What to watch this weekend June 21, 2024: Movie awards contenders

Liam Mathews
·3 min read

OK, we’re going to keep it 100 with you: No credible movie awards contenders are being released on streaming or VOD this week. It happens sometimes. We’re between awards seasons, and Netflix’s movie of the week is lowbrow even by Netflix action movie standards. So our top pick for an awards contender to watch this week is HBO’s “Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play.” Not because it’s a likely contender for the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Emmy — it’s too abstract for that — but because it’s about a former Tony contender. 

The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the production of playwright Jeremy O. Harris’ controversial play, which debuted on Broadway in 2019 and went a stunning 0-for-12 at the 2020 Tonys. But as befits Harris’ confrontational style, it defies the conventions of behind-the-scenes documentaries, opting instead for an intuitive approach that feels like what it must be like to be inside Harris’ head. The documentary is now available to stream on Max.

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Here are some other movies to stream this weekend:

“Trigger Warning”: The aforementioned Netflix action movie stars Jessica Alba as a Special Forces soldier. She comes home and takes over her late father’s bar and goes to war against the gang that’s taken control of her town. When Josh Olson and John Brancato’s spec script sold in 2016, it was described as “a female ‘First Blood’ with ‘John Wick’ thrown in for good measure,” and is in fact produced by “John Wick” producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee. It’s directed by Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya in her English-language debut, with script contributions from “The Last of Us Part II” writer Halley Gross. It’s also the second Netflix production called “Trigger Warning,” following the 2019 docu-comedy series “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike.” It’s available to stream now. 

“Kung Fu Panda 4”: The latest installment in DreamWorks’ affable animation franchise is now streaming on Peacock after a successful theatrical run. Po, the snack-loving panda voiced by Jack Black, is forced to team up with a sly fox named Shifu (Awkwafina) to stop The Chameleon (Viola Davis) from stealing the abilities of every kung fu master in China, “Space Jam”-style. The first two “Kung Fu Panda” movies earned Best Animated Feature nominations, but the third did not, and the fourth will probably miss out this year in a field that also includes “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” “The Wild Robot,” a new “Wallace and Gromit” movie, and Barry Jenkins’ “Mufasa.” But even if it’s not a contender anymore, “Kung Fu Panda” is still fun.

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