Do you ever feel like you’re drowning … but you haven’t even left your couch? Welcome to the Great Content Overload Era, where there are so many new films and series being released on streaming platforms every day that it can feel hard to keep your head above the zeitgeist waters. To help you navigate the choppy digital waves, here are The Globe’s best bets for weekend streaming.
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Lucasfilm's Andor.Disney+
Andor (Disney+) Alright, this time Disney really has got the small-screen Star Wars stuff down pat, they swear! While The Mandalorian was a hit (once audiences settled on its sleepy serialized gunslinger narrative, that is), the great Skywalker expansion into TV has been rocky, with The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi coming and going with barely a parsec of love. Andor, masterminded by Tony Gilroy (the filmmaker who is semi-credited with saving Rogue One), is being hyped as the more mature, visceral Star Wars tale that fans have been clamouring for. Honestly, it’s just nice to see Diego Luna get another big Lucasfilm payday.
Sidney Poitier in Sidney.Bob Adelman/APPLE TV+
Sidney (Apple TV+) After receiving a very warm reception at the Toronto International Film Festival last week, this Oprah Winfrey-produced documentary on the life and times of Sidney Poitier is quickly making its way to home audiences. Sweeping in scope and seemingly unabashed in its admiration – it’s even narrated by the late actor – director Reginald Hudlin (better known for his comedies, like Boomerang and House Party) stitches together an ode to an iconic actor who remained something of an off-screen enigma.
Solea Pfeiffer as Leanne and Joshua Boone as Bayou in A Jazzman's Blues.Jace Downs/Netflix
A Jazzman’s Blues (Netflix) When Tyler Perry isn’t busy strapping on the wig and fat suit to play Madea, he’s extending his brand into fascinating supporting performances (his turn in last year’s Those Who Wish Me Dead is genuinely chilling), directing a billion episodes of television or stretching his feature-film directing muscles. A Jazzman’s Blues, which had its world premiere at TIFF last week, isn’t what you might expect from a Perry movie: this is serious, soulful melodrama tinged with secrets, lies and mystery.
Channing Tatum stars as Briggs in Dog.Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures / Courtesy of Elevation Pictures
Dog (Prime Video) Channing Tatum, a dog and a story about overcoming adversity in a divided America. If you could possibly want to know more about the new movie Dog, then how about the fact that it very nearly saved movie theatres this past spring when it proved that original, non-franchise films can draw in moviegoers. And now, home audiences will have the chance to discover Tatum’s unique charms on the small screen, at their convenience.
Martin Sheen portrays Capt. Willard in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now Redux.American Zoetrope-Miramax Films via
Apocalypse Now Redux (Crave with Starz) After watching the rather dreadful Vietnam War movie The Greatest Beer Run Ever last week at – you guessed it – TIFF, I felt in the mood for a genuinely artistic, ambitious movie focusing on the era. Which is when I discovered that the “Redux” (i.e., longer and better) version of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece is now available to stream. This isn’t exactly peaceful, easygoing weekend watching, but it remains an absolutely essential piece of cinema nonetheless.
Barry Hertz