- Compact streaming
Women, risking their health. Men, risking their lives. And a superpower with a lot at stake. Here's what to stream this week.
"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: An American Dream" (Netflix)
The Dallas Cowboys may have a mixed record in the National Football League, but their cheerleaders are considered the best in the USA. Known as "America's Sweethearts," they're easily recognized by their blue crop tops, white shorts with stars, and white cowboy boots. There's even a Barbie doll dressed as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (DCC). Documentarian Greg Whiteley, who previously explored the tough world of cheerleaders in Netflix's "Cheer," gets remarkably close to the people in this new Netflix series, "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: An American Dream." He tells the stories behind the uniforms, starting with the grueling audition process, following several hopefuls. For little pay, these women endure eating disorders and broken bones to make the cut and avoid being cut the next year. It's moving. Now on Netflix.
"The Instigators" (Apple TV+)
Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners. A struggling single dad and an ex-con, they plan to steal embezzled funds from a corrupt mayor. But things go wrong, and they must flee from both the police and vengeful gangsters. Desperate, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join their escape, forcing them to work together to avoid arrest or worse. The action comedy "The Instigators" is now streaming on AppleTV+ since August 9.
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" (Prime Video)
The action comedy "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is based on recently declassified British War Office files. Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of the first British special unit, founded by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military men, including James Bond author Ian Fleming. This secret unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and misfits, embarks on a daring mission against the Nazis, employing unconventional and utterly "ungentlemanly" combat techniques. Their bold actions influence the war's course and lay the groundwork for the British SAS and modern warfare. Directed and written by Guy Ritchie ("The Gentlemen"), it stars Henry Cavill ("Mission: Impossible - Fallout") and Til Schweiger. Currently available on Prime Video.
"Kamala Harris - An American Career" (Arte-Mediathek)
Documentary "Kamala Harris: An American Journey" by Marjolaine Grappe and David Thomson tells the story of the first Vice President of the United States. Raised in the African-American neighborhoods of Berkeley and Oakland, the daughter of immigrant parents has overcome every imaginable hurdle: she was the first black Attorney General and the second black woman in the U.S. Senate. Now, she seems destined to succeed Joe Biden in 2024. In 2020, the American business magazine "Forbes" ranked the California native of Indian and Jamaican descent third on its list of the 100 most powerful women in the world, after Angela Merkel and Christine Lagarde. How did she rise to the top so quickly? What does her success reveal about American democracy, racism, and gender equality in politics? The doc traces her political rise from the strongholds of the civil rights movement to the White House. It shows the obstacles the "American heroine" had to overcome in her career and asks: Can a woman become President of the United States?
After exploring the challenges faced by cheerleaders in "Cheer" on Netflix, filmmaker Greg Whiteley delves deeper into the world of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in the Prime Video series, "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: An American Dream."
The thrilling action-comedy "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" on Prime Video is based on real events, where Winston Churchill and a team of unconventional operatives use unlikely tactics to fight the Nazis, paving the way for modern warfare.
