See what’s good to stream this Father’s Day weekend
‘Dads,’ ‘Miss Juneteenth,’ ‘Disclosure,’ and ‘7500’ among several holiday offerings.
Theaters are still closed, but new streaming movies are coming to entertain you and your family during socially-distanced times.
This Father’s Day weekend is a busy one to give your Wi-Fi a workout. Kevin Bacon visits a spooky residence where time and space go kablooey in a Blumhouse horror flick, Joseph Gordon-Levitt tussles with terrorists in the not-so-friendly skies, and actress Bryce Dallas Howard goes behind the camera to direct a holiday documentary full of the feels.
If that’s not enough to get you online and watching movies, Universal’s musical-centric “The Shows Must Go On!” YouTube channel is streaming “Peter Pan Live!” this weekend starting at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT on Friday.
Here’s a rundown of new movies hitting streaming this weekend, for every cinematic taste:
If you’re not already feeling freaked out enough, stuck inside: ‘You Should Have Left’
Bacon and director David Koepp’s first collaboration, “Stir of Echoes” (1999), was an effective scare fest, though this chiller about a man who can’t escape a Welsh vacation home – but runs into a bunch of weirdness, including a scary woman in a bathtub – doesn’t quite reach the same heights. It has its moments, and Bacon does what he can, but it’s ultimately way more predictable than unnerving.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now
If you’re celebrating Juneteenth and/or craving a tale about motherhood: ‘Miss Juneteenth’
Not only is this drama a primer on the historical importance of Juneteenth, it’s also a well-told story of Texas single mom Turquoise (Nicole Beharie) who grooms her daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) for the same beauty pageant she won back in the day, as well as for a better
life – though the teen would rather try out for her high school dance team. “She’s my dream now,” Turquoise says of Kai on the way to a feel-good finale.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now
If you’re all about Father’s Day (or need a last-minute gift): ‘Dads’
Director Howard rolls out an impressive lineup of stars to talk about fatherhood in this tear-jerking doc, including Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon and her own Oscar-winning dad, Ron, though it’s the stories of ordinary modern dads – from an accidental vlogger to two gay fathers with four foster kids on a farm – that’ll truly warm your heart.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
If your dad likes a ‘dad’ movie: ‘I Am Vengeance: Retaliation’
Pro wrestler Stu Bennett is like the British equivalent of an ‘80s-era Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone – with a cooler accent and fun zingers – in this two-fisted action sequel about a one-man English army (who’s really good at killing people) on a mission to bring in the dude (Vinnie Jones) who betrayed him years ago.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now
If you’re hankering for an ace coming-of-age drama: ‘Babyteeth’
If you need to be informed about LGBTQ issues: ‘Disclosure’
Alfred Hitchcock, Laverne Cox would like to have some words. A fascinating documentary timed to Pride Month, “Disclosure” chronicles the representation of transgender people in media past and present, much of it problematic. Going back to Flip Wilson and “Psycho” and looking at more recent works like “The L Word” and “Nip/Tuck,” Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Chaz Bono and others describe how trans characters have been seen negatively on TV and film, but also give examples (like “Transparent”) of positive depictions that have helped their cause in real life.
Where to watch: Netflix Teen-movie tropes get delightfully twisted in this dramedy about first love starring Eliza Scanlen (”Little Women”) as a terminally ill Australian girl who falls for a tattooed, rat-tailed drug dealer (Toby Wallace). He drives her parents (Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis) batty but gives her a new lease on the rest of her life.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon
If feel the call of nomadic life: ‘The Short History of the Long Road’
Sabrina Carpenter plays Nola, a teenager whose existence is spent on the move in a beaten-up van with her dad (Steven Ogg). A tragedy leaves Nola on her own and hitting the highway toward New Mexico to find her long-lost mom (Maggie Siff) but also finding close friends in a gruff mechanic (Danny Trejo) and a quiet Native American girl (Jashaun St. John).
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon
If you’re in the mood for a history lesson: ‘Mr. Jones’
Ever wondered what inspired George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”? Here’s the origin story of sorts: The decent true-life drama centers on Gareth Jones (James Norton), a Welsh journalist in 1933 who traveled to the Soviet Union and revealed widespread famine and death in Ukraine, thereby irking Walter Duranty (Peter Sarsgaard), the Pulitzer Prize winner who was helping Joseph Stalin’s propaganda machine cover it all up.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango Now
If you’re in the mood for another history lesson: ‘Wasp Network’
The 1990s-set drama chronicles Cuban spies sent to Miami to infiltrate anti-Castro organizations, focusing on a pilot (Édgar Ramirez) who leaves behind a loving wife (Penélope Cruz) in Havana. It can get a bit talky, but the cast (including Gael García Bernal and Ana de Armas) is impressive and the narrative gets rolling once you learn everybody’s true allegiances.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you want to be ridiculously tense for a good 90 minutes: ‘7500’
Gordon-Levitt stars as an embattled co-pilot dealing with hijackers in this seriously effective, real-time airline thriller. Terrorists try to gain access to the cockpit (where most of the film takes place) on a jet from Berlin to Paris, and Gordon-Levitt’s character tries to stay alive by connecting with one of the assailants.
Where to watch: Amazon
A cross between ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘Dance Moms’: ‘Feel the Beat’
Instantly recognizable for anyone with kids who watch a lot of “Descendants” movies, Sofia Carson stars in this completely formulaic, sometimes charming comedy as a snooty Broadway wannabe who returns to her small Wisconsin hometown to mold a group of misfits into a national-level competitive dance squad – and to do some growing up. It’s like a cinematic comfort meal of emotional manipulation and cheese.
Where to watch: Netflix