There are so many films to choose from each year, especially with all the streaming services available now, that it can be easy to miss some. Never fear, we are here to let you know about some worthwhile movies you might have missed this year! Read on!
The Mitchells vs The Machines
This Netflix production is one of the best-animated films of the year. Teenage Katie is on the outs with her father but she and the rest of her offbeat family turn out to be mankind’s last chance when an artificial intelligence causes all machines to go bad. The story is exciting and funny, and the visuals are often clever. If you didn’t catch this one, do it as soon as possible. And thank us later.
The Mitchells vs The Machines is streaming on Netflix.
The Card Counter
If you love Oscar Isaac like we do (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), then you’ll want to check out his other film out this year that wasn’t Dune. This is a gritty and tough film, dealing with some dark themes. But writer-director Paul Schrader gives Isaac a meaty lead role and he owns it. The world of card playing generates much more interest here than you might expect and some of the details of the storytelling really work.
The Card Counter is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
The Dig
This gentle and compelling drama dramatizes the excavation of the famous Sutton Hoo archeological site in England in 1938. The treasure unearthed is amazing but the people in this story are interesting all on their own. Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan lead the cast, and everything is pleasingly shot. If you’re looking for a period piece that’s not particularly a romance, then seek this one out.
The Dig is streaming on Netflix.
The Green Knight
The classic medieval Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but trippy, is what viewers can expect here. Starting with casting the fantastic Dev Patel in the lead, director David Lowery then adds audacious visuals to create a world that’s just a blast to watch. This film has ambition in both imagery and structure. However, there is true substance beneath the external flourishes here. This is a memorable film that shouldn’t pass you by.
The Green Knight is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
No Sudden Move
Steven Soderbergh effortlessly assembled a stunning ensemble cast for what is probably the best crime drama of the year. A simple robbery of an important document leads to so much more when things don’t go as planned. Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta— they’re all here and all great. The story makes such efficient use of the short runtime too. More than worth the time.
No Sudden Move is streaming on HBO Max.
Worth
This film details the work of lawyer and mediator Kenneth Feinberg and his team to get the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund working fairly. It’s a strong docudrama with an excellent cast, including Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan. Considering the value of human life in the aftermath of a recent historical tragedy is a compelling idea, and this film rides the line between procedural and drama very well.
Worth is streaming on Netflix.
Pig
Do you want to see Nicolas Cage in a somber drama about the fine foods black market? Well, here you go. It sounds strange on paper, but this film is one of the small hidden gems of this year. Cage reminds people why we got that Oscar all those years ago as a chef who has gone off the grid then must rescue his beloved truffle-hunting pig when she’s stolen. A brief but memorable experience.
Pig is streaming on Hulu.
The Forgotten Battle
The Battle of the Scheldt is the focus of this Dutch World War 2 film, and it is thrilling and sad in equal measure. There is also hope when the Allies win. All the characters– the torn young Nazi soldier, the British flyboys, or the Dutch girl trying to save her brother– engage the audience and you become emotionally invested even though history tells us the battle’s outcome.
The Forgotten Battle is streaming on Netflix.
The Rescue
Remember when the boy’s soccer (also called futbol) team and their coach got trapped in a cave in Thailand in 2018? This documentary shows all the fascinating details of how they were rescued. The boys and their coach actually sold the rights to their perspective somewhere else but the others involved in the rescue are all here to tell the story. And it is amazing.
The Rescue is streaming on Disney Plus.
The Hating Game
The romantic comedy is making a comeback and this sweet entry is a recent addition to that genre. Based on a contemporary romance novel, two publishing assistants, played by Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, fight and fall in love. And we love a happy ending. This film only got a limited theatrical run so it might have been easy to miss but fans of this genre should find it and enjoy it.
The Hating Game is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
