One of the unexpected pleasures of reviewing streaming content is coming across shows that aren’t marketed in a big way, yet deliver in their own way. Here are two recent drops that qualify as little gems.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism (Amazon Prime) - Based on a novel by Grady Hendrix that I read and loved, there will always be the trepidation that the film adaptation won’t match up with the book. To be honest, there is a little bit of that still lingering here, but I liked how this adaptation captured the vibe of Hendrix. Hendrix will take on a particular genre, like the mystery novel, the slasher film, or in this case, the Exorcist/horror genre, then mash it up with his silly, outspoken humor. If anything, it’ll remind you of Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless. Set in a religious community’s high school in the late 1980s, you’ll like the soundtrack, the big hair, the cultural references, and the innocence of female bonding that works at the core of this film.
Abby (Elsie Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller) are besties, loving Boy George and Culture Club, hanging out with other friends, but with their own private catchphrases, and generally, taking care of each other. So the major plot driver is what to do when your best friend has suddenly gone weird, was either raped or possessed by a devil? Those questions hound Abby, and the film chronicles her reactions and how they’re misunderstood, and how friendships can be tested at times like this. When she’s finally convinced her best friend has been taken over by a demon, she enlists the help of the hilarious Chris Lemon (Christopher Lowell), one third of a Christian act of body-builders. It’s witty and smart, without trying to be serious. Fun film, that knows to keep it light.
Lou (Netflix) - This is a Bad Robot (JJ Abrams) production, so although it goes straight to Netflix, you’ll have a frisson of anticipation, hoping it’ll carry its own weight. Besides, it stars Oscar winner Allison Janney, who generally puts in a strong performance with each role she tackles. Set in the 1980s, Allison plays Lou Odell, a flinty, so. Italy woman who lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and lets out small homes in her plot of property. It’s soon established that Lou has a covert history that’s mixed up with American involvement in Iran politics, and we’re right away suspecting she’s ex-CIA, and guilty enough to be contemplating suicide. On the property is a single mom (Jurnee Smollett) and her young daughter. That pretty much sets the scene for the tense action thriller that follows.
Reminiscent of Taken, or a retired, grey-haired Jane Wick; the film knows how to keep tightening the screws the moment things get started with the abduction of the daughter. Without meaning to sound disparaging, Janney surprises and pulls off the action star shtick with flying colors. Playing limping, bedraggled, pitiful grandma one moment, then turning into a lethal, resourceful cobra a la MacGyver the very next moment. There are reveals, and shocking developments after each corner, and I like how Mom Jurnee Smollett quickly turns her Girl Scouts knowledge into her own version of committed ass-kicker. Surprising, this film actually hit #1 as Most Watched in the Philippines, showing that a good action flick with no big budget stars can still get noticed, and shine!