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 Netflix – Hit Man
Director Richard Linklater is responsible for a plethora of incredible films, including Dazed & Confused, Boyhood, and so many more.
With his most recent film Hit Man, he provides one of the funniest, most enjoyable comedies of the year.
Gary Johnson is the epitome of boring – He's a hapless college professor with a run-of-the-mill existence. But behind the malaise of his day job, he also moonlights as a hit man to catch would-be clients for the city police department.
But when Gary falls in love with a woman who tries to hire him, things get messy and intensely dangerous quickly.
Glen Powell has been all over the big screen lately, with turns in Anyone But You, Top Gun: Maverick, and Twisters. Hit Man may be his best performance yet.
The rest of the cast – including Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, and Sanjay Rao – are all fabulous. But it’s the chemistry between Arjona and Powell that really brings this one home.
It will make you laugh and keep you absolutely entertained, and it’s another hit for the illustrious Linklater filmography.
On Amazon Prime Video – Immaculate
A horror film is only as good as the lead performance.
I stand by the fact that Halloween isn’t half as effective without Jamie Lee Curtis or Silence Of The Lambs falters without Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
A grandiose, memorable performance can elevate a film in the genre, and Immaculate is a brave, intense performance from Sydney Sweeney.
She plays nun Cecilia, who heads to the Italian countryside to assume a role at a famous convent. But things aren’t as picturesque as they seem, and soon she realizes something is very wrong.
Chalk full of terrifying imagery and jump scares, it’s not an incredibly surprising movie. But Director Michael Mohan has a keen eye for suspense, and Sweeney makes this one a great vehicle for her talents.
She leaves you transfixed on her, and she shows a depth and range I wasn’t fully appreciative of. It’s a gory, frightening good time, and it’s made even better by its star.
On Crave – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
I’m always skeptical of a cash-grab, and to see director George Miller going back to the Mad Max well so many years after Fury Road was worrying.
I went into Furiosa – an origin story for the popular Fury Road character – with a cautious optimism, and I was absolutely stunned.
The beautiful cinematography, perfect editing, and stunning set pieces truly brought this wasteland world to life. It follows Furiosa, a renegade who becomes a powerful piece in a war between two factions attempting to rule in a dystopian landscape,
Miller’s film is entertaining, darkly funny and full of absolutely fantastic performances. Anya Taylor-Joy is fabulous, and conveys emotion with barely any dialogue. Chris Hemsworth is nearly unrecognizable as the villainous Dementus.
See it for the performances alone, and the spectacle will leave you delighted.
On Apple+ -- Presumed Innocent
Jake Gyllenhaal is one of my favourite actors, and he brings so much depth to the lead in this courtroom thriller.
He stars as Chicago Prosecutor Rusty Sabich, who becomes a suspect in the brutal slaying of another attorney in his office. He had an affair with the woman, and all the circumstantial evidence leads to him.
Apple+ doesn’t have the best reputation for sterling content, but this summer show has me absolutely hooked.
The performances are rock solid, with Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Bill Camp, Renate Reinsve, and O-T Fagbenle all giving amazing turns. But Peter Sarsgaard is a standout as he goes toe-to-toe with titan Gyllenhaal.
I haven’t quite finished, but the first half of the season is a masterclass in dramatic television.
On Disney+ -- Young Woman & The Sea
One of my favourite film sub-genres are the Disney sports movie, and Young Woman & the Sea is a triumph.
This story of Gertrude Ederle, a young woman who overcomes sickness and adversity to become a competitive swimmer, is breathtaking.
In 1926, she was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, and this film does a wonderful job at portraying her journey.
Daisy Ridley has her best role here since Rey in the new Star Wars films, and she knocks it out of the park.
This may be Stephen Graham’s best work since Boardwalk Empire, and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Glenn Fleshler, Jeanette Haim, and Christopher Eccleston are clearly having a good time.
It’s a story about breaking the mould and succeeding against all odds, and I loved it wholeheartedly.
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 filmgoer 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]
