by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Welcome to the Buried Treasure of the Streaming World! This series takes a month’s worth of content at a time and sift out the buried treasure that exists on all forms of streaming. These films most likely fly under the radar, but now it is time to shine that spotlight on them and give them the attention they truly deserve. Time to dive in, shall we?
The House (5 stars) – Netflix
What do you get when you take the abstract potential of art and inject it into the most unexpected media? You get this new stop motion animated anthology film, The House. Deeply thematic and resonant ideas like resilience, materialism, and internal motivation are embodied in one of the strangest cinematic experiences I have had in a long time. When you take three different tales animated with different materials, and manifest in a seemingly different world, you open yourself up to all kinds of potential. This film boasts one of the most haunting houses in recent film, which is captured with impeccable filmmaking technique. A second story boasts one of the most unrelenting stress inducing tales since the likes of mother! and Climax. This amazing collection is rounded out by a tale much less haunting and or intense but replaced by deeply personal introspection. This animated flick is not for kids… or the faint of heart.
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (5 stars) – VOD
What if you could transport yourself into the mind of one of the great written artists in the 20th century? Even better… what if you could do it for two? This new documentary, Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation, takes on the challenge of weaving the legacies of Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams into one film. It is one of the most engrossing and thought-provoking cinematic experiences I have had in a long time. Diving into the minds of these incredible artists is an experience to behold. Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland expertly weaves layers of storytelling with dueling archival interviews, archival audio from the men themselves, and dramatizations brought to life by Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto. Artful, insightful, and engrossing, this documentary is art for the artist in all of us.
The First Wave (4.5 stars) – Hulu
What an intense and devastating experience the past two years have been. Hundreds of thousands have lost their lives along the way. There are plenty of people left grieving their loved ones and fighting their own way through this pandemic. But the first responders have been in the dangerous front line every day. National Geographic transports audiences to the hospital rooms of these heroes as they struggle to save lives and hold their own emotional states in a good place. The First Wave is a raw documentary experience that serves up Mike Tyson-level gut punches as it follows nurses and doctors trying to save the lives of select people and their families. Seeing humans so terribly, nurses breaking down into tears, and joy of loved ones finally returning home makes this documentary one of the most emotionally charged of the year.
Picabo (3.5 stars) – Peacock
Who loves some Winter Olympic sports? Not many people paid too much attention to skiing here in the States until one young woman captured the public eye for us all. The new Peacock documentary recounts the story of Picabo Street, who inspired a whole nation as she came from a troubled background to fight through serious injuries to become a gold medalist at the highest level. A mix of archival footage and interviews brings Picabo’s story to life on screen. Audiences hear from her directly as well as from the woman who Picabo inspired to become the most successful athlete in her sport (Lindsey Vonn). At times, it might feel like your by-the-numbers sports documentary, but hearing directly from Picabo as she recounts her struggles is something special to experience.
Puff: Wonders of the Reef (3.5 stars) – Netflix
Who doesn’t love some good fun with little critters in nature? There are endless options for fans of nature documentaries, from the more prestigious types with a certain Attenborough narrating, to the cheesy and silly that take us into the heads of the world’s creatures. Netflix has a few silly ones under their belt, and Puff: Wonders of the Reef lies somewhere in between. Rose Byrne is a welcomed addition as the narrator, as she engages the audience with the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of her native Australia. There is an engaging narrative of one poor pufferfish trying to make it through the dangers that await in the reef. Beautifully shot, boasting some quality tension, and a celebrity narration, Wonders of the Reefs is a fun and informative time worth streaming.
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