What to watch: Choice TV about good, evil and the in-between

In art, the tension between black and white, wrong and right can draw a very satisfying narrative frame. But the real interesting bits are found in characters and stories that resist the binary.

Here are some viewing suggestions that explore some of the stops on that spectrum.

● Boots

Series premières all eight episodes on Thursday, Oct. 9, on Netflix

The appeal of a U.S. Marine Corps coming-of-age series, even a comedy, is … limited in the wake of, among many things, a U.S. executive order that explains: “The name Department of War, more than the current Department of Defence, ensures peace through strength.”

But a quick peek leaves room for hope that viewers are in good hands here.

Set in the 1990s — the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” for the U.S. military — the story follows a closeted teen and his best friend into boot camp. The showrunners are Andy Parker (Tales of the City) and Jennifer Cecil (Umbrella Academy).

The gold-seal guarantee against jingoism is the name of the late great Norman Lear (All in the Family) as the executive producer. The series is inspired by the book The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White.

● John Candy: I Like Me

Documentary premières Friday, Oct. 10, on Prime Video

The Globe and Mail describes this documentary about the late beloved Canadian comedy icon as “often in disagreement with its title,” taken from a famous scene in the brilliant film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

But the Globe also quotes the doc’s producers Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds proposing that Candy’s life — cut short by a heart attack at age 43 in 1994 — is one of the most baroque examples of “fake it till you make it.”

Viewers, of course, have the final say. Talking heads include Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Conan O’Brien, Macaulay Culkin, Mel Brooks and Catherine O’Hara.

● The Woman in Cabin 10

Movie premières Friday, Oct. 10, on Netflix

Probably the most famous addition to this particular subgenre of thriller is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 masterpiece, Rear Window. James Stewart is photojournalist who takes to spying on his neighbours while confined to his apartment, recuperating from an injury, but not everyone believes his claim that a murder has been committed.

This new movie puts Keira Knightley (Black Doves) in the role of a reporter covering the first voyage of a superyacht when she claims to have seen a passenger fall overboard.

How will this new movie stand up? Unfair comparison of course, but pay attention to who the new movie believes and who it does not. It’s a good thought exercise, especially in these paranoid times.

Joining Knightley is Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) as the yacht owner and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) as a powerful gossip. Based on Ruth Ware’s thriller of the same name.

● Mr. Scorsese

Five-part documentary premières Friday, Oct. 17, on Apple TV+

“Who are we? Are we intrinsically good or evil?” Martin Scorsese asks in the trailer for this doc. “I struggle with it all the time.”

If you know the work of the famous filmmaker, you likely don’t need to be persuaded to watch this deep-thinking look at his work and philosophy and the lengths to which he’s gone to preserve his vision.

If you don’t know Scorsese’s work, this is a great place to start.

Actor/filmmaker Rebecca Miller includes in her documentary series interviews with her husband Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Paul Schrader, Margot Robbie and Cate Blanchett, among others.

● The Twits

Film premières on Friday, Oct. 17, on Netflix

The first in a lineup of animated Roald Dahl projects coming to Netflix, after it acquired the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2021, is being helmed by Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and Jellyfish Pictures (Boss Baby).

It tells the story of two orphans and a whole lot of magical animals who take on the title characters and their evil, smelly amusement park, Twitlandia.

Classic, satisfying story of good triumphing over evil. Among the voice actors are Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien), Margo Martindale (The Sticky), Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) and Nicole Byer (Nailed It!).

Broadcast dates subject to change. Questions, comments to denise.duguay@winnipegfreepress.com.