#FIRSTLOOK: WHAT TO WATCH – AUGUST 2021: “ANNETTE”, “COOKING WITH PARIS”, “THE WHITE LOTUS”

We’ve been spending our time enjoying the quirky, odd and funny of late and we’re happy to share some of our streaming recommendations for you this month!

COOKING WITH PARIS (NETFLIX)

One thing’s for certain. Paris Hilton could read us a children’s book and our eyes would probably be glued to the screen. The Empire Maker from an Empire’s latest venture is six-episode Netflix series COOKING WITH PARIS where we see her team-up with friends in her kitchen, challenging herself with new themes each episode. Among those who join-in on the fun are Kim Kardashian-West, Demi Lovato, Nikki Glaser, Whitney Cummings and more. From glittery unicorn Cannoli to Holiday Turkey with glitter, part of the fun is watching her flop, but surprisingly some things still manage to turn-out fine despite her lackadaisical approach which sees eggs cracked improperly, pasta dough over-oiled, and dairy left out at room temperature. Nonetheless, Hilton knows exactly what her brand is and we keep coming back and through the candor with her friends, she does manage to reveal interesting anecdotes about herself and her guests in an intimate way. COOKING WITH PARIS streams now on Netflix.

THE WHITE LOTUS (HBOMAX/CRAVE)

Mike White has built a brand for his quirky creations and this is his latest, six-episode Limited Series THE WHITE LOTUS is exactly that. The Series centers on various hotel guests and its staff at the titular Hawaiian resort and while the backdrop is a sunny one, these characters all are on the verge of some things dark being uncovered about themselves. Shane (Jake Lacy) and Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) are a newlywed couple who married after a year together and Shane is obsessed with having been given the wrong suite at the hotel to the point it becomes a point of contention in their thus far, trouble-free relationship. Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge in a career-best performance) carries her mother’s ashes on the trip, still grieving the recent loss. Natasha Rothwell plays spa owner Belinda getting a chance to shine and show range as her character questions entitlement among White clientele. Nicole (Connie Britton) is a successful businesswoman who brings her family on vacation. Her husband Mark (Steve Zahn) is convinced he has Cancer, their daughter Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) is outright mean and son Quinn (Fred Hechinger) is awkward and in his old world playing video games. Then we have hotel manager Armond (Murray Bartlett), a recovering addict who is a bit aloof to what’s going on around him. This is an odd yet perfect storm of elements and characters which will grab your interest by intrigue and we can’t wait to see where the Series takes us on these characters’ journeys and growth as their paths cross and stories become intertwined. New episodes of THE WHITE LOTUS arrive Sunday nights on Crave in Canada 9 PM ET.

ANNETTE (AMAZON PRIME VIDEO/MK2 | MILE END)

French Filmmaker Leos Carax makes his English-language debut in ANNETTE, a quirky story of a Comedian named Henry (Adam Driver) who falls in love with famed Opera singer Ann (Marion Cotillard). Their world is turned upside-down with the birth of their daughter Annette played partly by a wooden marionette and also Devyn McDowell. Clocking-in at two hours and twenty minutes, the Film takes us a real journey as we see Henry and Ann go through a fallout as he takes care of their baby, while Ann continues to experience great success. The Film is driven by emotional extremes and lines between reality and fantasy often are blurred in this Musical where we are transfixed by Henry‘s tragic unravelling. Driver exercises some of those theatrical muscles we got glimpses of in Marriage Story, but really gets a challenge here exploring the world of someone who is complicated and flawed. We have never seen anything quite like ANNETTE, it is stylish, provocative, very strange and in ways cathartic. MK2 | MILE END release ANNETTE in select theatres now, arriving on Amazon Prime Video August 20, 2021.

We can’t wait for Amazon Prime Video‘s NINE PERFECT STRANGERS starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, arriving August 20th!

Check-out our Team’s latest theatrical releases here including: FREE GUY, THE SUICIDE SQUAD, STILLWATER, THE GREEN KNIGHT, Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE and more!

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video/Netflix/HBO Max)