From the diamond business to the music business to mysteries beyond our imagining.
As what used to be the summer movie season begins, theaters are starting to tentatively reopen in some places, and drive-ins are making a comeback. But with most theaters still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and many people exercising caution in returning to public spaces, plenty of us are starting the summer movie season at home.
Yet film releases have not slowed down. Each weekend, on streaming services and through “virtual theatrical” releases, new and newly available movies arrive to delight cinephiles of all stripes.
This weekend’s movies are a study in contrasts. There’s a hard-hitting, vital documentary about gaps in the Me Too movement and allegations against a prominent figure. There’s a comedy-musical about chasing your dreams that’s frothy and fun. One of 2019’s best movies, starring Adam Sandler in a career-high performance, is now streaming. And there’s a modest, beautiful drama about the mysteries of the universe — one that draws on The Twilight Zone for inspiration. (Most of the films that were newlyreleasedinrecentweeksarealsostillavailableto watch.)
Here are the four best movies, from a range of genres, that premiered this week and are available to watch at home — for a few bucks on digital services, through virtual theatrical engagements, or to subscribers on streaming platforms.
On the Record — a bombshell documentary in which a large group of women allege that Def Jam record label founder and “godfather of hip-hop” Russell Simmons sexually assaulted or raped them — wound up on a strange and baffling journey to its HBO Max release. Shortly before its Sundance premiere in January, Oprah Winfrey rescinded her support for the film (on which she was serving as executive producer) while reiterating her support for the women who appear in it.
Many of On the Record’s allegations previously appeared in a 2017 New York Times article, and the reasons for Winfrey’s sudden withdrawal from the project remain confusing, months later. Once Winfrey stepped away, that meant the film would no longer be released on Apple TV+ as part of her programming slate. The film was forced to seek out a new distributor, which it found in HBO.
This strange turn of events should hopefully not overshadow the film. On the Record is absolutely damning of Simmons, who continues to insist he did not commit the crimes he’s accused of. Directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, the film is at its best when exploring the reasons that women in America, and particularly black women, often hesitate to accuse a powerful black man of a crime like sexual assault.
