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.
“★★★★★ – 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.
★★★★ – Guardian. In 1985, film censor Enid (Niamh Algar, The Virtues) works diligently to ensure the most disturbing images never reach the eyes of the public, until one day she views a film that unlocks a repressed trauma from her past. A must-see for fans of ’80s horror, Peter Strickland and David Cronenberg. Also available on Curzon Home Cinema.
Studiocanal have been adding entire movies from their back catalogue to view for free on their YouTube channel. Our pick of the selection available is Taika Waititi’s (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) sweet and hilarious debut, starring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) as a social misfit looking for love.
“★★★★ – 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.
★★★★ – Guardian. This vibrant debut from director María Paz González follows economic migrant Lina, who works as a domestic helper in Chile to support her family in Peru. Lonely and unsure of the love of her family back home, Lina indulges in a fervent fantasy life that threatens to spill over into reality – but would that be such a bad thing?
“★★★★★ – A rare treat” – AV Club. Nicolas Cage gives his best performance in years in this morally complex and contemplative tale. Rob (Cage) is a taciturn former chef who now lives a hermit-like existence in the wilds of Oregon, with only his truffle pig for company. But when the beloved pig is stolen, Rob is forced to return to his past life in Portland.
★★★★ – Empire. Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) stars as Kit, a British Vietnamese man returning to Saigon for the first time in over 30 years, after his family fled during the Vietnam War. No longer familiar with this country and unable to speak his native language, Kit journeys from Saigon to Hanoi in search of a place to scatter his parents’ ashes.
“Superb: forceful, uncomfortable and fiercely intelligent” — Guardian. When Kelly turns up on her sister Lauren’s doorstep after going missing for a year, their intense bond is reignited. However, the more they relive the past, the more it threatens to consume them — especially the vulnerable Kelly. Nora-Jane Noone and Nika McGuigan light up the screen in Cathy Brady’s debut feature.
“★★★★★ – 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.
★★★★ – 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.
“★★★★★ – a visionary piece of filmmaking” – Time Out. One of British music’s most original and influential acts, Joy Division’s origins are charted in this fine documentary from Grant Gee (Meeting People is Easy). Featuring interviews with the band’s surviving members and previously unseen archival material, it’s a kinetic journey into the past and the obsessive nature of music-making.
“★★★★ – A nerve-jangling showcase for Swinton’s versatile talents” – Telegraph. Director Pedro Almodóvar makes his English-language debut with this short drama about a woman (a mesmerising Tilda Swinton) who has been abandoned by her lover. MyPhoenix members get 90 days free access to MUBI.
“★★★★ – dizzying but gripping comedy” – Guardian. Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate from the superb Parks and Recreation) stars in this razor sharp meta-movie about a filmmaker who is attempting to recharge her creative batteries with a stay at a rural retreat. Things begin to unravel, however, when she becomes involved with the couple she is staying with, and her inner demons begin to manifest in intense and surprising ways.
“★★★★★ – 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?
“★★★★ – Benedict Cumberbatch shines in this gripping true-life espionage thriller” – Telegraph. Based on a true story, Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) stars in this taut Cold War spy thriller about an unassuming British businessman who plays a key role in averting nuclear armageddon in the Cuban missile crisis. If you missed it at Phoenix recently, it’s now available to stream online.