Instant Picks of the Week 4/21/17
Gone are the days of scrolling mindlessly through your queue! No longer will you have to sift through the vastness of what’s coming to the instant viewing wastelands this month! Whether you’re looking for a stellar film or an exciting new show to binge, Instant Picks of the Week brings you the hottest releases in film and television on instant viewing platforms that we know you’ll love, or at the very least not despise.
THE DOUBLE (Amazon Prime)
Richard Ayoade’s 2013 THE DOUBLE, loosely based on a Dostoevsky short story, is a haunting existential piece about doppelgangers and unrequited love. This movie is exactly the type of movie I aspire to create: authentically emotional, disturbing, surreal, with a dry and unusual sense of humor throughout its impressively-built, Kafka-esque industrial world. Jesse Eisenberg plays both shy and reserved Simon James and his outgoing and manipulative doppelganger James Simon, and it’s the only role I’ve ever been able to stand from Eisenberg (which I attribute to outstanding direction by Ayoade). I implore you to watch this beautiful film and then spend the rest of your day (or life) contemplating your existence and fearing identity theft. [Hayley Bensmiller]
AMERICAN BEAUTY (Amazon Prime)
If you are one of the few who have somehow managed to miss this Oscar and Golden Globe-winning film, take a gander. If you are among the majority who have seen this film, take a second look, it can be interesting how one experiences a film 17 years later. AMERICAN BEAUTY follows a depressed suburban dad who’s stagnant world rejuvenates itself when he meets his daughter’s friend. This 2000 drama takes viewers to another plane of existence as they feel for the adult Kevin Spacey falling in love with the teenage Mena Suvari. Featuring brilliant music, admirable writing, and astonishing visuals, this is an all-time favorite for many. Hopeless as ever, many can relate to Spacey’s desperation in the often bland world we live in. [Lynnzee Highland]
