IF YOUR MOVIE-WATCHING routine usually begins with 20 good minutes of scrolling aimlessly, then we’re here to help.
Here’s a nice meaty list of new, classic and potentially forgotten-about films to make the job of what to watch a lot easier.
Premise: Teenager Alice (played by Stranger Things’ Natalie Dyer), goes to a strict Catholic school in the year 2000. They frown on anything sexual, so when she ends up in a racy chat by accident and starts having sexual feelings, things get complicated. Meanwhile, people are spreading rumours about her that she doesn’t even understand. Anyone who went to a Catholic school will relate to much of this.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: Head back to the 1990s and watch this Slacker classic, about the lives and loves of Gen X pals. Stars Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: Before Uncut Gems, there was Good Time. Robert Pattinson stars in the Safdie brothers’ indie film about a wayward pair of brothers, Connie and Nick (the other of whom is played by Benny Safdie). When Nick ends up in police custody, Connie is prepared to do anything to help him get out.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: In this incredibly moving Irish film, a young teenager finds himself jailed after hiding drugs belonging to a friend. We follow as he experiences how tough life is in prison, and grapples with how to make decisions about where he goes next. Directed by Frank Berry.
Stream it on: Volta.ie
Premise: This clever comedy is about Radha, a playwright who feels a bit washed up as she approaches the age of 40. So she decides to reinvent herself as a rapper. Filmed in black and white and directed by Radha Blank herself, it has relatable moments and lots of great lines.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: Mati Diop (niece of the filmmaker Djibril Diop Mabéty) makes her feature directorial debut with this haunting tale set in Senegal. It’s about a young teen whose boyfriend goes missing – but it’s also about class and religion in Senegal, and the risks young people have to take to gain freedom.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: Made during the first lockdown in the UK, with all the friends sequestered in their respective homes, this is a 60-minute film about a seance gone wrong. One of the scariest films you’ll see all year – just brilliantly done.
Stream it on: Shudder.com
Premise: A film chronicling the infamously disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race.
Stream it on: YouTube (see above)
Premise: A documentary about an adopted young man who discovers almost by accident that he has a twin… and then they discover another brother.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: For those that missed it when it came out in the 1990s. Based on the James Ellroy noir novel, this is a classy 1997 film about a group of LAPD officers in 1953 and their involvement in crime, Hollywood and corruption. It’s notable for starring Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe in important breakthrough roles.
Stream it on: Amazon Prime
Premise: This 1999 sci-fi comedy takes a somewhat satirical look at Star Trek and the like. A cult movie starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman amongst others, it’s about the actors in a series called Galaxy Quest, who are visited by aliens who believe the show was a documentary.
Stream it on: Netflix
Premise: This French movie is set during the AIDs crisis, and is about LGBT activists from ACT UP who try to raise awareness. With a great cast (including Adele Haenel), this is a treat of a film and a moving look at an important moment in recent history.
Stream it on: Volta.ie
Premise: This Irish-made documentary is a thought-provoking look at how people can be radicalised. It tells the story of ‘Jihad Jane’, an American woman who gets arrested and charged with terror offences.
Stream on: Volta.ie
Premise: This stunning film by Mark Jenkin is about a fisherman living in a Cornish town, who struggles to keep up with how it is being gentrified. Shot in 16mm on a hand-cranked camera, and with non-diegetic sound.
Stream it on: IFI@Home
Premise: Merab, a young Georgian dancer, finds his world shaken up when newcomer Irakli arrives.
Stream it on: IFI@Home
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