Seven movies you should stream this weekend
Three period films head up this list of weekend must-streams — and they couldn’t be any more different from each other. From the movie that’s “Scot” the lot to one that’s mighty hard to get over, here’s what you should watch this weekend.
Leigh Paatsch
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Three period films head up this list of weekend must-streams — and they couldn’t be any more different from each other.
From the movie that’s “Scot” the lot to one that’s mighty hard to get over, here’s what you should watch this weekend.
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THE ONE THAT’S SCOT THE LOT
OUTLAW KING (MA15+) ***½
NETFLIX
Mel Gibson’s hit action picture of yesteryear, Braveheart, was all over the place when it came to nailing down a reliable line through a crucial phase in Scottish history. Outlaw King takes a rougher, tougher and downright more accurate lash at the same period, this time by focusing on another key figure in the turmoil of the era, Robert the Bruce (Chris Pine). It is the early 14th century, and William Wallace’s stirring rebellion against the English crown has come to nothing.
However, Robert the Bruce is not about to let English King Edward I (Stephen Dillane) have an easy time of it as the new ruler of Scotland. After securing the grudging support of the Scottish church and his fellow noblemen, Robert hits the battlefield with a brutally efficient new tactical approach that soon has the English army quaking in their boots. While there are problems with pacing here, the authenticity of the battle scenes and a highly credible performance from the curiously cast Pine delivers when it counts. Directed by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water).
THE ONE THAT IS ALL ABOUT THE PERFECT FIT
PHANTOM THREAD (M) ****
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Daniel Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dress designer in 1950s England for whom fashion in not just a living. Inside his focused mind, it is a living art form that transcends mere aesthetic excellence. Woodcock’s obsession has come at the expense of forming lasting relationships with the opposite sex.
That is until he falls under the spell of Alma (impressive newcomer Vicky Krieps), a self-assured young woman not about to settle for being anyone’s temporary muse. The difficult romance that follows — and the eerie shift in intensity it brings to the designer’s work — is filtered through a captivating performance from Day-Lewis. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia).
THE ONE WHERE LIAM NEESON MEANS BUSINESS
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES (MA15+) ***½
STAN
Though hard-boiled crime author Lawrence Block has penned a stack of well-received books, movie adaptations have been sporadic. A great place is start is this gritty, greyed-out film noir featuring Block’s most enduring creation, lone-wolf New York private eye Matthew Scudder.
It should be mentioned the role of Scudder, a lifelong alcoholic perpetually hovering between recovery and relapse, is played by Liam Neeson. This could be a deal breaker for many potential viewers. For many years, Neeson has been flooding the market with formulaic fare that has positioned him as a mature-age Mr Vengeance. No need to worry here: this very strong thriller is the best thing Neeson has done for ages.
THE DOCO THAT DEMANDS JUSTICE
WEST OF MEMPHIS (MA15+) ****½
GOOGLE, ITUNES
Another must-see doco associated with brilliant New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson (whose recent WWI doco They Shall Not Grow Old is one this year’s best). One summer afternoon in 1993, three young boys from the dirt-poor town of West Memphis, Arkansas went out playing together. Shortly after nightfall, they died together. Three local teens thought to have Satanic inclinations were successfully tried for the children’s murder, and thrown in jail for life.
That should have been that. But it was not. In this absorbing, disturbing and devastating documentary, we discover the West Memphis police did not solve the crime at all. And three innocent men remained in jail for almost 20 years. The real killer is still out there. In fact, he probably features very prominently as a regular interviewee in this powerful work. Highly recommended.
THE ONE THAT’S A TEEN MOVIE WITH BITE
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (M) ***½
NETFLIX
In a better world, Beautiful Creatures might have been as big as Twilight. OK, so it’s not about a teenage girl who falls long and hard for a vampire. It is about a teenage boy who falls long and hard for a witch. Bah. Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Beautiful Creatures bristles with a catchy combo of wit, warmth and unworldly urgency that was never to be found in the Twilight movies.
Your Bella and Edward in this scenario are star-crossed teens Lena (Alice Englert) and Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich). She’s in the process of turning into a witch in a few months’ time. He’s hanging on for dear life, as mere mortals are not allowed to be romantically involved with spell-makers. Co-stars Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum.
THE ONE THAT’S MIGHTY HARD TO EVER GET OVER
THE GREAT WALL (M) ***
NETFLIX
After more than 2000 years of starring as one of the wonders of the world, the spectacular Chinese superstructure finally gets a movie in which it gets to play the title role. So it must be a crumbling disappointment for the most famous fence in history to discover it is playing third-banana to a marauding swarm of giant green lizard monsters and, umm, Matt Damon as an Irish mercenary. So don’t attend thinking you will be treated to a broad and sweeping historical biopic.
The story told here is drawn from an ancient Chinese legend about a mythical band of bitey, fighty carnivores that attack the wall every 60 years to apparently teach mankind a lesson. It must be said that the many battle scenes here do indeed impress as an unconventional action spectacle, with the physical stunt work a true standout. However, regular pauses so that the Chinese cast can translate their dialogue to Damon and his Western co-stars are real momentum stoppers.
THE ONE DEATH CAN BE A LAUGHING MATTER
SMALL TOWN KILLERS (MA15+) **½
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Those of us who like a little Scandinavian crime time every now and then will be naturally inclined to give this Danish-made affair a closer look. Just be warned that the oddball thriller Small Town Killers also fancies its chances as an edgy black comedy.
Due to a few cultural nuances definitely lost in translation, the movie’s kooky sense of humour does not always cut through. A bonkers yarn begins with two unruly tradesmen (played by Ulrich Thomsen and Nicolas Bro) who share dreams of a better life, and a nightmarish plan to get their wives out of the picture for good. A Russian hitman is employed to terminate their spouses, a job not as clean-cut as it should be for several telling reasons.