We’ve gone through every film review of 2016 to see what’s available on Netflix and iTunes. Scroll halfway down this page to dig in.
HOOLIGAN SPARROW is a raw and startling doc aboout Ye Haiyan, dubbed Hooligan Sparrow, who organizes protests to publicize the plight of vulnerable girls in China. But this urgent doc isn’t about young rape victims in China and the institutions that enable the culprits. Instead, it’s about the methods used to silence the activists who draw attention to those problems. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
UNDER THE SUN is a feat of truth-telling so daring that watching it makes you feel like a co-conspirator. Russian-born, Latvia-based filmmaker Mansky was invited to North Korea to make a documentary about a schoolgirl, Zin-mi, who’s about to join the Korean Union for Children and become a fully vested citizen of the DPRK. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
SOUR GRAPES maps out the cross-pollination between two cultures – the natural and tender process that goes into making a terrific wine in a vineyard in the Burgundy region and at a stateside auction, where guys who look straight out of Wall Street throw down their “fuck you” money for bottles like they’re vying for shares after a hot stock tip. Some wine labels are as coveted as bearer bonds – and lay the groundwork for a great wine fraud. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY is fascinating and predictably stylish behind-the-scenes look at the Met Gala, a more-exclusive-than-the-Oscars ball for Hollywood’s glitziest and fashion and music A-listers (also the occasion when Solange kicked Jay Z). Sure, the gala provides fodder for checkout-aisle photo spreads, but it also raises vital funds for the Metropolitan Museum’s worthy fashion exhibits. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE is Amy Berg’s thorough documentary on blues-rock legend Janis Joplin has many things going for it, including unprecedented access to Joplin’s letters and to her family and friends, who speak candidly about the famed singer/songwriter. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
THE WITNESS is an odd package: director James D. Solomon seems to realize that Connecticut veteran Bill Genovese is a far more interesting subject than Kitty (whose death was both more tragic and less sensational than the world believes) and shifts his focus to the obsession that drives him, half a century later, to understand and even re-enact a moment he cannot change.(See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU tracks the life of Norman Lear, the 20th century’s most influential American TV producer. Bolstered by TV clips and interviews with the likes of George Clooney and Rob Reiner… (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK should satisfy if Fan Expo left you with a desire to nerd out on sci-fi TV. Arriving at the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise, it’s a tribute to both iconic Trek character Mr. Spock and to Leonard Nimoy, the actor who created him half a century ago. And for extra feels, it’s directed (and hosted) by Nimoy’s adult son Adam. (See full review).
Available to watch: Netflix
And don’t miss our Holiday Movie Survival Guide!
