January 2023’s Best Streaming Titles: Black Dynamite, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Ghostbusters, Empire Records, The Raid 2
Kung fu treachery, Clone Force 99, Ecto-1, Rex Manning Day, pencak silat, and more.
As Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, et al. add more content, it can be difficult to know what to look for amidst all of the newly added titles. So I’ve compiled a list of particularly noteworthy and interesting movies, TV shows, etc. to add to your streaming queues in the new month.
Amazon Prime Video
All 4 Indiana Jones Movies (Jan 1)
CInema’s greatest archaeologist arrives on Netflix to take viewers on world-spanning adventures in search of ancient and powerful relics like the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. And to punch Nazis. Don’t forget about the punching of Nazis.
Black Dynamite (Jan 1)
In this hilarious parody/homage to classic blaxploitation films, Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) is the baddest mofo in the hood. But in order to defeat The Man who killed his brother, the dealers pumping heroin into the streets, and the fiendish Dr. Wu’s kung fu treachery, Black Dynamite will have to unleash his full martial arts fury… and show the ladies some love, too.
Europa Report (Jan 1)
Proof that sci-fi movies don’t need big budgets to tackle big issues in a thoughtful manner, Europa Report is a low-budget flick about humanity’s potential first contact. Shot with a “found footage” approach that gives the film a documentary-esque feel, and using data from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to ensure scientific accuracy, Europa Report is a nice change of pace from effects-filled Hollywood blockbusters.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Jan 1)
George Clooney gives the performance of a lifetime as Ulysses Everett McGill, a fast-talking convict who escapes from chain gang with a couple of dim-witted fellas (John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, also great) in search of a treasure. But their search takes them all over Great Depression-era Mississippi, where they land in one hilarious, outlandish scrape after another. As well-known for its gorgeous cinematography as its award-winning soundtrack, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is one of the Coen Brothers’ most beloved films.
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. (Jan 3)
In this mockumentary, Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall play a Southern Baptist couple trying to restart their megachurch after becoming embroiled in scandal. Written and directed by Adamma Ebo, and based on her own 2018 short film of the same name, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. skewers religious leaders who place their own personal fame and fortune above all else — which feels rather timely given recent scandals (e.g., Jerry Falwell Jr., Ravi Zacharias).
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Jan 15)
Directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is considered one of the great westerns of all time, even as it seems to subvert some of usual tropes and styles associated with the genre. The film’s estimation has only grown since its original release in 1962, and in 2007, it was added to the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”