Two notable genre films make their streaming debuts tomorrow.
Both revolve around non-standard relationships, though they are vastly different in their settings and thematic intent. Our own Olga Artemyeva saw the motorcyle-themed dom/sub picture; her review is linked below.
As a bonus pick, we have Pixar's latest, which has already begun streaming, so animation fans, rejoice! I've reposted my capsule comments from a theater screening below.
The Ice Tower
The film is debuts Friday, June 5, exclusively on Shudder.
We were happy to report that "Lucile Hadžihalilović's Dark Fairy Tale, Starring Marion Cotillard [was] acquired by Yellow Veil Pictures" last year because we love the filmmaker's previous, highly distinctive features, including Innocence, Evolution, and Earwig.
The film received a theatrical release in the U.S. via Yellow Veil Pictures at the end of the year, but, unfortunately, it got lost in the year-end cascade of specialty pictures and I missed seeing it in a proper cinema.
All that to say, I'm eager to soak in the director's latest.
Official synopsis: "A young orphan witnesses the filming of an adaption of The Snow Queen and becomes fascinated by its star, an actress as mysterious as the queen she is playing. Starring Marion Cotillard."
Pillion
The film debuts Friday, June 5, exclusively on HBO Max.
Our review by Olga Artemyeva: "We have seen this kind of setup before: a shy, socially awkward protagonist encounters a mysterious stranger who at first seems utterly disinterested in them but then makes a move that, depending on the genre and the authors' intentions, has the potential to turn our hero's life into heaven, hell, or quite possibly both. ...
"Serving both as a romance and a coming-of-age story of sorts, Pillion ends up being quite familiar and unique, all at the same time. After all, it's not every day one gets to report that one of the most nuanced bits in the film, as well as its emotional climax, is a scene of group sex taking place at a picnic."
Official synopsis: "A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Alexander Skarsgård) takes him on as his submissive."
Hoppers
The film is now streaming on Disney Plus.
In the movie's opening scenes, Mabel is introduced as a young person with a primal desire to protect animals; her grandmother is only able to temper her fiery personality by taking her into the woods around their home town of Beaverton and encouraging her to quiet down and observe the wonders of nature, which emerge slowly.
The introductory sequence is beautifully handled, setting up the story's major themes, as well as creating a protagonist who is strong-willed and always ready to take action, balanced (sometimes) by her growing realization that actions have consequences, and that sometimes there is more than one way to deal with a problem, even if it's huge, though it may involve much "squishing."
The official synopsis and the trailer below tell the rest of the story, which is very, very funny, amazingly beautiful, environmentally conscious, and sneaky clever. It's not just for kids, though I'm sure they will enjoy it tremendously. (The kids at my afternoon screening were delighted.)
Official synopsis: "In this animated comedy adventure, animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to 'hop' her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. As she makes amazing discoveries, Mabel befriends a charismatic beaver and must rally the entire animal kingdom to face a major, imminent, human threat."
Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.