Early September Streaming Choices, From ‘Love Guaranteed’ to ‘The Young Offenders’
There’s much to catch on the streaming services before the big-budget specials drop later in the month
Early September Streaming Choices
Early September Streaming Choices
The Young Offenders (Netflix)
Set in Cork, Ireland, if you approach this film with no expectations, you’ll be swayed by the earnest effort to entertain, and be hilarious. You’ll be reminded of a young Guy Ritchie, working with juvenile delinquents instead of crime gang members. It’s Dumb and Dumber set in small town Ireland, with a crazy premise, and true chaos slowly being built up, piled on, and laid out for our enjoyment. Starring Alex Murphy and Chris Walley as two brainless slackers, the success of this film actually turned into two seasons of a TV series that’s been such a success in Europe. And here’s the indie film that started it all.
The Young Offenders (Netflix)
The premise comes completely out of left field. Connor and Jack hear the news about a big cocaine shipment that got dumped off a smuggler’s vessel, and have washed ashore on the very Western tip of the island republic. On bicycles, and one bicycle a girl’s Cruiser, the two go on a silly road trip that includes several misadventures that are downright silly, but admittedly, stupid funny. You’ll love the Mom of one of the boys, and the limping villain who has no qualms about turning the Home Improvement nail gun into a deadly weapon of coercion. It’s unbridled humor given free rein.
The Boys Season 2 (Amazon Prime)
For those who couldn’t get enough of this limited series when it first dropped on Amazon, they’ll be happy to know that its second season is finally with us. With a neat inversion of what the superhero genre is all about, you’ll recall that the first season gave us something like a Justice League that’s run like an unethical corporation. While the members of the League undoubtedly had superpowers; they were egotistical, more concerned about social media following and traction, endorsements, and not very likable—while keeping a polished image to the unsuspecting public. It took a band of unconventional anti-superheroes, The Boys, to show them up and be our unconventional and flawed protagonists.
The Boys Season 2 (Amazon Prime)
With its latest season, it’s pretty much the same scenario but with the wife of Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) being kidnapped, and with Hughie (Jack Quaid) up to no good. There’s a new supe introduced, Stormfront (Aya Cash), and she’s got ambition etched on her back—a very interesting addition. Most of the cast of the first season return, but there are enough new twists, turns, and surprises to keep watchers on the edge of their seats. One episode has a CGI whale corpse playing an integral part of how ready the series is to take that extra step and bring new thrills to their audience.
Freaks - You’re One of Us (Netflix Germany)
Here’s a German production that takes on the superhero genre on its own terms. At the outset, it may look like a cross between Kick-Ass and X-Men: pre-First Class; but the emphasis on ordinary people with suppressed superpowers has ominous notes that reveal this alternative route to presenting superheroes. In short order, this is about a dysfunctional world, where an inordinate number of individuals possess powers, but there’s been a highly organized state effort to maintain these individuals under strict control, kept unaware of their own gifts.
Freaks - You’re One of Us (Netflix Germany)
We first meet Wendy (Cornelia Groschel) as a young child who has wreaked havoc on her classroom, and is immediately swept away by a questionable agency. Then we fast forward to an adult Wendy working as a fry cook, and playing mom to a young son of her own. When the second half of the film kicks in, conspiracy theories abound and we’re thrust into a darker world then we may have anticipated, with people with superpowers being institutionalized. ‘A’ for effort, and how the director and producers make the most of this low-budget adventure.
Love Guaranteed (Netflix)
If you’re looking for a romcom that plays it by the books but still manages to be a charmer, head to Love Guaranteed. Set in a Seattle that is as sleepless as the movie with that title suggested; the premise has Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.) wanting to sue a dating site app, Love Guaranteed, for fraud. As he explains to the young litigation lawyer Susan (Rachel Leigh Cook), he has been on 986 first dates without ever finding the right woman. Hands up those who don’t foresee that the lawyer will eventually see the merits of the case after using the app herself—for research. Or that the two who’ll end up together are none other than our two protagonists.
Love Guaranteed (Netflix)
The dating site is owned by lifestyle guru Tamara Taylor (Heather Graham); and the light humor flies fast: Nick’s time management prowess, how he’s created files on each and every date, and Susan’s own misadventures on the app, how people falsify their profile pics, ghosting dates, etc. It’s light stuff, frothy but entertaining, and propelled by Rachel’s familiar face—answering the question of what she looks like all grown up. There’s something being said about the dating app culture, but it’s all very GP-rated, as we aren’t talking about Tinder, which more daring writers such as Issa Rae and Aziz Ansari took on. Still, there is chemistry between the two, and I can see this becoming a ladies’ favorite.
Photos from IMdB
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