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 – Fair Play
The most interesting thing about Fair Play is that it manages to serve as a harsh examination of corporate culture while also serving as a heartbreaking love story.
Emily and Luke are celebrating their engagement secretly, as they don’t want their co-workers at a cut-throat hedge fund finding out they’re together. They fear reprimands or less opportunity at the office if they’re exposed.
But when Emily receives a coveted promotion over presumed front-runner Luke, the shifting power dynamic in the office begins to affect their relationship as a whole.
Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich are fantastic together, and their interplay and layered performances make this work. Eddie Marsan also gives a snarling performance as their awful boss. These three performances alone are reason to watch.
What’s more is that writer-director Chloe Domont manages to make a sensitive, emotionally-jarring film that will leave you truly speechless.
Erotic thrillers are few and far between these days, despite the days where films like Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, and Indecent Proposal were surefire hits. So the fact that Fair Play is so strikingly fantastic is a welcome change.
On Amazon Prime Video – Dumb Money
This hilarious film follows the stock market and the real-life phenomenon around GameStop stock that shook the trading industry.
The video game titan suddenly became the world’s hottest commodity when everyday people began buying stock, and soon Wall Street was fighting against the everyday person so they wouldn’t lose their shirts.
It became a corporate greed versus the little guy story that everyone could get behind, and made heroes out of those who made the GameStop stock famous.
Paul Dano, Vincent D’Onofrio, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan, Nick Offerman, and Anthony Ramos make up for an absolutely star-studded cast.
Director Craig Gillespe makes a film that’s easy to understand and undoubtedly hilarious, and this cast hits it out of the park.
On Crave – True Detective: Night Country
This anthology show has had a bit of a rough ride. With a first season that absolutely stunned audiences, the following iteration was a disappointment.
Mahershala Ali led the 2019 third season, but we had to wait five long years for a follow-up. I am happy to report that True Detective: Night Country hit all the right notes in its premiere.
It’s set in smalltown Ennis, Alaska, where seven men at a research station go missing without a trace. Detective Danvers and Navarro begin to unravel clues, but soon find they’re getting more than they bargained for.
Jodie Foster is fantastic and Danvers, but something tells me lesser-known Kali Reis is going to blow us away this season. Co-starring Oscar nominee John Hawkes, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, and Isabella LaBlanc, this one is shaping up to be one heck of a thrill ride.
On Disney+ -- The Siege
I often remember Denzel Washington for films like Remember The Titans, Training Day, and The Equalizer franchise. But frankly, a ton of his 1990s worth shows just how commanding a presence he’s always had.
The Siege represents the re-teaming of director Edward Zwick and Washington, who made magic with Courage Under Fire and Glory (which won Washington an Oscar). While The Siege doesn’t reach the heights of those films, it does represent a truly incredible action entry.
Washington plays agent Anthony Hubbard, who is tasked with stopping terrorist attacks in New York City. The residents are placed under martial law as the bombers demand the release of a terrorist they suspect the U.S. kidnapped.
Washington is joined by Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, and Lance Reddick, and all of them give fantastic performances.
It definitely isn’t a classic film, but to see all these actors in a tense, intelligent genre film, this is a good bet.
On Paramount+ -- Self Reliance
Sometimes you truly just need to sit down with a low-stakes, silly movie that will provide you with pure escapism. Self Reliance is that movie.
New Girl alum Jake Johnson writes, directs, and stars in this chuckle-filled romp, and he does some of the best work of his career.
When Tommy — a lonely man who can’t get over a recent break-up — joins up for a mysterious reality show to jolt some excitement in his life, he soon gets in over his head.
The stakes are life-or-death, and the game is a whole lot more difficult and intricate than Tommy expected. He soon realizes he has more to fight for than he realizes, and things change for him.
Johnson is so charming and affable here, and co-star Anna Kendrick matches his energy perfectly. Andy Samberg is hilarious playing himself, and Mary Holland, Emily Hampshire, Daryl J. Johnson, Nancy Lenehan, and Biff Wiff are all committed.
I really enjoyed this one. It won’t change your life, but it is the absolutely perfect film to allow you to turn your brain off for 90 minutes.
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]
