COUCH THEATER
“Poor Things” (R) -
The second most-nominated film (11 nominations) for this year’s Academy Awards is finally available to rent on Feb. 27! Emma Stone (who has already secured a Golden Globe win for Best Actress this year) transforms into Bella Baxter for her second feature film with director Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Favourite”). Bella is a young woman in Victorian London who gets resurrected by a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) following her suicide. But even after the experiment successfully revives her, Bella’s brain and body aren’t synchronized, so she navigates the odd world around her in an almost childlike state as she begins an entirely new, empowering chapter in her life. Mark Ruffalo, also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, costars as Duncan Wedderburn, along with appearances from Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley. (Amazon Prime Video)
“The Color Purple” (PG13) -- Almost 40 years after Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones collaborated to bring Alice Walker’s 1982 novel to life, a new musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” hailing from the producers (and Oprah Winfrey) hit the big screen once again and is available now for viewers to stream on their small screens. The 2023 version features quite a talented cast to tell Celie’s profound and heartbreaking story, including Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey and many more. “American Idol” winner Barrino takes on the role of Celie in her feature film debut, while Henson portrays jazz singer Shug. Even though some controversy ensued about the film’s subpar working conditions, which were rightfully pointed out by Henson, she also stated that she hopes the focus remains on “this beautiful film.” (Max)