October 2021 brings streaming goodness [Review]

Pharma Bro Available On Demand October 5

Streaming has brought a ton of new documentaries to my attention in October. Blumhouse is dropping Pharma Bro on audiences and it feels a little late. Honestly, I feel the interest in Martin Shkreli was prior to the Pandemic and now other things have stolen focus. But, was the documentary any good?

Pharma Bro is a documentary I’ve been desperately waiting to see. Everything about the Martin Shkreli case fascinates me to my core. Especially as more and more of the American public becomes interested in commerce and how to play with certain degrees of ownership. The movie is a year long look into the private life of America’s latest corporate villain.

As new arguments against capitalism dominate the social media news channels, thing are complicated by sincere looks at monsters like Shkreli. The documentary could’ve gone harder, but it’s a great intro into learning about this garbage.

COMING HOME IN THE DARK starring Daniel Gillies | Opens Oct. 1st

Coming Home in the Dark is a dark New Zealand film which is going to result in some weird reads. The easiest way is to draw the connection to Funny Games. But, that’s wrong. October always brings the scary movies, but this is something different. Yet, it’s something familiar.

The easiest way to get a scare out of an audience is to take what’s familiar and corrupt. While this film is based on a book that I’ve been meaning to read this October, it also leans into familiar scare territory. For those that don’t buy into the supernatural, there is always those who get scared by true crime style tales.

It is a fantasy in its own right, but one that people can understand.

Sunset on the River Styx Arriving On Demand on 10/5 From Indican Pictures

Sunset on the River Styx is a love story about loveable weirdos. Hell, it almost plays like Paterson at points. Then it becomes a vampire movie and just loses me. October always brings the vampire movies and we are reaching a point of saturation that only zombies can match. What’s up with that? No one can make a werewolf movie about an identity crisis?

Aaron Pagniano really does well with the material. However, it feels like two movies in one. I just dug the first story more than the other.

Language Lessons Available on Digital and On Demand October 26, 2021 from Shout! Studios

Language Lessons was a movie I’ve been wanting to watch for weeks. Then, Shout hooked me up to watch it. Honestly, it’s just as great as I thought it would be to watch. Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales wrote the film together, but Morales mines something special in the direction. Basically, the film takes advantage of the Pandemic to frame a story about a man staying home and learning Spanish.

While his tutor beams in from Costa Rica, the two become fast friends and grow together. Their lives change in a way that is hard to pin down without spoilers, but it’s how they feed off of each other that matters most. You get the real sense that people who are initially strangers and grow into true friends when needed.

It’s a tight little movie running at 91 minutes. While it’s not a October horror title, it’s well worth checking out.

These are the October 2021 streaming titles…so far.