’s Dune. Director Denis Villeneuve hit a home run with this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel. He managed to craft the difficult, complex source material into a film that both audiences and critics loved—even those audience and critics that are like, “I’m not into science fiction.” Dune features standout performances from Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, who manage to be as interesting as the bigger-than-huge visuals.
Where to stream: Hulu
Oppenheimer (2023)
Christopher Nolan’s expansive biopic examines the many sides of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the literally earth-shattering destruction he helped unleash on the world, and the ways in which each influences the other. Oppenheimer is nominated for 13 Oscars, more than any other film this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Acting nomination for Cillian Murphy, so check it out before the ceremonies if you missed it in theaters.
Where to stream: Peacock
Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda
Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby hosts some of Earth’s funniest genderqueer comics at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre in Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda. The program includes sets from ALOK, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Ashley Ward, Jes Tom, Mx. Dahlia Belle, and Krishna Istha. Reading all the negative comments on the YouTube trailer made this into a must-see for me; if these jerks are being triggered, Netflix must be doing something right.
Where to stream: Netflix
A Revolution on Canvas
Part political thriller and part arts documentary, A Revolution on Canvas examines the controversy and upheaval surrounding the painting of Iranian modern artist Nicky Nodjoumi. After moving to Iran to help overthrow the Shah in 1980, Nodjoumi quickly ruffled the feathers of the new regime with his solo exhibition “Report on the Revolution.” He was forced to flee, and over 100 of his paintings went missing. A Revolution on Canvas details the artist and his family’s attempt to get the paintings back, or at least learn what became of them.
Where to stream: Max
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie and the Pussycats totally tanked when it came out in 2001, meeting critical and box office indifference, but instead of being forgotten, Josie hung around the edges of cinematic universe until people gradually noticed that it’s actually a really good little movie. It’s not the dumb, teen-sploitation you’d expect; instead it hides a sharpened satirical knife behind its bubbly facade. It features a soundtrack full of excellent songs, great performances from Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Parker Posey, and Rachael Leigh Cook, and now that so much time has passed, a pleasing sheen of nostalgia.
Where to stream: Peacock
Wonka (2023)
Timothée Chalamet plays the title character in this prequel/re-imagining of Roald Dahl’s famous chocolate maker. Pulling off the oh-how-totally-delightful tone without becoming syrupy and mawkish is no easy feat, but Wonka manages to hit the mark thanks to its talented cast, great writing, catchy songs, and lavish production design. In other words, against all odds, Wonka is pretty good.
Where to stream: Max
Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)
In Birdman, Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, an actor who had been household-name famous for his portrayal of movie superhero Birdman. But that was years ago, and now, the specter of Birdman literally haunts him as he tries to make a comeback by starring in a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver story. Seemingly (but not actually) shot in one take, Birdman is a frantic, fascinating portrait of an artist tortured by irrelevance and descending into madness. It’s not like any other movie you’ve ever seen, I promise. (And it’s still a wonder that a movie this weird managed to win the Best Picture Oscar.)
Where to stream: Hulu
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Tom Hanks stars as the most reassuring man in television history, Mr. Rogers, the kid’s TV show host who rose to fame by taking children seriously. Using filmic techniques made famous on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, director Marielle Heller tells Rogers’ story through the eyes of Lloyd Vogel, a jaded, emotionally damaged writer assigned to pen a puff piece on Rogers. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about the conflict between cynicism and sincerity, and in the face of Mr. Rogers’ “cardigan sweaters and light piano jazz” worldview, cynicism doesn’t stand a chance.
Where to stream: Hulu
Last week’s picks
Spaceman
Adam Sandler is best known for his wacky comedies, but he’s a great actor when he feels like it. Netflix original Spaceman shows off Sandler’s deeper side, casting him as Jakub, an astronaut adrift in both outer space and in his personal life. Six months into a solitary research mission on the fringes of the solar system, Jakub realizes his earthbound marriage is crumbling, and finds solace and advice from an unlikely source: Hanuš, an ancient, spider-like alien hiding in his ship. The film comes from director Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for HBO’s Chernobyl, and co-stars Carey Mulligan.
Where to stream: Netflix
God Save Texas
If you’ve ever wondered what the hell is going on with Texas, check out God Save Texas, a trilogy of HBO-produced documentaries about the Lone Star State. Directors Richard Linklater, Alex Stapleton, and Iliana Sosa are all from Texas, and each examines their respective hometowns’ place within the larger Texas story. Linklater’s film is about prisons, Stapleton’s is about oil, and Sosa covers the border and immigration.
Where to stream: Max
Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story
This Hulu original documentary details the past, present, and potential future of Piney Woods, one of America’s oldest Black boarding schools. In Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story, director J.J. Anderson documents the day-to-day life of the students and faculty, who share their unique perspectives on education, race, family struggles, and finding their places in the world.
Where to stream: Hulu
Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate
Super-villain turned super-hero Megamind is back in this Peacock original animated movie. This time out, the big-headed blue hero is facing his most powerful enemy: his old pals in the evil Doom Syndicate. Hopefully, this sequel lives up to the high bar set by the original in 2010, a movie that kids loved and adults found tolerable, or even mildly amusing, but which was overshadowed by Despicable Me‘s minions.
Where to stream: Peacock
Code 8 Part 2
Code 8 was crowd-funded through Indiegogo and became a cult favorite after a Netflix pickup. Part 2 takes us back to Lincoln City and continues the story of the conflict between the “People With Powers” and the authorities. It’s like a grittier, more realistic X-Men. Code 8 Part 2 begins with Connor leaving prison and trying to stay on the straight-and-narrow, but being dragged back in to life after a run-in with corrupt cops and their robotic dogs. If you’re interested in a twist on the superhero genre, check it out.
Where to stream: Netflix
Blackberry (2023)
We’re well into the age of movies about products and brands instead of people, but I won’t whine about it too much if the genre keeps pumping out films as entertaining as Blackberry. The story of the rise and fall of the original must-have handheld device is told as comedy bordering on satire, mining laughs from the outsized personalities and cultural milieu of the first-gen smartphone world.
Where to stream it: Hulu
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman’s protagonist Carrie is brilliant woman who could achieve just about anything, but she devotes her life to an unusual calling: She pretends to be drunk at bars and waits for a “nice guy” to take her home to “protect” her, only to confront him as a predator once they’re alone in his shabby apartment. Part thriller, part black romantic comedy, part riff on female revenge tropes, and part exploration of the grey areas of rape culture and misogyny, Promising Young Woman isn’t quite like any other movie, and it’s just freakin’ great. Writer/director Emerald Fennell won an Oscar for her screenplay, and if you like this one, her followup Saltburn is now streaming on Prime Video.
Where to stream: Peacock
Priscilla (2023)
Directed by Sofia Coppola, Priscilla tells the story of the complex love affair between rock n’ roll sensation Elvis Presley and 14 year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. Already a superstar when they meet, Elvis whisks Priscilla away and into the fishbowl of fame, where her life whipsaws between cavorting at glamorous places as the arm candy of the most-famous man in the world, and being locked away in the lonely, airless castle of Graceland.
Where to stream: Max
Napoleon (2023)
Stanley Kubrick spent years working on a would-be epic film about Napoleon Bonaparte, only to abandon the project when he couldn’t raise the budget necessary to film its epic battle scenes. Ridley Scott managed to climb that mountain, creating a two-and-a-half hour movie filled with battles that are almost as big and crazy as Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the diminutive conqueror. Napoleon divided critics and audiences, so check it out and see where you land. (Rumor has it a four-hour director’s cut will also eventually show up on Apple TV+, so maybe you’ll need to reserve judgment until then.)
Where to stream: Apple TV
