New to Streaming: Friendship, Final Destination Bloodlines, An Incomplete Movie, and More

      Each week, we showcase the notable titles that have recently appeared on streaming platforms in the United States. Take a look at this week’s picks below and find previous compilations here.

      The Annihilation of Fish (Charles Burnett)

      Essentially considered a lost film, the legendary director Charles Burnett’s 1999 movie The Annihilation of Fish largely existed within the festival circuit (and in unofficial copies) for twenty-five years until a recent miraculous restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation. Even with well-known actors like James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave, a negative review from a prominent critic (who appeared unusually hesitant about the film’s risk-taking with tone) was sufficient to undermine its commercial chances with potential distributors. This film, which can be described as a romantic comedy centered on mental illness, contains an oddness that might be off-putting to some, yet it is perplexing, years later, that a film so openly emotional would be denied the audience it rightfully deserved. – Ethan V. (full interview)

      Where to Stream: VOD

      An Unfinished Film (Lou Ye)

      It seems apt that Lou’s so-called unfinished film did not come to a satisfying conclusion, but it presents an intriguing premise, remarkable buildup, and exceptionally meta storytelling. This pandemic-themed mockumentary serves as a bold response to censorship from the Chinese government and is one of the most creatively inspired works of the year. It follows a film crew's attempts to complete a stalled project during lockdown, exploring the essence of cinema through layered performances, memory reconstruction, and the experience of time. Intellectually stimulating and profoundly moving, it reflects on human resilience and an artist's responsibility to commemorate. – Zhuo-Ning Su

      Where to Stream: VOD

      Fight or Flight (James Madigan)

      James Madigan’s action movie Fight or Flight is compelling largely due to Josh Hartnett's performance. The story has a straightforward premise: a rogue black-ops government agency led by the formidable Katee Sackhoff must leverage the skills of an exiled mercenary (Hartnett) to protect an individual named Isha (Charithra Chandran) on an airplane. Naturally, the motivations behind this action are not selfless. Another twist is that most of the passengers are intent on killing Isha for a considerable bounty, forcing her to rely on the assassin she hardly knows for survival. – Dan M. (full review)

      Where to Stream: VOD

      Final Destination: Bloodlines (Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein)

      I prefer to refer to Final Destination: Bloodlines as a disaster movie pastiche rather than an outright horror comedy due to its main flaw: regardless of the comedic timing, the gore is diminished by a reliance on CGI rather than practical effects. In a time when even mediocre studio productions are starting to return to prosthetics, the digital bloodshed here feels less impactful, unless one considers the successfully executed comedic moments. The earlier films also did not primarily rely on traditional blood effects, and some scenes here could only have been created thanks to VFX specialists. However, when even simpler death scenes appear to have been pieced together in post-production, it becomes more challenging to recommend this to horror enthusiasts. I suspect the filmmakers are banking on audiences being too engaged in laughing to notice; their gamble worked for me in the moment. – Alistair R. (full review)

      Where to Stream: VOD

      Friendship (Andrew DeYoung)

      The enjoyment viewers derive from Andrew DeYoung’s Friendship is directly related to their appreciation for Tim Robinson's humor. The star of the meme-generating Netflix series I Think You Should Leave has built a fervent fanbase by crafting embarrassing situations and characters that oscillate between absurd rage and utter self-delusion. (Refer to the well-known “we’re all trying to find the guy who did this” meme.) In my opinion, I Think You Should Leave is among the funniest series of the past decade. Although Robinson's feature film as a lead does not reach the heights of his show, it remains a relentlessly funny, pitch-dark comedy. – Christopher S. (full review)

      Where to Stream: VOD

      Sally (Cristina Costantini)

      Recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Cristina Costantini’s poignant yet conventionally formatted documentary Sally chronicles the life of Sally Ride, the first American woman to journey into space, and the challenges she faced both in her personal and public life.

      Where to Stream: Disney+, Hulu

      Also New to Streaming

      Kino Film Collection

      Coming Out Under Fire, Truman, and Tennessee

      VOD

      Ash, Inside Jeannette