‘I Feel Pretty’ has something to say about beauty myth
“I Feel Pretty” is wittily engaging from the first scene to the last.
Amy Schumer stars a woman insecure about her appearance, who discovers newfound confidence when she’s accidentally conked on the head. Living her life fearlessly, she winds up netting her dream job and a dream guy (Rory Scoval). Yes, it’s a bit overlong but “I Feel Pretty” impresses on many levels. It’s funny, smart and full of great supporting turns by Michelle Williams and Aidy Bryant. It’s a real beaut. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Also new to VOD and streaming
Future World: Co-directed by and starring James Franco, this postapocalyptic thriller proves that you don’t need a big budget to evoke the end-ofthe-world blues. On Planet Earth, medicine is in short supply, so a teenager (Jeffrey Wahlberg) leaves his safe haven in search of a cure for his ailing mother (Lucy Liu.) Along the way, he encounters a nasty warlord (Franco), a demented drug dealer (Milla Jovovich) and a surprisingly soulful robot (Suki Waterhouse). Some of the fight sequences go on too long, but fans of “Mad Max” will enjoy this brutal actioner. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
A Ciambra: Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, this powerful coming-of-age film from Italy follows a gypsy teenager named Pio (Pio Amato), who descends further into crime after his brother and father are arrested and sent to prison. In addition to chronicling Pio’s hardscrabble existence, director Jonas Carpignano (“Mediterranea”) also captures the complex social fabric of Southern Italy where Italians, Romani and African immigrants co-exist in an uneasy tension. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
The Night of the Lepus: One of the silliest horror movies of the 1970s has not improved with age. In fact this thriller about rabbits the size of wolves, “and just as mean,” is such a trainwreck that you feel sorry for the actors. Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh play scientists who, in an effort to help a rancher control his rabbit population, create behemoth bunnies with an appetite for human flesh. The whole enterprise quickly turns ludicrous since the homicidal hares never look remotely scary, let along giantsized. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
A Very English Scandal: Season 1: In this Amazon Prime/BBC co-production, Hugh Grant stars as reallife British politician Jeremy Thorpe, whose secret life as a gay man caused a big stir back in the 1970s. Desperate to hide his relationship with talkative exlover Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw), Thorpe takes extreme measures and winds up standing trial for conspiring to murder Scott. When the show premiered in Britain, it netted rave reviews. On Amazon Prime.
Sharp Objects: Based on a best-seller by “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn, this limited series stars Amy Adams as a reporter who returns to her hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls. But as she digs into the mystery, she’s also forced to confront her past, including her tricky relationship with her mother (Patricia Clarkson). Chris Messina, Elizabeth Perkins and Matt Craven co-star. On HBO Go.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind: On HBO, a funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians. While there are indepth interviews with those who knew him best, including Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Pam Dawber and his son Zak Williams, the film aims to tell Robin’s story through his own words. It’s being billed as a celebration of what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large. On HBO Go.
Teen titles
Lean on Pete: An acutely observed snapshot of life on the fringes of poverty, Andrew Haigh’s stunning drama pivots on a teenager named Charley (Charlie Plummer), who finds a job caring for an aging quarter horse. When the steed’s owner (Steve Buscemi) and jockey (Chloe Sevigny) decide to send the animal to the slaughterhouse, Charley risks everything to save its life. Beautifully acted and directed, this naturalistic gem is essentially about Charley’s desperate search for a place to call home. When you least expect, “Lean on Pete” wrings you dry. It’s one of 2018’s best. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Class Rank: In the vein of “Rushmore” and “Election” comes a charmer of a romantic comedy about an ambitious high-schooler (Olivia Holt) who is convinced that her number-two class ranking will wreck her chances of getting into Yale. So she convinces a nerd (Skyler Gisondo) to run for the school board in hopes of abolishing the rankings. It’s a far-fetched premise but it allows actor-turned-director Eric Stoltz to showcase the inner workings of grassroots democracy, while also orchestrating a nifty love story. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.