Genre: Comedy, Crime, Thriller Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González Director: J. Blakeson Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 118 minutes While there are no good guys in I Care a Lot; you’ll want to keep watching just to see how dark the humor gets. Rosamund Pike’s ghoulish performance earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston Director: James Wan Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 112 minutes The Conjuring obviously has its roots in movies like The Amityville Horror, but it boasts a much bigger budget, which is well put to use. You can also catch the sequel, The Conjuring 2, on Netflix. Now is the perfect time to catch up since a new movie, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, has been announced for later this year. Genre: Biography, Documentary, Sports Starring: Edson Arantes do Nascimento Director: Ben Nicholas, David Tryhorn Motion Picture Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 108 minutes Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, led his team to three World Cup victories between 1958-1970, a record that has never been broken. More importantly, he became a national hero in a time when Brazil was in desperate need of one. Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Starring: Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris, Enzo Cilenti Director: Mikael Håfström Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 114 minutes The movie was met with a lukewarm reception from critics in the first week of its release, but if you’re into near-future sci-fi action movies like the many Matrix and Terminator sequels, Outside the Wire will hit the spot. Genre: Drama, War Starring: Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Visnjic, Stephanie Gil Director: Marco Pontecorvo Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 113 minutes Fatima is definitely aimed at religious audiences, but anyone can enjoy the story. Highlights include the original song “Gratia Plena” and real-life footage of the 100th Anniversary Mass in Fátima led by Pope Francis in 2017. Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts Director: Steven Spielberg Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 142 minutes Hook was nominated for several Oscars, and although it didn’t win any, the film remains a treasured memory for kids who grew up in the 90s, ever more so than the animated original. Three decades later, it’s still a fun fairytale for the whole family. Genre: Documentary, Comedy Starring: Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Billie Allen Director: Robert Townsend Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 93 minutes This performance at Madison Square Garden broke several records, becoming the highest-grossing concert film ever made. It also held the distinction of containing more swear words than any other movie until it was beaten by Goodfellas in 1990. Genre: Action, Crime, Drama Starring: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly Director: Robert Clouse Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 102 minutes The influence of Enter the Dragon cannot be understated. The film can be credited for making martial arts mainstream. Without this film, there may be no Karate Kid or Power Rangers. Considered one of the best films of all time, Enter the Dragon was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry in 2004. Genre: Drama Starring: Haley Bennett, Amy Adams, Glenn Close Director: Ron Howard Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 116 minutes The film version didn’t get the same critical praise that the book received, but Glenn Close and Amy Adams drop in pretty solid character portrayals, as usual, although they come across occasionally as overacting. Still, the entire drama offers insight into the modern history of Appalachia, which is rarely portrayed honestly in cinema, and the changing economic dynamics in America. Genre: Drama, History, Thriller Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen Director: Aaron Sorkin Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 129 minutes Don’t run to the bathroom during this one. To keep up, you have to play close attention to the facts and historical details that fly by. The film is completely riveting, sometimes unbelievable, and definitely frightening as the farce of the (mostly) true story unravels. The Trial of the Chicago 7 debuted to universal praise for its strong performances and historical accuracy. It should be required viewing for history students and anyone who has forgotten that America’s version of democracy has long been riddled with missteps. Genre: Animation, Action, Crime Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong Director: Sam Liu Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 76 minutes The Killing Joke is based on a 1988 graphic novel of the same name. After premiering at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016, the movie attracted so much attention that it received a limited theatrical release. Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Starring: Ken Jeong, Sandra Oh, Phillipa Soo Director: Glen Keane, John Kahrs Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 95 minutes Don’t dismiss this movie as a low-budget Disney knock-off. The animation, voice acting, and music are all top-notch. Featuring original songs and a terrific cast that includes comedian Margaret Cho, Over the Moon will easily keep the attention of kids and adults. Genre: Comedy, Horror Starring: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Jenna Ortega Director: McG TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 101 minutes The Babysitter: Killer Queen does everything a good horror sequel should. It brings back familiar characters while introducing some new twists, and it maintains the humorous tone of the original. You’re more likely to laugh than scream in fear, but that’s the point. Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Starring: Robert Pattinson, Haley Bennett, Tom Holland Director: Antonio Campos Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 138 minutes As expected, the stellar cast carries this dark movie. Robert Pattinson is particularly devilish as the swindling charlatan preacher Preston Teagardin. There’s a lot of religious hypocrisy in the movie, but it’s not a criticism of religion itself, just the people who misuse their power. Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy Starring: Cornelia Gröschel, Tim Oliver Schultz, Wotan Wilke Möhring Director: Felix Binder TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 92 minutes Freaks – You’re One of Us (Freaks – Du bist eine von uns in German) hits most of the notes you’d expect for a story of this kind, but the storytelling is more subdued than your typical Hollywood spectacle. The movie is dubbed in English, so you don’t have to worry about subtitles. Genre: Action Starring: Ryôhei Abe, Leon Shibli Ahmad, Akira Director: Shigeaki Kubo TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 129 minutes If you’re not familiar with the world and characters of High&Low, you might feel a little lost. However, there’s less emphasis on character development and more focus on fighting, so you’ll be satisfied if that’s what you’re looking for. Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery Starring: Karim Abdel Aziz, Nelly Karim, Hind Sabri Director: Marwan Hamed TV Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 130 minutes This sequel to The Blue Elephant became the highest-grossing Egyptian movie of all time upon its release in 2019. While the original movie was based on an Arabic novel, the sequel features an original plot. Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Starring: Bobby Deol, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Anup Soni Director: Atul Sabharwal Motion Picture Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 98 minutes This Hindi-language crime drama is a Netflix exclusive. It paints an accurate picture of the time period and serves as an inspirational tale about being the change you want to be in the world. Genre: Biography, comedy, drama Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Wesley Snipes Director: Craig Brewer Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 118 minutes Murphy is fantastic in the role of Moore, capturing both the bombastic nature of the Dolemite character and Moore’s more human moments when he doffs the wig and homburg hat. Along the way, he picks up a fantastic supporting cast of characters, including a writer (Keegan Michael Key), a co-star and protege (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and a director and antagonist (Wesley Snipes). Snipes, in particular, turns in a delightfully over-the-top performance as he attempts to hold together the ramshackle production. Genre: Drama Starring: Isabel Sandoval, Eamon Farren, Lynn Cohen Director: Isabel Sandoval Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 89 minutes Lingua Franca is a semi-autobiographical story from director and lead actress Sandoval. Featuring an original script and relevant themes, it’s likely to present a fresh perspective to audiences. Genre: Drama Starring: Dominique Fishback, Jill Rene, Tatum Marilyn Hall Director: Jordana Spiro Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated Running Time: 86 minutes Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 117 minutes Beyond technical excellence, Into the Spider-Verse tells a gripping story on a few different levels. As a familiar Spider-Man (Chris Pine) fades away, teenage Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) rises to take his place, and a glut of other web-slingers from other worlds descend on New York. This is Miles’ story, though, and it’s a beautifully told gut punch that weaves themes of family and responsibility into a truly great superhero film. Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller Starring: Allison Williams, Logan Browning, Alaina Huffman Director: Richard Shepard TV Rating: TV-MA Running Time: 90 minutes The horror genre is notorious for lacking complex LGBT characters, so The Perfection feels like a breath of fresh air in that regard. If you’re not a fan of horror, though, you should definitely skip this one. Genre: Thriller Starring: Salma Hayek, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Adrien Brody Director: Wayne Blair Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 110 minutes You won’t learn much about the history of Iran, but it’s a nice tale about the perseverance of the human spirit. Genre: Fantasy, Drama Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López Director: Guillermo del Toro Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 118 Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is the young step-daughter of a cruel officer in the fascist Falange regime (Sergi López). Faced with a terrible reality, she retreats into a world populated by fantastic creatures, such as a demonic faun and a creature with eyes in the palms of its hands, but Ofelia’s fantasy world is mirrored darkly by the real world. Genre: Drama, History, Musical Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway Director: Tom Hooper Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 158 minutes Whether you’ve seen the play or not, the movie is worth a watch. With a powerhouse cast and iconic soundtrack, it’s no wonder that the film took home three Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, and numerous Oscar nominations. Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family Starring: Kurt Russell, Joshua Blumhagen, Jahzir Bruno Director: Chris Columbus Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 112 minutes Like the original, it hits all the familiar notes of a classic Christmas movie: There’s family conflict, hokey humor, and a sinister plot to foil Santa’s trip around the world to deliver toys to all the girls and boys. Despite the story’s lack of originality, the movie is self-aware and well-acted. Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, thriller Starring: Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Neville Archambault Director: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 97 minutes The film is impressive crafted and brilliantly scary. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a feature that shocks and surprises when you least expect it. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music Starring: Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena Director: Amy Poehler Motion Picture Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 111 minutes This teen dramedy can be a bit slow but it does have charm and … well, moxie in the way it tackles the white male world and related sexism issues. All in all, hanging out with this generation of teenagers in angst is not a bad way to spend a few hours. Genre: Documentary Starring: Sandi Harding, Kevin Smith, Ione Sky Director: Taylor Morden Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated Running Time: 86 minutes This movie is a sweet love letter to not-so-old tradition as well as a gentle warning about how the even the most popular businesses can crash and burn in the digital age.
