Our latest round of VOD and web series picks takes on one of the most complicated, universal, and inescapable institutions in existence: family. Whether it centers on a nontraditional path towards motherhood or delves into the specific, often fraught, relationship between sisters, each project expertly examines the complexities of family.

In “Barracuda,” two sisters meet for the first time as adults, after discovering they share the same country music star father, who has passed away. Short film “Across the Tracks” sees two mixed-race sisters reconnecting after the death of their mother. Growing up in Jim Crow-era Georgia drove them apart, decades earlier. 

Then, the web series “It’s Freezing Out There” deals with family planning. A career-focused woman in her mid-30s learns she’s running out of time to have biological children, and decides to freeze her eggs. 

Here are Women and Hollywood’s VOD and web series selections for September.

VOD

“Barracuda” – Directed by Julia Halperin and Jason Cortlund

Merle (Allison Tolman) is living a structured life and has just started planning her wedding. A strange, English sister named Sinaloa (Sophie Reid) turns up following the death of their famous father. He never told either daughter about the other. 

The women attempt to build a relationship, but it’s hampered by the vindictive, unhinged Sinaloa. As Merle’s life starts to unravel, Sinaloa lashes out in a shocking manner.

In an interview with Women and Hollywood, co-director Julia Halperin said she was compelled to tell this story because “Sinaloa, Merle, and Merle’s mother Patricia (JoBeth Williams) are complex female characters.” She continued, “Their relationships are subtle and nuanced in a way that feels recognizable to me as a woman, a way that I often feel is not represented in movies.”

You can stream “Barracuda” on Kanopy, Amazon Prime, or Tubi.

“Across the Tracks” (Short) – Written by Kimberly James and Michael Cooke

In “Across the Tracks,” two African-American sisters grow up bullied in 1960s Georgia because of the color of their skin. The short not only touches on racism, but colorism, too.

One sister is fair-skinned, and when schools must integrate, she decides to pass as white — but her sibling doesn’t have that choice. This fractures the sisters’ relationship, and they’re not brought together again until years later, upon the death of their mother.

In an interview with Rolling Out, director Michael Cooke credited the project’s success to his collaboration with co-writer Kimberly James. “With Kimberly’s expertise with how she tells stories and my passion for the actual subject matter itself, it came together like a really good harmonious [piece],” he explained.

You can watch “Across the Tracks” on Amazon Prime.

Web Series

“It’s Freezing Out There” – Created by Pepper Binkley

Pepper Binkley not only created, writes, and co-directs “It’s Freezing Out There,” but she also stars in the series as the self-titled main character. This Pepper, a burnt-out storyboarder and illustrator, discovers her “ovarian reserve” is dwindling. She quickly realizes she wants a baby, but it’s still not the right time. 

So, Pepper turns to egg freezing. The series seeks to educate women about this fertility option, and partnered with a New York-based cryopreservation facility to show a real “egg freezing 101 session” in episode 10.

In a testimonial on the website Eggsperience, Binkley noted her inspiration for the series came from her own family planning journey as well as exposure to fertility options as a young woman. 

She elaborated, “Growing up, one of my best friends’ fathers was a fertility specialist. In our early 20s, I remember he talked to us about the ‘fertility cliff’ and how educated, career-driven women were less likely to have children. [The conversations] stuck with me,” she added.

Watch “It’s Freezing Out There” on its official website or Facebook Watch.