USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Monster’ drama, and music from ‘ Medellín’
Movie theaters are slowly reopening for the summer season, but new streaming films are still coming home to entertain you and your family during socially distanced times.
This weekend, Kelvin Harrison Jr. heads up a star- studded, timely Netflix legal drama, popular reggaeton singer J Balvin gets an Amazon Prime documentary, Emilia Clarke goes from mother of dragons to FBI informant in a backwoods thriller and a masked killer hunts for frat bros in a new slasher film.
If you’re planning to return to your local theater, Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man” features Jason Statham as a man out to settle a score, and Billy Crystal’s dramedy “Here Today” teams the comedian with Tiffany Haddish as unlikely friends.
But if you’d rather stick closer to home, here’s a rundown of new movies hitting streaming and on- demand platforms this weekend, for every cinematic taste:
If you’d like to be tense for a good 90 minutes: ‘ Monster’
Music- video director Anthony Mandler’s feature debut casts Harrison as a Harlem honor student and fledgling filmmaker whose bright future is jeopardized after he’s implicated in a felony murder during a robbery gone wrong. While the movie’s technically rough, there are some cool visual choices and the cast is great ( with Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson as the kid’s parents, and A$ AP Rocky and John David Washington as the perpetrators) in a thoughtful character study about guilt and innocence.
h Where to watch: Netflix
If you adore all things J Balvin: ‘ The Boy From Medellín’
“It’s hell for real. It’s a fear of fear,” Balvin says about his crippling anxiety and depression in the revealing documentary, which follows the interna
tional superstar’s road to a sold- out stadium show in his Colombian hometown. Even if you’re not into reggaeton, the concert footage is entertaining, and it’s enlightening to see Balvin with his many fans ( who hit him up for gym selfies). But the best stuff is about how the singer navigates political turmoil in his country as well as his own mental health struggles.
h Where to watch: Amazon Prime
If you’re an Emilia Clarke completist: ‘ Above Suspicion’
Imagine “Hillbilly Elegy” as a cop thriller, and that’s what is going on here with this mediocre drama. Clarke (“Game of Thrones”) plays a Kentucky drug addict who lives in a mobile home with her kids and pill- pushing ex ( Johnny Knoxville). She sees a way out by becoming an informant – as well as a mistress – for a rookie FBI agent ( Jack Huston). The relationship leads to a bunch of bad decisions in the overcooked Southern- fried noir.
h Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu,
Fandango Now
If you dig masked maniacs on campus: ‘ Initiation’
Homecoming week at fictional Whi
ton University goes seriously awry thanks to a mysterious slasher with a power drill and a murder spree that includes some sketchy fraternity guys. The art- house horror flick, which centers on a DNA- sequencing sorority president ( Lindsay LaVanchy), throws out all the usual tropes and super- gory kills yet also features clever moments and surprisingly emotional touches amid the bloodshed.
h Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu,
Fandango Now
If you want to see ‘ Storage Wars’ crossed with ‘ Panic Room’: ‘ Locked In’
The action thriller stars Mena Suvari as an employee at a storage facility who has to stay alive – and keep her teenage daughter ( Jasper Polish) safe – when they come under siege by two crooks ( Jeff Fahey and Manny Perez) looking for hidden diamonds. There’s a faithbased angle that’s forced in and quickly discarded, the twists are obvious and the atypical premise – “Die Hard” in a bunch of storage units – inevitably grows ponderous.
Where to watch:
Play, Fandango Now
Apple TV, Google
If you live and die for ‘ Cobra Kai’: ‘ The Paper Tigers’
Tran Quoc Bao’s action comedy centers on three middle- aged guys ( Alain Uy, Ron Yuan and Mykel Shannon Jenkins) who were unbeatable kung fu fighters in their teenage years. They are brought back together when their old master is found dead under questionable circumstances and must muster some honor again. It’s an enjoyable martial arts tale that’s relatable to anyone who is feeling their age or missing their past glories.
h Where to watch:
Fandango Now
Apple TV, Vudu,
If you need something silly: ‘ 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Bigfoot’
Taking satirical aim at Millennials, clickbait sites and urban legends, the mockumentary stars Brian Emond as a deer- in- headlights vlogger who, assigned to produce a story about the search for the legendary Sasquatch in Appalachia, partners up with an oddball cryptozoologist ( Jeffrey Stephenson). They go to hilarious lengths to find Bigfoot and also run afoul of rural drug smugglers in a goofy film that’ll leave you with a big smile.
h Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango Now
ALABAMA Birmingham: The Alabama NAACP, trying to boost COVID19 vaccinations among those 18- 40, is offering a chance to win $ 1,000 for getting a shot, a leader said Thursday.
ALASKA Anchorage: A mayoral candidate claims the pandemic “was over last summer,” calls COVID- 19 vaccines “experimental” and says he wouldn’t be prone to following federal experts’ guidance if elected. Dave Bronson has vowed to end all of the city’s coronavirus- related orders, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
ARIZONA Phoenix: Republican Jim Lamon, who entered the state’s GOP U. S. Senate race this week, suggested Congress was spending excessively to deal with the pandemic’s economic fallout. But records show his own company, Depcom Power, received $ 2.6 million in relief last year from the Paycheck Protection Program.
ARKANSAS Fort Smith: Collections from state taxes on medical marijuana sales recently surpassed $ 30 million, which Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin said “exceeded expectations.”
CALIFORNIA Sacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s use of emergency powers to make far- reaching policies during the pandemic was upheld Wednesday by state appellate judges who rejected a lower court’s finding that he’d done too much unilaterally.
COLORADO Pueblo: Plans are heating up for the 2021 Colorado State Fair, with many of the acts originally slated for 2020 agreeing to perform this summer instead, including rapper Nelly, who will perform Sept. 4 if COVID- 19 trends continue to indicate a low chance for transmission.
CONNECTICUT Hartford: Legislation that temporarily extends telehealth services for two more years, after they were expanded amid the pandemic so patients could safely meet with their physicians, passed the state Senate on Thursday, sending it to Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature.
DELAWARE Dover: The University of Delaware and Delaware State University have announced COVID- 19 vaccines will be required of students who return to campus in the fall.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington: As Pfizer awaits authorization to offer its vaccine to children ages 12 to 15, Children’s National Hospital is getting a head start by allowing families to preregister, WUSA- TV reports.
FLORIDA Fort Myers: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that he will sign a budget that includes $ 1,000 bonuses for emergency first responders. The Republican had called on the Legislature to include such bonuses and noted first responders didn’t have the luxury of working from home at the height of the pandemic.
GEORGIA Atlanta: Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Wednesday allowing restaurants to sell curbside to- go alcoholic beverages and distillers to sell liquor on their premises. The changes aim to give restaurants and alcohol vendors a boost after more than a year of losses spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.
HAWAII Honolulu: The island of Kauai has moved into a more restrictive tier of the state’s pandemic reopening plan, while the capital city is staying in Tier 3 for another month, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.
IDAHO Twin Falls: State health officials are trying new methods to encourage people to get COVID- 19 shots as interest starts to wane. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is giving up to $ 9 million in grant funding to encourage private health providers to host vaccination clinics, the Times- News in Twin Falls reports.
ILLINOIS Chicago: The city will see the return of cultural events this summer, including a concert series solely for fully vaccinated people, officials announced Tuesday.
INDIANA Indianapolis: Legislators will return to the Statehouse on Monday for a possible vote to again override the governor’s veto of a bill limiting the broad authority used to impose COVID- 19- related restrictions.
IOWA Johnston: Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that a bus offering COVID- 19 shots will be set up in the parking lot of the Iowa Cubs baseball park for the first two days of games this season, and a similar pop- up is planned at the Des Moines Farmers Market this weekend.
KENTUCKY Frankfort: Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday pointed to a credit rating agency’s upgraded assessment of the state’s financial outlook as a sign Kentucky’s economy is recovering. In revising the rating to stable, Fitch Ratings said the change reflects Kentucky’s “solid economic recovery to date from the pandemic trough.”
LOUISIANA Baton Rouge: The state is offering residents the ability to show digital proof of their COVID- 19 vaccinations on their cellphones through LA Wallet, the state’s voluntary digital license mobile app.
MAINE Augusta: The organizers of the state’s summer and fall agricultural fairs are planning for a full slate of 26 events this season after the pandemic scuttled 2020 fairs.
MARYLAND Baltimore: The state’s casinos generated their third- highest revenues ever in April, lottery officials said Wednesday, despite some limits due to the pandemic.
MASSACHUSETTS Boston: Beginning Monday, four more mass vaccination locations around the state will offer walk- up COVID- 19 shots, Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday.
MICHIGAN Lansing: A split Legislature voted Wednesday to exempt high school graduations from the state’s order that restricts crowd sizes. The risk of the coronavirus spreading outdoors is low, said onebill sponsor, Sen. Jim Runestad, R- White Lake Township, contending students and families deserve “this last irreplaceable high school memory.” But Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., DEast Lansing, called the legislation “utter nonsense” and said nobody is trying to prevent commencements.
MINNESOTA St. Paul: Gov. Tim Walz announced a three- step plan Thursday to end pandemic restrictions by July 1 – or sooner, if more than 70% of residents over 16 get vaccinated. Capacity limits for outdoor dining and events will be lifted at noon Friday, as will the state’s mandatory closing time for bars and restaurants, plus outdoor mask requirements for most venues.
MISSISSIPPI Hattiesburg: The city is working with local businesses to help recruit employees amid a staff shortage that is becoming critical. Officials will hold a job fair Wednesday for the restaurant and hospitality industry, which took a big hit from the pandemic. Business has picked back up, but finding staff is still tough, restaurateurs say.
MISSOURI Jefferson City: More people in the state died in 2020 than were born, a rarity that was due in part to the COVID- 19 pandemic. A provisional report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the “natural decrease” was the first for a complete year in 110 years, the St. Louis Post- Dispatch reports.
MONTANA Great Falls: Cascade County is seeing a slight increase in coronavirus cases, according to officials. During a Board of Health meeting Wednesday morning, CityCounty Health Officer Trisha Gardner said three virus variants have been identified in the county.
NEBRASKA Omaha: Gov. Pete Ricketts ramped up his crusade for the meat industry Wednesday by endorsing a new “beef passport” program to promote meat eating. The Republican governor said meat is nutritionally dense and “part of a traditional, healthy diet.”
NEVADA Reno: The state has added a live chat feature to its COVID- 19 vaccine website, health officials announced Wednesday.
NEW HAMPSHIRE Concord: Employers who require coronavirus tests for applicants or workers would be required to pay for them under a bill heard by a state House committee Wednesday.
NEW JERSEY Trenton: A majority of residents approve of the Murphy administration’s measures so far to slow the spread of COVID- 19, but they also endorse easing the restrictions and want to see schools fully reopened in the fall, according to a Monmouth University poll.
NEW MEXICO Albuquerque: Top health officials said Wednesday that the state is on track to meet its goal of a 60% vaccination rate for people 16 and up by the end of June that would allow the economy to reopen fully. About 57% of eligible residents have received a dose.
NEW YORK New York: The Yankees and Mets can increase capacity from 20% to 100% at their ballparks for home games starting May 19 – as long as fans are vaccinated against COVID- 19. Both teams will be giving away free tickets along with shots.
NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh: Most adult residents have received at least one COVID- 19 shot, according to data released by the state Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday. Nearly 3 in 4 adults 65 years or older are fully vaccinated. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and public health officials have said they’ll eliminate the indoor mask mandate once two- thirds of adults are at least partially inoculated.
NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than
$ 8.9 million in additional funding to the state for its response to the pandemic, bringing its total federal relief money to date to $ 97.1 million.
OHIO Columbus: An accurate figure for the number of city employees who have been vaccinated is not available, according to the city’s Department of Public Safety. In an article Sunday about vaccination rates at police departments nationwide, The Washington Post said 28% of Columbus officers had reported getting a COVID- 19 shot.
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: State tax collections last month rose by 38.3% from April 2020, the first full month of the economic downturn during the pandemic, state Treasurer Randy McDaniel said Thursday.
OREGON Corvallis: Oregon State University has announced that it will require COVID- 19 shots for onsite students and employees before the fall term. Portland State University said it will require all students, faculty and staff at its downtown Portland campus to be vaccinated.
PENNSYLVANIA State College: Amid fresh signs of sagging demand for vaccines, state officials on Wednesday encouraged hundreds of thousands of college students to get their COVID- 19 shots before they go home for summer. Gov. Tom Wolf appeared in State College with the president and head football coach at Penn State University – with a cameo by a freshman tight end – to pitch younger people on the vaccines’ benefits.
RHODE ISLAND Providence: With the state fast approaching its goal of getting 70% of the eligible population at least one dose of a COVID- 19 vaccine, it’s shifting its strategy, officials said Thursday. Starting this week, workers will reach out directly to those over 75 by phone and bring the vaccine to their homes, he said.
SOUTH CAROLINA Clemson: Clemson University announced Tuesday that it will freeze tuition rates and fees for undergraduate students through the upcoming school year, citing the financial and emotional stress of the pandemic.
SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls: Event organizers say MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell chose the state and the World’s Only Corn Palace to launch a “censorship- free” social media platform because of Gov. Kristi Noem’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The unveiling of Frank, a website built in hopes of competing with against sites with policies requiring accuracy of political information, is set for Monday evening in Mitchell.
TENNESSEE Nashville: Local parents can now enroll children in the latest round of testing for COVID- 19 vaccines at Clinical Research Associates, seizing an early chance to protect kids as the coronavirus evolves.
TEXAS El Paso: Seniors, people with disabilities and anyone living with transportation insecurity in El Paso County can get a free ride to a COVID- 19 vaccination site, city officials announced Thursday.
UTAH Salt Lake City: Pandemonium erupted at a school board meeting amid news that public schools across the state will require masks through the end of the school year, forcing board members to adjourn and call police, a TV station reports. The 30 to 40 protesting parents Tuesday night “shouted down speakers, disrupted the meeting and became aggressive,” said Ben Horsley, spokesman for the Granite School District in the Salt Lake City area, in a text to KUTV- TV.
VERMONT Montpelier: State Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine says Vermonters vaccinated against COVID- 19 have a role to play to help others get protected. That could be finding a personal reason to get inoculated or giving someone a ride to a vaccine clinic, he said Tuesday.
VIRGINIA Richmond: The state could lift capacity limits and relax social distancing rules next month if the rate of coronavirus infections keeps falling, Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday. The tentative plan is to loosen those restrictions June 15 and let businesses such as theaters and yoga studios operate at full capacity.
WASHINGTON Olympia: Just in time for Mother’s Day, in- person visits will resume Sunday at correctional facilities, the state Department of Corrections announced this week.
WEST VIRGINIA Charleston: Gov. Jim Justice made an array of promises Wednesday to turn around the state’s vaccination campaign as it trails more than a dozen states. “West Virginia is going to end up leading the way again,” he said at a news conference. “I’m going to try with all in me.” He also said he wanted to beat President Joe Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70% of adults by July 4. “I want it more than anybody,” Justice said.
WISCONSIN Madison: A Democratic lawmaker has asked Assembly Republicans to allow him to participate in floor sessions remotely, much like the accommodations sometimes used during the pandemic. Rep. Jimmy Anderson, who is quadriplegic, invoked his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and threatened to take legal action if necessary.
WYOMING Casper: Tribal leaders have announced a special general meeting of the Eastern Shoshone General Council on May 15 to vote on the legalization and decriminalization of medical marijuana.