Couch Cinema: Weekly Streaming Roundup (September 12th-18th, 2024)

— Selecting a movie or series from streaming apps can be a daunting task, and I appreciate the value of a good recommendation. Whether it’s a film you’ve never heard of or one you’ve been meaning to watch but forgot about, just having someone suggest a title can make all the difference. Each week, I’ll share a curated mix of personal recommendations that I’ve seen and films and series from my own watchlist. I’ll spotlight a few titles that have just landed on streaming services and highlight why they might deserve your attention. If this helps you find something to watch, then mission accomplished. —

INTO THE FIRE: THE LOST DAUGHTER (2024)

Netflix | 151 min | Rated TV-MA | Directed by Ryan White

Going in blind to this documentary, I was blown away by how engaging it was. Following a woman who finds out that the daughter she put up for adoption is missing and presumed dead. But, her instinct tells her something’s wrong and what unfolds is a chilling true crime exploration the likes that I’ve never seen.

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CIVIL WAR (2024)

A24 | 109 min | Rated R | Directed by Alex Garland

One of my favorite films of the year, Alex Garland delivers an alternate universe where the United States are in another Civil War. Following a few members of the press as they attempt to infiltrate Washington D.C. before forces can get to the president, their interstate travel is horrific and, unfortunately, too real.

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AGATHA ALL ALONG (2024) | Episodes 1 & 2

Marvel Studios | 85 min | Rated TV-14 | Directed by Jac Schaeffer

Picking up where “Wandavision” (and presumedly “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness”) left off, Kathryn Hahn returns as the fan favorite witch, Agatha. She’s forming a coven with the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Debra Jo Rupp in the latest installment from Marvel Studios and their Cinematic Universe.

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BORGMAN (2013)

Drafthouse | 113 min | Not Rated | Directed by Alex van Warmerdam

Dark films like this always pique my attention. Having been interested in seeing this for over a decade now, I believe it’s finally time to see it. Described as a vagrant haunting the lives of the rich, it looks distrubing in all the best ways.

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MY SON (2021)

Roku Channel | 90 min | Rated R | Directed by Christian Carion

There’s two reasons this lands as a slightly relevant movie to suggest right now. For starters, it stars James McAvoy, who is currently starring in the thriller “Speak No Evil,” now playing in theaters. But, exactly like “Speak No Evil,” this film is also a remake of a 2017 French film (“Mon garçon”).

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HANDLING THE UNDEAD (2024)

NEON | 97 min | Rated R | Directed by Thea Hvistendahl

Premiering during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, this zombie film is one I need to give another chance. Every year that I take part, I wonder if I’d like certain films more if I weren’t cramming in as many as I possibly can during the festival window. Renate Reinsve from “The Worst Person in the World” stars.

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TRUST (2010)

Millennium | 106 min | Rated R | Directed by David Schwimmer

Not only do Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Jason Clarke, and Viola Davis all star in this heartbreaking drama, but it’s directed by “Friends” alum David Schwimmer, who was just in the news for stating that he regrets turning down a role in the film “Men In Black.”

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LEGO STAR WARS: REBUILD THE GALAXY (2024)

Netflix | 104 min | Rated TV-Y7-FV | Directed by Chris Buckley

Nowhere on my radar, I was pleased to find that this LEGO mini-series takes the legacy of Star Wars and turns it on its head, begging the questions like what would Jar-Jar Binks be like as a Sith Lord and what if Luke Skywalker was just a regular guy?

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BIRTH/REBIRTH (2023)

IFC Films | 98 min | Rated R | Directed by Laura Moss

A film I saw as part of last year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, it’s inspired by the 1818 novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. However, in this iteration, Marin Ireland is the evil scientist, bringing the daughter of Judy Reyes back to life and all the evil that this unfolds.

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JUDY (2019)

Roadside | 118 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by Rupert Goold

Winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Judy Garland, Renée Zellweger is unrecognizable in the film, which was also nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, but lost to Lionsgate’s “Bombshell.”

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IN A VIOLENT NATURE (2024)

IFC Films | 94 min | Not Rated | Directed by Chris Nash

One of the most original horror films in recent memory, Chris Nash brilliantly flips the narrative of slasher films in a simple but effective way, following the murderous antagonist throughout the runtime, rather than the people that are being stalked and gruesomely killed.

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VANITY FAIR (2004)

Focus Features | 140 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by Mira Nair

Right after starring in this film, actress Reese Witherspoon would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in “Walk The Line,” so this film would mark the end of an era for her. And somehow, with a well-known ensemble cast, I missed this one completely.

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BOY KILLS WORLD (2024)

Lionsgate | 111 min | Rated R | Directed by Moritz Mohr

Feeling like a watered down version of “John Wick,” this film may not be one of the best films of the year, but it’s still fun to watch Bill Skarsgård kick some ass and listen to H. Jon Benjamin (of “Archer” fame) delivery some humorous voice-over dialogue, acting as Skarsgård’s inner voice, as his character is mute.

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SALEM’S LOT (1979)

Warner Bros | 179 min | Rated PG | Directed by Tobe Hooper

With October approaching as well as the new adaptation of the Stephen King novel coming to HBO Max in just mere weeks, this is the perfect time to revisit the original 1979 mini-series version, directed by horror icon Tobe Hooper (“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”).

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HEELS (2021-2023)

Starz | 2 Seasons | Rated TV-MA | Created by Michael Waldron

As someone who enjoyed professional wrestling when I was younger as well as the series “Arrow,” the combination of the sport and Stephen Amell piques my interest. Having loved both the Netflix series “G.L.O.W.” and “Wrestlers,” along with A24’s “The Iron Claw,” this feels like it could fill the void left by those.

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EUPHORIA (2017)

Freestyle | 98 min | Rated R | Directed by Lisa Langseth

Alicia Vikander and Eva Green both star in a 2017 dramatic film alongside Charlotte Rampling and Charles Dance and yet somehow I don’t remember hearing about this film and consequentially never saw it.

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THREE WOMEN (2024) | Episode 1

Starz | 60 min | Rated TV-MA | Directed by Louise N. D. Friedberg

Shailene Woodley stars as a writer traveling the country, finding inspiration in three different women’s very unique love lives. The series originally aired in Australia and is now reaching America through the Starz network.

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THE OLD MAN: SEASON 2 (2024) | Episodes 1 & 2

FX | 96 min | Rated TV-MA | Directed by Steve Boyum & Jet Wilkinson

Having watched the first season of “The Old Man” back when it came out in 2022, I feel obligated to continue with the story now that it has returned. Starring Jeff Bridges as a former CIA operative forced out of hiding, who is chased by John Lithgow and Alia Shawkat, all of whom are connected by more than just the pursuit.

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FREAKONOMICS: THE MOVIE (2010)

Magnolia | 86 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by Various

If there’s one book that I find myself referencing more than any other that I read during college, it’s “Freakonomics.” Finding mindblowing correlations between two seemingly unrelated things, the book, and subsequently, the film, draw lines connecting things like legalized abortion and a reduction in crime.

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THE LISTENER (2024)

Vertical | 96 min | Not Rated | Directed by Steve Buscemi

Having wanted to see this film during one of the Sundance Film Festivals, it slipped under the radar in getting released and is now streaming. Directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson, this looks like one of the life-affirming dramas that takes place in limited locations.

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UGLIES (2024)

Netflix | 100 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by McG

There’s something magnetic about the actress Joey King and I find her endlessly charming. And even though her latest film doesn’t look like it’s quite up my alley, I’m still willing to give it a chance to see her in it. Plus, with a director like McG attached, I know it will at least be competently made.

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LOST & FOUND (1999)

Warner Bros | 97 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by Jeff Pollack

After his stint on “Saturday Night Live,” it’s fair to say David Spade received a huge bump in popularity by starring in “Tommy Boy” and “Black Sheep” alongside Chris Farley. But after Farley passed in 1997, Spade would find his own way in comedies that constantly circulated basic cable, like this one.

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MY BLIND BROTHER (2016)

Orion | 83 min | Rated R | Directed by Sophie Goodhart

How a film containing this much comedic talent got passed me in 2016 is baffling. Starring Adam Scott, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, and Zoe Kazan, this dark dramedy premiered at South by Southwest and was based on a Palme d’Or nominated short film.

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TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (2011)

Paramount | 154 min | Rated PG-13 | Directed by Michael Bay

With the animated film “Transformers One” opening in theaters this weekend, why not stream one of the Michael Bay “Transformers” films, which get way more hate than they deserve. The last installment starring Shia LaBeouf, “Dark of the Moon” always felt like the end of an era.

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