The best movies and shows to stream on Neon right now – Stuff.co.nz

Dark Side of the Ring

The late-1990s saw the indisputable peak of popularity for American wrestling, but if you never truly appreciated what made the sport so appealing, Dark Side of The Ring might provide some insight.

Combining historical footage with current day interviews, this docudrama looks back at the performers, managers and architects that fabricated the worlds most profitable soap opera.

It was the storylines, the drama and the costumes that drew people in by their millions and, as viewership increased and the money got bigger and crazier, so did the players. Season two features The Brawl For All, where the wrestlers fought for real.

Widely regarded to be the biggest mistake the WWE (then known as the WWF) franchise ever made, while trying to save their flailing reputations, instead they ended careers.

Neon

The late 1990s saw the indisputable peak of popularity for American wrestling, but if you never truly appreciated what made the sport so appealing, Dark Side of The Ring might provide some insight.

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Neon

Taji Ameen is the host of One Star Reviews.

The internet can be a nasty place and no-one knows that better than a small business owner who has received One Star Reviews.

Did they deserve it, or was it just a grumpy keyboard warrior having a bad day?

Host Taji Ameen scours the internet for businesses with a bunch of bad reviews and goes and gives them a chance to redeem their name. Some do. Some do not.

In his noble quest, our affable hero gets his nipple pierced, patronises an unhygienic strip club and, at one point, prompts a fishing charter captain to jump overboard, rather than discuss his bad reviews.

A great concept that runs the risk of being as mean as the reviews themselves, it coasts along smoothly thanks to the genuine good nature of Ameen.

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Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer play a vampire and witch in A Discovery Of Witches.

Romance is the heart of this British adaptation of the All Souls trilogy, written by Deborah Harkness.

This is a world where vampires, daemons and, most definitely, witches move freely among mere humans, solving mysteries of the magical realm.

Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) is a tenured Yale historian and a reluctant (!) witch who forms a tenuous alliance with biologist and ridiculously good-looking vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode).

The vampire/witch Capulet/Montague premise might sound a little bit Twilight, but this is not teenage melodrama in tone. Beautiful to look at and snappy enough to keep you engaged, season two has just begun, with a third already locked in place to complete the trilogy.

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Edward Norton wrote, directed and stars in Motherless Brooklyn.

Edward Norton bought the rights to novel Motherless Brooklyn hot off the heels of his success with American History X in 1999 and its easy to see why.

A loveable gangster with Tourettes syndrome who goes all detective to avenge the mysterious death of his boss all reads like Rain Man-style Oscar bait. Norton writes, directs and stars in this 1950s-set New York City gumshoe noir film that features cracker performances from big names like Willis, Baldwin and Dafoe.

Spoiler Alert: It didnt win any Oscars. There is a lot to love here, its a heartfelt tribute to the city and some scenes play really well, but, depending on your cynicism scale, it can feel at times like Norton is laying it on a bit thick.

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Ron Livingston is Sam Loudermilk.

In the comedy classic Office Space, Ron Livingston played a beat down everyman trying to break free from the oppressive corporate system surrounding him.

He channels the same world-weary wisecracking energy in Loudermilk as a rehab counsellor whose life is not living up to anyones expectations, including his own.

Looking for laughter in all the dark places, this sitcom about depression, anxiety and mental health this is same sort of journey to emotional adult that writer/director Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, Shallow Hal) has built his career on. Its a winning combination and Livingston brings real charm and empathy to a role he was born to play.

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The best movies and shows to stream on Neon right now - Stuff.co.nz