Family fare: ‘Mulan’ and ‘The Mole Agent’
Many indoor theaters are still closed, but new streaming movies are coming to entertain you and your family during socially distanced times.
This Labor Day weekend, the live-action remake of an animated 1998 hit comes to Disney+; Netflix unleashes the latest mind-bending Charlie Kaufman drama and a Rachael Leigh Cook romantic comedy; “Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams headlines a home-invasion-gone-wrong horror flick, and new documentaries focus on the final days of comedy genius Robin Williams and an accidental elderly secret agent of sorts.
If you’re feeling the itch to get back to the movies in person, and there’s a drive-in or it’s safe enough to get back to your local theater, Christopher Nolan’s new “Tenet” is out, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson.
But if you’d rather stick closer to home, here’s a rundown of new movies hitting streaming and on-demand platforms, for every cinematic taste:
If you want to see a Disney remake done right: ‘Mulan’
It’s pretty easy to yell “Cash grab!” every time the Mouse House remakes one of its beloved animated films. But this version of “Mulan” – which offers more action, less singing – actually improves a great deal on the fantasy fable of a young Chinese woman (Yifei Liu) who takes the place of her ailing father (Tzi Ma) in the Imperial Army. Mulan is a butt-whupping warrior extraordinaire worth the emotional investment.
Where to watch: Disney+ (as a $30 premium add-on)
If you enjoy your entertainment on the existential side: ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’
The very strange tale stars Jessie Buckley as a young woman reconsidering her relationship with a fairly new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) while driving through a snowstorm to visit his oddball parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis). Its meta-strangeness is let down by chatty ruminations on musical theater and movie reviews, as well as a predictable twist, though it does boast a wonderfully awkward family dinner.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you’re in need of a cheesy romantic comedy: ‘Love, Guaranteed’
“She’s All That” fans unite! It’s been years since her teen-movie days, yet Rachael Leigh Cook is still all that as a pro bono lawyer needing a cash influx, and she’s hired by a charming bachelor (Damon Wayans Jr.) who wants to sue a dating app for its “guarantee” of love after 1,000 dates. The stars have the right chemistry, but unfortunately they’re saddled with a forgettable, Hallmark Channel-ready plot.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you’re freaked out by creepy old people: ‘The Owners’
Didn’t see “The New Mutants” yet? You can still get your Maisie Williams thriller fix with this tale of a young woman who gets embroiled in a bad situation with her boyfriend (Ian Kenny) and his ne’er-do-well pals when a house robbery goes wrong and the elderly residents (Sylvester McCoy and Rita Tushingham) come home, turning the tables on the whippersnappers. There’s plenty of bloody brutality with an intriguing low-key mystery at its core.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, FandangoNOW
If you really miss Pauly Shore movies: ‘Guest House’
“Encino Man” this is not. The raunchy comedy is a throwback in every way, however, from the return of Shore’s 1990s “Weasel” persona to a bunch of sexist and homophobic jokes a few decades too late. An engaged couple (Aimee Teegarden and Mike Castle) buys their dream home only to find out that the party-animal squatter (Shore) who won’t leave comes with it, beginning a cold war that puts the youngsters’ backyard wedding in jeopardy.
Where to watch: Apple TV, FandangoNOW, Google Play
If you’ve been wondering what Ryan Phillippe has been up to: ‘The 2nd’
The thriller casts Phillippe as a Secret Service agent picking up his son (Jack Griffo) from college for holiday break when a hostage situation breaks out and a mysterious antagonist (Casper Van Dien) aims to nab the daughter (Lexi Simonsen) of a Supreme Court Justice about to weigh in on an important gun-rights case. It’s a decent action movie done no favors by a ham-fisted political bent.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, FandangoNOW
If your heart still breaks over Robin Williams: ‘Robin’s Wish’
The iconic funnyman’s suicide in 2014 shocked everyone, from fans to his family, and this moving documentary digs into the whys: Williams had been suffering from a debilitating condition called diffuse Lewy body dementia, which wasn’t diagnosed until his autopsy. The movie chronicles Williams’ final days, his life in and out of the spotlight and also the mantra he lived by: “I want to help people be less afraid.”
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, FandangoNOW
If you’re looking for a movie to watch with your grandparents: ‘The Mole Agent’
While officially a documentary (though it doesn’t feel like one), the movie is ultimately a feel-good detective yarn. An 83-year-old named Sergio is hired to go undercover at a Chilean nursing home and look into claims of elder abuse. Instead, he becomes the life of the party as he befriends fellow oldsters and becomes an essential part of their community.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, FandangoNOW
If you’re up for watching a bunch of haunted millennials: ‘Followed’
The latest film that marries social media and horror centers on a vlogging influencer named “DropTheMike” (Matthew Solomon) who, in a gambit to gain enough new subscribers to lock in a sponsorship, decides to spend Halloween weekend with his crew at a cursed LA hotel once frequented by a serial killer. The found-footage movie doesn’t break the mold but rounds up a few quality scares and an annoying character to put through hell.
Where to watch:Apple TV, Vudu, FandangoNOW