THIRTEEN LIVES
Twelve boys and the coach of a Thai soccer team explore the Tham Luang cave when an unexpected rainstorm traps them in a chamber inside the mountain.
Quick takeaway: Intense, but so good. I felt a little claustrophobic watching them dive, but I think that’s the point. If you loved The Impossible, this is a must-watch.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Prime Video.
DAY SHIFT
An LA vampire hunter has a week to come up with the cash to pay for his kid’s tuition and braces. Trying to make a living these days just might kill him.
Quick takeaway: I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure if the movie loses itself about 2/3 in or if I was too tired and missed a crucial 45s that would have bridged the tempo change.
It’s a “hot take” on a vampire hunting thriller. If I had to pick similar movies, I’d say The Cabin in the Woods, Hansel and Gretel, and Van Helsing.
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
SECRET HEADQUARTERS
While hanging out after school, Charlie and his friends discover the headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero hidden beneath his home.
Quick Takeaway: Listen, it’s predictable and a little cheesy. But a pleasant cheese, not a cringe cheese. Definitely a fan.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Paramount+.
WEDDING SEASON
Pressured by their immigrant parents to find spouses, two Indian-Americans pretend to date in order to survive a summer of weddings – but find themselves falling for each other as they struggle to balance who they are with who their parents want them to be.
Quick takeaway: It’s cute. Easy watch. Decent character development.
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
PAPER GIRLS
It’s the day after Halloween in 1988 when four young friends accidentally stumble into an intergalactic battle and find themselves inexplicably transported to the year 2019. When they come face-to-face with their adult selves, each girl discovers her own strengths as together they try to find a way back to the past while saving the world of the future.
Quick takeaway: Watched it in a weekend. Loved it.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Prime Video.
TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD
Anthology series made up of standalone hours focused on new and already-introduced characters from the Dead-verse.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon AMC+.
SURFACE
A traumatic head injury leaves Sophie with extreme memory loss. In her quest to put the pieces of her life back together—with help from her husband and friends—Sophie begins to question the truth behind her picture-perfect life.
Available on VidAngel through AppleTV+.
TRYING
All Nikki and Jason want is a baby—the one thing they can’t have. So they decide to adopt. With their dysfunctional friends, screwball families, and chaotic lives, will the adoption panel agree that they’re ready to be parents?
Quick Takeaway: Heartwarming premise interwoven with hilarious quips about preparing for parenthood. Great ratings and deemed a “must-watch”.
Available on VidAngel through AppleTV+.
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
In 1943, Carson Shaw travels to Chicago to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. There, she meets other women who also dream of playing pro baseball and makes connections that open up her world. Rockford local Max Chapman also comes to the tryouts but is turned away. With the support of her best friend Clance, she must forge a new path to pursue her dream.
Quick takeaway: Loved the movie, so figured I’d give the series a try. Good message with interesting characters.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Prime Video.
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
What did the world look like as it was transforming into the horrifying apocalypse depicted in “The Walking Dead”? This spin-off set in Los Angeles, following new characters as they face the beginning of the end of the world, will answer that question.
Quick takeaway: They really are riding that Walking Dead wave.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon AMC+.
THE INFORMER
In New York, former convict Pete Koslow, related to the Polish mafia, must deal with both Klimek the General, his ruthless boss, and the twisted ambitions of two federal agents, as he tries to survive and protect the lives of his loved ones…
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE MOVIE
When a mysterious stranger arrives from the future with a dire warning, Leo is forced to rise and lead his brothers, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey in a fight to save the world from a terrifying alien species.
Quick Takeaway: A fun adventure-filled movie to watch with the kiddos. Colorful animation and captivating action scenes sprinkled with silly gags.
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
LOCKE & KEY
Three siblings who move into their ancestral estate after their father’s gruesome murder discover their new home’s magical keys, which must be used in their stand against an evil creature who wants the keys and their powers.
Quick takeaway: Fun perspective on magic. Love the unpredictability. It’s no Stranger Things, but it is good. For a full recap, check out our Locke & Key recap.
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
JURASSIC WORLD: CAMP CRETACEOUS
Six teens attending an adventure camp on the opposite side of Isla Nublar must band together to survive when dinosaurs wreak havoc on the island.
Quick Takeaway: The story was better than I had thought it would be and the characters were fun.
Available on VidAngel through Netflix.
FOR ALL MANKIND
Explore an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams as told through the lives of NASA astronauts, engineers, and their families.
Quick Takeaway: It’s the perfect show for VidAngel. Most of the content was fine for me, except for the language. I started watching it without VidAngel and got two episodes in and had to stop.
Available on VidAngel through AppleTV+.
LUCK
Suddenly finding herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck, the unluckiest person in the world must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around.
Quick Takeaway: Great watch. The animation is just “okay”. Engaging storyline that pulls on your heartstrings and has a good moral.
Available on VidAngel through AppleTV+.
THE OUTLAWS
Seven strangers from different walks of life – people who would never normally interact – are forced to work together to renovate a derelict community centre. They resent the menial physical labour and they resent each other. But when one of their number gets dragged into a dangerous world of organised crime, they unite in ways none of them thought possible.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Prime Video.
BLACK BIRD
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.
Available on VidAngel through AppleTV+.
HONOR SOCIETY
Honor is an ambitious high school senior whose sole focus is getting into Harvard, assuming she can first score the coveted recommendation from her guidance counselor.
Available on VidAngel through Amazon Paramount+.
