What to watch August 18, 2023: Movie awards contenders – Gold Derby

Magnolia

If you’re looking for a few laughs, the newest streaming titles will more than satisfy you. Even the top pick, a bittersweet documentary with a sociological bent, derives humor from its resilient subjects. 

The contender to watch this week: “Kokomo City”

Director D. Smith‘s zesty documentary follows four Black transgender women as they detail their experiences as sex workers in New York and Georgia. Shot in glistening black-and-white and peppered with electrifying music cues, “Kokomo City” is a spiritual experience: funny, heartbreaking, and invigorating all at once. Magnolia Pictures released it in theaters in July, and now it’s available on VOD. 

Other contenders:

• “No Hard Feelings“: Insofar as a Jennifer Lawrence movie can be called a sleeper hit, “No Hard Feelings” has had surprisingly long legs at the box office. Since opening on June 21, the Gene Stupnitsky-directed farce has grossed $85 million worldwide — a robust number for a live-action comedy not based on existing IP. Now it’s available for purchase on VOD. You can also rent it starting August 29. 
• “Sick of Myself”: One of the year’s sharpest satires, this Norwegian comedy about a privileged millennial (Kristine Kujath Thorp) who gives herself a skin rash for attention is now streaming on Showtime Anytime and Paramount+. It could be an Oscar contender for Best International Feature Film. 
• “Avatar”: Want to return to Pandora? James Cameron‘s first Na’vi excursion hit Max this week. 
• “Thoroughbreds”: Director Cory Finley‘s futuristic alien lark “Landscape with Invisible Hand” opens in theaters this weekend. Check out his debut, a stylish psychodrama about two murderous suburban teenagers (Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke), courtesy of Hulu. 

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