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If you’re in search of films to stream this weekend, we have curated a selection that includes a standout awards contender, two recent releases, a related film that pairs well with the top pick, and a classic Academy Award winner that deserves another viewing.
Featured Film: Flow
After clinching the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, Flow is poised not only for an Academy Award nomination but also as a strong contender for Best Animated Feature. If it secures a nomination for Best International Feature, it will mark a milestone as the first film from Latvia to garner an Oscar nomination.
Flow tells the story of a charming cat swept away by a tsunami, who joins forces with other animals—a dog, a bird, a lemur, and a capybara—on a sailboat, all in a quest to return home. This dialogue-free adventure is both melancholic and humorous, showcasing impressive creativity, particularly since it was created with the open-source graphics software Blender. The film highlights the emerging talent of director-writer-producer-editor-composer Gints Zilbalodis. Viewers can rent or purchase it on various VOD platforms, including Amazon.
Additional Selections
A notable historical documentary, utilizing solely archival footage, captures the intersection of 1960s jazz musicians’ political activism, Nikita Khrushchev’s infamous moment at the UN, and the tragic assassination of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. This captivating visual and musical exploration, directed by Johan Grimonprez, has received numerous festival accolades, including a Special Jury Prize at Sundance. It is currently in the Oscar running, recognized on the shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. The film can be rented or purchased on VOD platforms such as Apple.
Another documentary vying for Oscar attention is one that chronicles the harrowing journey of Shiori Itō, an investigative journalist whose allegations of sexual assault against a major network executive sparked the Me Too movement in Japan. Celebrated as one of the year’s five best documentaries by the National Board of Review, this compelling film is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
If you appreciated this year’s animated feature Flow, consider pairing it with last year’s Oscar-nominated film Robot Dreams, which is currently streaming on Hulu. Set in a fantastical version of 1980s New York, this poignant dramedy follows a dog who buys a robot for companionship, exploring themes of love, loss, and the art of letting go, making it a fitting companion piece to Flow.
This week also marks the addition of the 2010 Best Picture winner to Prime Video. This gripping Iraq War thriller, focused on the harrowing experiences of a bomb disposal unit, received six Oscars and significantly propelled the careers of actors Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who made historic strides as the first woman to win Best Director, this film is an excellent choice for those looking to revisit a cinematic achievement that features performances from this year’s Oscar hopefuls, Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce.
Source
www.goldderby.com