Now Stream This: ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, ‘Pet Sematary’, ‘Inherent Vice’, ‘Q – The Winged Serpent’ And More
(Welcome toNow Stream This, a column dedicated to the best movies streaming on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and every other streaming service out there.)
Need something to watch on one of the many streaming services out there? Then you’ve come to the right place. This week, we have the latest masterpiece fromBarry Jenkins; a Stephen King adaptation to watch before a new remake; one of the best from the late, greatLarry Cohen; and much, much more. These are the best movies streaming right now. Let’s get streaming!
Now Streaming on Hulu
Release Date:2018Genre:DramaDirector:Barry JenkinsCast:KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Dave Franco, Diego Luna, Pedro Pascal, Brian Tyree Henry, Regina King
One of the very best movies of last year, or any year, really,If Beale Street Could TalkisBarry Jenkins' powerful, heartbreaking follow-up toMoonlight. Adapted from the book by James Baldwin,If Beale Street Could Talkfollows pregnant young woman Tish (KiKi Layne) as she grapples with being an expecting mother at the worst possible time. Her boyfriend Fonny (Stephan James), the father of her child-to-be, has recently been incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Tish and her family (including an Oscar-winningRegina King) are desperate to prove Fonny’s innocence, but going up against institutionalized racism is no easy feat. Despite it’s tragic nature,Beale Streetis often swooningly romantic, and Jenkins captures the raw emotions to perfection – aided by the lush cinematography ofJames Laxtonand the gorgeous score courtesy ofNicholas Britell.
For fans of:Moonlight,In the Mood For Love, crying.
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu
Release Date:1989Genre:HorrorDirector:Mary LambertCast:Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby, Miko Hughes, Blaze Berdahl
The new adaptation of Stephen King’sPet Semataryhits theaters next week, and it’sgreat. But before you venture out to let the 2019 film scare the crap out of you, you should go back and check out the 1989 adaptation. Featuring a script written by King himself,Pet Semataryhasn’t quite aged as well as it could have. Parts of it look and feel a bit like a TV movie, primarily due to the meager budget. But directorMary Lambertis still able to create some genuinely scary moments here using strange angles and an overwhelming sense of dread and menace.Dale MidkiffandDenise Crosbyare a couple who move to Maine with their two kids (Blaze BerdahlandMiko Hughes) and the family cat. Before they can settle in, they meet their friendly new neighbor Jud (Fred Gwynne), who proceeds to clue them in to a burial ground for pets in the woods beyond their house. And beyondthatis another burial ground. A cursed patch of earth that can raise the dead. Terror ensues.Pet Sematary'89 may not be the best King adaptation, but it has enough spooky charm to keep you entertained.
For fans of:The Shining,Salem’s Lot, the Ramones.
Now Streaming on HBOGo
Release Date:2014Genre:ComedyDirector:Paul Thomas AndersonCast:Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Eric Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom
When people talk aboutPaul Thomas Anderson’s movies, they seem to overlookInherent Vice. That’s a mistake. This is a hilarious, beautiful, weird film that gets better every time you watch it. Adapted from the novel by Thomas Pynchon,Inherent VicestarsJoaquin Phoenixas stoner private eye Doc Sportello, who gets drawn into a weird, confusing case spurned on by his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth, played byKatherine Waterstonin a star-making performance. Anderson loads the film with wonderful actors playing colorful characters, the best of the bunch beingJosh Brolinas a detective with serious animosity towards Doc. Don’t get too hung up on the mystery of all – the mystery doesn’t really matter. All that matters is going along for the ride.
For fans of:The Big Lebowski,The Long Goodbye, Joanna Newsom’s enchanted fairy voice.
Now Streaming on Shudder and Amazon Prime Video
Release Date:1982Genre:HorrorDirector:Larry CohenCast:Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, David Carradine, Richard Roundtree
Legendary B-movie auteurLarry Cohendied earlier this week, and the film world lost a true original. Cohen made schlocky but incredible genre pictures, and he made them his way. Unwilling to let his paltry budgets hinder him, Cohen swung for the fences every time. One of his best isQ – The Winged Serpent, a big, silly monster movie in which the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl – a giant, dragon-like creature – sets up shop in the Chrysler Building, and proceeds to terrorize Manhattan. The creature is created via stop-motion, and while itneverlooks real, that doesn’t matter. If you’re unfamiliar with Cohen and his work, start here, and then work your way through the rest of his filmography. You’ll never be bored.
For fans of:God Told Me To, pretty much everyGodzillamovie, Michael Moriarty chewing scenery.
Now Streaming on Netflix
Release Date:2019Genre:Docu-SeriesDirector:Chris Smith
In 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished while on holiday with her family in Portugal. What happened to the young girl? There are many theories, but very few answers. The new Netflix docu-seriesThe Disappearance of Madeleine McCannre-examines the case from nearly every angle, presenting on theory and then immediately shooting it down. It makes for a frustrating but absorbing viewing experience, one that will ultimately leave you haunted. While this series can’t solve the case, it does do an excellent job of pointing out what went wrong – a lazy local police force who failed to do their job properly, a scrupulous tabloid-driven media that ran lie after lie, and more maddening revelations.
For fans of:The Keepers,Making a Murderer.
Release Date:2017Genre:Dark ComedyDirector:Macon BlairCast:Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow, Jane Levy, Devon GrayeMacon Blair, who was recently announced as director of theToxic Avengerreboot, made his directorial debut with this oddball comedy-thriller from 2017. The always welcomed, always wonderfulMelanie Lynskeyplays a woman in the midst of a kind of existential crisis. After someone breaks into her house and steals her computer, Lynskey teams up with neighborElijah Woodto try to track the thief down. Their attempt to solve this mystery draws them into a much more dangerous situation – one that boils over into shockingly graphic violence.I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymorenever quite settles on a tone, but Blair’s assured direction coupled with Lynskey’s winning performance keep things grounded.For fans of:Blue Ruin,Observer and Report,You Were Never Really Here, Melanie Lynskey doing literally anything.
Release Date:2004Genre:HorrorDirector:Takashi ShimizuCast:Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea DuVall, Bill Pullman
AfterThe Ringwas a huge hit, Hollywood latched onto the J-horror craze, remaking more and more Japanese horror movies for American audiences. Most of the remakes turned out to be duds. But one of the few successes isThe Grudge,Takashi Shimizu’s remake of his own film. Compared to most of the remakes after this,The Grudgeis often surprisingly scary, full of big, loud, dread-inducing moments perfectly designed for maximum fear effect. What I love most aboutThe Grudgeis that it’s a secret anthology film. Rather than one story, we get several, all centered around a haunted house in Japan. While other J-horror remakes tended to Americanize everything,The Grudgeis unique in that it stays in Japan, and drops a handful of American characters into the mix. This development makes the story all the more interesting, because here, the Americans are the outsiders, and the foreigners. They’re out of place, far from home, and that makes their fear all the more palpable.
For fans of:The Ring,Ju-on: The Grudge, an abundance of long black hair.
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Release Date:2016Genre:Action-ComedyDirector:Ben WheatleyCast:Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Babou Ceesay, Enzo Cilenti, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Noah Taylor
Before she wasCaptain Marvel,Brie Larsonstarred in this shoot-em-up fromKill ListdirectorBen Wheatley. A blend of comedy and bloodshed,Free Firefollows several characters from wildly different backgrounds who gather in a warehouse in Boston to partake in an arms deal. Things go incredibly wrong, and our characters spend the bulk of the movie hiding behind rubble and cars and shooting guns at each other. That may sound tedious, but Wheatley and the cast both manage to make it both funny and watchable.
For fans of:Reservoir Dogs,Assault on Precinct 13,The Killing, whatever the hell it is Sharlto Copley is doing here.
Release Date:2002Genre:Sci-Fi ActionDirector:Rob BowmanCast:Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco, Gerard Butler
Did you know thatChristian BaleandMatthew McConaugheyonce made a movie together wherein they fought dragons in a post-apocalyptic world? I don’t know how the hell people could forget about a film likeReign of Fire, but I never hear anyone talking about it. Come on, people! It’s likeMad Max, but with dragons! This is a very silly movie, but the premise is so out there that you’ll probably love it. Matthew McConaughey is the real highlight hear, going above and beyond to play his gung-ho dragon hunter character.
For fans of:Mad Max: Fury Road,Dragonheart,Escape From New York, Matthew McConaughey jumping at a dragon while holding a giant axe.
Release Date:1989Genre:Fantasy ComedyDirector:Dorian WalkerCast:Robyn Lively, Zelda Rubinstein
Look, I could give you a standard write-up here about the plot, and the cast, and so on. But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’m just going to advise you to jump up there and watch the above clip of a scene inTeen Witch. A scene in which some young men are out on the street, singing and dancing. Watch the entire clip, from beginning to end. And then tell me youdon’twant to watch this movie.
For fans of:Did you watch the clip?
