Monthly Watchlist: Cultish True Crime, Neurodivergent Hijinks, and Arthouse Films to Check Out this August

PUBLISHED August 4th, 2022 01:37 pm | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:30 pm

With the emergence of streaming services came the overwhelming decision fatigue of scrolling endlessly through Netflix to find a movie, when you’re not even sure whether you want to watch something about drag queens or about the Queen. If you’d rather just check out what other people are watching, come see what’s on the screens of the City Nomads team!

Sharmaine’s Pick: Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey

Genre: True Crime, Documentary

Patriarchy and obedience sanctioned by religion come together in the twisted happenings under the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) in Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey. Through interviews with victims of the cult, directors Rachel Dretzin and Grace McNally paint a full picture of the extensive abuse of children and women under leader Warren Jeffs. Fortunately, this story concludes with a somewhat happy ending, so you’ll get to relish as Sharmaine did in watching “[t]he collective force of women coming together to bring Warren Jeffs down.”

Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey is available for streaming on Netflix.

Kim’s Pick: Resident Evil

Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Action

After the world falls to a deadly outbreak (sounds familiar?), we follow the main character Jade as she navigates through the aftermath of the collapse of civilisation in New Raccoon City. Through the unfolding of events both past and present, the insidious secrets of the Umbrella Corporation start coming to the surface as we witness their role in pre-apocalyptic society and the dystopic landscape after the human race falls victim to the T-virus. This grim backdrop seeps into the motivations and actions of every character on screen, and as Kim says, “it shows the worst of humans.”

Resident Evil is available for streaming on Netflix.

Wen Jing’s Pick: As We See It

Genre: Comedy, Drama

The flurry of TikToks centred around ADHD and autism has created a space where neurodivergent people come together to poke fun at the quirks and experiences they share. As We See It emulates this sense of camaraderie and hilarity as roommates Jack, Harrison and Violet – all on the spectrum – juggle their love lives, careers and social lives all while dealing with the troubles that come with being different in a society not made for you. Wen Jing’s favourite though is their aide, Mandy, who in her words “has a lot of heart” while also “show[ing] her vulnerability and how imperfect humans, even people you trust, can be.”

As We See It is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

Leo’s Pick: Moonlight (2016)

Genre: Arthouse, Drama

Growing up black, disenfranchised and in poverty, we watch as Chiron or ‘Little’ struggles to wade through hegemonic and toxic masculinity while also carving out his own identity. Told in 3 different chapters that follow the stages of his life, Chiron finds solace in the company of the likes of Juan, who turns out to be his mother’s drug dealer, and his childhood friend Kevin – only to be betrayed by both in ways that drive him to give in to the toxic, masculine ideal imposed on him throughout his life. The character who Leo found herself most endeared to was Juan, as he “models a healthy form of masculinity (which is extremely hard to find examples of) while his flaws make the character feel grounded and real.”

Moonlight (2016) is available for streaming on Hulu.

Emily’s Pick: Who Rules the World

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Adapted from a wuxia novel by Qing Lengyue, Who Rules the World has it all: political intrigue, secret identities, martial arts scenes, a plot to take over the world, and a sweet romance. Starring two of the hottest actors in China right now, Rosy Zhao and Yang Yang, protagonists Bai Feng Hei Xi join hands to travel the world and fight for the people amidst the setting of a decaying empire. Despite some common tropes, the lovely chemistry between the leads, high production value, and interesting side characters make for good world building, so it’s easy enough to invest yourself in this 40-episode drama.

Who Rules the World is available for streaming on Netlix.