`Outer Range' is way out there, but great
Also worth seeing: Barack Obama narrates `Our Great National Parks'
Paranormal activities and a story about a land grab that hounds a family on the range mix well in the trippy Amazon Prime series “Outer Range,” coming this Friday.
If that's not your bag, how about chumming around with an affable and knowledgeable travel guide in possession of an impressive résumé — Barack Obama. The former president jets us off to meet critters great and small in “Our Great National Parks.”
Those two series along with a comprehensive documentary on clothier Abercrombie & Fitch's misdeeds top our roundup this week.
“OUTER RANGE” >> Executive produced by Brad Pitt, this Amazon Prime series has been called a hybrid of “Yellowstone” and “The XFiles.” It's a legit comparison to a certain extent but the summation fails to convey just how well this intriguing eight-episode supernatural modern-day Western cooks up a unique gothic vision and is more like a spirit animal to “Twin Peaks.”
Contributing in a major way to the show's success is Josh Brolin, making a snug, sexy fit as Wyoming rancher Royal Abbott, a devoted family man feeling the heat over a land tugof-war between his clan and his sinfully rich neighbors the Tillersons, a modern family that adorns themselves
in designer duds and race around on pricey ATVs rather than boring, oldschool horses.
What spurs the plot along are the startling appearance of two entities — one being a mysterious young woman (Imogen Poots) who asks to camp out on Abbott's acreage, the other being a ravenous otherworldly hole that's sucking up the ground and other things on Royal and his wife Cecilia's (Lili Taylor) property.
When an ill-fated confrontation happens one drunken night, the series' narrative flames get further stoked with Royal taking drastic steps to protect his brood. “Outer Range's” setup makes for bingeable viewing, especially if you're a fan of Westerns and lowkey sci-fi. Also keeping us interested are the distinctive
secondary characters, including an Indigenous female deputy sheriff Joy (Tamara Podemski) and the Tillersons' bizarre, off-kilter son Billy (a standout Noah Reid of “Schitt's Creek”) who belts into song no matter the situation.
This well-written, quirky series from showrunner Brian Watkins will have you hooked from the start. DETAILS >> \*\*\* out of 4; two episodes available Friday on Amazon Prime, with two more episodes on subsequent Fridays.
“OUR GREAT NATIONAL PARKS” >>
To no one's surprise, Barack Obama makes an ideal, engaging tour guide, dispensing wit and wisdom with his classy, confident demeanor. The former president serves as the narrator for this stunningly
shot five-part Netflix nature documentary series. “Parks' ” goal is to vicariously send viewers globetrotting so they can better appreciate all the flora and fauna — some that are rare or endangered or both — our planet has to offer. It makes a feast for the senses and encourages us to want to preserve what we behold.
While the first episode is much too busy, the succeeding ones calm down and relinquish all control to the actions of the animals that make us ooh and aah. Wise move. Yes, David Attenborough remains the ultimate host of nature docs, but Obama along with his Higher Ground Productions aren't second-tier slouches, demonstrating a knowledge and passion for their subjects and a commitment to make this a first-rate series. Makes for ideal viewing since Earth Day (April 22) is fast approaching. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; available now on Netflix.
“WHITE HOT: THE RISE AND FALL OF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH” >> This Netflix documentary revisits the shocking hiring practices and corporate culture of a onetime leading clothing apparel chain — all the rage in the '90s and part of the 2000s. During Abercrombie & Fitch's heyday, the chain made a name for itself with its loud music, sometimes affected, modelesque sales clerks, intoxicating store scent and the perfectly chiseled, near-naked torsos that accessorized their store bags.
Director-producer Alyson Klayman's intelligent overview of a chain that insisted its workers play hard and look perfect doesn't reveal much of anything new but it does raise the voices of former employees, journalists and other commentators about those times. The result is a complex picture of a corporation that once only wanted to invite to its table homogenized white sales forces, and then not only learned to regret it but eventually pivoted to become inclusive for all. It's an insightful look back. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; available Tuesday on Netflix.
“SPIRITWALKER” >> The specter of John Woo's absurd 1997 action classic “Face/Off,” with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, surrounds this soul-bouncing martial arts epic that confuses that hell out of you but makes more sense as the story barrels ahead and the body count rises.
Why is it so befuddling? Consider the plot: The lead character (Yoon Kye-sang of the K-pop band g.o.d.) finds himself stuck in a coma but has the ability to send his soul into other bodies. Desperate to find out what landed him in that hospital bed, he assembles clues while, of course, dodging bullets, cars and bad guys.
This South Korean action neo-noir makes American action films look like child's play with its cleverness and moody cinematography and amped-up, breathtaking martial arts sequences. Just check your sense of logic at the door and surrender to this fun thrill ride.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*; available to stream now on Hi-Yah and Amazon Prime.