Spectrum editor’s list of films to watch for April 14
“The Fight” (2020)
This riveting documentary follows legal battles pursued by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union during the Trump administration, including efforts to reverse the former president’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim nations and his exclusion of transgender personnel in the military. In 2020, the film won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival.
Available on Hulu | 99% Rotten Tomatoes
“The Weekend” (2018)
This dramatic comedy captures a romantic weekend getaway that goes awry. Tone Bell’s character Bradford takes his girlfriend Margo, played by DeWanda Wise, on a vacation, where they end up staying at a rental home owned by his ex-girlfriend’s mom. His ex-girlfriend, Zadie, is there that same weekend, and their time together reveals lingering romantic feelings from the past.
Available on Hulu | 86% Rotten Tomatoes
“Luce” (2019)
Luce, who was raised in a war zone in Eritrea, was adopted by an American couple and came to be known as a “model student” at his high school despite his troubled background. However, his teacher and parents are forced to reconsider their overwhelming praise of Luce when he writes an essay that defends the use of violence as a necessary cleansing force. Featuring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer and Tim Roth, the cast received favorable reviews for their performance, with Spencer nominated for seven different awards for her supporting role.
Available on Hulu | 90% Rotten Tomatoes
“Clemency” (2019)
In this dramatic film, Alfre Woodard plays a prison warden named Bernadine whose job poses a severe emotional toll. One of her death row inmates, Anthony, continues to maintain his innocence, but has exhausted all his options for clemency. Despite her working relationship with Anthony’s lawyer and belief he could possibly be innocent, she has to follow through with the state’s orders of execution.
Available on Hulu | 92% Rotten Tomatoes
“Concrete Cowboy” (2020)
Starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin, this dramatic film finds a 15-year-old boy named Cole, played by McLaughlin, being sent to live with his estranged father, played by Idris Elba, in North Philadelphia, where there are high rates of poverty and violence. To quell his son’s desire to fall in with the wrong crowds, Elba’s character Harp introduces Cole to the area’s thriving subculture of “Black cowboys.”
Available on Netflix | 78% Rotten Tomatoes
