Here’s our pick of some of the best films around, that are currently available for streaming. Our selection includes recent releases, old favourites that we’ve screened at Phoenix over the years, and some lesser-known gems that you might not have seen before.
★★★★ – Observer. On Christmas Eve in Montreal, Alex and her mother Maia receive an unexpected delivery. The parcel contains notebooks, audio tapes and photos from Maia’s youth in 1980s Beirut. Her mother refuses to open the box, but Alex begins to pore over the treasure trove of memories of her mother’s adolescence in Lebanon. A beautifully-observed drama from Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.
“This film, this artist, this music, this story: all rare gems… see this film” – Film Threat. In 1986, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote and self-released a seven track cassette, ‘Keyboard Fantasies’, to little fanfare. Three decades on, this Black transgender musician has become an icon to a new generation. Posy Dixon tells the story in this BAFTA-nominated documentary.
“★★★★★ – thoroughly wonderful” – Guardian. Director Ben Sharrock’s BAFTA-nominated second feature was a hit when it screened at Phoenix in August. An offbeat, warm and affecting story about a group of refugees awaiting the results of their asylum claims on a Scottish island. MyPhoenix members get 90 days FREE access to MUBI.
“A stunning portrait of meta-textual tension” – FilmDaze.net. Filmed in Paris in 1970, British documentarian Terence Dixon’s rarely-seen short film is an illuminating snapshot of James Baldwin, one of the towering figures of 20th century American literature, Black culture and political thought. Capturing Baldwin in iconic locations around the city, the filmmaker’s provocative questions result in a tense and combative picture.
“★★★★★ – This superb debut feature from Andreas Fontana puts an ingenious spin on the paranoid thriller” – Telegraph. If you missed Azor on our screens, you can now watch it at home. Argentina, 1980, and banker Yvan arrives from Geneva to replace a colleague who has mysteriously disappeared in military-ruled Buenos Aires.
★★★★★ – Observer. Three generations of a Pennsylvanian family gather to celebrate Thanksgiving in a Manhattan apartment. As night falls, things take an eerie turn and each family member is forced to face up to generational differences and life in a new age. Brilliantly adapted by Stephen Karam from his Tony Award-winning play, the cast includes Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) and Steven Yuen (Minari).
“★★★★★ – The most original film of 2021” – Empire. Visionary director Leos Carax (Holy Motors) teams with legendary pop band Sparks to create this dark and unique musical drama. Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard star as the seemingly perfect celebrity couple, Henry and Ann – a stand-up comedian and an opera singer whose lives change forever with the birth of their first child, Annette.
“★★★★★ – A sensitive autistic eye on the world” – Observer. Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, Jerry Rothwell’s sensitive documentary (which screened recently at Phoenix) is perhaps the most insightful film ever made about autism. Following five families from across the globe, Rothwell creates a varied and compassionate portrait of their lives.
“★★★★★ – A masterpiece of erotic obsession” – Guardian. One of the silver screen’s most luminous stars, Marlene Dietrich shines brightly in this essential film from the early sound era. College professor Immanuel Rath becomes enraptured with Lola Lola, a cabaret singer from a local club, causing his life to spiral dangerously out of control. MyPhoenix Members get 90 days FREE access to MUBI.
“★★★★ – Radiant Sudanese coming-of-age tale” – Observer. With stunning photography from Sébastien Goepfert, this ode to living life to its fullest follows the story of Muzamil, whose death at the age of 20 was prophesied at his birth by his village’s holy man. Winner of Best Debut Film at the Venice Film Festival. Also available on Curzon Home Player.
“★★★★★ – profound yet playful midlife crisis tale” – Observer. Confronting life, death and the existential challenges of middle age, Thomas Vinterberg’s (The Hunt) heady comedy drama picked up the 2021 Oscar for Best International Picture. Bored and stuck in a rut, a group of teachers decide to test the theory that regular consumption of small amounts of alcohol can improve brain function. But is it actually true?
★★★★ – The Skinny. Unhappy at having to spend her summer on a family seaside holiday, 17-year-old AJ’s mood improves dramatically when she falls for sun-loving lifeguard Isla. Fun, but never frivolous, this charming comedy drama features a terrific cast, with Nell Barlow the standout as AJ – a character that is sure to join the pantheon of great disaffected movie teens.
★★★★ – Guardian. After the death of her mother, 17-year-old Ida is welcomed into the home of her aunt and cousins, but behind closed doors, her new family’s true nature is quickly revealed. Sidse Babett Knudsen (The Duke of Burgundy, Westworld) and newcomer Sandra Guldberg Kampp shine in this gripping Danish crime drama.
“★★★★ – A tender two-hander that gradually crushes your heart” – Empire. This deeply moving drama from Leicester-born filmmaker Harry Macqueen (Hinterland) stars Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci as a middle-aged couple, who embark on a road-trip through the Lake District after one of them is diagnosed with early onset dementia. Catch it now online, if you missed is at Phoenix during the summer.
★★★★ – Empire. A feel-good, Twainesque adventure story about Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome who runs away from a residential nursing home to follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. On the road Zak pairs up with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small-time outlaw on the run, who becomes his unlikely coach and ally.