The Kissing Booth concludes and an incredible Elton John biopic: This week’s best and biggest on Netflix

Check out Jordan Parker’s ‘The week’s best and biggest on Netflix every Friday on HalifaxToday.ca

HALIFAXtoday \  Jordan Parker

Check out Jordan Parker’s ‘The week’s best and biggest on Netflix every Friday on HalifaxToday.ca.

Rocketman

This incredible, delicious take on Elton John’s larger-than-life personality and exploits is my favourite biopic in years.

Taron Egerton – best known for Kingsman – is perfect as Sir Elton, and gives a charismatic, striking performance that’s not to be missed.

Part musical, part bold, honest look at his difficulties, it’s an all-out affair worth a celebration.

It chronicles his difficulties with alcohol, drugs, his sexuality, and his loves and relationship to his music.

Egerton is fantastic, but he’s supported by a cast of wonderful actors, including Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, this film glosses nothing over, and it’s a truly honest portrayal.

Director Dexter Fletcher makes a vibrant spectacle with serious heart, and you’ll go from tapping your toe one minute to crying the next. It will satisfy in every way.

4/5 Stars

22 Jump Street

This incredible sequel to the surprise smash-hit 21 Jump Street is as meta, self-aware and downright zany as its predecessor.

After their stint in high school as undercover cops, Jenko and Schmidt must pretend to be college students to find the dealer of a new drug killing students.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller infuse the sequel with even more energy, and manage to go so many different places without making this one ever feel like a re-tread.

The best part is still the pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. If you’ve been sleeping on it, you’ll realize here Tatum is a hugely gifted comedic actor.

Ice Cube is back as their no-nonsense captain, and Nick Offerman, Jillian Bell, Amber Stevens West, Peter Stormare and Wyatt Russell round out a fantastic cast.

This is a can’t-miss if you want to find something to tickle your funny bone today.

4/5 Stars

https://youtu.be/v9S_dYuq0vE

The Peanut Butter Falcon

I refuse to let star Shia LaBeouf’s off-screen notoriety tarnish this absolutely incredible film for me.

This tender portrayal of the friendship between an unlikely match is one of the most adorable little indies I’ve seen in years.

It follows young man Zak – a wrestling aficionado with down syndrome – who longs for a life with more freedom.

He lives at a care home, but soon goes AWOL to discover his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

Zack Gottsagen is heartwarming in the lead role, and Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and Bruce Dern are all fantastic.

Writer-directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz combine to make one of my favourite movies of the last few years.

4.5/5 Stars

Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

This one may not be Tarantino’s magnum opus, but it’s definitely his most expansive effort.

It’s a tale of Tinseltown, the beautiful facade and the seedy underbelly of it all. It follows the last years of the Golden Age through the eyes of a star who isn’t shining as bright as he used to.

He spends time with his relaxed, pot-smoking stunt double and lives next door to director Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate.

The goings-on of their lives are chronicled in detail, and it’s a masterwork of filmmaking from Quentin Tarantino, whose other efforts have been derided as unnecessarily foul and violent.

Brad Pitt won an Oscar for his performance here, and Leonardo DiCaprio is stunning as well. Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant and Austin Butler all add a certain gravitas.

It’s a trip of a movie and one of my favourites to revisit.

4.5/5 Stars

The Kissing Booth 3

Call me a sap, but I adore these movies. They aren’t high art, but they do make me smile.

I’m a fan of the characters, the young actors playing them and the general playful air that comes from the Netflix original trilogy.

This final effort follows main character Elle as she tries to decide whether to go to college with her boyfriend or her best friend. It’s a summer movie about love, growing up, and big decisions.

Star Joey King is adorable, and I think she has a great career ahead of her. Joel Courtney, similarly, is goofy and a whole lot of fun. Jacob Elordi is the weak piece of the trio, but serviceable.

If you’re ever feeling down, you can watch these movies and pick yourself up, and that’s never a bad thing.

3.5/5 Stars

Jordan Parker’s weekly film reviews can be found on his blog, Parker & The Picture Shows.