Seen in October

Robert Redford was a natural in The Natural

There is a trend line in my viewing statistics that I appear to be seeing fewer and fewer films. I'm not tracking it per se, but it's pretty plain to see. Am I being more selective? Unlikely. Here's what I saw in October.

He may be a hero, but he still needs a ride.

Peacemaker S02
Crave
John Cena will surprise you as Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker. Peacemaker is basically a killing machine with a heart of gold, and James Gunn has continued his way of finding fringe superhero characters and re-imagining them with more humanity and purpose. Peacemaker might be a big lummox, but he really will be your best friend when you need him the most. This HBO series, based on the DC character that time forgot, is similar to Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. It's funny and silly, but it is grounded in characters you will come to care about. In this season, Peacemaker accidentally kills himself from another dimension (he has an altercation with a parallel universe version of himself). He discovers in that universe his racist father and brother are both still alive. Unfortunately, it's not as "rad" or cool as he initially thought, and his friends risk themselves to bring him home.

Colin from Accounts S01
CBC Gem
A "broken dog mends broken people" story? Pub owner Gordon (Patrick Brammall) and med student Ashley (Harriet Dyer) meet when she crosses in front of his car, "distracts" him, causing him to run over a stray dog. The pair bond when they can't bear to have the dog put down and decide instead to split his incredibly expensive surgery. They then rename the dog "Colin… from Accounts" and so their story begins. This Australian comedy finds a balance between sweetness and sourness.

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