Weekend streaming guide: Fur – and astronauts – will fly
A new “Mortal Kombat” may lead the lineup, but there is a lot of viewing to choose from.
Movie theaters are slowly reopening for the summer season, but new streaming films are still coming home to entertain you and your family.
This weekend, a famous fighting game gets another cinematic redo on HBO Max, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim and Toni Collette star in a Netflix space drama, Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose team up for an action thriller, plus fans of werewolves have a new horror movie to watch.
Here’s a rundown of some of the new movies hitting streaming and on-demand platforms this weekend:
‘Mortal Kombat’
The new adaptation of the uber-popular, ultraviolent fighting game is better than the wretched ’90s movies. Many of the favorite arcade-ready characters return in a fantasy action film that finds MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) brought into an ages-old feud between the champions of Earth and dangerous baddies from Outworld. True, there’s barely a plot and it’s best to not expect Oscar-ready character development, but get ready for tons of kung fu fighting, plenty of gory fatalities, some techno music (obviously), decent special effects and even a little emotional depth.
● Where to watch: HBO Max
‘Stowaway’
In the near future, a mission to a Mars colony takes a bad turn for a threeman crew (Collette, Kim and Kendrick) when they discover an unconscious engineer (Shamier Anderson) hidden in their ship. Getting him out damages a life-support system, and the ensuing issues cause a moral conundrum about who lives and who dies.
● Where to watch: Netflix
‘The Marijuana Conspiracy’
Based on real events, the drama follows a group of five young Toronto women all needing fresh starts of some sort who sign up for a 98-day experiment studying the effects of daily marijuana usage. Internal strife, hooking up, female friendship and many, many joints ensue. The acting is solid enough (especially Julia Sarah Stone as a street kid), but the running time (this didn’t need to be over two hours) and a subplot involving the government make it a slog.
● Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now
‘Bloodthirsty’
The old Faustian bargain for fame gets a furry twist with this tale of an indie singer/songwriter (Lauren Beatty) haunted by visions of herself tearing apart and wolfing down an animal. Hoping to follow up her hit debut album, she decides to work with an infamous music producer (Greg Bryk), heads to his house with her skeptical girlfriend (Katharine King So) and is forced to deal with dark secrets and decisions about what she’ll do for success.
● Where to watch: Apple TV, Vudu, Fandango Now
‘Vanquish’
Freeman plays the heavy in this awful action thriller that’s over-stylized within an inch of its life and a narrative mess. “Vanquish” casts Ruby Rose as Victoria, a mother and caretaker whose daughter is kidnapped by her corrupt retired cop boss (Freeman). The only way to get the kid back is for Victoria to use her old skills as a Russian drug courier and do his criminal bidding for one night, and she leaves a bunch of dead gangster bodies in her wake.
● Where to watch: Amazon, Vudu, Fandango Now