Streaming guide: What to watch this weekend
Toy Story 4 was the last time we got our fix of peak Pixar and Turning Red is its equal, with a family-friendly hit of pure panda-monium.
Leigh Paatsch
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Bradley Cooper as a carnie trying to make a buck, the best Pixar movie since Toy Story 4, and a wired, wacky and fluidly factual Lakers retelling are all must-streams this weekend.
TURNING RED (PG)
THE ONE THAT IS PURE PANDA-MONIUM
****
DISNEY+, FOXTEL or PREMIUM RENTAL
Bit of shame that Turning Red dodged cinemas for a strictly streaming release, as it is the best movie Pixar Animation has put its name to in quite some time. (2019’s Toy Story 4 was the last occasion where we got our fix of peak Pixar. Shout-out to Forky!) This is one production which is super-confident from the get-go, but never to the point of becoming overconfident. On first impressions, Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Cheng) seems like any other eighth-grade girl living in the Canadian city of Toronto in 2002. However, owing to a secret curse that has plagued the young women in her family for several centuries, Mei can suddenly transform into a huge red panda twice her size when least expected. While Turning Red is clearly chasing a young female audience, its appealing comic sensibility and deeply insightful approach will definitely find it fans well outside its target demographic. (Though it may be a mite too sophisticated for very young viewers who normally relish Pixar fare.) Highly recommended.
WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY (M)
THE ONE THAT SHOOTS, SCORES AND DRAWS FOULS
***1/2
BINGE, FOXTEL
This 10-part comedy-drama is a wired, wacky and fluidly factual retelling of how the Los Angles Lakers of the 1980s became the first (and some would still argue, the best) glamour team to dominate pro sport in the US. Across a mercurial spread of line-ups anchored by the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, the 80s Lakers racked up five NBA titles with a cool attitude and reckless confidence that everyone wanted a piece of. Before you dive into the first episode, be aware it is the work of idiosyncratic director Adam McKay (The Big Short, Don’t Look Up and Anchorman), so the storytelling style employed here is brash, brassy and in-your-face. Much like the legendary owner of the Lakers in this golden era, the flamboyant Dr Jerry Buss (played to perfection by John C. Reilly). Basketball fans might get restless waiting for the story to make it to the title run (that’s not gonna happen until around midway through the series), but those less familiar with the yarn will enjoy all the off-court antics and controversies chronicled here.
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (M)
THE ONE THAT’S BOTH A BAD DREAM AND A GREAT MARATHON
***1/2
BINGE, FOXTEL, DISNEY+
In the first half, Bradley Cooper is doing it tough as a carny trying to make a buck in a freaky travelling circus in the 1940s. In the second half, he’s hit the big time in cahoots with Cate Blanchett’s conniving psychiatrist. What is being slid across the bar towards you here is a double shot of first-rate film noir. No ice. No mixer. All you will be getting is one stiff drink, poured slowly – very, very slowly – into a fancy glass. Boozers beware: this concoction has a kick like a mule. However, it is the wait for that kick to happen that will alternatively frustrate or fascinate a majority of viewers. Without issuing any spoilers whatsoever, it could be argued that the entire movie is merely clearing the runway for its extraordinary final scene: a close-up of a featured character with one last statement to make. This moment descends from a great height and lands impressively. In fact, once seen, it is never to be forgotten. Nevertheless, if you want to experience that moment, you’re going to have to first bid farewell to two-hours-plus of your life. Consider yourself warned.
KING RICHARD (M)
THE ONE THAT NEVER FAILS TO RETURN SERVE
***1/2
FOXTEL, BINGE or RENT
Will Smith is considered a dead cert to take out the Best Actor Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards for a winning performance as Richard Williams. Richard who? Richard Williams: the delusionally devoted dad of tennis champs Venus and Serena Williams, that’s who. The focus here is on the difficult childhood of the Williams’ sisters, and how the major miracle of their talent breaking through was conducted in such a minor key. Someone in the movie likens Mr Williams’ achievement “to bringing up Mozart and Beethoven in the same room.” That is only the half of it. The Williams family lived in the heart of one of the most dangerous and broken neighbourhoods in Los Angeles. There is a lightness, a sweetness and a subtle wisdom to this movie that transcends the limitations of the usual against-all-odds sports biopic. Despite the occasional dip into sugary sentiment, it always means well, feels right and delivers uplift to anyone feeling a bit low.
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG (G)
THE ONE THAT MUST COST A FORTUNE IN PET FOOD
***
RENTAL ONLY
A genuinely lovely and endearing re-entry into the Clifford universe, wherein once again we learn what it might be like to own a small puppy that inexplicably grows up to become a 4-metre-high pooch. In case you’ve never sampled the delights of the many Clifford books penned by the late Norman Bridwell, you should be made aware that caring for a giant, beetroot-red canine will always be a little bit stressful, moderately chaotic and a hell of a lot of fun. The hook to this new screen adaptation is that Cliffy is a very realistic-looking, special-effects-generated hound who interacts very convincingly with his live-action surrounds. Any child under the age of 8 will love this movie in a heartbeat. Parents assuming they will be bored rigid will be pleasantly surprised at how agreeable the whole spectacle can be. Starring Jack Whitehall, Darby Camp, John Cleese.
WUTHERING HEIGHTS (MA15+)
THE ONE WHERE ROMANCE IS ON A SLOW, SLOW BURN
***
SBS ON DEMAND
An exhaustive (and exhausting!) re-imagining of the classic Emily Bronte novel. Let me tell you right now: this is not the most talkative of motion pictures. There are plenty of stares, whispers, glances and growls. And the wind blows a never-ending gale across the misty moors of Yorkshire. But chatter? No dice. If the film’s stark, stand-offish stance does not put you off, the doomed romance of Catherine and Heathcliff pulses with a pure emotional anguish that is impossible to ignore. Directed by Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank). Stars James Howson, Kaya Scodelario.
THE ADAM PROJECT (PG)
THE ONE STARRING RYAN REYNOLDS (AGAIN)
**1/2
STREAM VIA NETFLIX
It seems like every few months, Ryan Reynolds has yet another big-budget, low-impact, OK-ish kind of movie to share with the world. Going on the massive numbers that have greeted recent Reynolds efforts (Red Notice, Free Guy), the world won’t be complaining of oversupply any time soon. The latest one is about as kid-friendly as Reynolds will ever get, an amiable mash-up of 80s popcorn classics like Back to the Future, Goonies, E.T. and lesser-known titles from the era. Reynolds stars in the title role, a time-traveller who has journeyed from the year 2050 to 2022 to put an end to the technology that will one day soon make time-travel possible. After befriending his younger self (Walker Scobell), Adam bunny-hops back to 2018, when his late father (Mark Ruffalo) was still alive. Complicating matters further are the intercessions of Adam’s future wife (Zoe Saldana) and perpetual enemy (Catherine Keener). There is a lot of plot going on here – perhaps too much for family-friendly fare such as this – and the pacing can go flat at the worst possible times. However, the effects-driven scenes are strong, and the final-act resolution unexpectedly moving.
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