Looking for your next binge-worthy series or film to add to your streaming queue? Check back with Village Life every Friday for Jordan Parker's comprehensive insights on the week's most buzz-worthy programs from top streaming services like Netflix, Crave, Amazon Prime, and beyond.
On Crave – Ticket To Paradise
There was a time not-so-long ago when romantic comedies were box-office behemoths. Audiences – not as discerning as they are today – went to the movies for fun and escape.
The genre provided both, and with two A-list actors in the lead roles, the movies were always well-received by fans, even if they weren't critic-proof.
Ticket To Paradise isn't a profound film, but writer-director Ol Parker infuses enough fun and lighthearted energy to make this worth checking out.
George Clooney and Julia Roberts star in this breezy, tropical-location flick about bitter, divorced parents who find common ground when they try to keep their young daughter from getting married.
The two travel to Bali for a wedding their wistful young daughter Lily is planning, with the intent to team up and break up the nuptials, thinking she is too young and naive to commit.
Clooney and Roberts are fabulous, and make even the cringe-worthy moments shine. Billie Lourd, Kaitlyn Dever and Maxime Bouttier co-star in a February 2022 release that put some pep back into movie-going last winter.
It's all fluff and fun, and will have few surprises. But you'll definitely get some chuckles and smiles out of this one.
On Netflix – The Batman
Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' is one of my absolute favourite films of all time. So when DC decided to release this new incarnation, I was incensed.
Then the trailers started coming out – I realized this would be no run-of-the-mill re-tooling. Writer-director Matt Reeves (known for 'Cloverfield', the 'Planet Of The Apes' remakes, and 'Let Me In') creates a whole new world here that is vivid and dark.
Robert Pattinson stars here as Bruce Wayne/Batman, who begins investigating a serial killer who is murdering politicians in Gotham.
But things go deeper than he ever expected, and soon he realizes the Wayne legacy may be tied up in it as well.
The Batman plays more like a crime noir than a comic-book movie, and in an L.A. Confidential, old-school way, it excels.
Pattinson is neither better or worse than Christian Bale, but he is different in a myriad of ways. Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturo, Andy Serkis, and Peter Sarsgaard make up an amazing cast.
But it's the villains here who give everyone a run for their money – Colin Farrell and Paul Dano are revelatory. While they may not reach the heights of Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning role, they are so stunning that their scenes light the screen.
The Batman is an incredible film – complicated and overarching, and I count it among the best films of last year.
On Disney+ -- The Bear
After an exclusive Hulu release, we now have The Bear's second season on Disney in Canada.
Nominated for 13 Emmy's this year, it follows Carmen, a world-class chef working in a sandwich joint on the brink of bankruptcy.
He's ripped from the fine dining world back to Chicago when his brother dies, and he's left to run the family show with his unorthodox cousin.
'Shameless' star Jeremy Allen White is Emmy-worthy, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach shows huge gravitas as cousin Richie. Oliver Platt, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, and more fill out a fantastic cast.
It's funny, warm, nerve-wracking and heartbreaking all in one. It'll make you equal parts hungry and you'll be left tearing up. This is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Period.
On Amazon Prime Video – Bullet Train
In a world of carbon-copy fight scenes, Marvel movies, fighting robots and multi-verse story lines, more movies need to be as original as Bullet Train.
It follows five assassins on a train pushing to find one target, but those aboard soon realize they have more in common than they realized.
Director David Leitch (who made 'John Wick', 'Atomic Blonde', and 'Deadpool 2') delivers another fabulous, witty action film with plenty of surprises.
Brad Pitt proves he still has plenty left in the tank here in a charming, intelligent role, but this really is a film that works best as an ensemble piece. Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Bad Bunny, Logan Lerman, Zazie Beetz, and Michael Shannon star.
That said, there are so many shocks, surprises and cameos that you always need to be on your toes – This one is so much fun.
Bullet Train is wacky, wild and has a plot that moves mile-a-minute. For once I didn't know where the train would end, and that was a blessing.
On Paramount+ -- Hell Or High Water
One of the best films of the 2000s, this is a movie that catapulted 'Yellowstone' creator Taylor Sheridan into the A-list conversation.
Sheridan wrote his second film here – following the ambitious 'Sicario' – and it remains one of his most affecting efforts.
When two brothers – Toby, a struggling, divorced father and his ex-con brother Tanner – plan a series of bank heists, they target the institution set to foreclose on their family ranch.
Desperate and reeling, they attempt to make big cash while staying out of the prison, even while jaded cop Marcus Hamilton is hot on their trail.
Nominated for four Oscars, this film works because of the talent in front of the camera. Chris Pine serves his best role up in his career, Ben Foster is characteristically terrifying, and Jeff Bridges gives an Oscar-nominated turn.
It's a movie I could watch over-and-over, and Hell Or High Water will rock you to your core.
About The Author:
Jordan Parker is a freelance journalist and runs entertainment firm Parker PR. A huge lover and supporter of the local arts scene, he’s an avid film-goer and lover of all genres.
A 2SLGBTQIA+ professional, he also works doing Events & Fundraising for the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia, and has a passion for giving a platform to queer events and artists.
His writing often skews toward local businesses, productions, events, and covering arts & entertainment. He’s also an avid sports fan and spends every May getting let down by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs.
Jordan believes in an open-door policy, and welcomes story pitches and questions from readers.
Email: [email protected]
