Weekly Streaming Recap: Week of July 8th, 2022

Ms. Marvel Episode 5 (Disney+): For the second time this year, a show by Marvel Studios uses the penultimate episode to exposit a bunch of backstories as the main plot of the show draws to a close. It appears that the bangle forcing Kamala to go through Terragenesis, the process by which an “Inhuman” (a subset of humans similar to mutants descended from experimentation by the Kree alien race) awakens their powers, is confirmed with this latest episode, though as of right now that means very little. As the show nears the end, there will probably be at least one major cameo in the finale this week; Brie Larson is probably going to reprise to set up The Marvels next year where Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan will team up in a theatrical adventure. At the same time, it would not be surprising if Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Black Widow) returns and has something to do with Damage Control’s search for people with powers.

The Anarchists Episode 1 (HBO/HBOMax): The Anarchists is the first in a six-episode documentary series about, as the title would suggest, anarchists. This episode is mostly focused on introducing the major players who have relocated from America down to Acapulco to live free of government intervention. The show paints them as the next logical step after libertarianism, however it does not paint them out to be crazy or that the documentarians are better than them for not believing their ideology (see Behind the Curve about flat-earthers or Bronies about the adult male subset of My Little Pony fans). Any negative impression that people get from these people come solely from what they say on camera which, from a documentary filmmaking standpoint, requires a certain level of skill.

Rise (Disney+): The problem with movies about a sports star’s career while they are still actively playing is that they rarely cut deep enough to not be a cliché-ridden puff piece about the person at the center of the film. Disney does make a surprising number of solid sports movies (Miracle and Million Dollar Arm come to mind) and this is no different. It is inspiring, likely the kind of movie that will bring young audiences to fall in love with the sport and inspire fandom of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, but it is still a paint-by-numbers story about immigrants coming to America and making it to the biggest stage in their field. That said, for younger fans, this likely won’t matter.

You May Have Missed:

Luce (Hulu): Beyond just box office returns for some of the biggest movies ever made (The Lion King, Avengers: Endgame, Frozen 2, etc.), some of the best smallest films came out in that year as well. In the past, Fast Color has made this list, now Luce is worth a watch (or rewatch). Luce is a mystery/thriller about an African boy who is adopted by a white family after a childhood as a child soldier. He is a straight A student in high school and is looking to move onto the next stage of his life when his teacher raises concerns about the possibility that he still has extreme beliefs that were drilled into him as a child. The reason that this movie gets brought up this week specifically is that, as time ticks down towards San Diego Comic Con in two weeks, the Hollywood trades are revealing more and more details about impending announcements. Julius Onah, the director of Luce was announced this weekend to be the director of the impending Captain America 4, likely to be fully announced at SDCC or at D23 in September. While Luce might not be action-packed, the intrigue of the mystery makes him an excellent choice for this sequel.

Cuphead (Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC): Ordinarily video games do not make the list, however Cuphead is a rare case. This game grabbed audiences on its original release because of it’s beautiful visuals, designed to look like 1930s hand-drawn cartoons from MGM, Warner Brothers, or Disney, and the obscene level of difficulty behind the game. This week marked the release of the long-awaited DLC pack “The Delicious Last Course” which adds a whole new island, tons of new bosses, and a new character to play as. While the game may be difficult, the difficulty is rewarding and a player will feel themselves getting better and better as they continue to be killed at the hands of colorful and creative bosses. The base game is available for $19.99 and the DLC addon can be picked up for an extra $7.99.