Take it to the Max on this week’s FIELD OF STREAMS
Welcome to Field of Streams, Cinapse’s weekly guide of what’s playing on your favorite streaming services. What’s new on Netflix and Amazon Prime? What do we recommend on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Shudder? We’ve got it all. From topical roundups, to curated top 5 lists, to reviews of our favorites available now… it’s here. We built it for you, so come and join us in the Field of Streams.
HBO Max has been here for a few months now and it felt like it was important that we do our homework on the streaming service. After spending some time diving into their programming, here are some of the highlights streaming over there right now!
THE VOW
You’ve heard of it. You’ve seen the Halloween costumes. Now just watch it.
Documentaries about cults are compelling by their very nature. The scummy yet charismatic leader. The enablers and hangers on. The victims. Could it be me!? Could it be you!?
This series is certainly uneven, and just broadcasting the ideas of a malevolent genius is inherently problematic, but in the end, it’s memorable. You’ll be talking about midnight volleyball games and tiny beards for years and years to come.
Now that’s on brand!
RAISED BY WOLVES
Lots of promise from a Ridley Scott jawn with an interesting premise. There are religious wars, androids, and some crazy sci-fi business. This series swings big, and no matter how much it connects, it’s a thought-provoking entertaining saga.
READY OR NOT
We live in a pretty messed-up world when a movie as bloody and violent as Ready or Not is considered a “fun film.” But you know what? It is fun! There’s the dark moody mansion where all the action takes place. There’s the dark humor that’s not too dark. There’s hijinks aplenty with action to spare. And an ending that I won’t blow up here. This is escapism at its finest, featuring an attempted escape.
THE INVISIBLE MAN
When I see a scary movie with my wife, she grasps my arm early and don’t let go. When we went to The Invisible Man, I came this close to a dislocated shoulder socket.
Seeing the amazing Elizabeth Moss being a victim yet again–The Handmaid’s Tale has messed me up–might be starting to wear thin, but her power as an actor cannot be denied. This a slick production with all the twists and turns you’d expect. A frightful good time.
CATS
So let me get this straight: The director of The King’s Speech and The Danish Girl decides to put famed Broadway musical Cats on the big screen, and people get up and arms about how weird it is?
It’s a musical. About cats. That look like humans. That sing and dance.
Hell, the original source material feels like T.S. Eliot discovered LSD and then decided to write a children’s book. Maybe The Wasteland broke his brain.
Anyway, the songs are great. The visuals are… interesting. It’s fine! Enjoy the Jellicle Spectacle.
There are countless services to explore and great things to watch on all of them. Which ones did we miss that you would suggest to us? And, as always, if you’ve got thoughts on titles we’re missing out on or new services to check out, leave a comment below.
Till next week, stream on, stream away.