Australia’s newest streaming service is beyond our wildest dreams
As Australia’s newest streaming service Binge launches today, we delve into the masses of magic movies that offer something for everyone.
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From prestige pics to family friendlys and even dynamic docos, there’s something for everyone on Binge.
PRESTIGE PICS
BAD EDUCATION
Based on a true story, this riveting drama – which can also assume the form of a black comedy when least expected – features what is close to a career-best performance from Australian star Hugh Jackman.
While ol’ Hugh has always been fast to demonstrate his versatility as a performer, he doesn’t always give the impression he is pushing himself all that hard. Can’t be saying that here though.
Wow: Jackman hits it well and truly out of the park in the role of Frank Tassone, a popular school administrator who found himself at the eye of a storm of controversy in the early 2000s.
A truckload of government funds went missing – we’re talking millions and millions of bucks here – and everyone seemingly looked the other way while the cash vanished. Well, everyone except the rookie teen journalist who exposed the scandal while penning a seeming puff piece for a school newspaper.
DOWNTON ABBEY (PG)
After six sumptuous seasons on TV, the 21st century’s most popular costume drama stuck movie gold at the first time of asking. Downton creator Julian Fellowes has packed enough plots, subplots and side details into the movie to fill an entire series in its own right.
ON CHESIL BEACH (M)
Don’t schedule this deceptively intense and insightful romantic drama for your next date night. It is set in 1962, on the first (and maybe the last) day of a coastal honeymoon for young newlyweds Florence (the ever-consistent Saoirse Ronan) and Edward Mayhew (Billy Howie).
FAHRENHEIT 451 (M)
Legendary author Ray Bradbury’s seminal sci-fi novel has been long due a modern update. This lavish HBO-produced adaptation nails the job. Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) stars as Guy Montag, a futuristic “fireman” whose job is to burn books for the betterment of mankind.
FAMILY FRIENDLYS
DANCE ACADEMY: THE MOVIE (PG)
This is a belated movie expansion of the Australian-made TV series Dance Academy, fresh episodes of which have not been produced since 2013. Rather than revisit former glories of this charming little show, the film version tracks the original troupe of teenage hoofers as they try to make it in the wider world as adults. Co-stars Miranda Otto, Tara Morice.
ABOMINABLE (G)
Viewers under the age of 10 will have few quibbles with this perpetually pleasant, animated adventure about the cross-China odyssey of a troubled tomboy and her pet yeti. You certainly
cannot fault the eye-catching settings, most of them steeped in the timeless charm and calm of
the Himalayas.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG)
The second one has a few fresher stories to tell, and the end result is much better. The plot once again revolves around the adventures of a jumpy jack russell terrier named Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt), now taking a sabbatical out on the farm after life in the city gets a bit much.
MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER (PG)
When the revered Japanese anime company Studio Ghibli closed its doors a few years back, many of its best creatives got to work on this fetchingly ethereal adaptation of Mary Stewart’s 1971 novel The Little Broomstick. Lovely stuff.
DYNAMIC DOCUMENTARIES
2040 (G)
Damon Gameau follows up his surprise edu-doco hit That Sugar Film by taking on a more complex and contentious issue – the future environmental health of our planet. The target audience here is schoolchildren, who will be of adult age by the year quoted in the title. So too will Gameau’s own young daughter.
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK – THE TOURING YEARS (M)
Director Ron Howard addressed the first half of The Beatles’
hit-making, youth-quaking career. The must-see factor here is the rare performance footage – including the legendary Shea Stadium gigs – further boosted by better sound mixing and syncing than experienced before.
SPIELBERG (M)
HBO’s doco unit persuaded master filmmaker Steven Spielberg to sit for an extensive series of interviews, and also open his vast personal video archives.
A revealing portrait of a truly unique talent. How unique? Who else could have released Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List in the space of just six months?
UNTOUCHABLE (M)
The BBC’s recent investigation of the Harvey Weinstein scandal is the best completed to date.
All the major names involved (except, of course, the disgraced man himself) are present and accounted for throughout.
WINNING WILDCARDS
GOOD BOYS (MA15+)
This endearing comedy absolutely captures the tween-age trials and tribulations of life as a 12-year-old (not that any 12-year-olds should be seeing it with that MA15+ rating). However, for anyone that used to be a 12-year-old – or is still occasionally prone to thinking like one – this delightfully disreputable comedy will keep the laughs coming on a consistent basis.
Max (Jacob Tremblay), Thor (Brady Noon) and Lucas (Keith L. Williams) are a trio of sheltered sixth-graders who call themselves The Beanbag Boys. Why? Because they like sitting in bean bags, of course. They face a situation where there is a lot of stuff to work out.
LEAN ON PETE (M)
A down-and-out teenage boy befriends a done-and-dusted racehorse. It sounds like a formulaic weepie just waiting to happen. The only thing is, the cliches just never kick in during a serenely calm, clear-headed and authentic American drama.
Very low-key, but very lovely stuff.
MA (MA15+)
This is one likably loopy thriller, giving off just a faint whiff of trashy treasure that makes it perfect for use as end-of-the-week escapism. Octavia Spencer (The Help) is the title character, a rather strange woman who mistakenly thinks she has made some new friends when some kids ask her to buy ’em some booze.
THE ART OF SELF-DEFENCE (MA15+)
In this unorthodox black comedy, Jesse Eisenberg stars as Casey, a nerdish guy whose life is up-ended by a man known only as Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). This mysterious fellow – an improbable mix of mentor, madman and karate guru – runs the local dojo where virtually all of his clientele are on bizarre journeys to find themselves.
CLASSIC COLLECTIONS
THE JAMES BOND COLLECTION
There is no better place to go when you get around to bucket-list-viewing every Bond film ever made – a 007 overload sure to leave you shaken and stirred for months!
THE MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE COLLECTION (M)
Take a fresh look at Tom Cruise’s long-running action franchise,
and you’ll see it has maintained impressive standards from start
to finish.
THE BACK TO THE FUTURE COLLECTION
Hard to believe this ripping retro-futuristic adventure saga is almost 40 years old. Few series can match the BTTF trilogy for the freewheeling sense of fantasy and fun crammed into every frame.
THE RAMBO COLLECTION
Across the decades, Sly Stallone keeps reaching for more boot nugget to smear under the eyes, and more baby oil to slather on those steroid-assisted guns. So what if this happens to be your thing? We won’t judge. Promise.
New to Binge? Get your two-week free trial, sign up at binge.com.au.
Originally published as Australia’s newest streaming service is beyond our wildest dreams