Steamy Streaming: October

BY: Zak Wojnar

Every month, the major streaming services add a ton of programming to their rosters, from new original shows to beloved movies and forgotten classics. Here are Provokr’s Picks for the most provocative, sexiest, or otherwise noteworthy movies and shows to watch this month.

The Man in the High Castle (Amazon, October 5)

At Provokr, we hate Nazis. Is it a controversial political statement that the only good Nazi is a dead one? It shouldn’t be. Season three of Amazon Prime’s alternate history series further explores a world conquered by Nazis, while also adding more trippy science fiction drama to the bleak setting. It’s a difficult watch, but well worth the effort. It’s an important story in today’s heated political climate, in which legitimate Nazis, led by “alt-right” news and internet pundits, are attempting to stage a comeback.

Feminists: What Were They Thinking (Netflix, October 12)

In 1977, photographer Cynthia MacAdams released the book, Emergence, a collection of photographs depicting modern women shedding the shackles of societal standards of femininity. Over forty years later, Feminists: What were they Thinking revisits the book and its subjects, tracing the history of the feminist movement, the progress that has been made, and the bridges which have yet to be crossed. We’ve got a long way to go, but if we keep moving forward, we’ll keep from falling back into the past.

Pushing Daisies (Amazon, October 1)

This underappreciated TV series from esteemed TV auteur Bryan Fuller (Dead Like Me, Hannibal) was cancelled after only two seasons, but has retained its cult audience, even a decade after it originally aired. With its cinematic visual style, tightly-woven storytelling across 22 episodes, and endearing quirkiness, Pushing Daisies has only gained popularity as the years have passed. Now, the show is available to binge-watch, which, in this case, is vastly preferable to the old-school week-to-week scheduling of its original airing. Every few years, there’s talk of reviving the show in some form or another. At this point, it’s no much a matter of if, but a matter of when it will ultimately happen. We’re hoping for sooner rather than later.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix, October 26)

Originally, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was set to be a spin-off of Riverdale. Both are based on classic Archie Comics properties, after all. Unfortunately, The CW passed on the series, but then Netflix stepped in and picked it up. While the show may or may not have any crossover with Riverdale (we wouldn’t hold our breath), but this is one “dark and gritty reboot” that might actually work!

Unlike the classic Melissa Joan Hart sitcom, this series is based on the more horror-tinged comic of the same name, and strikes a much darker, gorier tone. It’s still a coming-of-age story about a teenage witch, but Chilling Adventures is aiming to live up to its name… And just in time for Halloween!

The Lake House (Netflix, October 1)

Every once in a while, a romantic drama crosses over from its main, female audience and becomes a mainstream hit with men and women alike. The Lake House is a timeless love story with a fantasy twist. Based on Il Mare, a Korean film, this 2006 film revolves around two people sending letters to each other across time via a low-key magical mailbox.

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves haven’t lost any of their chemistry, despite The Lake House releasing twelve years after their first pairing in the action film, Speed. The Lake House is a perfect date movie. Its leads are both equally adorable, the romance is sappy, believable, and palpable, and the plot is full of fun twists and turns. Watch it with someone you want to kiss.

Frida (Hulu, October 1)

Frida was a labor of love for Selma Hayek, and she wrote a heartbreaking op-ed in the New York Times about having to put up with Harvey Weinstein‘s shit just to get the film made. The final result, a sweeping romance about troubled artists and their busy lives, was one of 2002‘s most celebrated movies.

More than just the love story between Frida (Hayek) and fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), Frida captures the surreal flow of the artistic process, integrating different forms of art into the film, from still paintings to stop-motion animation. It’s a beautiful piece, not unlike a painting itself, and it truly captures the life of Frida and the era in which she lived.

You Were Never Really Here (Amazon, October 26)

Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor. This has long been known. But to truly witness just how exceptional this man is, one must watch You Were Never Really Here, a, introspective character study about a broken man who kills for a living because it’s the only thing he can do anymore. “Joe,” as he’s called, is a vigilante-for-hire, and his latest case brings him more than he bargained for. To spoil more than that would be a disservice to the film, so you’ll just have to take our word for it.

One can describe You Were Never Really Here as an “art-house Punisher,” with all the stylish glamorization of vigilante justice stripped away, and only the character’s bleeding, dying soul exposed to be picked and prodded by the film’s myriad twists and turns. The violence is impersonal and the audience becomes as detached from the killing as the lead character is from the brutal acts of righteous vengeance he inflicts on those who, admittedly, have absolutely earned the wrath of a ruthless assassin.

Wanderlust (Netflix, October 19)

This series is a co-production between Netflix and the BBC. A six-episode miniseries event, Wanderlust explores the fading marriage of a couple, played by Toni Collette and Steven Mackintosh. In an attempt to reignite the spark of their love life, they agree to enter into an open relationship, seeing other people. Drama, romance, and a fair bit of black comedy ensue.

Toni Collette is one of the greats, and we’ll happily see her in anything, as should you, regardless of any opinions on the dubious prospect of so-called “ethical non-monogamy.”

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, October 12)

Based on the 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is the perfect Halloween pick for this year’s annual festivities. The original novel is acclaimed as one of the greatest “haunted house” stories ever written, and it serves as the bar by which all other “haunting” stories are judged. The book had been adapted before, in 1963 and 1999 (but we don’t talk about the second one, woof!), but this Netflix iteration is aiming to be the best version yet. We’ll know for sure when The Haunting of Hill House debuts on the streaming service on October 12.

Black Dynamite (Netflix, October 1)

The 1970s were pretty awesome. All things considered, it was probably the closest we got to racial equality, at least in the realm of pop culture. Race relations were eased by the wealth of prime time shows focusing on black families, black music was all over the mainstream radio, and both Elton John and David Bowie made appearances on Soul Train!

Black Dynamite is a loving tribute and hilarious parody of the 1970s Blaxploitation genre. Michael Jai White stars as the title character, the coolest cat in the ghetto who takes down bad guys and protects his neighborhood with a big gun, a sweet afro, a rockin’ mustache, and a heavenly sense of style.

Best of all, Black Dynamite doesn’t just borrow the style of the 1970s, it actually looks like it’s supposed to be a lost film from the era. Above all else, even above its humor, Black Dynamite is authentic, a love letter to films like Shaft, Dolemite, and Disco Godfather, which defined their era.

Closer (Hulu, October 1)

To this day, fans have endlessly debated the ending of Closer. Based on the play by Patrick Marber, the film essentially ends one scene early, before a shocking twist kills off one of the main characters. Which version is better? We suppose you’ll just have to judge for yourself, but it’s hard to top the film’s all-star cast of Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen, coupled with a master director like Mike Nichols (Carnal Knowledge, The Graduate).

Flyboys (Hulu and Amazon, October 1)

In 2006, Flyboys was criticized for its historical inaccuracies and bombed hard at the box office. It’s a shame, since the film is a fantastic adventure about young Americans who move to France in order to fight in WWI. The aerial battle scenes are breathtaking in their computer-enhanced elegance, and the romantic subplot – between James Franco and Jennifer Decker – is everything Michael Bay‘s weak-kneed Pearl Harbor film should have been.

Flyboys isn’t perfect, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s a great date movie; it’s got a perfect mix of action, romance, and theatrical melodrama, and Jean Reno. Every movie could benefit from a good dose of Jean Reno.