"One Day as a Lion" (R, 1 hour, 27 minutes, On Demand) This crime comedy, intended to be an homage to Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers, features Jackie Powers (Scott Caan), an inept hitman sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons). Succeeding only in irritating the debtor, Jackie goes on the run, taking a roadside diner waitress as hostage along the way; she turns out to be useful in rescuing Jackie from an unpleasant fate at the hands of his mob employer. With Frank Grillo, Taryn Manning, Virginia Madsen; written by Caan and directed by John Swab.
"Balloon Animal" (not rated, 1 hour, 28 minutes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu) The wonder and contrasting shabbiness of circus life is revealed with simple directness in this story of Poppy Valentine who, having grown up in her family's traveling circus, begins dreaming of what life would be like outside of its fences. Now in her mid-20s and with more unwelcomed responsibility weighing her down, she's desperate to figure out if this life is for her. With Katherine Waddell, Ilia Volok, Erin Rae Li; written and directed by Em Johnson.
"Colorblind" (not rated, 1 hour, 30 minutes, On Demand) An emotionally engaging drama concerns a Black colorblind artist and her son as they move into a new neighborhood where they are challenged when they see the true colors of people. With Chantel Riley, Garry Chalk, Mike Dopud, Seth Whittaker; written, directed and produced by Mostafa Keshvari.
"A Handful of Water" (not rated, 1 hour, 34 minutes, Indiepix) A well-intentioned drama concerning ill-tempered 85-year-old widower Konrad (Jürgen Prochnow), who discovers 11-year-old Thurba (Milena Pribak) hiding out in his basement to prevent the deportation of her Yemeni family from Germany to Bulgaria. Despite a rocky start that causes her to be injured, they strike up a curious alignment. With Anja Schiffel, Pegah Ferydoni; directed by Jakob Zapf. In German and Arabic with subtitles.
"The First Step" (not rated, 1 hour, 30 minutes, On Demand) An earnest well constructed documentary about activist Van Jones' efforts to pass a landmark criminal justice bill on prison reform, and finding himself under fire from all sides. With Vice President Kamala Harris; Senators Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Shelly Moore Capito, Rand Paul; Mike Lee; U.S. Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Karen Bass; Charlemagne Tha God; and Kim Kardashian; directed by Brandon Kramer and produced by his brother Lance Kramer.
"Boom! Boom!: The World vs. Boris Becker" (not rated, 1 hour, 36 minutes, Apple TV+) This strangely structured two-part documentary from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney explores a man who became a tennis sensation after winning the Wimbledon Championships at 17 then following with 49 more career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, all while leading a tumultuous personal life, including being sentenced in April 2022 to 2 ½ years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. With John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Novak Djokovic, Mats Wilander, Ion Tiriac.