Bite-Sized Reviews

'Damsel', 'Synchronic': Five brand new things to stream now

Worth binge-watching or a waste of time? We weigh in on the latest series and movies

25 April 2021 - 00:01 By tymon smith
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The cast of Netflix's 'Synchronic'.
The cast of Netflix's 'Synchronic'.
Image: Netflix

SYNCHRONIC

Cult sci-fi directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead offer up a grungy slice of Philip K Dick-inspired dystopian paranoia in this reasonably mind-bending if sometimes slightly silly thriller. Two New Orleans paramedics - played by Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dorman - find themselves slipping down a dark and twisted path when they begin to investigate a new drug that makes its users time travel.

Where to stream it: Netflix

How much time you'll need to binge it: 100 minutes

WATCH | 'Synchronic' trailer.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS

A sensitively executed and empathetically acted drama about a young woman who makes a journey to New York in order to have the abortion that she's denied in her home state. It's a humane and gently observed examination of the realities of so many women in a country in which the right to choose is still such a fraught and divisive political issue.

Where to stream it: Showmax

How much time you'll need to binge it: 100 minutes

WATCH | 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' trailer.

DAMSEL

Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska breathe some smart, funny life into the Western genre in this exquisitely shot, slow paced but entertaining and feminist centred tale of one well-off pioneer's journey across the frontier to marry the love of his life.

Where to stream it: Showmax

How much time you'll need to binge it: 2 hours

WATCH | 'Damsel' trailer.

ZERO

An introverted young black Italian teen has to put aside his dreams of becoming an artist when he discovers that he has the power of invisibility and must use it to protect his community. It's a welcome and intriguing addition to an oversaturated genre that works thanks to its highlighting of the realities of African immigrant experience and culture in a country that's content to pretend this vibrant and significant community doesn't exist.

Where to stream it: Netflix

How much time you'll need to binge it: 4 hours

WATCH | 'Zero' trailer.

MY LOVE

A six-part, heartwarming and tender docuseries that explores the relationships between couples across the world. It's a necessary antidote to the anxiety and uncertainty of the present that reaffirms a somewhat sentimental but touching belief in the idea of true love through memorable real people who are hard not to fall in love with.

Where to stream it: Netflix

How much time you'll need to binge it: 7 hours

WATCH | 'My Love' trailer.


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