Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, History, Music
Actor: Avu-chan, Chikara Honda, Gota Ishida, Haruki Nakagawa, Kazunari Tosa, Kenjiro Tsuda, Mirai Moriyama, Tasuku Emoto, Yoshifumi Sakai, Yutaka Matsushige
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
When it comes to entertainment, who doesn’t love to be awed? If you’re keen to rattle up your perspective on the world with revelations you could never imagine, surprise yourself with these mind-blowing movies and shows, now available to stream.
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, History, Music
Actor: Avu-chan, Chikara Honda, Gota Ishida, Haruki Nakagawa, Kazunari Tosa, Kenjiro Tsuda, Mirai Moriyama, Tasuku Emoto, Yoshifumi Sakai, Yutaka Matsushige
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
This incredibly creative and unique movie is set in a fictional small town in the Brazilian Backcountry. It has a realistic first half but things quickly get crazy.
Even in that realistic half, you can clearly tell that something is off about the town of Bacurau. An accident involving a truck carrying coffins turns into an impromptu coffin shop. A dam was built to divert water from people. The village doctor seems to be the least sane person in the village. It’s all wrong.
Bacurau is funny, it’s politically charged, it’s thrilling, and it’s sweet, all at once. It’s that one in a thousand weird movies that actually works, and will inevitably become a classic.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western
Actor: Alli Willow, Antonio Saboia, Bárbara Colen, Bárbara Colen, Buda Lira, Carlos Francisco, Chris Doubek, Clébia Sousa, Danny Barbosa, Edilson Silva, Eduarda Samara, Fabíola Líper, Ingrid Trigueiro, James Turpin, Jamila Facury, Jonny Mars, Jr. Black, Julia Marie Peterson, Karine Teles, Lia de Itamaracá, Luciana Souza, Márcio Fecher, Rodger Rogério, Rubens Santos, Silvero Pereira, Sônia Braga, Suzy Lopes, Thardelly Lima, Thomás Aquino, Thomas Aquino, Udo Kier, Val Junior, Valmir do Côco, Wilson Rabelo, Zoraide Coleto
Director: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Kleber Mendonça Filho
Low-budget but imagination-rich, this singular sci-fi crosses a vintage found-footage aesthetic with an inspired time-travel concept. It’s 1938, and two brilliant sisters — Thomasina (Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini) — have invented a machine that can anticipate future radio and television broadcasts. The device (named Lola) allows them to support themselves with bullseye bets on upcoming horse races, as well as revel in the cultural output of the decades to come. When WW2 strikes, however, Lola takes on life-saving potential.
As with every time-travel story, there’s the domino effect to be considered. Lola ends the Blitz, but its timeline-meddling paves the way for a darker future — chillingly realized by the film’s clever manipulation of real archival footage — and an ideological schism between the sisters. The movie’s tight runtime doesn’t allow for full exploration of this emotional fallout, but the actors fill in the outlines enough to make this flaw less gaping than niggling.
Shot with vintage film cameras, the movie looks like a product of its setting, but it absorbs some of the modernism of the contraption's intercepted broadcasts — and it's this beguiling anachronism (plus its narrative ingenuity) that ultimately win out to make Lola a fascinating sci-fi, despite some tantalizingly unrealized potential.
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, War
Actor: Aaron Monaghan, Adolf Hitler, Ayvianna Snow, David Bowie, Emma Appleton, Eva O'Brien, Francesca Brabazon Legge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gerald Tyler, Hugh O'Conor, Ian Toner, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., Lorcan Cranitch, Neil Hannon, Nick Dunning, Oswald Mosley, Richard Elfyn, Rory Fleck Byrne, Stefanie Martini, Theodora Brabazon Legge, Winston Churchill
Director: Andrew Legge
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction
Actor: Tilda Swinton
Director: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Actor: Audrey Tautou, Clément Sibony, Élodie Navarre, Eric Savin, Isabelle Carré, Samuel Le Bihan, Sophie Guillemin, Vania Vilers
Director: Laetitia Colombani
While primarily a showcase of endoscopic footage of various surgeries in different hospitals throughout Paris—which should already be enough to either make you queasy or inspire introspection into the fragility of our lives—this singular, experimental documentary places all this bloodshed in the context of the mundanity of the medical profession. Much of the film is taken up by muted conversation from the surgeons and footage of elderly patients wandering around, creating an even more surreal look into the lack of support these hospitals receive. It's far more abstract than it is educational, but its commitment to getting its hands dirty makes it an unforgettable experience.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Véréna Paravel
Structured like a series of vignettes based on the titular American writer's works, this stop motion animated film embraces how playful and bizarre the medium of clay can be, showing us everything from whimsical jumping frogs, to Adam and Eve, to Satan himself. But even if The Adventures of Mark Twain might get too weird even and rough around the edges even for a hardcore animation fan, there's an interesting emotional undercurrent here that deals with unanswerable questions on death and the meaning of life. Thanks to a lively and talented cast of voice actors, this fantastic voyage keeps itself grounded to something tangible and heartfelt, and never gets swept up too far into the clouds.
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy
Actor: Carol Edelman, Chris Ritchie, Dal McKennon, Gary Krug, Herb Smith, James Whitmore, John Morrison, Michele Mariana, Tom Gasek, Will Vinton
Director: Will Vinton
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Alex Sharp, Ben Schnetzer, Benedict Wong, Eiza González, Jess Hong, John Bradley, Jonathan Pryce, Jovan Adepo, Liam Cunningham, Marlo Kelly, Rosalind Chao, Saamer Usmani, Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng
The documentary starts off with a feeler that this is a wild soap opera, a real life science experiment that cannot be enacted in good conscience. If you'd never read the blurb, you’d see the coincidences slowly revealed layer by layer until the story finally clicks. Early on, it feels reliant on telling as opposed to showing, but it could just be a case of working with what you have footage-wise. The openness of our main interviewees does get better with time, but the exploration of the psychological effect and implications of such an event was lacking considering the level of coincidence we’re dealing with. All in all, it’s heartwarming, albeit with the exciting story beats very spaced out.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Alessandro Angulo
More shooting and spectacle than story, Sisu is a stunningly shot and unapologetically gory action film set at the tail end of World War II in Finland. It follows former commando turned prospector Aatami (nicknamed "Koschei" or immortal by the Russians) as he retrieves his stolen gold from the Nazis who've occupied and pillaged the nearby town.
Not much happens in the way of plot, but what it lacks in that department it more than makes up for in action, which easily matches the likes of John Wick. In fact, Aatami is a kind of John Wick with his undefeatable killer moves and trusty dog pal—a reprieve of cute in a sea of endless carnage. But in the long list of grindhouse movies, Sisu distinguishes itself as astutely patriotic. Of course, it's hard not to root for anyone going against Nazis, but Sisu compels you to its side in subtle but powerful ways.
You'll be reminded of John Wick, Mad Max, and many a Tarantino film watching Sisu, but you'll be struck by the film's singular hero, a stand-in for a nation unwilling to give up in the face of oppression.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, War
Actor: Aamu Milonoff, Aksel Hennie, Arttu Kapulainen, Elina Saarela, Ilkka Koivula, Jack Doolan, Joel Hirvonen, Jorma Tommila, Linnea Vilppunen, Max Ovaska, Mila Leppälä, Mimosa Willamo, Onni Tommila, Pekka Huotari, Severi Saarinen, Tatu Sinisalo, Vincent Willestrand, Wilhelm Enckell
Director: Jalmari Helander
When David and his sister Jennifer fight over the TV remote, they are suddenly transported to David’s favorite sitcom, Pleasantville. They’re told by a spirit guide that their best bet at getting out is fitting in, but their modern sensibilities prove to be too much for the genteel ‘50s town. Soon, the residents learn about sex, art, criticism, and politics, and it’s up to the twins to control the ensuing mayhem and guide them to the right path.
In hindsight, Pleasantville seems ahead of its time, preceding Marvel’s WandaVision as the ultimate, deconstructed homage to 20th-century television. But unlike the series, Pleasantville dives deep into personal and social politics, all while maintaining an impressive balance of wisdom and humor. Equally notable is the film’s transformation from black and white to Technicolor, which, aside from being a symbolic and technical feat, is also a piece of pure, mesmerizing cinema.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Actor: Andrea Baker, Charles C. Stevenson Jr., Danny Strong, David Tom, Dawn Cody, Denise Dowse, Don Knotts, Erik MacArthur, Gerald Emerick, Giuseppe Andrews, Harry Singleton, J. Patrick Lawlor, J.T. Walsh, James Keane, Jane Kaczmarek, Jason Behr, Jason Maves, Jeanine Jackson, Jeff Daniels, Jenny Lewis, Jim Antonio, Joan Allen, John Ganun, Johnny Moran, Justin Nimmo, Kai Lennox, Kevin Connors, Kristin Rudrüd, Laura Carney, Lela Ivey, Maggie Lawson, Marc Blucas, Marissa Ribisi, Marley Shelton, McNally Sagal, Nancy Lenehan, Natalie Ramsey, Patrick Thomas O'Brien, Paul Morgan Stetler, Paul Walker, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Bissell, Stanton Rutledge, Tobey Maguire, Weston Blakesley, William H. Macy
Director: Gary Ross
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Western
Actor: Imogen Poots, Isabel Arraiza, Josh Brolin, Lewis Pullman, Lili Taylor, Noah Reid, Olive Abercrombie, Olive Elise Abercrombie, Shaun Sipos, Tamara Podemski, Tom Pelphrey, Will Patton
I loved this movie. It starts a bit weird but gets so good. In a parallel world where human frequencies determine luck, love, and destiny, Zak, a young college student, must overcome science in order to love Marie, who emits a different frequency than his own. In an attempt to make their love a reality, Zak experiments on the laws of nature, putting in danger the cosmic equilibrium of fate and everything he holds dear. This unique and experimental drama blends science fiction and romance to create a futuristic tale where love, science, and fate collide.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction
Actor: Daniel Fraser, David Barnaby, David Broughton-Davies, Dylan Llewellyn, Eleanor Wyld, Georgina Minter-Brown, Joanna Hole, Lily Laight, Owen Pugh, Ria Carroll, Timothy Block
Director: Darren Paul Fisher
In this raw, psychedelic drama, an American drug dealer living in Tokyo with his sister is killed at a night club. His spirit continues to float above the city and past, present, and future are woven together to complete the tale of his life. Taking a page from the Tibetan book of the dead, the film aims to explore one answer to life's most epic question: What happens when we die? Definitely not for the faint of heart, there is drug use, gore, and challenging themes throughout the movie. Its unique cinematography also captures Tokyo quite well.
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Actor: Cyril Roy, Ed Spear, Emiko Takeuchi, Emily Alyn Lind, Janice Béliveau-Sicotte, Jesse Kuhn, Masato Tanno, Nathaniel Brown, Nobu Imai, Olly Alexander, Paz de la Huerta, Sakiko Fukuhara, Sara Stockbridge
Director: Gaspar Noé
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Barbara Sukowa, James D'Arcy, Jonathan Banks, Julian Looman, Noomi Rapace, William Catlett