Not much on the series front, but this week’s movie streaming releases are stacked, led by Oscar-hopeful Killers of the Flower Moon, sci-fi blockbuster The Creator, the VOD debut of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, and more.
SERIES
The Artful Dodger S1
17 January 2024 – Disney+
I guess somebody looked at Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist and said, “Please, sir. I want some more,” because here we are with a new TV series sequel to that classic literary tale. Set in 1850s Australia, The Artful Dodger sees Thomas Brodie-Sangster as a grown-up version of Jack Dawkins, aka the titular pickpocket street gang leader who has now gone on to become a renowned surgeon in the aforementioned British colony down under. But Jack’s successful life on the straight and narrow is secretly more desperate than he lets on. Good thing his old criminal mentor Fagin (David Thewlis) has just shown up with a plan on how to get Jack out of his troubles and make some cash in the process.
MOVIES
Killers of the Flower Moon
12 January 2024 – Apple TV+
Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese’s western crime drama already made history earlier this week as Lily Gladstone become the first Indigenous person to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture and is looking to win big at the Oscars as well. As great as she is though, there’s a whole lot more to praise in this hugely anticipated production. Frequent Scorsese collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, alongside Gladstone, lead a stacked ensemble to tell the harrowing true story of what played out in 1920s Oklahoma after oil was discovered on Osage Nation tribal land. A series of murders of the indigenous people drew the attention of the FBI who would uncover a conspiracy to steal the wealth of the locals. At a whopping 206-minutes, this one is lengthy and very heavy to watch, but worth it, according to consensus.
Lift
12 January 2024 – Netflix
If you need something much lighter and more fun, Lift has got you covered. Directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Fast & Furious 8) and led by Kevin Hart, this slick heist caper follows an international crew as they attempt to pull off the seemingly impossible job of stealing… sorry, “lifting” $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet in the air. Don’t expect too much from this one. Just switch off your brain, break out your popcorn, and enjoy.
Role Play
12 January 2024 – Prime Video
If you’re after some more low-effort movie thrills, Prime Video has you covered with Role Play. The very likeable duo of Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo star in this action comedy as Emma and Dave Brackett, a happily married suburban couple with a great family life. When they decide to spice things up in the bedroom with some role play though, Dave discovers that Emma is a bit too good at pretending… and that’s because it’s actually her job as she has a secret life as a covert assassin for hire!
The Creator
17 January 2024 – Disney+
Straddling the line between more popcorn thrills and deeper cinema comes The Creator, the latest sci-fi extravaganza from filmmaker Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla), who somehow managed to take a relatively meagre $80 million budget and transform it into a movie with visuals that surpasses those of blockbusters costing triple that amount. Set in the near future, after a devastating war breaks out between humans and artificial intelligence, The Creator follows John David Washington’s Taylor, an ex-special forces operative previously tasked with tracking down and eliminating rogue AI rebel cells until a personal tragedy forced him to walk away. But when Taylor is recruited to help track down and kill the AI’s mysterious “Creator” after they reportedly have developed a game-changing new weapon, he finds himself in an impossible situation when the “weapon” ends up being a young girl. Well, kinda.
VOD RENTALS/PURCHASES
The following movies have recently become available for digital purchase/rental:
Napoleon
Purchase: Google Play Movies – R200
Rental: Google Play Movies – R170
Celebrated director Ridley Scott returns to the historical epic genre he so masterfully dabbled in before with the multiple-Oscar-winning Gladiator. One of those Oscars was courtesy of the performance of Joaquin Phoenix, who now reteams with Scott to play the titular role of Napoleon Bonaparte. The 2.5-hour long drama depicts the rise and fall of the infamous French Emperor and his relentless quest for power, spurred on by his volatile wife, Josephine, brought to life brilliantly by Vanessa Kirby. Thanks to a bit of narrative bloat and Scott’s lack of adherence to historical accuracy, Napoleon proved divisive with critics, but all agree that the sprawling battles and fantastic work by Phoenix and Kirby are still amazing to behold.