Freeze Frame: New on Netflix Edition-“When They See Us” (R), “The Perfection” (R), “I Am Mother” (NR)

With the rise of Netflix, I’ve been asked to occasionally depart from our usual Freeze Frame format of reviewing movies in local theaters to cover some of the newest releases available for streaming viewing. So, here goes.

Harrowing and skillfully acted, the Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” is a powerful indictment of one of America’s most notorious miscarriages of justice.

In 1989, a group of teenagers known as the Central Park Five were falsely convicted of rape in a case of police overreach and sensationalization by the press. Written and directed by Ava Duvernay, best known for the Martin Luther King film “Selma,” “When They See Us” may be disturbing…but it’s still enlightening and important viewing.

Allison Williams and Logan Browning give it their all, but their efforts can’t save the ugly and exploitive horror thriller, “The Perfection.” The talented actresses play cello prodigies whose lives are upended by a violent incident. I suppose that the filmmakers were trying to be campy, but they are never able to hit the right notes. “The Perfection” could have been titled “The Flawed” as gets progressively sillier and absurd with each passing moment.

“I Am Mother” is a well-produced and involving sci-fi effort starring Hillary Swank and Clara Ruggard. In a post-apocalyptic world, artificial intelligence attempts to save humanity…from itself. Naturally, not everything is what it seems. While the premise is very intriguing and the actors are fine, “I Am Mother” never quite gels dramatically.

Opening in theaters this week, “Rocketman” is a musical extravaganza with Taron Egerton starring as Elton John. “Ma” is a horror thriller starring Octavia Spencer as a woman obsessed with some small-town teens. “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is a big-budget Hollywood special effects spectacle that also features Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah.

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