All the major streaming apps are not adding a great many movies as yet, so we will be covering some we overlooked. Also, we will add what is coming later in the month. There are some good movies out there, especially some that have been under the radar. So lets get to them.
Streaming On Hulu
One of the best new acclaimed movies on Hulu is Columbus, the first movie written and directed by Kogonada, a Vimeo video essayist. It’s a visually impressive debut, featuring the architecture of Columbus, Ohio. It stars John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson.And if you just saw Lady Bird, and want more movie like it, try this one. It’s visually impressive and gets a 98% on RottenTomatoes. And if you want something even more avant garde, Hulu offers Frank. A comedy about a musician(Michael Fassbender) that always wears a fake head. It can be a bit trying, but also stars Maggie Gyllenhall and Domhnall Gleeson, and gets 3 of 4 stars on rogerebert.com. So give it a try. On January 15th, Hulu adds We Need to Talk About Kevin, with Tilda Swinton. It also stars John C. Reilly and was directed by Lynne Ramsay. It rates a 7.5 from imdb, but it’s too scary for me. On January 22, Ingrid Goes West comes to Hulu, with Elizabeth Olsen, Aubrey Plaza and O’Shea Jackson Jr. It won the Walter Salt Screenwriting Award and is worth viewing. Finally, on January 24, Hulu presents Detroit, directed by Katherine Bigelow and starring John Boyega, Will Pouther and Algee Smith. It won high praise and is Bigelow’s take on the riots in Detroit, in 1967.
Streaming on Netflix
The movie The Polka King, with Jack Black, is coming to Netflix on January 12. It’s about Jan Lewan, a polka star who was actually involved in a Ponzi scheme as well. It’s based on a true story and won wide acclaim at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. And , coming Jan 19, is The Open House, a supernatural thriller with Dylan Minette, Piercey Dalton and Sharif Atkins. The trailer is certainly scary enough for me. And, if you miss Jerry Seinfeld, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is back for another season. Jim Carrey is the guest on the first new episode, with more great comedians and notables to come.
Streaming on Amazon
Some of the most exciting movies to stream this January are the Sundance Film Festival offerings on Amazon Prime. There are 15 movies available, but I will include my favorite few. First, there is One week and a Day, an Israeli movie about a couple grieving the loss of their son. It stars Shai Avivi, Evgenia Dodina and Tomer Capon. It’s funny and sad, and received 5 out of 5 stars on rogerebert.com and gets an 89% on rottentomatoes.com. Next, Amazon offers 500 years, about Guatemala’s recent history told from the viewpoint of the majority indigenous Maya population. It gets 100% on rottentomates.com and is the last in a trilogy by director Pamela Yates. Finally, Amazon has Free and Easy. It stars Xu Gang, Zhang Zhiyong and Zue Baohe and is a Chinese version of a Buster Keaton movie. It won the Special Jury Award for Cinematic Vision at Sundance. And Amazon offers Machines, an Indian documentary directed by Rahul Jain. It’s about the harsh reality about life at a giant textile factory in Gujarat, India. It won the Sundance Jury award for Excellence for cinematography.
So, even in January, there is a lot of great stuff out there in the ether to view. So sit,relax and veg out for a few hours in front of the TV.
Grownups Guide to Streaming 