“It’s a Quarantine” — Streaming Recommendations and more.
Through this ongoing pandemic, it’s best to relax and stay calm as we continue to learn more about how to stop the growth. Sometimes the eventual boredom begins to stem from being indecisive when choosing what to watch. But films are a great way to escape this reality and thanks to streaming we can find time to spend with family or roommates and watch a movie. So here are some fantastic ones available and a little information about each streaming services’ overall collection.
Hulu isn’t one to explore more into the rights of streaming of movies as their center is based on television. But at least they carry a good mix of niche and generalized selections for you to indulge in.
Bumblebee has been on the queue for a while. It surprisingly exceeds all previous expectations based on the horrid Transformer films that preceded it. Hailee Steinfeld brings a lot of heart to Charli (protagonist) and the action never dwindles into mediocrity like a Michael Bay film. It’s definitely one of the better blockbusters on streaming platforms — if you don’t carry Marvel movies or you lack Disney +.
(Also available on Amazon Prime Video)
28 Days Later should take you for a spin if you are trying to be scared through heightened mirrors of the plot to todays ongoing epidemic. We can scare ourselves by simply watching Contagion, where the final scene is an OCD person’s worst nightmare or you could be adventurous and watch this zombie-centric films.
Tangerine is another landmark in the filmography of Sean Baker, a filmmaker from Summit, New Jersey. This film is unlike many that were released at the time, as it was one of the first films to have been shot with only three iPhone 5s. This comedy stars Kitana Kiki Rodgriguez and Mya Taylor as two transgender sexworkers who go on a journey of revenge, well mostly Kiki, against her boyfriend Chester because he is cheating on her with a woman. It carries an energizing attitude throughout that will have you laughing your ass off.
Amazon Prime has a collection almost equivocal to Netflix, with the availability to rent and buying as well. There is a plethora of television shows that are highly recommended like the hilarious Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or the under the radar powerhouse The Americans, but their film collection has a lot to offer.
Ghost Town is a quaint off-beat romantic fantasy comedy that stars Ricky Gervais as a very toned down version of himself finding love. The kicker is he can see ghosts and falls for a widow as he tries to make sure (for the husbands sake) that she is happy, albeit the closure. It has enough charm and wit for a fun date night film.
Game Night is one of the most underrated comedies of the 2010s. It boasts a big and talented cast, but never falls victim to relying too much on them to individually carry the weight. This irreverent comedy keeps you on the edge as you start to feel like you are playing the game with them and go through the same emotional hurdles. It is available for rent right now on Amazon Prime.
Some Like It Hot is Marilyn Monroe’s most famous feature, as she is directed by the incomparable Billy Wilder. This is a tale of two witnesses of a mob shake up that decide to dress up like women and join a traveling band to escape death. But eventually one of them falls in love and the other tries to avoid a perverted man vying for his attention. It’s witty with a beautiful soulful core.
Netflix is everyone’s go to, and that is partially do to it being one of the original pioneers in the streaming world. There were always ways to watch films digitally, but never a service that provided both rental on DVD and a library online where one can watch through an app. There are always great hidden gems on Netflix and some bigger and better blockbusters that fall under the radar because algorithms still stink with these services.
The End of The Tour is a predominately quiet film about what it means to be human. Revered author, David Foster Wallace, and his interviewer David Lipsky go on part of the Infinite Jest tour, detailing the intricacies of the author’s personality and thought process when writing. James Ponsoldt takes each shot with intimacy that will have you either lost in thought or singing old Alannis Morrissette songs.
Swiss Army Man is a unique film that is a hard sell when summarized simply.
Well, here goes:
It is about a man on an island ready to kill himself, but eventually finds joy in living after meeting a farting corpse that slowly comes back to life as he journeys home. It is definitely more heartfelt than you’d expect and the humor is never too over the top gross. And the fart jokes don’t feel forced. There is a lot to love about this Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe film.
Praying — metaphorically speaking — that maybe we will finally start to see light of day near the end of May and as we integrate back to public gatherings movies will finally come back. And at that time, the Jordan Peele produced sequel to Candyman is due for release. So while it’s available on Netflix catch the film that started it all. It is grimy and beautifully detailed, with enough kills to keep your hands on your face with a hole for your pupil. Just remember to wear gloves.
Disney + couldn’t have come at a better time. It is the ultimate nostalgia trip for many, but since the mergers there is more to offer. There is every Simpsons ever and cute Romantic Comedies like Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore, which I highly recommend amongst all the non-base Disney properties on there. It is a sweet and genuine film that soars through the chemistry between Drew and David Arquette.
You can find so much on there, to really recommend something is moot. Unless you want to teach your child the evolution of animation, then there aren’t many hidden gems on Disney’s streaming service. But one great underrated gem is Oliver & Company.
This film is a retelling of the Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, except with animals in 1980s New York. It takes a lot of the details and condenses it into a focused 80 minute film that boasts a talented singing cast. Though, if you don’t like 80 Billy Joel, then you better get yourself a downtown girl cause this film only goes uptown in vibe. It is one of the few Disney movies where the villain gets a horrific death too.
