The Top 5 Streaming Titles Of The Week: Get 'Mud' All Over Your Living Room
Rejoice! We got a strong list this week. At the top is Jeff Nichols’ "Mud," which once more proves why the director is one of the rising stars in the biz. Then there’s Joe Swanberg’s "Drinking Buddies," which comes out same day as it hits theaters and marks his first time with a name cast at his disposal. And for those skipping your summer reading, we got come classic adaptations available on Hulu.
1. 'Mud'
Following his hit "Take Shelter" in 2011, director Jeff Nichols returns with this thriller about friendship and coming of age. After two teens befriend a stranger (Matthew McConaughey) living on an island in the Mississippi, they are instantly entangled in a situation they can’t understand and have to grow up quick to figure out. Nichols once more shows why he’s one of the best young American directors working today.
Why Watch It: McConaughey's streak of impressive character choices continues. Read our review.
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant [On Demand 8/6]
2. 'Drinking Buddies'
In his first star-heavy film, Joe Swanberg takes his slightly improvish, DIY aesthetic and thrusts Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Jake Johnson and Ron Livingston in the mix. Kate (Wilde) and Luke (Johnson) work together and seem to be more than friends. But Kate is with Chris (Livingson) and Luke is with Jill (Kendrick). Both couples are dealing with their own issues and things only get more complicated when Kate and Luke start getting honest with each other… thanks to lots and lots of beer.
Why Watch It: A step up in production value for Swanberg, but if you enjoy his intimate tales of love and internal strife you’ll be happy to know that hasn't been lost. Read our full review.
Available On 7/25: Cable On Demand
3. 'The Place Beyond The Pines'
An epic story that polarized critics and audiences alike, Derek Cianfrance follows his Oscar-nominated "Blue Valentine" with a story of two families whose lives intersect over the course of decades. Full of rich visuals and a haunting performance by a tattoo-heavy Ryan Gosling, Cianfrance may not fully have reached his goal of keying in on the moral dilemmas his characters face (or perhaps just played around with it too much as the film clocks in at 140 minutes), but there are some amazing sequences, especially those of Gosling as a carny turned bank robber.
Why Watch It: Great performances turned in by Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn and Bradley Cooper. Read our full review.
Available On: iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Instant [On Demand 8/6]
4. 'Oblivion'
In a world that has been destroyed after a battle 60 years ago, Jack (Tom Cruise) is one of the few that has to stay behind to keep drone surveillance operational. Filled with memories of his past, with two weeks before he leaves the planet Jack gets the wake up call he needs—and of course it comes from no one other than Morgan Freeman. Regardless what you think of Cruise or the tired post-apocalyptic thriller genre, Oblivion is an impressive watch within the restrictions it’s inherited.
Why Watch It: Newcomer Olga Kurylenko shines (and if you feel the same, be sure to see her in "Shadow Dancer" too).
Available On: iTunes , VUDU, Amazon Instant [On Demand 8/6]
5. 'Frankenstein’s Army'
Ok, you probably think we can’t blow you mind. You are a major film buff and have seen it all. We promise you’ve never seen a movie like this. From the Netherlands, this horror follows a group of Soviet Union soldiers during World War II who are behind enemy lines in Germany and come across a town where the Nazi’s are conducting their most insane experiment: using the notes of Dr. Frankenstein to assemble an army of super soldiers (built from the body parts of their fallen comrades). And did we mention this film is also done in the “found-footage” style?
Why Watch It: It’s hokey, insane, gory, and just plain silly. Need more reasons?
Available On 7/26: Cable On Demand
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
Hulu has currently complied a "Films Based On Books" section. Here’s what caught our eye.
Elmore Leonard’s novel comes to life through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino as we follow the title character (Pam Grier) as she deals with some sketchy characters—both cops and crooks (made up of Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro and Michael Keaton)—and a good-hearted bail bondsman (Robert Forster) to try to get her hands on a big score.
Want more folks with questionable intentions? Try on this adaptation of Jim Thompson’s novel. John Cusack is a small-time swindler who's got a girlfriend (Annette Bening) playing her own angle as well as his mother (Anjelica Huston). But when some high-stakes money is involved we witness how quickly greed trumps loyalty.
In the film that made Danny Boyle a hot commodity in the Sates and Ewan McGregor a star, this sobering look at the Edinburgh drug scene from Irvine Welsh’s novel brought the druggy movie to a new level.
This striking adaptation of William Golding’s legendary novel of castaway boys trying to survive on an island and the eventual savagery that unfolds is still as striking today as it was back when it was released in 1963.
