With summer blockbuster season officially underway, the Toretto family, Ariel and robots in disguise are dominating our cinemas, but at home, there are plenty of streaming options to get stuck into as summer approaches.
June sees James Marsden taking a funny turn in some pseudo-reality TV, while Tom Holland just can't seem to make a non-Spidey mark. Meanwhile, the Terminator himself is back (as promised) to give us a tour of his career and life.
Be sure to read our past editions of Tune In or Turn Off here for more streaming hits and misses.
Tune In: Alter Boys
(CBC Gem)
Created by and starring Jonathan Lawrence, Alter Boys is the story of a group of young men who were subjected to conversion therapy in northern Manitoba. After a forest fire breaks out, questions arise. Alter Boys is a moving and meaningful limited series that considers the history of conversion therapy in Canada and its impact on those who were subjected to it.
Tune In: Arnold
(Netflix)
Mr. Olympia. Mr. I'll Be Back. Mr. Governor of California. Arnold Schwarzenegger has led a fascinating life that director Lesley Chilcott impossibly tries to cram into three one-hour episodes, titled "Athlete," "Actor" and "American." There are interviews with the Kindergarten Cop's colleagues, including James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis and Danny DeVito, and the big man himself sheds light on the ups and downs of his career. While some aspects of Schwarzenegger's life (namely his father's WWII allegiance) are brushed over, he is surprisingly candid about the darker spots of his personality and personal history. A fun one for fans and a jolt of nostalgia for all the '80s and '90s babies who grew up perfecting their Arnold voices: "To zee choppah!!"
Turn Off: The Crowded Room
(Apple TV+)
Ahead of The Crowded Room's release, it was widely reported that the show was at least partly inspired by Billy Milligan, the first person in the US acquitted for a major crime using dissociative identity disorder as a defence. Oddly, though, the show spends much of the series leading up to this very Google-able thing as a plot twist. The result is a show that feels confused, shallow, and a waste of a good premise and Tom Holland performance.
Turn Off: Flamin' Hot
(Disney+)
I do not understand in the slightest why a flavour of Cheetos (however much beloved) is receiving the same cinematic treatment as Tetris, Air Jordan and BlackBerry. Compounding this is the fact that Richard Montañez's claims that he "invented" Flamin' Hot Cheetos have largely been debunked. Flamin' Hot is ultimately weighed down by a ridiculous script filled with ludicrous circumstances, and while this movie isn't a complete flamin' hot mess, it's just empty calories. Who's ready for the biopic of things about Cool Ranch Doritos next?
Turn Off: The Idol
(Crave)
We're almost at the halfway mark of the Weeknd's The Idol, and I think I need to tap out. Sam Levinson's attempt at satirizing the entertainment industry is so aggressively belaboured that it feels like a chore to watch. Praised for the writing on Euphoria, Levinson doesn't exactly carry that magic over with dialogue that feels bland, which is surprising given how crude and straight-up gross the limited series can be. The Idol feels like a high-budget student film from someone impersonating a filmmaker trying to make a point.
Tune In: Jury Duty
(Prime Video)
The premise of Jury Duty (everyone involved in a trial is an actor except for one unsuspecting jury member) promises more than it delivers, but it's still a fun series. The severely underrated James Marsden plays a heightened version of himself as an alternate juror keen to be one of the main stars. The mockumentary nature of the show may bring to mind the likes of The Office and Parks and Recreation, but Jury Duty makes a compelling case for its existence.
Tune In: The Lake, Season 2
(Prime Video)
Season 2 of The Lake has a lot going for it: a wedding, fireworks, a fire and a Mimsy. Corny and predictable, The Lake can't lay claim to being "prestige television," but it can certainly rejoice in being amusing and enjoyable. Julia Stiles, Lauren Holly, Jordan Gavaris, Travis Nelson and Madison Shamoun bring their A games in eight episodes of campy, light comedy to fill those quiet summer evenings ahead.
June sees James Marsden taking a funny turn in some pseudo-reality TV, while Tom Holland just can't seem to make a non-Spidey mark. Meanwhile, the Terminator himself is back (as promised) to give us a tour of his career and life.
Be sure to read our past editions of Tune In or Turn Off here for more streaming hits and misses.
Tune In: Alter Boys
(CBC Gem)
Created by and starring Jonathan Lawrence, Alter Boys is the story of a group of young men who were subjected to conversion therapy in northern Manitoba. After a forest fire breaks out, questions arise. Alter Boys is a moving and meaningful limited series that considers the history of conversion therapy in Canada and its impact on those who were subjected to it.
Tune In: Arnold
(Netflix)
Mr. Olympia. Mr. I'll Be Back. Mr. Governor of California. Arnold Schwarzenegger has led a fascinating life that director Lesley Chilcott impossibly tries to cram into three one-hour episodes, titled "Athlete," "Actor" and "American." There are interviews with the Kindergarten Cop's colleagues, including James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis and Danny DeVito, and the big man himself sheds light on the ups and downs of his career. While some aspects of Schwarzenegger's life (namely his father's WWII allegiance) are brushed over, he is surprisingly candid about the darker spots of his personality and personal history. A fun one for fans and a jolt of nostalgia for all the '80s and '90s babies who grew up perfecting their Arnold voices: "To zee choppah!!"
Turn Off: The Crowded Room
(Apple TV+)
Ahead of The Crowded Room's release, it was widely reported that the show was at least partly inspired by Billy Milligan, the first person in the US acquitted for a major crime using dissociative identity disorder as a defence. Oddly, though, the show spends much of the series leading up to this very Google-able thing as a plot twist. The result is a show that feels confused, shallow, and a waste of a good premise and Tom Holland performance.
Turn Off: Flamin' Hot
(Disney+)
I do not understand in the slightest why a flavour of Cheetos (however much beloved) is receiving the same cinematic treatment as Tetris, Air Jordan and BlackBerry. Compounding this is the fact that Richard Montañez's claims that he "invented" Flamin' Hot Cheetos have largely been debunked. Flamin' Hot is ultimately weighed down by a ridiculous script filled with ludicrous circumstances, and while this movie isn't a complete flamin' hot mess, it's just empty calories. Who's ready for the biopic of things about Cool Ranch Doritos next?
Turn Off: The Idol
(Crave)
We're almost at the halfway mark of the Weeknd's The Idol, and I think I need to tap out. Sam Levinson's attempt at satirizing the entertainment industry is so aggressively belaboured that it feels like a chore to watch. Praised for the writing on Euphoria, Levinson doesn't exactly carry that magic over with dialogue that feels bland, which is surprising given how crude and straight-up gross the limited series can be. The Idol feels like a high-budget student film from someone impersonating a filmmaker trying to make a point.
Tune In: Jury Duty
(Prime Video)
The premise of Jury Duty (everyone involved in a trial is an actor except for one unsuspecting jury member) promises more than it delivers, but it's still a fun series. The severely underrated James Marsden plays a heightened version of himself as an alternate juror keen to be one of the main stars. The mockumentary nature of the show may bring to mind the likes of The Office and Parks and Recreation, but Jury Duty makes a compelling case for its existence.
Tune In: The Lake, Season 2
(Prime Video)
Season 2 of The Lake has a lot going for it: a wedding, fireworks, a fire and a Mimsy. Corny and predictable, The Lake can't lay claim to being "prestige television," but it can certainly rejoice in being amusing and enjoyable. Julia Stiles, Lauren Holly, Jordan Gavaris, Travis Nelson and Madison Shamoun bring their A games in eight episodes of campy, light comedy to fill those quiet summer evenings ahead.
