Jakob Eiseman, Editor

Header image: Amazon Prime

“The Father” — VOD

Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, “The Father” tells the story of an elderly man named Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkins (“Silence of the Lambs,” “Westworld,”) who refuses to accept the condition of his dementia. Despite the best efforts of his daughter Anne, played by Olivia Colman (“The Favourite,” “The Lobster,”) Anthony refuses to admit that he needs care and insists on living on his own in his apartment. Hopkins and Colman are both nominated for Academy Awards for their roles in “The Father.” Because of the subject matter of dementia, aging and mental illness, the film uses techniques to keep the viewers guessing at what is real and what is in Anthony’s mind. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the film features a rather small cast, but, as it was adapted from a stage play, this does not majorly affect the plot. The film is written and directed by Florian Zeller, a French playwright, known for his play versions of “The Father” and “The Mother” as well as similarly named plays “The Son” and “The Lie.” The film was released for a small period in a limited capacity in late 2020 so as to qualify for the Academy Awards, but is being released to the public for a $20 rental on Friday, March 26.

“Invincible” — Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime received glowing reviews on its most recent venture into the superhero genre with “The Boys,” a live action series spoofing the “Justice League” that involved adult themes like abuse, torture, racism and political corruption. Now, Amazon is releasing their second superhero project, an animated series titled “Invincible” that is closely following the comic book series of the same name created by “Walking Dead” comic creator Robert Kirkman. “Invincible” follows a similar story to “Superman” and other classic comic book heroes except that it is rated R, features gore, intense violence and nudity. Mark Grayson, voiced by Steven Yeun (“The Walking Dead,” “Minari,”) son to the world’s greatest superhero Omni-Man, voiced by J. K. Simmons (“Whiplash,” “Spider-Man,”) gains his father’s superpowers at the age of 17 and begins fighting crime as a superhero alter-ego, Invincible. The “Invincible” comics are known for their subversion, dark plot details and grotesque fight scenes with copious amounts of blood that show what it would really look like to get punched by a superhero. The series, both comic and animated, follow the same story, meaning that within this first season, a radical plot twist will set up the events of the rest of the series. The first three episodes of “Invincible” will drop on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, March 26 with subsequent episodes releasing each week after.

Monster Hunter Rise — Nintendo Switch

Monster Hunter Rise, the next entry in the 16-year-old “Monster Hunter” action franchise, which recently produced its first feature length film of the same name, will release this Friday, March 26 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Although there are rumors of a PC version releasing in 2022, this marks the return of “Monster Hunter” to handheld systems after 2017’s immensely popular Monster Hunter World which has sold over 21,000,000 copies to date on console and PC. Until Monster Hunter World, the series was always significantly more popular on handheld devices such as the PlayStation Portable or the Nintendo 3DS. Of course, a handheld release comes with toned down visuals and graphics, but Monster Hunter Rise offers a faster-paced style of combat and traversing the vast open lands than previous titles. It also presents a wide assortment of new creatures for players to hunt down alongside fan favorites like the fire-breathing dragon: the Rathalos. Monster Hunter Rise will release with a price tag of $59.99 and a special “Monster Hunter” themed Nintendo Switch console bundle for $369.99.