This is now my tenth edition of ‘Movies to Stream’. While it’s always fun shifting through the endless mounds of content available to stream in order to bring you five quality movies to check out, the task can feel somewhat daunting at times. Sometimes hidden gems aren’t actually so hidden. Other times I realize I’m totally alone on an island in thinking that a certain movie is worth checking out.
I say this with both humility and a bit of trepidation, but I think this might be my best collection of movies to date. Here are this month’s choices.
Netflix: The Night Comes for Us (2018)
This is perhaps the most bonkers action movie I’ve ever seen. If you’re looking for wild, bloody, intense, and bloody action then look no further. Did I mention it was bloody?
To be quite honest with you, I can’t remember much about the plot. However, what I can tell you is that there is a fight sequence that takes place in a butcher’s shop that is just about the craziest thing I’ve seen in a movie. What makes The Night Comes for Us so great is that the action sequences don’t just feature gratuitous violence – they also feature some of the best fight choreography of the past few years. This movie is sure to wow, but please strap in because it’s going to be a wild ride.
FOR FANS OF: The Raid; John Wick; Police Story
Prime Video: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Although The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is probably widely considered to be Sergio Leone’s masterpiece, I’d say that Once Upon a Time in the West deserves some recognition as potentially taking the cake. Leone’s skill as a director is never more apparent than when he is allowing tension to build within a given scene (or over the course of a movie) and this movie is full of great sequences where tension builds to the point that you nearly fall out of your seat. The opening sequence alone is better than most other movies you’ll ever see. By the end you’ll be wishing you could experience the whole thing over again.
FOR FANS OF: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Unforgiven; The Wild Bunch
HBO Max: After Hours (1985)
Few filmmakers are able to tap into the bizarre lived reality that is New York City quite like Martin Scorsese. After Hours might actually be the most New York-y of all of his movies about New York. It’s a fun ride with one man (Griffin Dunne’s Paul Hackett) as he bumbles around Manhattan throughout the course of one evening. For modern fans of Scorsese’s work, it’s almost hard to believe that this film exists in his filmography. It feels too small to be a Scorsese picture. It lacks the overwhelming ambition of something like Silence or The Irishman. I find it not just refreshing, but thrilling to know that Scorsese has operated in the space of something like After Hours. It shows another side of his ability as a filmmaker. And it’s still a damn good film.
FOR FANS OF: The Big Lebowski; In Bruges; Goodfellas
Hulu: Thank You for Smoking (2005)
The market for movies like The You for Smoking has shrunk considerably in the last few years, but it seems like more and more audiences are clamoring for films like this to make a comeback. It’s smart, it’s funny, and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome (the runtime is a crisp 92 minutes). Aaron Eckhart seemed destined to be one of the biggest movie stars during the mid 2000s, then he just sort of fizzled out after The Dark Knight. Watch Thank You for Smoking and you’ll be reminded of why so many of us were so high on him.
FOR FANS OF: Burn After Reading; The Royal Tenenbaums; Don’t Look Up
Disney Plus: Spider-Man 3 (2007)
There’s a great community of Spider-Man 3 apologists out there and I’m proud to be one of them. Doomed by studio interference, Raimi still manages to leave his personal imprint on the flick. And although it doesn’t quite reach the heights of either of Raimi’s first two Spider-Man flicks, there is still a whole lot to enjoy here. The humor is top notch and the thematic questions are poignant and worthwhile. The scene of Sandman trying desperately to regenerate his body while the score swells is simply one of the most beautiful moments of filmmaking in any superhero movie ever made. This movie has reached a bit of cult classic status recently, but I wholeheartedly believe it is for good reason. Give it another chance and see what you think.
FOR FANS OF: Spider-Man; The Dark Knight; Evil Dead 2
That’s it for this month. Make sure you check out all of these awesome options. And be sure to let us know the best hidden gems you’ve streamed recently. Share in the comments and help us expand the list!
