In the blink of an eye, summer begins its wind down and autumn is right around the corner. As we gear up for pumpkin spice lattes and flannel, streaming offers have been largely on the right side of good this month.
Guy Ritchie may have wasted the Superman-Jack Reacher team-up, but Batman fans have a lot to be pleased with as a fantastic new series hits Prime Video. On the comedy front, Matt Damon continues making films he wants to see (in a good way) and Vince Vaughn sticks the landing playing a washed up detective in Florida. Finally, there's a Netflix documentary that flew under the radar at last year's TIFF and is completely worth everyone's time.
For more streaming recommendations, be sure to read our past editions of Tune In or Turn Off here for more hits and misses.
Tune In: Bad Monkey
(Apple TV+)
In Bill Lawrence's latest series following Ted Lasso and Shrinking, Vince Vaughn plays Andrew Yancy, a disgraced detective-turned-private-investigator. The first season of Bad Monkey follows Andrew solving a murder that begins with the discovery of a severed arm by tourists off the coast of Florida. The series fits in well with Lawrence's catalogue of sitcoms and brings a dark humour to the classic legal procedural.
Tune In: Batman: Caped Crusader
(Prime Video)
For many of us, Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series was our introduction to the Dark Knight, and we've held the show and Kevin Conroy in high esteem ever since. Timm returns to the animated franchise with Batman: Caped Crusader, a noir-tinged 10-episode series that has us — those kids who have rewatched BTAS into adulthood — in mind. Mature, nuanced and fun, Caped Crusader is a worthy addition to Batman's legacy, and only furthers the case that the best Batman has always been an animated one.
Turn Off: Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
(Netflix)
Former manager of many boy bands, most notably *NSYNC and the superior Backstreet Boys, Lou Pearlman became public enemy No. 1 to preteen girls and boys around the world for his financial deceptions and mistreatment of our boys. Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam takes us back to the '90s and early '00s, and details the heyday of boy bands and Pearlman's dealings with them, including interviews with AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and Chris Kirkpatrick. The docuseries is a worthwhile trip down memory lane, but it can drag on and focus its aim on unnecessary aspects. Personally, I would suggest the Lance Bass-produced The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story on YouTube instead.
Tune In: The Instigators
(Apple TV+)
A few years ago, Matt Damon appeared on Hot Ones and spoke eloquently about the adverse effects of home video's disappearance and the change in the type of movies that could be green lit afterwards. His latest film feels exactly like that kind of movie. A comedic heist movie that exists purely as entertainment, The Instigators isn't going to blow minds or souls, but it's a joyous way to spend a couple hours.
Turn Off: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
(Prime Video)
An incredibly unserious Nazi movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare wastes a fascinating true story and terrific performances, delivering a bland and over-complicated Guy Ritchie outing. I'm far from being a Ritchie fangirl, and if anything I can find his excessive style a bit grating, but I found myself desperately wanting the film to be given some life by his Ritchian way. That being said — Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. reboot when?
Tune In: Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
(Netflix)
I don't know how Mountain Queen didn't stir up more of a fuss at TIFF last year! It's a thrilling and gorgeous Everest story, elevated by the truly affecting journey of Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to reach the summit. This is Lucy Walker's second film about Everest, and her comfort with the subject is exemplified through the confidence of her camera. The landscapes and story about perseverance will pull audiences in, while Lhakpa's heart and humanity will be what remains.
Tune In: The Umbrella Academy, Season 4
(Netflix)
One of Netflix's biggest hits in the last few years comes to an end as the Hargreeves confront the chaos their existence and family have created over the decades and centuries. The final season wraps up the loose ends and, buoyed by excellent swan song performances by the ensemble, The Umbrella Academy says good-bye to the Hargreeves and their fans in a fitting and satisfying manner.