Sure-Fire Streaming: Superstore, Cut Throat City, Knives Out, and more!
Superstore – Available On Netflix
I don’t think a sitcom has made me laugh this hard since The Office.
This comedy follows a group of quirky employees day-in, day-out as they work through even weirder customers at a big-box store.
The incredible America Ferrera – of Ugly Betty fame – stars here with an eclectic ensemble cast who you will love (or grow to love) as time goes on.
Three-time Emmy nominee and series creator Justin Spitzer captures the both the agony of a minimum wage job and the little pleasures that get you through your day.
It’s truly a gem of a show, and five seasons dropped on Netflix at the same time. Sounds like you have your weekend set.
Cut Throat City – Available On Netflix
Set in a post-Katrina New Orleans, this high-octane thriller will grip you and not let go.
As people flounder trying to dig themselves out of the wreckage of a broken city, four men go to extreme lengths to make some money.
The childhood friends form an unlikely alliance with a crime syndicate leader to pull off a casino heist, but things go horribly awry and they try to find a way to get out of the mess they’ve put themselves in.
The four central performances are serviceable, but it’s really the incredible talent around them that propels this movie.
With T.I. as a murderous kingpin, Terrence Howard as a mob boss, Ethan Hawke as a crooked politician, and Wesley Snipes as a father trying to protect his son, the pedigree of this cast is pushed to new heights.
It’s a mile-a-minute thriller directed by none other than Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, and it’s a directorial effort I won’t soon forget.
Knives Out – Available On Prime Video
This splendid little riff on Clue is viciously funny and a top-notch mystery film, where the ride is just as important as the truth.
When the family patriarch dies during a family reunion, everyone is a suspect. A detective is brought in to question the difficult family and find some answers.
But nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a motive for getting the old man out of the way.
Writer-director Rian Johnson delivers one of the absolute best movies of 2019, a slick film with a sick sense of humour and an incredible screenplay.
The ensemble cast is top-notch with a heavily-accented Daniel Craig as an inspector leading the charge.
He’s joined by Lakeith Stanfield, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon and more in an incredible film. But it’s newcomer Ana de Armas who manages to steal most of the spotlight.
You quite literally can’t go wrong with this film, and anyone 16+ will get a total kick out of it.
The Negotiator – Available On Prime Video
Is there really an actor more fun to watch these days than Samuel L. Jackson?
I revisited this 1998 thriller for the first time in nearly 15 years, and it holds up. The Negotiator is an action-packed spectacle, and a huge showcase for Jackson.
Though I’m not in the habit of watching Kevin Spacey fare these days, the work by so many other fantastic film industry folks here makes this worth a recommend.
Jackson stars as a hostage negotiator who becomes a hostage taker when he suspects Internal Affairs is setting him up for the murder of his partner – who himself was uncovering a conspiracy in the department.
As he attempts to prove his innocence, Jackson’s character takes hostages in a government office while he tries to gather evidence, but he’s pitted against fellow negotiator Spacey and cops on the case who might want him dead to keep their own secrets.
This is over two hours of pure brilliance, and it’s a masterclass by Samuel L. Jackson. A must-watch 90s flick.
State Of Play – Available On Netflix
We don’t get many journalism thrillers these days, but there’s really nothing better than a flick about uncovering a big story.
Maybe I’m biased, but State Of Play is a well-acted, involving thriller that you’ll find yourself pretty invested in.
When a congressional aide is murdered, a Washington journalist starts poking around, and his search leads him to an investigation of a college friend, who’s now a government representative.
This is perhaps one of Ben Affleck’s best roles earlier in his career, but he’s no match for Russell Crowe’s grizzled journalist. With Rachel McAdams on-board as a tenacious young reporter, this one has a ton of upside.
It’s a really great thriller and one not enough people saw upon release. Let’s try to fix that now.