🍿 2022-03-15 01:16:17 – Paris/France.
Phoenix Rising (2022)
Warner Bros
Looking for a movie to spend your evening? You have come to the right place. Let's take a look at what's hitting HBO Max each week, as well as the handful of the service's top Originals, which you can browse below. If you're still looking for something to watch, the platform also has plenty of classics from the Criterion collection.
What's New This Week (March 14-20)
Here are the highlights of this week.
Tuesday
- Phoenix Rising Part 1 & 2 (2022) — Documentary. Actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood uses her experience as a survivor of domestic violence to pursue justice, heal generational trauma, and reclaim her story in a culture that instinctively blames women.
Friday
- Halloween Kills (Extended Version) (2021) — Horror. The nightmare isn't over as unstoppable killer Michael Myers escapes Laurie Strode's trap to continue his ritualistic bloodbath.
Read more: The 24 best TV shows to watch on HBO Max | Everything you need to know to sign up for HBO Max
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Best HBO Max Originals and Blockbusters
musical drama
Yes, you heard right. Steven Spielberg's reimagining of the classic musical has leapt triumphantly and made its way onto HBO Max - just in time for you to tune in ahead of the Oscars. The film is in the running for best picture and six other Oscars. Young Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) cross paths at a high school dance and begin a forbidden romance, heightening tensions between two rival gangs. Catchy musical numbers and stunning production design transport viewers to 1950s New York. The film darkens in its second half, but with Spielberg at the helm, you'll gladly absorb it all.
In the Heights stars Anthony Ramos (whom you might recognize as John Laurens in Hamilton) playing Usnavi, a bodega owner who struggles to keep his business afloat as a heatwave hits Washington Heights. Secretly in love with his neighbor Vanessa (Melissa Barrera), who dreams of getting out of the living room and out of town, Usnavi serves the people of Washington Heights with lots of love, lottery tickets and café con leche. Between choreographed twirls and fireworks, In the Heights questions the inequality of wealth, immigration, classism and the importance of culture.
The comedy
Settle in for another quirky, fantastic feature from director Wes Anderson. The author behind 'Moonrise Kingdom' and 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' turns to an alluring new story – or rather three. The French dispatch, dubbed a “love letter to journalists,” takes viewers through a triad of distinct stories, straight from the pages of a fictional magazine. If you missed this very original episode when it was released in theaters last October, now is the time to immerse yourself in its captivating story.
Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in this surprising romantic comedy heist flick from Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity). The film was written and shot during the lockdown, and the pandemic actually features in the film's backdrop. Hathaway and Ejiofor play a couple who plan to rob a jewelry store in London when most stores are closed. Their relationship has struggled during lockdown, and they're reassessing a thing or two amid their crazy capers. It's not the most polished film, but you're in it mainly for the charisma of Hathaway and Ejiofor. The inclusion of the pandemic will either intrigue you or distract you.
A playful comedy set in the 80s, 8-bit Christmas follows the story of a young Jake Doyle, a devoted 10-year-old boy who is desperate for a Nintendo. The film is delightfully narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, an older Jake who recalls his past quest to secure the game console. Yes, there's a Christmas backdrop to the story, but the unwavering commitment of Jake's commitment to his mission and what he learns along the way make this cheerful feature a must-have even after the holidays.
Whether you like it or not probably depends on how much you like Seth Rogen. You get a lot from him – he stars in two roles in An American Pickle, first playing Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling Jewish laborer who emigrates to America in 1919. He finds work in a pickle factory – and there it is. that things get weird – falls into a vat of pickles that keeps it for 100 years. He wakes up in 2019 in Brooklyn and hangs out with his great-grandson Ben, also played by Seth Rogen. If you embrace that creative premise, then it's a great low-key comedy for the small screen with impressive Rogen and Rogen chemistry.
Meryl Streep playing an eccentric author in a Steven Soderbergh comedy. What else do you need to know? If you want to know more: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Hughes (Streep) struggles to finish her next book, pursued by her literary agent (Gemma Chan). She boards a cruise ship with old friends, who inspired her best-known work. Tensions are high. It looks great – Soderbergh uses crisp, natural light – and most of the dialogue is improvised. See how Dianne Wiest, Candice Bergen, Lucas Hedges and the rest of the impeccable cast have fun with it.
Drama
The Last Duel notably didn't win many eyeballs when it debuted in theaters last October. But it's now on HBO Max, where audiences can watch from the comfort of their sofa as Adam Driver and Matt Damon go head-to-head. Directed by Ridley Scott, The Last Duel is a historical drama set in the Middle Ages with a prominent cast that also includes Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck. If any of these details pique your interest and you're willing to sit through its two and a half hour runtime, get out some popcorn and put on that movie.
Steven Soderbergh directs this gripping tech thriller set during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela, a Seattle tech played by a neon blue-haired Zoë Kravitz, suffers from agoraphobia, a fear that keeps her from walking through the front door of her apartment. But when she discovers a disturbing recording while doing her job, she is prompted to take the plunge. Kimi is a sleek thriller with eye-catching cinematography, a solid score, and a protagonist you'll root for.
A coming-of-age drama with motorcycles. Charm City Kings features a fresh young cast, including Jahi Di'Allo Winston as Mouse, a 14-year-old kid drawn into Baltimore's bike world, much to his mother's dismay. The film's strengths lie in its impressive young talent and its strong direction of scenes involving motorcycle action. Additionally, WandaVision fans will see Teyonah Parris in a supporting role. Not perfect, but plenty to admire.
Jessica Chastain stars in this biopic of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, who along with her husband, Jim, created and ran the hugely popular religious broadcast network PTL in the 70s and 80s. Chastain's engaged performance brings the personality to life excessive and magnetic of Tammy Faye. You'll find yourself drawn into her world, with all her ridiculous makeup choices, oddly timed prayers, and seething scandals. It's unclear how long The Eyes of Tammy Faye will stay on the HBO streamer, so we recommend booking a night out with Bakker while you can.
Judas and the Black Messiah made waves at the Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya, among his many nominations. It was well deserved. Kaluuya is riveting as Fred Hampton, president of the Black Panther chapter in Illinois, lights up the screen alongside Lakeith Stanfield, who plays an FBI informant sent to infiltrate the party. The biopic, dramatizing real events in the late 60s, is gripping, shocking and sizzles with themes of racial injustice. A big, heavy film that demands your full attention.
After a shooting at her high school, 16-year-old Vada Cavell must manage her friendships, her school and her relationship with her family. The Fallout deftly tackles serious subject matter with realistic dialogue and compassion for its characters. With strong performances from stars Jenna Ortega, as Vada, and Maddie Ziegler, as her new friend Mia Reed, the feature will keep you glued to the screen for its entire 90-minute run.
It's a nice little gem on HBO Max. Non-pregnant stars Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira as a buddy duo cross states where pregnant teenager Veronica (Richardson) can get an abortion. Yes, this is the pro-choice issue, with Veronica's parents refusing to give her permission to have an abortion. But it is also part of the key gear of all road-trip films, illustrating a beautiful friendship between the two protagonists.
A rare (nowadays) 90-minute film, Mexican American drama Son of Monarchs will stick with you long after the end credits roll. This in-depth character study follows two brothers who are changed in very different ways by the trauma they suffered as children. This story, folding in magical realism, follows how they go through life – the butterfly metaphors are strong, biologist Mendel returning to his hometown surrounded by majestic forests of monarch butterflies.
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SOURCE: Reviews News
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