This week, we feature an intriguing British whodunnit from the ’30s and a romantic TV series about a woman starting over in a small town.
New Release
‘Freelance’
Mason Pettis (John Cena) used to have an exciting life as a Special Forces operator but has been relegated to an office job. His fortunes take a positive turn when he’s hired to escort news correspondent Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) to an interview with dictator Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba)—until a military coup erupts.
This movie is pretty entertaining, if a little long. There are plenty of action-packed scenes that should appeal to genre fans, but it does have some pretty raunchy comedy.
Action | Comedy
Release Date: Oct. 27, 2023
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: Alison Brie, Alice Eve, John Cena
Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Where to Watch: Theaters
Rated: 3 stars out of 5
Indie Pick
‘The Fairy’
Just outside of the French port city of Le Havre, a man named Dom (Dominique Abel) ekes out a humdrum existence as an overnight hotel clerk. However, his routine lifestyle is upended when he meets Fiona (Fiona Gordon), who purports to be a fairy who can grant him three wishes.
Obviously inspired by silent comedy film legends such as Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton, this quirky flick features a plethora of over-the-top sight gags and other physical comedy. While it mostly works, there are jokes that may elicit head scratches.
Comedy | Drama
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2012
Director: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Starring: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Running Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Where to Watch: Hoopla, Amazon
Rated: 3 stars out of 5
A Binge-worthy TV Series
‘Virgin River’
In this contemporary romance TV series based on the titular best-selling novels by Robyn Carr, a woman named Melinda “Mel” Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) moves from Los Angeles to work in a small town in Northern California called Virgin River. There, she faces new, unexpected challenges.
Just as comfort food is to the palate, this engaging series is comfort viewing, with interesting plotlines and charming characters. The more you watch it, the more you’re drawn into its world—it’s quite bingeable.
Drama | Romance
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2019
Creator: Sue Tenney
Starring: Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence
Running Time: 44 minutes per episode; season 5 premieres Nov. 30, 2023
MPAA Rating: TV-14
Where to Watch: Netflix
Rated: 3.5 stars out of 5
A Gripping 1930s Crime Drama
‘The Unguarded Hour’
This British whodunit stars Loretta Young as Lady Helen Dearden and Franchot Tone as her husband, prosecutor Sir Alan Dearden, both of whom run afoul of dangerous criminal elements.
This film moves at a brisk pace and is a little hard to follow in some areas because of its ample dialogue. However, it’s an engaging film that should please fans of classic crime dramas.
Crime | Drama
Release Date: April 10, 1936
Director: Sam Wood
Starring: Loretta Young, Franchot Tone, Lewis Stone
Running Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Not Rated
Where to Watch: Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube
Rated: 3.5 stars out of 5
