Some movies are so enthralling they pull you to the edge of your seat, and there you stay until the end. For a guaranteed good time, check out the most gripping movies and shows to stream now.
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Actor: Aaron Abrams, Akiel Julien, Albert Lapi, Alex Mallari Jr., Darrin Maharaj, Hazel Gorin, J.D. Nicholsen, Jane Moffat, Jean Yoon, Kari Matchett, Mikayla SwamiNathan, Moe Jeudy-Lamour, Natalie Liconti, Nneka Elliott, Noorin Gulamgaus, Robbie Amell, Sammy Azero, Sarena Parmar, Sirena Gulamgaus, Stephen Amell
Director: Jeff Chan
At least you can't accuse this holiday film of being generic. Combining the incredibly incompatible elements of drug busts and figure skating (and still failing to justify this crazy idea, though not for a lack of trying), Dealing with Christmas eventually begins to feel more like a series of comedy sketches making up the rules as it goes along. This definitely leads to moments of both excitement and effective humor, but its lack of consistency ultimately makes the awkward outweigh the good. Still, the audacity on display is something to be admired, and the film is just well-made enough to keep its constant experiments worth the curiosity.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Actor: Alex Lutz, Alice Moitié, Bruno Sanches, Catherine Hosmalin, Élise Hobbé, Eric Judor, Etienne Guillou-Kervern, François Vincentelli, Guy Lecluyse, Jean-Yves Tual, Jonas Dinal, Kim Higelin, Laura Felpin, Lison Daniel, Monsieur Poulpe, Nicky Marbot, Paul Deby, Philippe Lacheau, Ragnar Le Breton, Tom Dingler
Director: Arthur Sanigou
Though it features strong talent in front of the camera from Lena Headey and Stephan James, Beacon 23 ultimately doesn't do enough to draw us into what should be a tale of tense paranoia. It throws us directly into the story without nearly a clear enough idea of what's at stake—which may be part of the genre's appeal to some, but even our protagonists possess little to latch on to at the beginning. Even if the constant ramping up of the situation, with new secrets and betrayals revealed at every turn, is entertaining on a base level, the series just can't overcome the blandness of the overall story and of the dull, metallic greys of its production design.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller
Actor: Lena Headey, Stephan James
Between Overhaul's frequently nonsensical blend of truck racing and vehicular heists, and its focus on found families, the comparisons to the Fast & Furious series are undeniable. This also means that this Brazilian blockbuster is also much less engaging than it thinks it is; the stakes don't feel particularly urgent, and the near indifference of the rest of the world to all this criminal activity means these characters may as well be fantasy heroes. It does, however, have more significantly more color to it than its Hollywood role model, thanks to the gorgeous vistas of Brazil and the unique physical attributes of the big rigs the main characters drive. All things considered, it's pretty novel to have these high-speed chases through more cumbersome vehicles—less flashiness, more brute power.
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Evandro Mesquita, Flávio Pardal, Fumassa Alves, Gillray Coutinho, Leandro Tadeu Gonçalves, Milhem Cortaz, Orã Figueiredo, Paulo Vilhena, Raphael Logam, Sheron Menezes, Thiago Martins, Vitória Valentin
Director: Tomás Portella
You don't have to watch (or even be aware of) the The Squad: Home Run's 2015 predecessor to understand this sequel, because there just isn't enough to care about in the film's halfhearted action scenes and rudimentary mystery-solving. Even as it promises an interesting dynamic between ex-cop Niels Cartier (played by Alban Lenoir) and his rebellious teenage daughter Charlotte-Serge (Cassiopée Mayance), these characters fall into cliche too. Rather than have them form a relationship built on their shared grief, all of that feeling is pushed aside for jokes about obvious generational differences. The film is watchable enough (albeit more as white noise than as engaging entertainment) but by the end it all seems pointless—an adventure heading nowhere.
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Actor: Alban Lenoir, Cassiopée Mayance, Jean Reno, Sofia Essaïdi, Stefi Celma
Director: Benjamin Rocher
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aml Ameen, Chanté Adams, Diane Lane, Jeff Daniels, Jon Michael Hill, Lucy Liu, Sarah Jones, Tom Pelphrey, William Jackson Harper
All the little twists in the case of Mirna Salihin's murder are intriguing enough to speculate over, so Ice Cold is definitely a true-crime case worth revisiting. The problem is in how the documentary indulges sensationalist arguments and pure speculation with the same level of urgency as it does with expert counsel. A large part of the film has to do with how this trial started to become such a fixture in Indonesian public life, but it feels as if the movie would rather provoke even more baseless conspiracies through its gossipy tone than provide smarter analysis. There's an appeal to how simple this case is relative to other true-crime stories, but this shouldn't be an excuse to haphazardly throw opposing perspectives at each other for the sake of drama.
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Actor: Edi Darmawan Salihin, Jessica Wongso, Marcella Zalianty, Mirna Salihin, Otto Hasibuan
Director: Rob Sixsmith
The idea of a true-crime documentary being narrated mostly by the very person who did it should be appealing to fans of the genre, especially those who would rather stay away from non-violent crimes. And Vjeran Tomic is a compelling thief, with his own perspective on the people he tends to steal from and the kind of life he thinks he's owed. But by fixating so intensely on the method to the crime, it eventually loses its appeal—eventually becoming clear that there are so many potentially interesting (and more emotional) perspectives to the story that are being left out. Tomic may be a somewhat morally ambiguous criminal, but his testimonials alone, which are accompanied by mostly corny reenactments, can't carry an entire movie that teases but never fully delves into shady dealings in the world of the fine arts.
Genre: Crime, Documentary
Actor: Vjeran Tomic
Director: Jamie Roberts
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, TV Movie
Actor: Alain Van Goethem, Brooke D'Orsay, David Bowles, Gilles Marini, Harry Szovik, Martin Budny, Mohamed Belhadjine, Paloma Coquant
Director: Felipe Rodriguez
The fact that 10 Days of a Good Man feels so similar to many other hard-boiled detective stories still means there are reliable thrills to be had here for fans of the genre. But twists and turns and a suitably gruff lead performance by Nejat Isler can't make up for how the film seems so convinced of its own coolness. The more that they emphasize that Sadik is really a modest kind of tough guy with a big heart and an energy that just seems to draw women and dangerous people towards him, the more insincere it comes across. And as the convoluted central mystery continues to pile on details without engaging in much actual investigation, the more the whole thing feels like posturing to champion a very traditional and superficial idea of masculinity that Sadik embodies.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Nejat İşler, Nur Fettahoğlu, Şenay Gürler
Director: Uluç Bayraktar