It’s a slow week for new releases, both in theaters and at home. “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” deserves to be an Oscar contender — let’s get Rachel McAdams‘ supporting-actress campaign started pronto — but you’ll have to leave the couch to see that one. Without venturing to the multiplex, you can catch two favorites from the Oscars’ most recent shortlists and two new movies with very different sensibilities.
This contender to watch this week: “Moonage Daydream”
“David Bowie: The Last Five Years,” released in 2017, focused on the final chapter in the glam rocker’s storied career. “Moonage Daydream” is about what came before. The film made last year’s Oscar shortlist but was left out when nominations were announced, surprising many who thought this kaleidoscopic profile would be a shoo-in for Best Documentary Feature. Brett Morgan, who also directed the stylish “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” bypasses most pop-doc clichés, instead treating Bowie’s art and life like a spiritual collage. “Moonage Daydream” hits HBO Max on Saturday.
Other contenders:
- “Return to Seoul”: Davy Chou‘s sprawling saga about a French adoptee (Ji-Min Park) seeking out her biological parents in South Korea made many best-of lists last year. It was Cambodia’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film, and it’s newly available to rent on VOD.
- “Winter Boy”: Oscar winner Juliette Binoche plays the mother of a 17-year-old boy (Paul Kircher) contending with his father’s sudden death while fumbling through his own queer adolescence. It hits Mubi today, where you can also watch James Ivory‘s “Quartet” and the early work of “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung.
- “Peter Pan & Wendy”: This one would have been Oscar-eligible had Disney stuck with the theatrical release the studio reportedly considered. Gifted director David Lowery (“The Green Knight’) made what remains the best of Disney’s live-action remakes, “Pete’s Dragon,” and while he can’t conjure the charm of that surprise gem, “Peter Pan & Wendy” will please purists longing for a relatively faithful retelling of J.M. Barrie‘s classic story. Plus, Jude Law plays Captain Hook. It’s new to Disney+.
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