A finely honed whodunit
New on Blu-ray
Knives Out Lionsgate DVD, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99; 4K, $42.99; also available on VOD
Writer-director Rian Johnson and an all-star cast put a fun spin on an old-fashioned murder mystery in this cleverly plotted, witty whodunit. Daniel Craig plays a detective called in by an anonymous benefactor to investigate the suspicious suicide of a bestselling novelist. Ana de Armas plays the dead writer’s nurse, who knows more than she’s willing to share. The class-conscious commentary adds bite to a movie that remains delightfully surprising from the first frame to the last.
Special features: Two commentary tracks, deleted scenes and extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes
VOD
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez Available Wednesday on Netflix
The docuseries takes a disturbingly graphic look at the 2013 case of an 8-year-old Los Angeles County boy who was tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend. The story provoked calls for change in the Department of Children and Family Services. The series alternates between a macro and micro take on this tragedy, explaining how diligent reporting helped expose a scandal while also arguing that threats to society’s most vulnerable are too often treated as low priority.
TV set of the week
Years and Years: The Limited Series HBO DVD, $24.99; also available on VOD
Part dystopian science fiction and part contemporary domestic melodrama, this miniseries takes what’s going on today and extrapolates about what life might be like in Britain for the next decade. Emma Thompson plays a charismatic entrepreneur who becomes a populist politician, taking advantage of a global financial crisis, revolutionary technological advances and war to consolidate power.
Special features: None
From the archives
Hot Dog… The Movie! Unrated Producer’s Cut Synapse Blu-ray, $29.95
During the heyday of the ’80s teen sex comedy, this was a modest hit. The update of the ’60s beach party movie follows randy youngsters at a ski resort. The Bluray edition ups the raunch. More important, it sports a 4K restoration that makes it look as bright as it did in 1984. This is one of the most entertaining examples of the genre, and it’s nice to see it treated like film history.
Special features: A commentary track and a lengthy featurette