DMZ

In a chaotic and violent dystopian universe where an American Civil War has erupted, a mother must fight like hell to find her son in a demilitarized zone (“DMZ”) within former Manhattan. 

Rosario Dawson fills our screen with powerful emotion and determination as Alma Ortega, a nurse and mother who has been separated from her son for the past eight years. The only place left to search for him is in DMZ territory, which is anything but neutral, and overrun by rival gangs. Dawson is the key to success for this show, as her gripping fear and endless love is palpable and relatable. In every frame, we experience her sadness with Alma and root for her survival and reunification. 

Despite the warnings, Alma persists in her journey and may be forced to confront one of the most powerful gangs in the DMZ, led by its deadly kingpin Parco Delgado (Benjamin Bratt). Parco fears not and will stop at nothing to secure his position of power, seeking to unite all gangs under one coalition.

One of the most harrowing aspects of DMZ is watching the impact of war zone territories on the community, something parts of our world are quite literally experiencing at the time of writing this, though unintentional (DMZ was filmed prior to Russia-Ukraine battle). Although I am not a mother yet, watching what Alma is willing to endure to reconnect with her once-little boy, and seeing the destitute of these lands, sets a fire inside my heart and soul for those that are confronting this very war.

DMZ premieres the four-part series exclusively to HBO Max on March 17, 2022
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Written by Roberto Patino

WeCrashed

We all know a guy who thinks he has the best ideas, and that every idea is gold. That guy is Adam Neumann (Jared Leto): a serial entrepreneur that encounters the love of his life, Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), who inspires him to drop all the nonsensical startups and go with one that Adam is truly passionate about. With his architect partner onboard, Adam and Miguel Mckelvey (Kyle Marvin) initiate the WeWork enterprise – flexible, shared workspaces for entrepreneurs and companies. 

The first episode of WeCrashed explores Adam’s failures leading up to WeWork, including collapsible high heels and padded baby clothes, his relentless pursuit to land a single date with Rebekah, and ultimately, a glimpse into the downfall of WeWork’s highly successful corporation.

The Apple TV+ series’ first episode is truly a showcasing of Jared Leto’s talent as the Israeli immigrant who boasts so much confidence in his potential, he must be a Sagittarius. A controversial actor over the last handful of years, irregardless of how you feel about Leto, you can’t help but root for Adam. I’ll be honest, I don’t even know why because most of his ideas are truly cringe-worthy, but Leto is such a captivating and kind presence that makes it hard to not be on his side.

While Hathaway’s role is more limited in this introduction, it’s clear her Rebekah is the grounding companionship Adam needs. Her transformation from broke and ripped off yoga instructor to Mrs. head-honcho is the perfect personality transition for Hathaway to take on.

What’s amusing, and also quite sad, is how irrelevant Miguel tends to be unless Adam needs him. The primary driver for Adam to approach Miguel is because he needed a free architect on staff, but Miguel happily obliged. As Rebekah became more prominent in Adam’s life, Miguel’s perspective became less important. What’s more, we’re left uncertain where Miguel stands in the WeWork company when all things begin downhill for the company, and Adam in particular.

Unfortunately, caring about the demise of rich people is just outside my scope of interest, and I was left with little to care about for another episode of WeCrashed.

WeCrashed premieres weekly on Apple TV+ beginning March 18, 2022
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Created by Drew Crevello and Lee Eisenberg

The Girl from Plainville

The Girl from Plainville is an 8-episode Hulu original series following the renowned Michelle Carter case, revolving around the suicide of Conrad Roy III. Carter kicked up a wave of controversy when she was charged with involuntary manslaughter due to the horrible texts from Michelle were found on Conrad’s phone shortly after his death. Her antagonizing and bullish taunting was seen to have pushed Conrad over the edge, despite her outwardly appearance as a destroyed survivor.

Michelle Carter’s case is an absolute tragedy, mostly because Conrad was too distraught to understand what a monster Carter was. Elle Fanning wonderfully captures the dual identity of Michelle. Her seemingly guilt-ridden public persona masking an attention-seeking opportunist with sociopathic tendencies. Fanning’s nuanced performance coaxes anyone unfamiliar with the case under her wing, and even brings those of us walking in with full knowledge along for the ride.

Despite Fanning’s captivating performance (as well as Chloë Sevigny’s broken yet strong-willed take on Conrad’s mother, Lynn), The Girl from Plainville just does not seem to have the story nor energy to justify eight full episodes of television. It’s a captivating case, but one that could easily be covered with time to spare in a two-hour film. If you are curious or entranced by the horrors of Carter’s case, definitely give it a shot. Otherwise, there are plenty of stories available these days that do not demand overly fleshed out allowances of time.

The Girl from Plainville premieres exclusively to Hulu on March 29, 2022
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
Created by Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus

Shining Girls

Shining Girls, on the other hand, is a masterstroke in storytelling. It is the early 90s and Elisabeth Moss stars as Kirby, a survivor of a vicious assault some years earlier. This attempted murder has left Kirby unable to process everyday normalcies. In fact, it has left her incapable of fully embracing life itself.

Trauma is by definition horrific. Surviving an attack as Kirby has might lend others to think she has the resolve of a Sidney Prescott. But that is clearly fiction, because in real life, Sidney would likely be a basket case by now. Shining Girls focuses on the true impact of demoralizing traumatic events, the sheer breaking down of one’s psychological fortitude to the point that identifying everyday objects is mentally taxing.

Kirby cannot remember if she has a cat or a dog, if her desk at the Chicago Sun-Times is here or there, and is determined to make a fresh start in Florida where she believes she can escape the tragedy of her past. But those events come knocking in the form of Sun-Times reporter Dan Velazquez (Wagner Moura), who is working the case of a recently found murdered woman. A case that is eerily similar to Kirby’s.

Shining Girls borrows a bit in tone from Mare of Easttown, as the mystery is less about who the killer is, and more about how this damaged woman is going to reclaim her life after a monster has stolen it away. Elisabeth Moss is a diamond in television’s rough, continually proving she deserves every role tossed her way. Moss delivers a brilliantly pitch-perfect performance as our lead character that we want desperately to believe, yet her disjointed reality forces us to doubt her at every turn. Shining Girls is a can’t-miss series that seeks to unravel the myths of tragedy and trauma, with one of the best actresses in television leading the way.

Shining Girls is set to premiere on Apple TV+ beginning April 29, 2022
Directed by Michelle MacLaren
Created by Silka Luisa

All episodic premieres were originally screened as part of the SXSW 2022 Film Festival

Follow our further discussion on these and over 25 other film and episodic premieres screened at SXSW 2022 via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: