Movies and docos to stream if you’re stuck at home
Whether you’ve been told to self-isolate or simply laying low to stop the spread of coronavirus, here’s the best movies and docos streaming right now to keep you occupied.
Leigh Paatsch
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If you’re confined to the house for the next few weeks, Herald Sun movie guru Leigh Paatsch has your streaming sorted with 28 things you might have missed recently on Foxtel, Netflix, Stan, Google, iTunes and Amazon.
THE ONE THAT’S ALWAYS SHARPENING UP
KNIVES OUT (M)
****
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
A sleeper-hit box-office phenom at the end of 2019, Knives Out is cracking murder mystery rife with loose ends, dead ends and one heck of an unseemly end. That comes at the start of this dynamically entertaining affair, when celebrated author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) – famous for his murder mysteries, not uncoincidentally – is found deceased in his study, seeming by his own hand. No-one has the inside track on what may have happened save for the late scribe’s nurse (Ana de Armas), and she can barely make herself heard above the ruckus of Thrombey’s not-so-grieving family. The show is comprehensively stolen – and never once returned – by a wired, inspired and kookily amusing Daniel Craig. He plays Benoit Blanc, an unorthodox private detective from the deep south who knows all the answers from the get-go, but remains unsure of the question until the closing scenes. Don’t believe a word anyone says, but be assured a very good time awaits you here. A superb ensemble cast includes Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette and Don Johnson. Directed by Rian Johnson (Looper).
THE ONE KEEPING A FAVE FRANCHISE FUELLING AROUND
FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (M)
***
AMAZON
Even after 8 movies (and their combined box-office gross of over $7 billion) the Fast & Furious series still has plenty of fuel left in the tank. Now that episode 9 won’t drop until mid-2021 due to the coronavirus, this spin-off might give off enough fumes to rev up F & F fans while they wait. It goes quite OK if it is purely a disposable thrill ride you are chasing. The always-popular smile machine that is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson plays Hobbs, the friendly federal agent who does it by the book, or not at all. The sometimes-tolerable scowl machine that is Jason Statham plays Shaw, a surly ex-soldier-of-fortune who doesn’t do it by the book unless he’s being paid to do so. These sworn frenemies have to learn to get along faster than they might have liked when they learn of a plot to poison the world with a body-liquefying virus. Idris Elba co-stars as an insanely indestructible bad guy, Vanessa Kirby plays Shaw’s super-spy younger sister, and at least three ridiculously audacious action sequences justify the price of admission before fatigue sets in just ahead of the finale.
THE ONE THAT CAME BEFORE PARASITE
SNOWPIERCER (MA15+)
****
NETFLIX, STAN
If you’re a newcomer to the eccentric of Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, here’s where you can get more of the great man’s work in one accessible dose. This utterly brilliant, slyly innovative action picture issues a barrage of future shocks in a pressing present tense. In a bid to stop global warming, climate scientists have triggered a new ice age. Everyone dies in the ensuing snap freeze, except for the occupants of a luxury bullet train. In the years that follow, each carriage becomes a nation unto itself. An interior security system – an unofficial set of borders, if you like – keeps everyone in their place. Due to an ambitious combo of the high-concept and the high-octane, this is an experience best seen (almost literally) cold. Stars Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton.
THE ONE LEAPING OFF THE PAGE
BOOKSMART (MA15+)
****1/2
AMAZON, GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
This was clearly one of the best films released in 2019, an achievement magnified by both the fact it stars a cast of relative unknowns, and how the movie draws refreshing new energy from a seemingly tired premise. This is the story of Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), highly intelligent and socially awkward BFFs who could be about to end their secondary education as the most sheltered shut-ins of their generation. Unless they decide to go out for the first time on their last night of high school (which they do) and find the big party everyone else is at (which they can’t). There is real wit, sly creativity and unbridled vitality pulsing from every scene here. Highly recommended.
THE ONE SPEEDING DOWN DEVIL GATE DRIVE
SUZI Q (M)
***
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
A delightfully engaging documentary on the life and times of pioneering American rock star Suzi Quatro. Not one of the essential bullet points in the Quatro biography is left off the list, with equal prominence given to the significant periods of development and self-discovery either side of Suzi’s leather-clad prime on the pop charts. Quatro herself is present as an open-hearted and honest contributor to her own story, as are family, friends, fans, a former husband and ex-bandmates. Quatro has always been an individual living life on her own terms, and this admirable trait keeps coming through loud and clear. The only real drawback here is that the doco goes too close to outstaying its welcome, reaching awkwardly for an inspirational ending that just isn’t there.
THE ONE BRINGING OLD FRIENDS TOGETHER
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (G)
***
DISNEY PLUS
A gentle celebration of the enduring appeal of the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood. The story begins with a grown-up Christopher Robin (played by Ewan McGregor) doing it tough as an adult in 1950s London. As a distance opens up between Christopher and his wife and daughter, old childhood pals like Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger reappear to bring it all back together. Overall, a little bit slower and less spectacular than contemporary family films, but a little more memorable.
THE ONE LACKING ROAR POWER
THE LION KING (PG)
**
DISNEY PLUS
A lethargic computer-generated makeover of the beloved 1994 animated feature The Lion King, where the visuals are as photorealistic as an Attenborough nature doco, but the vibe is as flat as a lock-in at the local library. The heroic Simba’s rise from castaway cub to saviour of the savannah is an epic tale that didn’t need any tinkering with. However, the all-important song interludes are indicative of where the dull slog of it all keeps kicking in. New renditions of proven faves like Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata and Can You Feel the Love Tonight (inexplicably staged in broad daylight!) are too processed and passion-free.
THE ONE COMING IN FOR THE CHILL AGAIN
FROZEN 2 (PG)
***
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
Back in 2013, the general consensus about the animated musical Frozen among those supposedly in the know was that it was a nice enough ‘toon that would soon be forgotten. Every little girl in the world not only knew better, they also knew a precious touchstone of their childhood had appeared before them. And with an irresistible array of earworms – no, make that ear-pythons – wriggling all over the soundtrack, there was no chance Frozen would ever be forgotten. So here it is, the follow-up most parents were secretly dreading, and the massive Frozen fanbase have openly embraced. Now officially the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, Frozen 2 doubles down on both the gleefully goofy antics and asides of Olaf (Josh Gad) and a fleet of fresh catchy compositions. The plotting is arguably too busy (and a mite too dark) for its own good, but sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) still vividly embody the right kind of values and vitality that won everybody over the first time around.
THE ONE WHERE THE ACTION IS THE ATTRACTION
JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3 (MA15+)
***1/2
FOXTEL
The John Wick franchise will never be down for the count as long as it keeps upping the ante. Just as movie number two in the Keanu Reeves-starring series of revenge thrillers bested the original, number three takes higher aim than its predecessors and hits a bullseye. The new instalment picks up where we left off last time, with Mr Wick making the most of a one-hour head start he has been granted from a horde of contract assassins on his trail. Joyless Johnny violated a code of conduct so precious to his hitmen brethren that there is now a $14 million bounty on his head. What follows is yet another stunning collection of action set pieces for which the franchise has become renowned, every one of them intricately choreographed to the last millimetre. Some sequences are flat-out insane, such as an all-in brawl staged in Morocco where the most dangerous fighters turn out to be a pair of comically combative canines. The unworldly shot composition of unheralded director Chad Stahelski continues to astonish, too.
THE ONE WITH A LOT TO SLAY
KILLING THEM SOFTLY (MA15+)
****
FOXTEL, GOOGLE, ITUNES
A down’n’dirty American crime film, from an Australian writer-director who knows a thing or two about such things (Andrew Dominik of Chopper fame). On top of some intensely gritty (and often, physically punishing) performances from Brad Pitt, Ben Mendelsohn and a fine ensemble cast, the film boasts some incredibly well-written speeches that anticipate a fractured future where Donald Trump could become President. In particular, Pitt’s line delivery in his monologues is electrifying. One example: “I’m living in America, and in America, you’re on your own. America’s not a country. It’s just a business. Now pay me.”
THE ONE ABOUT A PAINTER WHO WON’T BE BRUSHED OFF
MR TURNER (M)
****
STAN
An engrossing biopic of the famous British artist JMW Turner (played by Timothy Spall). This leading light of 19th century painting was an intriguing mix of the contentious and the unpretentious, and it’s Spall’s decisive reading of both sides of the man that lifts a modest film to great heights. A long running time is a positive factor here, especially as Turner’s style begins to change radically in his later years. Yet another burst of organically grown cinematic goodness from UK filmmaker Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Another Year).
THE ONE THAT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOREVER
DUEL (M)
****1/2
FOXTEL
One man. One car. One mad trucker. One hell of a chase across back-roads America. Welcome to Road Rage: The Early Days. Your guide is a young and hungry pre-Jaws Steven Spielberg, who directed this made-for-TV thriller like a Hitchcock on steroids. If you have never seen this classic chase flick, you are in for something seat-grippingly special. Has lost a drop of dread since it first saw the light of day back in 1971.
THE ONE GOING TO CHURCH, BUT NOT TO WORSHIP
GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY & THE PRISON OF BELIEF (M)
****
SBS ON DEMAND
After successfully tackling such slippery subjects as Julian Assange, Lance Armstrong and the Vatican, documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney takes on one of the most maligned and intimidating organisations on the planet: the Church of Scientology. In light of Scientology’s infamously aggressive stance towards coverage of its activities, a necessarily cautious approach has been taken. Nevertheless, Gibney’s determination to maintain a balanced, informative context for his work trumps all misgivings. Once Going Clear gets to Scientology leader David Miscavige – and his association with celebrity Scientologists like Tom Cruise and John Travolta – the film really enters dark and often disturbing territory.
THE ONE CAUSING COLLATERAL DAMAGE
COLLATERAL BEAUTY (M)
**
NETFLIX
The most iffy factor about this needlessly odd, unfashionably sentimental drama is a puzzling plot that hopes to make hearts sing, but can only make foreheads wrinkle. Will Smith plays Howard, an angst-ridden adman mourning the death of his daughter. Howard’s kooky coping mechanism of writing how-dare-you letters to metaphorical correspondents such as Death, Love and Time is not easing the pain. Neither are Howard’s business partners (led by Edward Norton and Kate Winslet) who think it’s a great idea to hire actors to pose as Death, Love and Time (Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Jacob Latimore respectively). These desperate thesps pretend to be spectral apparitions that only an easily-fooled Howard can see. For the rest of the movie, the trio will dispense lengthy dollops of life advice, scripted by Howard’s workmates in an attempt to get him to stop missing his dead kid so much. Not only is this a strange way of supposedly helping a friend who is hurting. It is kind of cruel, as well.
THE ONE MAKING A NEW CONNECTION TO THE WEB
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (M)
***1/2
FOXTEL, AMAZON
If last April’s Avengers: Endgame dramatically levelled playing fields all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then the more recent Spider-Man: Far From Home cheerfully resets them. Now that the world has returned to normal after half the planet’s population temporarily disappeared for five years, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) can return to being a typical teenager. Well, as typical a teenager as you can be when you also have a secret life as a superhero named Spider-Man.
While still mourning the tragic passing of his mentor Tony ‘Iron Man’ Stark, Peter heads to Europe where he hopes to strike a new romantic spark with old flame MJ (Zendaya). It isn’t long before Peter’s travels cross paths with crises that only his Spidey alter ego can quell. Expect a little romance, a little more goofy, geeky comedy, and a lot of breakage and fights at popular Euro-tourist hot-spots. Some nice work on the sly from new franchise recruit Jake Gyllenhaal as the enigmatic Mysterio.
THE ONE SERIOUSLY FUELLING AROUND
FORD V FERRARI (M)
****
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
Its pacing is not exactly fast. Its temperament is nowhere near furious. Nevertheless, this is as fine a movie about cars, car racing and car drivers as you could ever hope to see in the present era. In fact, Ford v Ferrari is about a whole lot more than merely a life lived on four wheels. So much so that even non-petrolheads who’d rather watch a doco about public transport will likely find themselves both engrossed and entertained. Screenplay-wise, all roads lead towards the 1966 edition of the Le Mans 24-hour motor race, where American manufacturing giant Ford is looking to end the dominance of the event by Italian rivals Ferrari. However, the movie is equally about the wars waged inside Ford to create a car capable of conquering this bitumen battleground. It is here we find a well-matched Matt Damon (as gifted designer Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (as maverick driving ace Ken Miles) at the very top of their game. A movie that keeps giving a rush, even when it backs off the speed. Co-stars Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts.
THE ONE WHERE SCARLETT ENTERS THE RED ZONE
LUCY (MA15+)
***1/2
AMAZON
A fast and loose action movie hellbent on getting in your face and staying on your mind by any means necessary. Scarlett Johansson has the title role, and as can be her way, matter-of-factly steers it towards some frankly freaky places. ScarJo plays an expat American student in Taiwan who has been commandeered as a drug mule by local traffickers. After the accidental intake of a dangerous new designer substance, Lucy’s brain capacity starts expanding at an exponential rate. The power unleashed by this ever- opening mind can manifest itself in ways which must be seen to be believed. And just as often, not believed. The only advice I can offer is to go with the gushing, exhilarating flow of it all, or drown in the backwash as this raging torrent of thrills, spills and ground-up pills surges forwards. Written and directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element).
THE ONE THAT GIVES YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE TITLE PROMISES
THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS (M)
***
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
This family-friendly (ish) affair is an endearingly odd mash-up of a mildly Americanised Harry Potter adventure with any old Goosebumps tale you can’t quite recall. The house mentioned in the title is pretty much a School of Witchcraft and Warlockery run as a one-man operation by a kooky spell-caster named Jonathan (Jack Black). The only student on the books is his 10-year-old orphan nephew Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), and the only other teacher on staff is next-door neighbour and no-nonsense enchantress Florence (Cate Blanchett).
THE ONE DROPPING THE ROCK FROM A GREAT HEIGHT
SKYSCRAPER (M)
**1/2
NETFLIX
Yet again, the indefatigably likeable Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson finds a way to make the seemingly mediocre somehow watchable. The setting of this wonky Die Hard knock-off is a high-priced Hong Kong high-rise, where enigmatically-accented foreign terrorists start a fire on the 95th floor. A little ways above are the only current residents: the wife and children of Will (Johnson). Once the movie gets on a roll – unleashing a new life-or-death situation every few minutes – both the laws of physics and the fundamentals of all human logic are shredded to a pulp. And because it is The Rock continually crumpling common sense into a tiny ball, you may not be able to wipe a big, dopey smile off your face.
THE ONE WHERE LOVE WILL FIND A WAY … AND SO WILL HEARTBREAK
HOLDING THE MAN (MA15+)
****
STAN
This compelling true story of two Melbourne schoolboys who fall in love in spite of the intense misgivings of their families intimately connects on several fronts. Though fated by the tragic nature of its story to put all viewers through an emotional wringer, this fine film earns the right to do so by speaking a personal, yet universal truth that anyone with a heart will immediately understand. Stars Ryan Corr, Craig Stott.
THE ONE WHERE THE SONGS RIGHT THE WRONGS
ROCKETMAN (M)
**1/2
FOXTEL, AMAZON
This musical biopic of veteran singer-songwriter Elton John was originally hyped as playing in the same league as Bohemian Rhapsody. In truth, the first Mamma Mia! is a more relevant reference point for this cheesy, breezy rewrite of Elton’s colourful life and times. The star attraction, as it should be, is Elton’s thick back catalogue of classic hits. Thankfully, the elaborate song-and-dance sequences structured around seminal 70s hits like Crocodile Rock, Bennie and the Jets and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting are definitely worth the price of admission. However, nothing in-between the tunes achieves takeoff. Sure, the narrative doesn’t hold back when laying out the table for Elton’s famed appetite for self-destruction. However, this excess-all-areas back stage pass can’t separate the actual man from his storied misdeeds. Taron Egerton toils hard in the role of Elton for moderate returns. The actor’s singing is strong in the up- tempo numbers, but found wanting with the ballads.
THE ONE WHERE BARNESY BREAKS YOUR HEART
WORKING CLASS BOY (M)
****1/2
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
Moving, confronting and yet, a distinct pleasure to watch, this fine Australian-made documentary examines two disarmingly vivid subjects for the price of one.
The first is the Jimmy Barnes you thought you knew. It may pay to take one last look at him, for he won’t be passing this way again.
The second is the real Jimmy Barnes, someone that the man himself has only recently gotten to know, and is still coming to terms with.
If you fell under the spell of the legendary singer’s award-winning debut book (a raw memoir of dual hardscrabble upbringings in inner-city Glasgow and outer-suburban Adelaide), then you will be relieved to learn the same stormy lightning has been captured in a bottle here. Those with no inkling of what Barnes went through as a child will be riveted as they wonder how he ever made it to adulthood in one piece.
While a collection of flat-ish live music interludes disrupt what is quite a powerful flow at times, Barnes and his healthily honest take on a troubled past will take you to a better place and leave you there.
THE ONE THAT THINKS BIG WHILE STAYING SMALL
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (PG)
***1/2
DISNEY PLUS
A far more cohesive, exciting and entertaining commodity than its predecessor. The story picks up with Ant-Man’s alter ego Scott Lang (another winning effort from the underrated Paul Rudd) under house arrest for misdemeanours committed during Captain America: Civil War.
However, just days short of freedom, our hero is busted loose to help inventor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) rescue long-lost wife and mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the dreaded Quantum Realm.
Plenty of awesomely designed set-piece action sequences – where the mayhem of sudden shrinking and supersizing is taken to surreal new heights – are casually blended into jokes and japes delivered with infectious, freewheeling flair.
THE ONE WHERE THE BEATLES ARE NOT A HIT
YESTERDAY (M)
**1/2
FOXTEL, AMAZON
Here we have the decorated duo of director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually) welding an audacious ‘what if …?’ premise to an anodyne rom-com framework.
Whether the structure stays upright will come down to the eye (and ear) of the beholder. Here’s your ‘what if …?’, then. What if some wide time-warping phenomenon wiped all memory of The Beatles and their music from history, and only one person on the planet could remember their songs?
The lucky intermediary is failed singer-songwriter Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), who rides a rocket to mega-stardom after passing off The Fab Four’s compositional goldmine as his own. The music biz aspect of the movie is carried off fairly well – Ed Sheeran playing himself is a key character throughout – and Patel’s performance smarts are above average.
However, with equal weighting given to whether Jack and his true love (Lily James) will make it out of ‘the friend zone’, the only possible result is a flat pass mark.
THE ONE COMING TO THE RESCUE REPEATEDLY
HACKSAW RIDGE (M)
****
GOOGLE, ITUNES, YOUTUBE MOVIES
A harrowing and highly impacting war drama directed by Mel Gibson. The central focus is on the 1945 Battle of Okinawa at the close of WWII, where US army medic Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) famously survived a punishing two-day period at the height of fighting without once picking up a weapon to defend himself.
Instead, this devoutly religious conscientious objector single-handedly carried 75 wounded men from his company to safety, miraculously avoiding unrelenting attacks from the enemy.
THE ONE WHERE BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
MAGGIE’S PLAN (M)
***1/2
SBS ON DEMAND
An American rom-com blessed with sincere charm and subtle sophistication, factors which have been in short supply in Hollywood for a long time.
Greta Gerwig (writer and director of the recent hit Little Women) is Maggie, a cosmopolitan college administrator who can good-naturedly scheme her way out of most tricky situations. So when she falls for a married man (Ethan Hawke) and later wants out, Maggie figures it would be a good idea to return her lover to his wife (Julianne Moore).
This isn’t the only plan Maggie will be enacting during this vibrantly talky, oh-so-New-York-y affair (she’s also exploring ways to have a baby, sans a father) and there is real pleasure to be drawn from the way the movie conveys what is going on inside her unconventional mind.
THE ONE WHERE TRADITIONAL APPEARANCES WILL DECEIVE
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP (PG)
****
STAN
With Jane Austen’s Emma currently doing well in Australian cinemas, why not try one of her lesser-known works? This one happens to be one of the finest Austen movie adaptations on record.
It is the turn of the 19th century, and the self-styled “most accomplished flirt in all of England” is looking for a new man to tease, seduce and, if so decreed by her bank balance, marry.
To the youngish widow Lady Susan Vernon (a magnificent Kate Beckinsale), a man with money, a title, or both, is something to be manipulated for extended periods of shelter. Or brief moments of pleasure.
A busily-plotted affair which picks up characters and puts them down (and oh, how caustically does Lady Susan put them down) at a remarkably cracking pace for a period-era farce. Co-stars Xavier Samuel.
THE ONE TAKEN BY A MAN OF STEAL
ROBIN HOOD (M)
**1/2
NETFLIX, FOXTEL
This umpteenth run-through of the ancient Robin Hood legend (spoiler alert: he robs from the rich, and gives to the poor) gets a reckless remixing for modern audiences.
Now a subversive man of the people, Robin (Taron Egerton of Rocketman fame) plots his revenge against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn having a grand old hammy time) while winning back his ex-girlfriend Maid Marian (Eve Hewson) from the clutches of her new boyfriend (Jamie ‘Fifty Shades’ Dornan).
The action sequences have a wacky intensity that might win you over sometimes, but a scrappy, pappy story will lose you over and over again.
Co-stars Jamie Foxx.
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