Now Stream This: 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse', 'Game Night', 'Too Old To Die Young', 'Cop Car', 'Don't Look Now' And More
(Welcome to Now Stream This, a column dedicated to the best movies streaming on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and every other streaming service out there.)
Here we go again! I've searched the web far and wide, and brought back several great titles for you to stream. Horror, comedy, indie, animated, and more! There's something here for everyone. Unless you hate movies. In which case, what the heck are you reading this for? These are the best movies streaming right now, and beyond. Let's get streaming!
Now Streaming on Max Go
Release Date: 2018Genre: ComedyDirector: John Francis Daley and Jonathan GoldsteinCast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Kyle Chandler
I can distinctly remember seeing trailers for Game Night and thinking, "Well, that looks stupid." So color me surprised when I finally got around to seeing the film on Blu-ray, and finding it to be wonderful. This is a dark, funny tale of a group of friends who think they're playing a fun game, only to get mixed up in something dangerous. It's kind of like David Fincher's The Game, but with jokes. The premise itself isn't that remarkable – but the execution is. For one thing, the cast is quite strong, with Rachel McAdams turning in a consistently hilarious performance. For another, filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein direct the hell out of this thing. So many studio comedies tend to whiff it when it comes to the filmmaking, but Game Night concentrates on creating an impressive visual aesthetic, and even includes a killer long-take sequence that will probably make film nerds salivate.
For fans of: The Game, Nerve, Rachel McAdams doing pretty much anything.
Streaming on Netflix 6/26
Release Date: 2018Genre: Animated superhero extravaganzaDirector: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney RothmanCast: (The voices of) Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Liev Schreiber
Superhero movies have become so rote these days that it's hard for a sourpuss like me to get overly excited about them. Which is why Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is such a breath of fresh air. This exciting, visually inventive take on everyone's favorite web-slinger packs in more heart and humor than 95% of the superhero flicks that get pumped out every year. Here, teen Miles Morales finds himself bit by a radioactive spider, and turned into Spider-Man. But he's not the only one. Other spider-people from other dimensions are around, too. Miles has to learn how to embrace his powers and become a hero while helping his new spider-friends. The animation style here is eye-popping, finding clever ways to blend all sorts of styles without ever growing tiresome. And nestled in all of this is an important message about believing in yourself. What's not to love here?
For fans of: Spider-Man stuff in general and Nicolas Cage talking about punching Nazis.
Now Streaming on Netflix
Release Date: 2015Genre: Indie DramaDirector: Jon WattsCast: Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford
Before Marvel and Sony recruited him to make Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jon Watts helmed this little-seen indie reminiscent of the work of the Coen Brothers. In Cop Car, two kids (James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) find a cop car in the woods, with the keys still in the ignition. What are two budding juvenile delinquents to do but steal the car and go for a joyride? Unfortunately for them, the car happens to belong to a corrupt, killer cop (Kevin Bacon), and now he's on the trail of the boys. Watts's film balances the energy of a kids film with dark bursts of sudden violence, and the end result will take you by surprise.
For fans of: Blood Simple, Stand By Me, Kevin Bacon with a mustache.
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Release Date: 2019Genre: Slow-burning neon pulpDirector: Nicolas Winding RefnCast: Miles Teller, Augusto Aguilera, Cristina Rodlo, Nell Tiger Free, John Hawkes
How on Earth did Nicolas Winding Refen talk Amazon into letting him make Too Old to Die Young? However it happened, I'm glad that it did, because it's unlike anything you're likely to see this year. Technically, this is a TV show. But every episode – 10 in total – runs at feature length, which means the entire thing clocks in at about 750 minutes. And when you start watching it, you'l know why: this thing moves slow. That may bother some, and to be honest, it took me some time to get used to. But the pacing is almost hypnotic, to the point where you get wrapped up in the long beats of silence Refn is created. The series follows multiple stories, but the main plot involves a cop (Miles Teller) getting sucked into a neon-drenched underworld. It's pulp at its finest, featuring a killer score from frequent Refn collaborator Cliff Martinez.
For fans of: Only God Forgives, Drive, long pauses.
Now Streaming on Hulu
Release Date: 1998Genre: Romantic Comedy-DramaDirector: John Madden,Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi DenchShakespeare in Love gets a lot of guff for beating Saving Private Ryan at the Oscars. And to be fair, the film rose to Oscar glory thanks to dirty campaigning by now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. But does it deserve such vitriol against it? I don't think so. In fact, this film is quite lovely, and if you watch it now – far removed from its Oscar buzz – you'll see it for what it really is: a romantic, poetic saga. Writer William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is blocked, struggling to write a new play. His creative juices end up flowing when he falls for Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), a big fan of his work. To complicate matters, Viola is also posing as a man in order to appear in Shakespeare's new play – a play that eventually morphs into Romeo and Juliet. Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard's script is literary, swooning and endlessly clever, and if you don't shed a tear or two at the film's finale, you're probably some sort of robot.For fans of: Catching endless, nerdy Shakespeare references.
Now Streaming on Hulu
Release Date: 2010Genre: HorrorDirector: Breck EisnerCast: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
This remake of George Romero's The Crazies feels mostly forgotten, and deserves a chance at rediscovery. An airborne toxin suddenly turns the residents of a happy small town into bloodthirsty killers, or crazies, if you will. Now, the uninfected local sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife (Radha Mitchell) have to attempt to get the hell out of town before they end up dead. Fast-paced, ultra-violent and surprisingly nasty, this is one of the better horror remakes, and I can't quite figure out why no one talks about it anymore.
For fans of: Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Timothy Olyphant playing yet another lawman.
Now Streaming on the Criterion Channel
Release Date: 1973Genre: Horror-DramaDirector: Nicolas RoegCast: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland
One of the most chilling horror films you're likely to see; a slow-burn nightmare journey through grief culminating in an ending that will shock you to the core. After the sudden death of their child, married couple Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland head to Venice. Once there, Sutherland's character begins seeing what he thinks is the ghost of his daughter popping up everywhere, and things only get more weird and creepy from there. This film is infamous for a passionate sex scene between Christie and Sutherland – a scene so convincing that for years after, people thought it was real (it was not). There's an eerie, ghostly atmosphere hovering over Don't Look Now, and it seeps into your skin, down into your bones, like a cold dampness you can't shake.
For fans of: The Wicker Man, The Haunting, trippy editing.
Now Streaming on Shudder
Release Date: 2017Genre: Foreign Language HorrorDirector: Lukas FeigelfeldCast: Aleksandra Cwen, Celina Peter, Claudia Martini, Tanja Petrovsky, Haymon Maria Buttinger
Like a death metal dream by way of an acid trip, Hagazussa is steeped in occult imagery and beautiful scenery. It's slow-burn and weighed down with dread, telling the story of Albrun (Aleksandra Cwen), an outcast who huddles in her cottage with her infant child, shunned by the nearby villagers and considered by many to be a witch. Albrun begins to open up when she strikes up an unexpected friendship, but darkness is lurking. Abstract and nearly impenetrable, this is a movie that thrives on mood and atmosphere, flashing gorgeous, troubling imagery before our eyes and daring us to interpret it.
For fans of: The Witch, A Field in England, skulls.
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Release Date: 1985Genre: ComedyDirector: Jonathan LynnCast:Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren
A movie based on a board game probably shouldn't work as well as 1985's Clue does. Truth be told, Clue was not well-liked when it opened. In fact, it bombed at the box office. But in the years since its release, the film has found a devoted cult following. The premise is the same as the game: a group of colorful characters are in a big mansion when someone gets murdered. Everyone's a suspect! Comedy ensues! The cast, who are all game for this nonsense, sell it all perfectly. The MVP is Tim Curry, who sprints around this movie like a madman and seemingly never breaks a sweat.
For fans of: Murder by Death, locked-room mysteries, and Tim Curry at his absolute best.
Now Streaming on Netflix
Release Date: 2002Genre: Sci-Fi ActionDirector: Kurt WimmerCast: Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs, Angus Macfadyen, Sean BeanEquilibrium might be one of the dumbest movies ever made – and I say that lovingly. This goof-fest asks the question: "What if we took Brave New World, mashed it up with Fahrenheit 451, and then added gun-fu?" Christian Bale plays a government agent in a futuristic world where emotions have been eliminated with drugs. To further suppress emotions, art, books, music and more are all completely outlawed. But when Bale starts feeling again, he seeks those things out, putting his life at risk. Thankfully, he knows how to flail around punching people while firing guns, so he'll probably be okay. Sometimes, you need high art when you watch a movie. Sometimes, you just want to see Christian Bale doing some gun-fu.For fans of: Minority Report, The Matrix, Christian Bale saving a puppy.