Stream on Demand: ‘Athlete A’ chronicles USA gymnastics doctor, victims
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
The documentary “Athlete A” (2020, PG-13) explores the abuse perpetrated by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar through the stories of the young women he betrayed, the journalists who uncovered the story and the culture that enabled his continued abuse. Streaming on Netflix.
Alfre Woodard plays a prison warden cracking under the burden of overseeing the execution of death row prisoners in the drama “Clemency” (2019, R), also starring Aldis Hodge and Richard Schiff. Streaming on Hulu.
Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in “Ford v Ferrari” (2019, PG-13), which retells the true story of the Ford Racing Team taking on the Italian champions at the 1966 Le Mans race. It won Oscars for film editing and sound editing. On HBO Max and all HBO platforms.
Matthew Rhys is “Perry Mason” (2020, TV-MA) in this prequel series, which imagines the origins of the famed lawyer as a seedy, cynical private detective in depression-era Los Angeles. It has nothing to do with the original novels or the popular TV series with Raymond Burr, but it’s a stylish production, handsome and shadowy, with a dark mystery at the center. Tatiana Maslany and John Lithgow also star in the limited series. New episodes arrives Sunday nights on HBO Max and all HBO platforms.
Binge alert: All 23 seasons of “South Park” (1997-2019, TV-MA), the cheerfully rude, satirically minded, cult animated comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone are now available to stream on HBO Max.
Classic pick: With baseball still up in the air this season, perhaps the beloved “The Pride of the Yankees” (1942) starring Gary Cooper as New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig can help ease the intermission. This Oscar-nominated story of the American Dream is pure Hollywood: craft, sentimentalism and star power wrapped in an irresistible drama. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Criterion Channel.
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
Jon Stewart writes and directs “Irresistible” (2020, R), a political satire starring Steve Carell and Rose Byrne as campaign strategists who bring national political theater to a small-town mayoral race. Originally slated for theaters, it debuts as a Premium VOD rental.
The drama “Burden” (2018, R) stars Forest Whitaker as a small-town priest who helps a member of the KKK (Garrett Hedlund) leave his violent past.
Netflix
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams play small-town singers with big dreams in “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (2020, not rated), a comedy set in in the world’s biggest song contest. Dan Stevens, Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato also star.
In the romantic comedy “Straight Up” (2019, not rated), a brilliant, obsessive-compulsive gay man who believes he might not be gay enters a relationship with a struggling actress that’s all talk and no sex.
Streaming TV: The nonfiction series “Home Game: Season 1” (not rated) explores traditional sports from cultures around the world. Also new:
cooking competition show “Crazy Delicious: Season 1” (not rated);
CW young adult sci-fi melodrama “Roswell, New Mexico: Season 2” (2019-2020, TV-14).
International cinema: “Lost Bullet” (France, 2020, TV-MA, with subtitles) is a lean, mean action thriller about a getaway driver (Alban Lenoir) who tries to clear his name when corrupt cops frame him for murder. Also new:
”Bulbbul” (India, 2020, not rated, with subtitles), a horror film about a remote village plagued by mysterious deaths; award-winning drama “Ordinary People” (Philippines, 2016, not rated, with subtitles) about teen pickpockets whose infant is kidnapped.
International TV: A young man from the country goes is search of his runway sister in Bogota in “All for Love: Season 1” (Colombia, not rated, with subtitles).
Also new is the romantic drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Season 1” (South Korea, not rated, with subtitles); two new episodes a week.
Standup: “Eric Andre: Legalize Everything” (2020, not rated).
Available Saturday is the third and final season of the compelling science-fiction thriller “Dark” (Germany, TV-MA, with subtitles).
Amazon Prime Video
“My Spy” (2020, PG-13), an action comedy starring Dave Bautista as a CIA agent with a tag-along 9-year-old girl, bypasses theaters for a streaming debut.
All four seasons of the family sitcom “Life in Pieces” (2016-2019, TV-14) with Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt and Dianne Wiest are now available..
Kid stuff: New episodes of the animated “Pete the Cat” (2020, TV-Y) are now available.
Gary Cooper is “The Westerner” (1940) in William Wyler’s classic western co-starring Walter Brennan in an Oscar-winning performance as the infamous Judge Roy Bean.
Cult: Jack Nicholson and Adam Rourke are “Hell’s Angels on Wheels” (1967) in this minor but entertaining ‘60s biker flick.
Available on Saturday is action comedy “Guns Akimbo” (2020) with Daniel Radcliffe.
Hulu
The horror anthology “XX” (2017, R) features short films by women directors: Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), Karyn Kusama, Roxanne Benjamin and Jovanka Vuckovic.
The documentary “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band” (2019, R) revisits the origins and legacy of the iconic musical group from the perspective of Robertson.
HBO Max
The second season of “Doom Patrol” (TV-MA), the offbeat superhero series created for DC Universe, and the third season of the TBS cult series “Search Party” (TV-MA) debut simultaneously on HBO Max. New episodes of each show drop every Thursday.
Kid stuff: The animated “Scoob!” (2020, PG), the origin story of Scooby Doo and Shaggy, is available mere weeks after its Premium VOD debut. The comic adventure features a twist of mystery, global apocalypse and a guest cast of B-roster superheroes. The voice cast includes Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Amanda Seyfried and Zac Efron. Also new:
”Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO” (2020, TV-PG), the first of four animated specials spun off from the Cartoon Network series;
”Esme & Roy: Season 2” (TV-Y), an animated show for young kids.
Other streams
“Isolation Stories” offers four short dramas about families coping with isolation during the COVID-19 crisis. The British series makes its stateside debut on BritBox.
The second season of Jordan Peele’s revival of “The Twilight Zone” (TV-MA) now streams on CBS All Access; new episodes each Thursday.
Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska are “Charlie’s Angels” (2019, PG-13) in the colorful big screen reboot of the ‘70s TV series from Elizabeth Banks. Now on Starz.
“Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2” (TV-PG), a six-episode behind-the-scenes docuseries, debuts in its entirety on Disney+. Also new this week is the animated “Tarzan” (1999, G) featuring the voices of Tony Goldwyn and Minnie Driver.
The documentary “Dads” (2020, TV-14) celebrates modern fatherhood through the stories of dads from around the world. Bryce Dallas Howard directs. It debuts on Apple TV+.
Jonathan Caouette’s “Tarnation” (2003, not rated), a mix of autobiographical documentary and film diary, makes its streaming debut on Criterion Channel. Also new:
a collection of films “Directed by Mike Leigh,” including Oscar nominees “Vera Drake” (2004, R) with Imelda Staunton, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (2008, R) with Sally Hawkins, and “Another Year” (2010, PG-13) with Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen;
”Jazz Shorts 1929–1939,” a collection of 10 short films featuring Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington and others;
Luchino Visconti’s “Death in Venice” (Italy, 1971, not rated), presented with supplements from the Criterion disc release;
”Olivia” (France, 1951, with subtitles), a neglected landmark of lesbian cinema from filmmaker Jacqueline Audrey.
Now available at Redbox
“Burden,” “The Legion”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews can be found at streamondemandathome.com.