275. THIS ORDINARY THING (2026) dir. Nick Davis

THIS ORDINARY THING is a documentary about the non-Jews who risked the lives of themselves and their families in order to hide and rescue Jews during the Holocaust.Testimonies are read by a who's who of actors, including Dame Helen Mirren, Stephen Lang, Stephen Fry, F. Murray Abraham, Lily Tomlin, John Leguizamo and Carrie Coon. I haven't even scratched the surface.This choice is one of many that gives the documentary a modernity that's sobering, frighteningly familiar. As director Nick Davis mentioned in my interview, 1942 seems very close to 2026. These people didn't experience their lives in sepia tone with a cello accompaniment. They didn't have our hindsight; they didn't already know the Nazis would lose.When faced with the persecution and systemic slaughter of their friends and neighbors, under the threat of death by local authorities, they were tested. Do they help or turn their backs? In one of the most relieving turn of events, given the current state of the world, these people helped. If they did, there's no excuse for us, in 2026, to not do the same.---THIS ORDINARY THING is now available to stream on Prime or rent on Apple TV.Listen to my interview with THIS ORDINARY THING director Nick Davis hereFollow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!