The Phantom of the Open (2022):

Oscar-winner Mark Rylance takes on the role of real-life golfer-of-a-sort Maurice Flitcroft, known in some circles as the worst golfer of all time. Flitcroft managed to lie and cheat his way into the British Open in 1976 using a number of deceptions to convince the tournament organizers that he was a legitimate pro who deserved to be on the links. His distinctive score in the qualifying round was 121, by far the worst score ever recorded at the Open. Subsequently, the rules were changed to prevent Flitcroft, or anyone like him, to ever get into the tournament again. Flitcroft was not easily deterred, and he continued, using disguises and fake names, to show up on golf course around the U.K. until he had been effectively barred from every single one, public and private. At the time of the 1976 open, Flitcroft had never played a round of golf in his life. He was a blue-collar worker, a crane operator, who had dreams of grandeur and the belief that, as long as you keep on trying, you will eventually get everything you want. This heart-warming comedic drama features archive footage of the real Maurice Flitcroft just prior to the closing credits, so you’ll want to keep watching to see that. Oscar-nominee Sally Hawkins also stars. Rated PG.

American Carnage (2022):

A horror-thriller in which Jenny Ortega (“Insidious Chapter 2,” “Scream”) is one of a number of teenage children of undocumented immigrants who are faced with a series of difficult challenges. First, the Governor of the state declares an official order allowing for the arrest and detention of those whose parents were undocumented. In many cases, the parents aren’t even in the picture, but it doesn’t matter – the law is the law, and ICE agents are rounding up teens and preteens and are incarcerating them even if they were born in the U.S. But wait … there is a chance at redemption for these kids – the Governor’s executive order can be overturned by him if the young people “volunteer” to work for free in a home for the elderly. If they do so, and provide significant service, the charges will be dropped. Once they get into the facility, it’s all a different story – something very, very bad is going on here, the government, or at least a sliver of the government, is behind it, and a savage gang of murders seems to be running the place. Why would they be doing that? It’s an insidious plot that may have supernatural overtones and our young heroes and heroines will have to tread carefully if they want to see the light of day again. Rated 18A.

1883: A Yellowstone Origins Story (2021):

Although not a movie unto itself, this TV series from Amazon Prime, when binge-watched, offers what can only be termed a great cinematic experience. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are James and Margaret Dutton, respectively in this prequel to the series “Yellowstone.” They are grandparents to John Dutton (Kevin Costner’s character on “Yellowstone”) and are the matriarch and patriarch of the Dutton clan. The significance of the year 1883 is that it was the time that the U.S. passed the “Yellowstone Act” creating the first national park in America. The story here is of covered wagons loaded with wide-eyed European immigrants crossing the U.S. headed for the Oregon Territory, and looking for a better life. Sam Elliott is superb as the trail boss that puts them through their paces, and Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) is outstanding as James and Margaret’s headstrong daughter who could carry the series all on her own, but doesn’t have to because of the many strong characters. Great cinematography and exceptional stories make this what would be an Oscar-winner if it were a movie. Rated 14A.

13 The Musical (2022):

This Netflix original is a romantic drama, or a dramatic romance, take your pick, about two young people from very different worlds, who come together with a common cause. He is Luke (Nicholas Galitzine who played Prince Charming in the recent Cinderella movie), a handsome young man from a troubled background, who has just enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. She is Cassie (Sofia Carson), a struggling singer/songwriter, and her past and present is very different from that of Luke. They agree to marry, but only so that she can have access to his military benefits such as healthcare, after a diagnosis that will change her life. As her illness becomes more pronounced, the couple must decide which part of their life was a marriage of convenience, and which part might be for much more than that. Rated 14A.

Day Shift (2022):

This film, based on actual events in WWII, was released by Warner Bros in the UK theatrically, and is being released by Netflix in North America. Colin Firth stars in this ingenious story of an espionage operation in 1943 that turned the tide of the war when a pair of British operatives used a combination of a corpse and false identity documents to deceive the Germans at a critical point when a huge build-up of troops was set to quash the allies. It tells the story of those who fight in the shadows, and whose true exploits are sometimes unknown and lost in the fog of war and the mirage of history. Rated 14A.