What to Watch on HBO Max & Hulu - Aug 2022
HBO Max
Source Code – 2011
Source code, staring Jake Gyllenhaal, is a story about a man in a unique situation who’s given the opportunity to stop a disaster…a disaster that’s already happened. It’s a meaty and unique sci-fi drama with plenty of appeal for a broad audience.
Ex Machina – 2014
This instant sci-fi classic from visionary director Alex Garland features a tech billionaire-genius who brings an employee from his company to his secluded mansion to test out his newest creation: an android who may be the first sentient AI. But things are not all they seem at the mansion, leaving one to wonder who is testing whom.
Pulp Fiction – 1994
A cult classic from the mid-90s, Pulp fiction features an All-star cast of John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Uma Thurman. Arguably director Quentin Tarintino’s archetype film, this film follows two mob hitman in an interweaved story about violence and revenge.
Miss Congeniality – 2000
A modern day My Fair Lady, Miss Congeniality tells the story of a gruff and uncivilized female cop who must go undercover as a beauty pageant contestant to prevent a terror attack. The movie provides a quintessential Sandra Bullock performance as well as a stand out supporting performance from the always excellent Michael Caine.
Dodgeball – 2004
Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Rip Torn, Christine Taylor. This comedy is arguably the archetype of 2000s era comedy. Dodgeball is the hilarious story of a bunch of underachieving losers who compete in a dodgeball tournament to save their local gym. This movie struck such a chord that it actually relaunched dodgeball leagues all over the country.
Hulu
Groundhog Day – 1993
Bill Murray and Andie McDowell star in this comedy-drama about a man who finds himself stuck in Punxetawney, PA reliving Groundhog Day over and over again. This movie is low-key one of the best character development stories in cinema history. It accurately depicts the journey of a man from narcissistic uselessness to a life of purpose and meaning with all the ups and downs in between.
Dan In Real Life – 2007
Dan in Real Life is a heart-felt story of a widower doing his best to try to raise his 3 girls. Life gets infinitely more complicated when Dan falls in love with his brother’s girlfriend on a family vacation. Steve Carrell provides excellent character drama in a movie that seamlessly takes you from laughter to embarrassment to caring to poignancy.
In the Line of Fire – 1993
Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich star in this 1993 drama about a would-be presidential assassin who becomes obsessed with the secret service agent attempting to catch him. The back and forth between Malkovich and Eastwood drives the story forward as the tension slowly builds toward the inevitable showdown. It’s a standout movie from a era of great dramas.
Death On The Nile – 2022
The second recent installment of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot detective character starring Kenneth Branagh (who also directs the film.) Death on the Nile is a slow burn classic murder mystery story that mostly takes place aboard a river cruise down the Nile. If you like murder mysteries and quirky memorable detectives; this movie is for you.
Logan Lucky – 2017
Logan Lucky is the story of two brothers who attempt to pull off a heist from of a high profile NASCAR race. Director Steven Soderbergh is a veteran of fantastic heist films as he was behind the camera for the Ocean’s movies a decade earlier. This time Soderbergh trades in the high elitism of Ocean’s for good old southern redneck flavor and charm. Logan Lucky is loaded with humor and memorable characters that move along a surprisingly sophisticated and intricate storyline. If you want entertainment at it’s highest level, check out this underrated film. But make sure you do so by the end of the month as it’s leaving at the end of August.
