A spellbinding feminist horror film tops new DVD releases for the week of Aug. 4.
“Swallow”: Seemingly effervescent Hunter (the brilliant Haley Bennett) is swept out of working retail and into a comfortable life with a wealthy family via husband Richie (Austin Stowell). It quickly becomes evident that he and his boundary-free parents (Elizabeth Marvel and David Rasche) see her as less of a human being and more of a prop, while she’s largely stuck at home with domestic tasks and ennui.
So when mom Katherine gives Hunter a self-help book, “A Talent for Joy,” after Hunter becomes pregnant, Hunter reads a tip about doing something unexpected every day and turns to props of her own. It starts as a compulsion: She swallows a marble. Then onto a thumbtack, a battery, each new object compounding the risk.
Bennett is mesmerizing, her facial expressions so masterfully exposing the addiction cycle: the boredom, the initial compulsion, the fight against temptation, succumbing to it, then shame but ultimately private joy, her secret, the one thing that’s all hers. The dreamy score by Nathan Halpern and pristine production design by Erin Magill compellingly add to the battle between mental numbness and order disguising more complicated layers underneath.
It’s an entrancing, gripping excavation of trauma, one that’s distressingly relevant in the quarantine era.
Also new on DVD
“Dead Ringer”: A cover band lead singer (Tom Sizemore) takes over a spot in a famous boy band in this modern take on “The Prince and the Pauper.”
“Dispatches From Elsewhere, Season 1”: AMC anthology series follows a group of strangers who get swept into a mysterious game. Stars Sally Field, Richard E. Grant, Andre Benjamin and Eve Lindley.
“His Dark Materials: First Season”: BBC One series tackles the popular book trilogy by Philip Pullman as Lyra (Dafne Keen) attempts to rescue her generation from an oppressive system that attempts to limit their magical qualities.
“NCIS: Los Angeles: The Eleventh Season”: Picking up from the previous season of the CBS series, Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Sam (LL Cool J) remain on the USS Allegiance, seeking out spies onboard.
“The Good Doctor”: The hit ABC series follows the challenges and unique abilities of a young surgeon with autism (Freddie Highmore).
“The Resistance Fighter”: The film follows Poland’s uprising against the Nazis near the end of World War II. In Polish and English.
“Satan’s Slaves”: A woman (Tara Bascro) fights to protect her brothers from their mother’s ghost. In Indonesian.
“Shanghai Triad”: A digitally restored version of the 1995 classic in which a teenager is recruited into his family’s criminal ties. In Mandarin.
“The Soul Collector”: A man whose job it is to collect souls (Tshamano Sebe) asks for forgiveness.
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan – Season Two”: The Amazon Prime Video series starring John Krasinski as the Tom Clancy hero continues with political war in Venezuela.
Digital HD
“Ballbuster”: A suspended basketball star (Jerry O’Connell) embarks on a wild tour with a charity league. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray Sept. 8.
“CRSHD”: A college freshman (Isabelle Barbier) and her two best friends (Deeksha Ketkar, Sadie Scott) attempt to score invites to an exclusive party that would aid in her quest to lose her virginity.
“House of Hummingbird”: A teenager (Ji-hu Park) meanders around Seoul with hopes of romance the summer of the Seongsu Bridge collapse. In Korean.
“Red Penguins”: Documentary follows the Pittsburgh Penguins’ team-up with the Russian national hockey team.
“Ride Your Wave”: Japanese animated film follows romance that unfolds between a firefighter and a surfer. In Japanese.
“The Stand: How One Gesture Shook the World”: Documentary follows the 1968 Mexico City Olympics Black Power salute of runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos protesting racism.
“Star Light”: A teen (Cameron Johnson) runs away with a pop singer who has a terrible secret (Scout Taylor-Compton).
“The Swan Princess: A Royal Wedding”: Princess Odette and Prince Derek head to a royal wedding amid evil plots brewing.
