As we continue to withdraw from society in our world wide effort to combat COVID-19, we are all starting to ask ourselves, “What movie should I watch in my seclusion?” This use to be such a simple question but now we are suffering from an overload of options. Between the backlog of classics, the weekly releases coming from studios, and platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime(gonna stop listing because that list alone would go till the end of time), we are drowning in an ocean of options. Never fear. Our SiftSquad has been hard at work in their wet suits sifting through the pop culture treasure. Below are the top movies you can stream right now that you probably missed when they came out. Now you can help the entire world’s population and health care system this weekend just by staying in to enjoy a good flick. With The Hunt coming to streaming early, we are looking at all the other movies that you could stream right now that you probably missed when they came out. With The Hunt being delayed a year and then releasing right before a world wide pandemic, it leads the charge on movies “you probably missed”.
Paul Rudd has a feel good movie on Netflix that I didn’t know about? Yes, I am a mind reader and I do know that is your first thought upon seeing this movie on the list. The Fundamentals of caring has everything a comfort movie needs right now: characters you enjoy being around and rooting for, laughs to lift your spirit, and a sense of camaraderie that gives you hope. (Blake Hodges)
Karen Gillan continues to pop up in today’s pop culture. She’s appeared as a companion on the long running sci-fi series Doctor Who, she’s played Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even got to show off her comedic talent in the last two Jumanji sequels. With all of that under her belt it surprises me that almost nobody I know has ever heard of her own movie that she wrote, directed, and starred in. Karen plays Liusaidh, a young woman who has recently lost her friend due to Suicide and is currently processing her loss while also having to deal with depression. As someone who has lost someone close to them before and had to go through depression, this movie does a great job at letting you see how, during that period of grieving while in that mental state, we treat ourselves and the others around us poorly. We lose the drive to almost care for anything and end up making decisions we don’t agree with but just end up doing because even we’re not sure. That’s something that movies can end up getting very wrong, and thus portray mental health poorly. Thankfully the movie treats it very seriously, and knows how stressful loss and depression can be. If you’re looking for a great feature film directorial debut, The Party’s Just Beginning is currently streaming on Hulu in the United States. (Alex Henderson)
One of the most entertaining films of last year came in the form of two hours of feel-goodness with director Gurinder Chadha’s comedy-drama, “Blinded by the Light,” which is based on “Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll,” a memoir by Sarfraz Manzoor, who serves as one of the film’s screenwriters. The story follows Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra), who lives in an English suburb with his sisters and Pakistani-immigrant parents. He dreams of becoming a writer and soon becomes immersed in the music of Bruce Springsteen, which influences him to steer away from his parents’ expectations of him and has him form his own path. Kalra gives a wonderful breakout performance as a teen who beautifully displays the optimism and drive that it takes to follow your dreams, no matter the restrictions that people may place against you. The sense of wonder and charm that you experience from this movie will put a smile on your face and get your blood racing. You’ll cheer our protagonist on as you experience this coming-of-age journey that offers an inspiring true story, heartfelt performances, and a superb use of Springsteen’s music. This is a movie about what it means to run with your dreams, and in Javed’s case, he was born to run with them. “Blinded by the Light” is available to stream on Amazon Prime, HBO Now, and Apple TV. (Vincent Abbatecola)
What is your favorite Australian western? Wait, what? This might be a strange question because how many of you can actually name at least one western that you love…that is also from Australia? I admit that this is a leading question as I mean to drive this conversation to one particular Australian western. Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the hidden gem, The Proposition. Years before John Hillcoat took The Road on his way to becoming Lawless, he ventured into the vastness of the Australian outback to deliver a striking visual feast set across the beautiful desert. Guy Pearce, well before he took on the Australian neo-western of The Rover, takes the lead as an outlaw who is tasked with his own personal Sophie’s choice. Kill one brother to save another. Could you make that choice? Pearce gives a strong leading performance surrounded by a great cast of character actors like John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Noah Taylor, David Wenham, and Danny Huston. The light and cinematography are only matched by the violence and grim tones of this drama. Themes of racial tensions and classism stuff the lining of this throwback to a different time represented by a genre from classic cinema. The western lives today in the hearts of fans and filmmakers filled with the courage to take on this endangered genre. Hillcoat’s filmography sure shows that he does not shy away from a tough film (looking at you, The Road). Musician Nick Cave tries his hand at writing this ambitious film and his talents match Hillcoat’s to make a memorable western. When you are stuck inside staring at your TV all day, give this film the opportunity to take you on a wild ride into a savage and brutal landscape. (Shane Conto)
Writer/Director Jeremy Saulnier is known for throwing his unassuming protagonists in hairraising, extraordinary situations. Usually under stressful and bleek circumstances that they are uncertain to get out of with their lives. 2015’s Green Room is no exception to that rule. This is the third part of the self proclaimed and un-official “inept protagonist trilogy” where his protagonists have no clue what they are doing. They are simply doing the very best in the given situation and largely faking it until they make it… hopefully. The film stars the late Anton Yelchin as Pat who is part of a small indie punk band drifting from place to place picking up gigs. After a lackluster gig booking, they are given the unfortunate opportunity to play at a Neo Nazi Club in the middle of nowhere. After completing their set, a series of unfortunate events puts them into a compromising position that they are ill equipped to get out of. All of the primary performers are great and pull off each one of their respective roles really well. All band members have their personality traits that are entertaining and they get you invested into them before the madness ensues. The movie ramps up at a steady pace and there is never a dull moment. There is always some aspect to grasp onto, primarily the dialog, Saulnier has a knack for writing intriguing and entertaining dialog. I don’t want to fail to mention that Patrick Stewart plays the Skinhead leader, Darcy. He is cold, calculating and ruthless and will go to great lengths to make sure that the incident is contained under any and all circumstances. The cinematography/visual style is very gritty and fits the tone of this film very well. Given the name, it is fitting that the film uses a green filter that kind of adds to the overall anxiety of the film. Green Room is a movie that constantly escalates and will truly test the viewer to assume the role of it’s protagonists. If you are into intense thrillers, this will be the film for you. (Joseph Vargas)
You shouldn’t listen to a word I have to say about this movie. Why? Because this flick was made for me. I’m convinced the writer’s sat down and said “How could we make a movie that ticks every single one of Blake’s boxes?” This film tricks you at every turn. The action only has one goal: escalate with every scene. The action is as swift as it is brutal. No character is to be trusted. The lead’s performance is Oscar nomination deserving. The theme is one of my favorites of all time. I better quit there. When I love a movie, I love it all the way to the moon and back and that can cause a great movie to have unfair expectations when you see it after I’ve gushed with the intensity of a thousand suns. (Disclosure: In case there is a question on whether I loved this movie because it took one of the political side’s over the other, I should mention that I love this because it did the exact opposite. That’s why the theme is so great.) (Blake Hodges)
Before Noah Baumbach became a household name and meme sensation, he had been making great movies for a decade and a half. In fact, Marriage Story’s direct predecessor, The Meyerowitz Stories, is one of his very best. It is a movie about moving past selfishness and making peace with your family and your past. This movie has the dramatic Adam Sandler performance before Uncut Gems that no one talks about. He plays a raw and emotional man past the prime of his life just trying to keep his life in line amidst a dysfunctional family. With Dustin Hoffman and Ben Stiller also putting in excellent performances and Baumbach being meticulous and precise in his direction, this is one to watch. (Robert Bouffard)
When general audiences think about Ryan Gosling they usually think about films like The Notebook, La La Land, or Crazy Stupid Love. When I think about Ryan Gosling, I think about my favorite film from the year 2011: Drive. A moody, meticulously crafted, exceptionally detailed, supremely directed, shockingly violent and well-acted action/crime film from Nicolas Winding Refn. Drive tells the story of The Driver (Ryan Gosling) who’s a Hollywood Stunt Driver by day and a getaway driver by night. After meeting the woman of his dreams, Irene (played wonderfully by Carey Mulligan), he soon begins to think of a life outside of crime. Soon after, Irene’s husband gets released from prison and gets messed up with the wrong people. It is up to Driver to protect Irene and her family in this synth induced film. As I stated above, it’s hard for me to think of a more well crafted and detailed film than this. Every shot and every frame tells a story without having to give much—or any dialogue—to tell the story this brilliant film is trying to tell. A lot of credit is due to the actors and musical score of the film, with each song setting the mood for how you’re supposed to feel for each scene, and each song perfectly and meticulously placed. I can go on and on about how brilliant I think this film is, but I’ll let you be the judge. Drive is currently available on Netflix to stream! (Ben Davis)
The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of friends, spending a weekend in–you guessed it, a cabin in the woods. They went for a fun time of getting wasted and fornicating. Sadly, they weren’t the only ones who had plan’s for their weekend getaway. The film is a homage/parody to classic, modern horror films as well as the character archetypes they employ: the whore, the jock, the intellect, the fool and last(because final girl gonna final girl) but not least, the virgin. While a near masterpiece in how it plays with our preconceptions of the genre, the film’s tone doesn’t take itself too seriously. This combination of a well thought out approach combined with a really fun tone creates a fun watch. Oh, and trying to piece together which killer or monster is a nod to which past director or movie is a near bingo game in and of its self! There are so many easter eggs throughout the film that’ll make you say, “oh yeah, I’ve seen this before.” Cabin in the Woods is an all-out scary, fun, gory ride, as you watch these friends try to survive the night. If you’re looking for a good scare, laugh and gore all wrapped up into one, this has been made specifically for you. You can check out The Cabin in the Woods on Hulu. (Chantal Ashford)
So you’re telling me you made a porno where the plot is the point? Confession: I suggested this week’s BEC topic and most of that is because I want everyone to see this movie. Released in 2016, it doesn’t seem like it was released that long ago, but I fight for this movie like it’s in theaters now. This movie is the one I most often suggest to watch when hanging out with friends who aren’t huge movie buffs. For real, if you want to be friends with me, just show up to my house and ask to watch The Nice Guys with me, especially now since it’s only on Cinemax. This is the movie that I wish so badly would get a sequel of some sort because I am in love with these characters and the way they interact with 1970s Los Angeles. The setting is perfect, the story is interesting and complex (but not too-much-so), it’s likely the funniest movie of the last decade, and it has some of the most memorable moments of the decade. What is so shocking about this movie is not the fact that it actually has a plot (unlike most movies made nowadays) or that its wickedly funny for a movie that has no right to be so. What is the most shocking about this is that a movie starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling who are both amazing in their own right, aren’t even close to the best characters in the movie. The real star of this movie is Angourie Rice, who plays Gosling’s sarcastic, clever, and delightful daughter. I say in all honesty that this movie gets higher on my “favorite movie of all time” list with each day, which started at about 26, but currently sits at 8. Now that I’ve overhyped this movie, please feel free to let me know who is right: me, or my homeboy and managing editor Blake. Go ahead and @ me. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. (Aaron Schweitzer)
Honorable Mentions
Mandy
What kind of reaction do you have when you hear that a new Nicolas Cage film is coming out? Is it the utter disgust of a once promising and talented actor taking on yet another through away straight to VOD flick? Is it the utter disgust of hating the ridiculous embodiment that is Nic Cage? Or are you one of the special ones that appreciates this over-the-top and straight manic volcano of an actor go 150 miles per hour in every instance of his films? I would say I don’t really fall into any of them. Can some of his films still turn out well? Yes. Are most of them either train wrecks or completely forgettable trash? Well, yeah. But no one…and I mean NO ONE could have predicted what Panos Cosmatos was going to provide us with his fantasy-horror flick, Mandy. When you are stuck inside during this crazy pandemic of ours, you need to find something that will transport you to a whole new place that is far from the mundane. Mundane would be the one word that will never be connected with this fever dream of an action nightmare. Cage is a spirit of vengeance (not the one you think) who must take down a cult led by the enigmatic Jeremiah Sands, played with great eeriness and magnetism by Linus Roache. Andrea Riseborough plays our Mandy who is mysterious and charismatic as the love of Cage’s life. Amongst a world covered in pink mist and unnerving synthesizers, Cage must avenge a great loss as he fights cannibal motorcycle gangs who look ripped from Hell’s version of Mad Max (yeah…this film goes there). Buckets of blood, chainsaw battles, giant axes, and a Nic Cage performance that balances raw emotions and his personal brand of insanity make Mandy one of the most singular visions ever brought to cinema. Do it…blow your mind. This one is so worth the trip. (Shane Conto)
Heavyweights
Don’t put Twinkies on your pizza. If you haven’t seen this movie, let me describe this to you in the best and most accurate way: Set in 1995, a charming group of kids assemble in the summer for what seems to be the most fun fat camp ever, only for it to be bought by Ben Stiller and turned into an exercise camp once all the campers arrive. You on board? It’s okay, I’ll still write about it more, then you can check it out on Disney+ later tonight. First of all, this movie would not be made today and that’s special. While ultimately, there is a lot of positive messages here to people who are overweight, naturally a movie of this nature does tend to have some fat-shaming. So, I guess also trigger warning, but I assure you this is a very positive movie. The other thing about this movie that absolutely astonishes me is its re-watchability. I watch this movie about once a year and enjoy every minute of it. During those watches, what I have discovered is that I love some bits because of pure nostalgia and not much else. But what I also discover is new lines, character arcs, settings, scenes, background lines, performances, and so much more. Truly, every watch of Heavyweights, whether a first, first in a long time, or 100th is worth every second. (Aaron Schweitzer)