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The tone-deaf, hot mess that is Hillbilly Elegy stands out — for all the wrong reasons — among the new movies on streaming platforms.

Amy Adams in the tone-deaf, hot mess that is Hillbilly Elegy.

The one where the protectors become the predators

THE KILL TEAM (MA15+)

★★★½

BINGE, FOXTEL

With recent alleged misdeeds by Australian soldiers making headlines around the world, this dramatised take on an American military case with clear parallels could not be a more timely viewing experience. The Maywand District Murders (as they came to known) occurred in a remote stretch of rural Afghanistan where a group of soldiers started executing innocent civilians for something resembling sport. This well-directed movie zeros in on Andrew Briggman (Nat Wolff), a young soldier who witnesses these atrocities and grapples with the implications of reporting them to higher-ups. Under the toxic influence of the sadistic group leader Sergeant Deeks (Alexander Skarsgard), Briggman’s platoon becomes increasingly suspicious that someone in their midst is about to dob them in.

Simon Baker in Breath, an adaptation of a Tim Winton novel.

The one that won’t be taken for a choke

BREATH (M)

★★★★

RENT via FOXTEL STORE, GOOGLE PLAY, APPLE TV, YOUTUBE MOVIES

Adapted from the 2008 novel by Tim Winton, Breath has a universally accessible, yet pointedly personal story to tell. The message so gently conveyed is both a reassurance and a challenge. While it is perfectly natural to be intimidated by the unknown, it is a grave mistake to never try to understand why. What follows is Australian cinematic storytelling at its finest: mature, adventurous, intelligent, playful and calmly assured. The story is set in the 1970s on the south coast of WA, where two very different young best friends (Samson Coulter and Ben Spence, both perfectly cast) are about to learn a little about surfing and a lot about life from an enigmatic mentor (Simon Baker, whose directorial debut here also impresses). The film mines every ounce of gold from Winton’s rich words, but never in the interests of anything flashy. Instead, a small and intimate treasure is crafted, one each viewer will discover, examine and admire in their own way. Co-stars Elizabeth Debicki, Richard Roxburgh.

Imogen Poots in Black Christmas. Picture: Universal Pictures

The one with a gift that should be carefully unwrapped

BLACK CHRISTMAS (M)

★★★

BINGE, FOXTEL

The setting is an American college campus, largely vacated due to the Christmas break. Within the walls of an all-female sorority house, the residents gradually notice their slender numbers are being further reduced by an unknown menace. Is it one of the boys from one of the rambunctious frats down the street? Or might it be a serial killer with no real motive other than a pronounced dislike of smart young women? A clever fusing of regulation horror tropes with contemporary #MeToo and #TimesUp themes keeps you thinking while your pulse is pounding. Stars Imogen Poots.

The Grinch will be a hit for youngsters this Christmas season.

The one simply having a good rhyme

THE GRINCH (G)

★★★

NETFLIX

This Christmas ‘toon plays fast and loose, with the classic yarn by Dr Seuss. It’s bright, it’s wacky, it is not scary. There’s no live-action, and there’s no Jim Carrey. The Grinch’s reason to be alive is hating December twenty-five. So in Whoville he will cause dismay, by stealing everyone’s Christmas Day. There will be boos and no applause, for this mean green anti-Santa Claus. (The Grinch’s grizzly grumblings match to the voice of Benny Cumberbatch.) But his sidekicks are fun, it must be said: one’s called Max, the other one, Fred. Max is a dog and a loyal mate, Fred a reindeer who could lose some weight. The trio’s scheme, at its essence: sneak into Whoville, snatch all presents. Will they succeed or will they fail? Sorry, no spoilers for this tale. For viewers of a reduced age, The Grinch will just be all the rage. For those known to be somewhat older, the reception will be slightly colder. The constant flaw they can’t overlook? It’s a 90-minute film from a 30-page book.

Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone from Woody Allen’s 2015 movie Irrational Man.

The one where a teacher ignores his own lessons

IRRATIONAL MAN (M)

★★★

BINGE, FOXTEL

While Irrational Man is indeed an ungainly and flawed hybrid of mannered comedy and malcontent drama, it is not without its share of hard-earned merits. A pot-bellied, worn-out-looking Joaquin Phoenix stars as Abe, a pro-level philosopher looking to lift his sagging writing career with a teaching gig at a posh college. Though his classes are a bust, our ailing hero finds a new and vital calling when he starts toying with the idea of killing a corrupt judge on purely ethical grounds. Co-stars Emma Stone.

Glenn Close is the only good thing about tone-deaf Hillbilly Elegy, says Leigh Paatsch. Picture: Netflix

The one to banish to the boonies

HILLBILLY ELEGY (MA15+)

★★

NETFLIX

Whew. This is what can only be described as a hot mess. It feels as if as it been made by people who assume that multiple Oscar nominations will be coming their way, simply by virtue of the socially conscious raw material they are working with. While Hillbilly Elegy will probably draw a little awards heat – there is one stunning performance on its books – there is no doubting its contents are going to leave a lot of viewers cold. The movie is adapted from the best-selling 2016 memoir by J.D. Vance, which told of the author’s struggle to rise above a poverty-stricken background to get into Yale Law School. Unfortunately, a tone-deaf script offers little insight as to how the teenage J.D. (Owen Asztalos) was able to endure a hardscrabble upbringing without any lasting impairment. Instead, bad stuff happens on a consistent basis – usually because of his drug-addicted mother (Amy Adams) – and the movie just glides from one unlucky break to the next. Worth a look only for the witheringly on-point support work of Glenn Close as J.D’s tough-as-teak grandma.

@leighpaatsch