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Heigh-ho, let’s go!
A new “Snow White” is out, and although I’m not whistling while I work, I am jamming out to Rachel Zegler’s “Waiting on a Wish” from the musical revamp of Disney’s classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Or perhaps you might prefer the country-fied tracks of the rock opera “O’Dessa,” starring a guitar-slinging Sadie Sink. That’s one of many new movies hitting streaming that you’ll want to watch – like a certain witchy blockbuster with a pretty good soundtrack. But now’s also the time to plan for a busy spring of must-see TV. (Those fungal zombies of “The Last of Us” can’t return too soon.)
Now on to the good stuff:
See Rachel Zegler belt tunes as Disney’s new ‘Snow White’
Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White” has been the subject of online backlash and real-life controversy. It’s also arguable that we even need a redo of the 1937 film in the first place. Somehow, though, the latest “Snow” actually proves to be pretty decent: Rachel Zegler is great as the kind scullery maid who befriends critters, bandits and miners (who range from Dopey to Grumpy), and Gal Gadot is camptastic as the super-nasty Evil Queen. The new songs and narrative changes are rather good, too, but the seven short CGI dudes are instantly forgettable. (Peep my ★★★ review.)
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Also, because a lot of kids are going to be into seeing this movie, I put together a guide to what parents need to know for their little ones while old-school fans will want to check out Patrick Ryan’s breakdown of what’s changed from the OG classic to the redo.
Stream the rock opera ‘O’Dessa’ with Regina Hall, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Now streaming on Hulu, the post-apocalyptic rock opera “O’Dessa” is a trippy take on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with Sadie Sink as a guitar-slinging farm girl (and maybe musical messiah). My pal Ralphie Aversa talked with stars Regina Hall and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in our New York City studio about the movie, which is partly a love story between Sink’s O’Dessa and Harrison’s sex worker character Euri. “I haven’t seen something like this before,” Harrison says. “It’s definitely fantastical. But there was a sincerity about it, too.”
“O’Dessa” is one of several movies new to your favorite streaming services this month. I rounded up a guide of what you can see right now, including theatrical releases like “Anora” and “Wicked” plus original flicks such as “Tyler Perry’s Duplicity” and “The Parenting.”
Plan your spring of streaming TV shows
If you like eccentric detectives such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc, then you’ll dig Uza Aduba’s oddball, bird-watching crime-solver Cordelia Cupp in the Netflix limited series “The Residence.” When the chief White House usher (Giancarlo Esposito) is found dead during a state dinner, Cordelia is called in to investigate. TV critic Kelly Lawler is mixed on the Shonda Rhimes murder mystery, writing in her ★★ review that the impressive ensemble cast – including Randall Park, Jane Curtin, Susan Kelechi Watson and Bronson Pinchot – is stifled by “a disappointingly flimsy and flaccid story.”
Kelly’s more excited about some other shows that she features in her spring TV preview, like the anticipated second seasons of HBO’s “The Last of Us” and the Disney+ “Star Wars” show “Andor” as well as notable debuts like “The Bondsman” and “Sirens.”
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email [email protected] and follow me on the socials: I’m @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
