‘The Chosen,' a celebration of Black life and motorcycle diaries for your weekend streaming

Los Angeles Times

7 hours ago

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who needs a break from politicians' interpretations of the Bible.
The fifth season of 'The Chosen,' the faith-based TV series that has found success releasing select seasons in theaters, has begun its three-week rollout on Prime Video. George Xanthis, who plays John the Apostle, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss the show.
Also in this week's Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a documentary that delves into the origin story of New Orleans' first Black Mardi Gras krewe, and the latest installment in the travelogue adventures of actors/BFFs Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, known for their motorcycle journeys in 'Long Way Round' and 'Long Way Down.' This time, the pair is riding from McGregor's home in Scotland to Boorman's in England.
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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times
'A King Like Me' (Netflix)
Matthew O. Henderson has made a lively, lovely documentary about the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club of New Orleans, preeminent among the krewes that parade on Mardis Gras. (You will know them by the painted coconuts they toss, their makeup and grass skirts.) It's a history, a celebration and a disquisition, whose interests range from the benevolent societies that provided a form of neighborhood insurance, to the electioneering of men hoping to become that year's king — Louis Armstrong served in 1949 — to surviving racism, Katrina and COVID (or not). The question is raised of whether the Zulus, Black men who have paraded in a sort of altered blackface and 'African' dress for more than 100 years, should give up the long-controversial makeup or preserve it as a generations-old tradition; Henderson doesn't take a side, but lets his subjects have their nuanced say. And as any film about New Orleans must, it's full of music and food, hanging out and dancing in the streets. — Robert Lloyd
'Long Way Home' (AppleTV+)
When 'Outlander' debuted on Starz in August 2014, many Americans were as dazzled by Scotland, with its looming fells, pristine lakes and lyrical accents as they were by the time traveling love story. Since then, Scotland has become the new England, at least on television. Streamers are bursting with all manner of Scottish series, from the classics ('Rebus,' the 2000s original available on BritBox and the remake, on ViaPlay) to the brand new ('Dept. Q' on Netflix). In between are shows too numerous and diverse to name but given my penchant for murder mysteries, it is not surprising that my favorites include: 'Case Histories' (Acorn TV, Tubi), 'Shetland' (BritBox), 'The Loch' (BritBox), 'Karen Pirie' (BritBox) and 'Annika' (PBS) — all of which offer breathtaking scenery, ancient stone edifices and, most important, a glowering, windswept alternative to Los Angeles, particularly in summer That's exactly what I was looking for when I tuned into 'Long Way Home' on Apple TV+.
The fourth installment of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's motorcycle adventures around the world begins at McGregor's Scottish home, winds its way through Scandinavia into the Arctic, thence through the Baltic states and through continental Europe before finishing up back in Scotland. Having no European vacation plans of my own, it seemed a fine visual substitute; McGregor is always a charming screen presence, as is Boorman. It's been five years since they joined forces for 'Long Way Down,' 20 since their first trip in 'Long Way Round,' and watching two 50-somethings hitch themselves onto vintage bikes to embark on a 19,000-mile journey to the Arctic and back is pretty inspiring — even if one of them has a name and face that guarantees a certain starstruck quality from even citizens of rural Finland and both have a multiperson camera crew/backup team should anything go seriously wrong.
Unlike other travelogues, this series does not linger over cuisine, haute or otherwise (there is a continual quest for coffee), aiming instead for a scattering of local crafts, traditions and events. The ever-shifting landscape is, in fact, amazingly beautiful, the people they meet along the way are often quite fascinating. The best parts, of course, are the unexpected bad weather, an unexpected road closure, an impromptu concertand mosquitoes. The bikes grumble and occasionally break down, as do the 50-somethings, which is reassuring to us ordinary folk who get to see the glory of all without having to straddle a motorcycle for two months. At 10 episodes that average 40 minutes, 'Long Way Home' covers a lot of ground in a way that is both slow and speedy. My only complaint? Not nearly enough Scotland. — Mary McNamara
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching
Season 5 of 'The Chosen,' the TV series about the life of Jesus that became a surprise hit, already played in movie theaters earlier this year, but fans looking for ways to fill prime rest hours can now watch all eight episodes at home. Created by Dallas Jenkins, the faith-based drama has attracted a devoted audience since its premiere in 2017 with its look at Jesus' life and teachings — and has found success leaning into an unconventional distribution strategy, with theatrical releases of Seasons 3 through 5 that have made millions at the box office. The first two episodes of the fifth season, which is titled 'Last Supper' and chronicles the events of Holy Week, are available to stream on Prime Video, with the next three episodes dropping Sunday, before concluding with another three-episode release on June 29. Australian actor George Xanthis, who plays John the Apostle, stopped by Guest Spot via email to talk about the show's success and the Pixar film that's become scripture to him. — Yvonne Villarreal
'The Chosen' is striking a chord with an underserved audience often overlooked by major Hollywood studios. As an actor, did you feel any stigma about venturing into faith-based content? What has the experience of making it — and the response to it — illuminated for you?
I'll start by saying that upon reading the first episode and finding out I was playing a 'fisherman' by the name of 'John,' I actually had no idea the project was faith-based! I think that tells you where this series has found success — it doesn't read or play like something that is strictly faith-based, or something that is attempting to convert you. It's a show about the real people that would have lived through first century Judea, how they battled against crippling Roman occupation and how they found refuge in a peaceful, love-preaching Rabbi. I guess I didn't have time to feel any stigma, and before I knew it, we were a megahit all around the globe!
For the audience, there's often a blurring of lines between performer and role. That would seem to be an interesting dynamic when portraying a figure of faith — how do you grapple with that push and pull of serving as a conduit for someone's relationship to their faith while maintaining your grip on your function as an actor?
The show's success has come from taking these 'saints' in the apostles and bringing them away from the paintings and iconography we recognize and telling an origin story that audiences can relate to. At the end of the day, I am not necessarily depicting a saint as a figure of faith, but rather, I am a fisherman from Capernaum with a hot temperament learning to control his impulses with the lessons of love and compassion his Rabbi is teaching him. It's important to respect people's identification with these figures in whatever way they want to, but for me the best feedback I've received from fans about my portrayal of John has been how they see parts of themselves in John, when he makes mistakes, when he learns from his mistakes, when he makes them AGAIN and so on.
You've played real-life figures like George Stephanopoulos in 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' and John Travolta in an Olivia Newton-John TV biopic. How does your approach and your mission with those known figures compare to what you're striving to achieve with your portrayal of John the Apostle?
I started out in this industry in comedy, both stand-up and sketch comedy. A large part of my comedic success has come from doing impressions and impersonating notable people. When I got the roles of John Travolta and George Stephanopoulos, my process was the same as any impression — find the voice, find the body, mold myself into the people based on what I could see of them and mimic them as well as I could. With John [the Apostle], I'm depicting a real person but I don't have the luxury of watching videos of him. So instead, the character arc helps govern my character building. An eager-to-please 'Son of Thunder' has a short temper, sometimes waning patience but at the center of him is a compassionate soul who always looks out for others he cares about. It means my palate to play with is quite broad, and John's temperament for any given moment usually exists somewhere between these extremes of 'thunder' and 'love.'
What have you watched recently that you're recommending to everyone you know?
The most recent series I finished was 'Peaky Blinders' (Netflix). Being an Australian and part of the Commonwealth, British-based television holds a special place in my heart, and I loved watching Birmingham come to life through the brutal eyes of Thomas Shelby. It's a bucket list item of mine to be in a British film or series watching so much of it growing up. Here's to hoping!
What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?
There are so many, but becoming a new father, I realized just how much I have watched 'Toy Story' (Disney+) and how much time I still have for that film. I'll still watch it on planes as I make the 14-hour commute between Australia and the U.S. when there's nothing else to watch. Fun fact: I can quote the movie word-for-word from beginning to end. Pick a moment, and I can carry on the movie verbatim — voices, music, sound effects and all!