New movies to stream this week: ‘The Man From Toronto’ and more
Woody Harrelson and Kevin Hart star in “The Man From Toronto,” a violent and fitfully amusing buddy comedy/action flick about a hapless nobody from Yorktown, Pa., named Teddy (Hart) who, while vacationing with his wife (Jasmine Mathews) in Onancock, Va., is somehow mistaken for Harrelson’s character: a sort of assassin/ torturer who carries out nasty assignments for a mysterious handler (Ellen Barkin). The geography-heavy plot — in which Teddy and “Toronto” are forced to work together, despite profound temperamental differences — globe-trots from the aforementioned locales to Utah, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Minnesota, in an adventure that has something to do with a Venezuelan colonel, a bomb and a severed thumb in an empty bag of red-hot cheese puffs. It’s a simple-minded exercise in action filmmaking, the kind of thing bored teens might enjoy, or maybe just fans of Hart, who is actually pretty funny in the several scenes in which he has to pretend to be a ruthless operative. And there’s just enough chemistry between the two stars to keep things from derailing, if not to guarantee “The Man From Toronto 2.” PG-13. Available on Netflix. Contains violence throughout, some strong language and suggestive material. (112 minutes)
ALSO STREAMING
According to the Wrap, “Abandoned” is a “listless” haunted-house thriller starring Emma Roberts and John Gallagher Jr. as new parents who move into an old farmhouse that, unbeknown to them, is the site of an old murder. Michael Shannon plays a creepy neighbor. PG-13. Available on demand. Contains terror, some violence, mature thematic material and brief strong language. (102 minutes)
The documentary “Civil: Ben Crump” is a portrait of the prominent civil rights attorney, who has represented families affected by police violence. The New York Times says: “At times, the neat documentary feels nearly as tailored as Crump’s suits. (Perhaps this is what happens when vérité-style filmmaking follows such a camera-ready subject?) Given Crump’s vital role in momentous litigation, ‘Civil’ may be crucial viewing — but it’s not always revealing.” PG-13. Available on Netflix. Contains mature thematic material and strong language. (101 minutes)
A follow-up to Bretten Hannam’s debut film, “North Mountain,” “Wildhood” tells the story of an Indigenous teenager (Phillip Lewitski) and his half brother (Avery Winters-Anthony), who run away from an abusive father in search of the mother they erroneously thought was dead. The film, according to the Hollywood Reporter, combines the “foundation of heart-rending coming-of-age narratives with the feelgood elements of road trip flicks to create a delicate, not to mention visually appealing, sophomore film.” Unrated. In English and Mi’kmaq with subtitles.