New Movies On Demand: ‘The Library That Dolly Built,’ ‘Marathon’ + More

No matter what your political, religious, or personal beliefs may be, it seems there is one person who can unite us all, and that is Ms. Dolly Rebecca Parton. The legendary singer-songwriter has not only penned some of the most memorable songs of our lifetimes, but she is also known for her philanthropy and social outreach. In this week’s top pick from our list of new movies on VOD the new documentary The Library That Dolly Built takes a deep dive into Dolly’s Imagination Library, an organization that provides free books to children all over the world and encourages literacy. If documentaries are too fact-based for you, you can always watch the new mockumentary, Marathon, which takes a cue from Christopher Guest films, this one features bonkers characters participating in an ill-conceived race, being filmed by an inept camera crew.

And if you can’t get enough real-life content, we have one more documentary for you this week. Closed For Storm takes a deep-dive look at Six Flags New Orleans, which was once a popular destination for families, but was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The film checks in on the park now that it has been abandoned for over 15 years and has been left crumbling and corroding with no sign of being restored. Closed For Storm was directed by Jake Williams, creator of the popular web series Abandoned, which explores the past and present of many businesses, parks, and camps that have been deserted for one reason or another.

These are just a few of the titles that are available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, and through your cable service this week. Check out what movies are available to buy or rent on demand now!

The Library That Dolly Built

Though she herself is a prolific songwriter, Dolly Parton’s father spent his life never knowing how to read, and she grew up well-aware of the setbacks faced by those who grow up lacking this essential life skill. The new documentary, The Library That Dolly Built, narrated by Danica McKellar, takes a look at Dolly’s desire to provide the gift of literacy to any child who needs it or may not be able to afford it. Just in case you didn’t think she was great already, the film will make you fall in love with her even more.

Where to stream The Library That Dolly Built

Marathon

Everything about Marathon is kind of a mess, in a good way. The characters, who we see preparing for the race for months, are all disasters, the race they enter, the Devil’s Canyon Marathon, is poorly managed by a local show store owner, and the fake film crew following the runners doesn’t really know what they’re doing. Though the premise is scripted, many of the young actors featured in the film have comedy pedigrees from sketch and improv training grounds like Second City, UCB, and Improv Olympic and the film feels loose and wild and weird like good improv should.

Where to stream Marathon

To Buy:

Fit For A Prince

To Rent:

The Library That Dolly Built
Marathon (2021)
Closed For Storm
The Blackout Experiment (2021)
Threshold
The Sparks Brothers
Sublet
Duty Free
A Nightmare Wakes
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Unearth
My Wonderful Wanda
Medusa
Illegal (2021)
Avocado Toast
Miracle On 4th Street
Hatched
One Nation Under God

Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.