Best 100 films to watch on Netflix UK
Lockdown may have eased, but as cinemas see only a slow trickle of new releases, you may find yourself searching for something to watch in the comfort of your own home.
Netflix has plenty of classic films in its catalogue, and in recent years, it has also produced some excellent content of its own, from the animal rights satire Okja to the Oscar-winning Roma and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.
And yet, for every award-winning drama, there are just as many trashy B-movies (such as the risible romance A Christmas Prince).
If you need help navigating these murky, Sharknado-infested waters, look no further. In this star-rated guide, The Telegraph’s film critics have chosen 100 of the very best.
Spirited Away (2017)
Genre: Animation. Dir: Hayao Miyazaki. Cast: Rumi Hiiragi Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono and Bunta Sugawara. Cert: PG. Time: 125 mins.
In a nutshell: Netflix recently secured the European distribution rights to Studio Ghibli’s catalogue, and it’s proving one of their most popular acquisitions in years. Ghibli enjoys an almost mythological status in Japan. Anything directed by co-founder and lead director Hayao Miyazaki possesses a generous humanity and beauty, but Spirited Away has come to epitomise the Ghibli style, with its simple pathos and enchanting blend of folktale, mysticism and modernity. It follows a girl whose parents are turned to pigs in a parallel world leading her on a quest to save them. The Odyssean reference is not to be missed; Miyazaki expertly draws out the similarities between the Western and Eastern canons.
I, Tonya (2017)
Dir: Craig Gillespie. Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson. Cert: 15. Time: 119 mins.
In a nutshell: These days, being Tonya Harding, the Olympic figure skater whose career went up in smoke in 1994, is presumably even harder than playing her, but Margie Robbie’s job in the viciously mesmerising I, Tonya still bespeaks a high degree of difficulty. And risk: the film, and her performance, glide on the knife-edge between satire and sympathy. Her footwork is dazzling.
Read our 4-star review of I, Tonya
Birdman (2014)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cast: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton. Cert: 15. Time: 116 mins.
In a nutshell: This miraculous comic drama won four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture. Michael Keaton plays the former star of a superhero franchise taking one last stab at respectability with a self-penned Broadway play, and like theatre (and real life), the entire film appears to unfold in a single, sinuous take. Keaton is better than ever, with the former Batman star mining the role’s real-life parallels for maximum humour and pathos, while the supporting cast (Emma Stone, Ed Norton, Zach Galifianakis) all somehow shine individually in the whirling chaos. The film defies everything we think we know about film, and makes you think again about what cinema can do, and be.
Read our 5-star review of Birdman
Don Jon (2013)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Tony Danza. Cert: 18. Time: 90 mins.
In a nutshell: In his directorial debut, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a porn addict and bartender in New Jersey who has never had a meaningful relationship with a woman. However, when he meets Scarlett Johansson’s Barbara, things change forever. Although funny and smart in places, the film slips too easily into cliché and caricature.
Marriage Story (2019)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Noah Baumbach. Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever. Cert: 15. Time: 136 mins.
In a nutshell: Noah Baumbach’s agonising depiction of a marriage falling apart. A New York theatre director (Adam Driver) and his actress wife (Scarlett Johansson) realise they have very different creative ambitions, leading to an acrimonious, coast-to-coast divorce which leaves their young son caught in the middle. With some great dialogue to play with, the two leads shine in Baumbach’s funniest, most fine-grained picture to date.
Read our 5-star review of Marriage Story
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Dir: John Hughes. Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones. Cert: 12. Time: 103 mins.
In a nutshell: “One man’s struggle to take it easy” ran the tagline for John Hughes's riotous comedy, in which Matthew Broderick's high-school slacker goes to town after playing truant with his girlfriend and best friend. Written-off Ferraris, hijacked parade floats and a fuming headmaster (Jeffrey Jones, stealing every scene) trail in his wake. Dirty Dancing’s Jennifer Grey plays Ferris’s older sister, and watch out for a fleeting, pre-famous Charlie Sheen.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov, Alex Manette, John Doman, Judith Roberts. Cert: 18. Time: 90 mins.
In a nutshell: An emotionally traumatised veteran makes a living rescuing young girls from sex traffickers. After being hired to rescue the daughter of a prominent politician, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) discovers the horrifying extent of the network, which goes to the top of the government. Lynne Ramsay secures her reputation as one of the most daring and interesting directors in the business with this captivating, but at times difficult to watch, noir thriller.
Read our 5-star review of You Were Never Really Here
Shutter Island (2010)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Martin Scorsese. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily , ortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow. Cert: 15. Time: 139 mins.
In a Nutshell: Two US marshals are sent to investigate the disappearance of an asylum patient on a remote island, where one of them, Teddy (Leonardo Dicaprio), discovers a horrifying truth about the place. Martin Scorsese's psychological thriller, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, is atmospheric and gripping, but rarely dips beneath the surface.
Uncut Gems (2020)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Josh and Benny Safdie. Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Mike Francesa, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian. Cert: 15. Time: 135 mins.
In a nutshell: After a series of duds, Adam Sandler turns out a career-best performance, proving that given the right material he’s a formidable dramatic actor. The Safdie brothers let him shine, while finding original ways to film the most extensively-filmed city on Earth. The plot: a jeweller and gambling addict in New York City’s Diamond District must retrieve an expensive gem to pay off mounting debts.
Read our 5-star review of Uncut Gems
The Irishman (2019)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Martin Scorsese. Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel. Cert: 15. Time: 209 mins.
In a nutshell: Martin Scorsese’s crime epic recounts the life story of syndicate hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). Joe Pesci comes out of retirement to play gangland supremo Russell Buffalino, and Al Pacino gives a characteristically goofy performance as union boss Jimmy Hoffa. Scorsese incorporates the best elements of gangster movies in this lengthy but absorbing tale of age, greed and betrayal.
Read our 5-star review of The Irishman
It (2017)
Genre: Horror. Dir: Andrés Muschietti. Cast: Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgård, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff. Cert: 15. Time: 135 mins.
In a nutshell: It’s based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. Pennywise the Clown lives in the sewers of a small provincial town targeting small children, until a group of kids bands together to stop him. Genuinely terrifying, with some great special effects, director Andrés Muschietti does a great job of rendering both the spirit and complex narrative of King’s original story.
Read our 4-star review of It
Good Time (2017)
Genre: Crime thriller. Dir: Josh and Bennie Safdie. Cast: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Buddy Duress, Taliah Lennice Webster, Barkhad Abdi, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Cert: 15. Time: 101 mins.
In a nutshell: A thriller about a man who robs a bank with his developmentally disabled brother, before trying everything to break him out of prison. As ever with the Safdie brothers, the tension builds to fever-pitch, which is simultaneously enthralling and unbearable. Robert Pattinson shines in one of his best roles to date.
Read our 4-star review of Good Time
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Dir: Guy Ritchie. Cast: Robert Downey Jnr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong. Cert: PG-13. Time: 128 mins.
In a nutshell: Predating BBC’s Sherlock, this incarnation of the famous detective keeps the Victorian setting, but has plenty of fun with a tongue-in-cheek modern sensibility. Law’s Watson is about to be married, which leads to a disgruntled Holmes, but the pair are soon reunited when a series of apparently Satanic murders are linked to a sinister attack on Parliament. A sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is also available on Netflix.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Dir: Spike Lee. Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis. Cert: 15. Time: 156 mins.
In a nutshell: A quartet of old American soldiers return to present-day Ho Chi Minh City in memory of a fifth, the leader of their squad and the buried treasure they left behind during the war. From its sweeping jungle vistas to its full-fat orchestral score from Terence Blanchard, Da 5 Bloods often feels like an old-fashioned Hollywood adventure. But reality keeps pushing its way through in ways that can’t be ignored.
Read our 4-star review of Da 5 Bloods here
Fighting With My Family (2019)
Dir: Stephen Merchant. Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis. Cert: 12A. Time: 108 mins.
In a nutshell: This rags-to-riches heart-warmer is the solo directorial debut of Stephen Merchant, the spindly and bespectacled co-creator of The Office. It follows the Norwich-born female wrestler Saraya-Jade Bevis, who comes from a wacky but loving family of wrestlers, on the long road from the East Anglian town-hall circuit to the stage of the New Orleans Arena.
Read our 4-star review of Fighting With My Family here
The Green Mile (1999)
Dir: Frank Darabont. Cast: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan. Cert: 18. Time: 189 mins.
In a nutshell: Based on a Stephen King novel, Tom Hanks stars as a death-row corrections officer during the Great Depression who witnesses supernatural events when an enigmatic inmate (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought to his facility.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Dir: Spike Jonze. Cast: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener. Cert: 15. Time: 113 mins.
In a nutshell: In Charlie Kaufman’s bizarre story, a puppeteer takes up a job to support his family. While working late one night, he finds a portal that leads directly to the head of the Hollywood actor John Malkovich, and things get no less weird from there.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Dir: Steven Spielberg. Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough. Cert: PG. Time: 127 mins.
In a nutshell: In this archetypal summer blockbuster, a millionaire enthusiast and his team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of de-extinct dinosaurs. When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of the park’s power facilities and security precautions, a small group of visitors (and the enthusiast’s grandchildren) struggle to survive.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Quentin Tarantino. Cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth. Cert: 18. Time: 99 mins.
In a nutshell: Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut became a cult success, re-adrenalising the gangster film. Even though it’s heartless and violent, it’s well written and extremely entertaining. A failed robbery has consequences for the thugs who dress like the Blues Brothers and whose colour-coded pseudonyms include Mr White (Keitel), Mr Pink (Buscemi) and Mr Orange (Roth).
The Reconquest (2016)
Genre: Romance. Dir: Jonás Trueba. Cast: Francesco Carril, Itsaso Arana, Candela Recio. Cert: N/A. Time: 107 mins.
In a nutshell: A translator in his early thirties, happily in a relationship, catches up one night in Madrid with an actress who was his girlfriend 15 years ago. One drink leads to another, and to soul-searching: should these childhood sweethearts have tried harder to stay together? Split into three sections, this wonderful film feels like Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy compacted into a single, chronologically reshuffled film. The third part, with perfectly-cast younger versions of the leads, is a lost valentine between kids who have no idea where their future lives will lead them.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: John Hughes. Cast: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald. Cert: 15. Time: 93 mins.
In a nutshell: John Hughes's quintessential teen movie follows five disparate students as they endure each other's company during detention. This time together sees them confide in each other, and they soon realise that they are deeper than their stereotypes: a swot (Anthony Michael Hall), an athlete (Emilio Estevez), a basket case (Ally Sheedy), a snob (Molly Ringwald) and a rebel (Judd Nelson).
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Genre: Musical. Dir: Victor Fleming. Cast: Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley. Cert: U. Time: 103 mins.
In a nutshell: Few films are more fun to watch than The Wizard of Oz, and few have such a charming message either. Judy Garland stars as young Dorothy, who’s bored with her drab, literally black-and-white existence in Kansas, and desperate to escape to “somewhere over the rainbow”. But once she gets there and colour pours into her world, she discovers that there’s more to life than selfish pleasures.
Ghost (1990)
Genre: Romantic thriller. Dir: Jerry Zucker. Cast: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn. Cert: 12.Time: 128 mins.
In a nutshell: It’s sappy, it’s hokey, its vision of the afterlife is pure cheese – but Ghost still works despite all this. Perhaps it’s the unexpected chemistry between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, neither of whom was ever better. As a beyond-the-grave whodunit, it brings rare thriller tension to the process of grief, and you also get Whoopi Goldberg having the time of her life.
The Revenant (2015)
Genre: Action. Dir: Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy. Cert: 15. Time: 153 mins.
In a nutshell: Wrap yourself in a warm blanket and grab a mug of cocoa, because this tale of a 19th-century fur trapper in the frozen Canadian wilderness is so beautifully shot that you’ll find yourself shivering. It tells an embellished version of the life of frontiersman Glass (DiCaprio) who was mauled by a bear and left for dead, and how, despite all odds, he managed to make it thousands of miles back home. It scooped Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Director and Best Cinematographer at the 2016 Academy Awards.
Homecoming (2019)
Genre: Concert film. Dir: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Time: 137 mins.
In a nutshell: Beyoncé’s concert movie, capturing her acclaimed 2018 Coachella festival set, is a musical triumph. Behind-the-scenes footage reveals the work that went into creating the show, while archival voice-overs from Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison (among others) highlight its theme of black pride and celebration. It’s a reminder that Beyoncé is the best in the world at what she does.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Genre: Comedy-drama. Dir: Sofia Coppola. Cast: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris. Cert: 15. Time: 101 mins.
In a nutshell: Two lost souls holed up in a Japanese hotel find solace in each other’s company. Aging movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray) meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), an unhappily married college graduate, in the hotel bar. A finely-poised story of loneliness, insomnia and disaffection with the modern world.
The Hangover (2009)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Todd Phillips. Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha. Cert: 18. Time: 108 mins.
In a nutshell: A stag do in Vegas goes very wrong in this rude lad comedy. We begin the morning after the night before, when three best friends, one missing an incisor, scrape themselves off the floor, only to find that they have mislaid the groom. The order of the day is to piece together what happened over the preceding 12 hours or so, find their missing front man, and get to the wedding on time.
The Bad Batch (2016)
Genre: Comedy/thriller. Dir: Ana Lily Amirpour. Cast: Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves. Cert: 15. Time: 119 mins.
In a nutshell: A warm welcome awaits Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) in the middle of the Texas desert. Specifically, a barbecue grill. Arlen is a branded and numbered member of the “bad batch”: society’s misfit toys, deemed too dumb or dangerous or ugly or foreign for whichever future-United States dystopia Ana Lily Amirpour’s extraordinary film takes place in. It’s like a cross between Mad Max 2 and Pretty in Pink.
Clueless (1995)
Dir: Amy Heckerling. Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy. Cert: 12. Time: 97 mins.
In a nutshell: As if! The teen-movie revival began here, thanks to the bubblegum verve of Alicia Silverstone’s performance as a latter-day Emma Woodhouse, a Beverly Hills high-school matchmaker. It’s still uproariously funny, but sadly writer-director Amy Heckerling hasn’t made anything half as good since.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Genre: Historical drama. Dir: Steve McQueen. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt. Cert: 15. Time: 134 mins.
In a nutshell: Steve McQueen’s shattering adaptation of Solomon Northrup’s slave memoir shows the violence and cruelty of the slave trade in all its horrifying detail. Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a freeborn African-American man kidnapped in Washington DC and sold into slavery. Strong performances abound, but Lupita Nyong’o’s tragic portrayal of a vulnerable slave-girl patsy is one for the ages.
Read our 5-star review of 12 Years a Slave
Boyhood (2014)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Richard Linklater. Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke. Cert: 15. Time: 165 mins.
In a nutshell: Filmed over a period of 12 years, Boyhood follows Mason Evans Jr (Ellar Coltrane) between the ages of six and 18. Mason’s divorced parents share the difficult task of guiding their son through youth and adolescence. Although slightly unmoored, Boyhood is an intriguing piece of cinema that asks questions about the medium.
Read our 5-star review of Boyhood
True Grit (2010)
Genre: Western. Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen. Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper. Cert: 15. Time: 110 mins.
In a nutshell: A young girl plots revenge after her father is murdered by a drifter. She enlists the help of an alcoholic US Marshal, Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), to track down the fugitive in Indian territory. A thrilling watch that bears the familiar Coen Brothers blend of slapstick humour, bloody violence and subtle pathos.
Read our 3-star review of True Grit
Blindspotting (2018)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Carlos López Estrada. Cast: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Wayne Knight. Cert: 15. Time: 95 mins.
In a nutshell: Childhood friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal wrote (and starred in) the screenplay for Blindspotting in the early 2000s while growing up in Oakland. Collin Hoskins (Diggs) is a convicted felon trying to stay out of trouble during the final few days of his probation, but fiery best friend Miles Turner (Casal) and the city of Oakland don’t make it easy. Funny, poignant and well-observed, Blindspotting is a gripping portrayal of modern America.
Ex Machina (2015)
Genre: Sci-fi. Dir: Alex Garland. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac. Cert: 15. Time: 108 mins.
In a nutshell: A captivating sci-fi thriller, as smart as it is scary. Programmer Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a week-long retreat to the paradisal, isolated home of tech CEO Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). He is tasked with testing a beautiful humanoid robot possessing advanced artificial intelligence (Alicia Vikander). There is a wonderful dynamic between the small cast, each of whom embodies certain distinct human flaws.
Atlantics (2019)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Mati Diop. Cast: Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Mbaye Sope, Nicole Sougou, Aminata Kane, Mariama Gassama. Cert: 12. Time: 104 mins.
In a nutshell: Mati Diop’s enchanting yet spooky feature debut tells the story of Ada, a Senagelese girl whose lover goes missing at sea during a migration attempt. She is reluctantly betrothed to a rich, older man whose bed catches fire in a mysterious attack on their wedding day; the first in several supernatural occurrences. Beautifully shot with fine acting, this is an accomplished debut and a brilliantly original story.
Read our 5-star review of Atlantics
Dolemite is My Name (2019)
Genre: Biographical comedy. Dir: Craig Brewer. Cast: Eddie Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock. Cert: 15. Time: 118 mins.
In a nutshell: Eddie Murphy portrays comedian and musician Rudy Ray Moore in 1970s LA. Struggling to make his way as a performer, he comes up with a foul-mouthed alter ego, “Dolemite”. Murphy shines in his best role in years, adding cynicism and vulnerability to that familiar comic shtick.
Mid90s (2018)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Jonah Hill. Cast: Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-Kel Smith, Katherine Waterston, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia, Ryder McLaughlin. Cert: 15. Time: 85 mins.
In a nutshell: Jonah Hill’s directorial debut is a nostalgic ode to his childhood home, Los Angeles. Mid90s follows a 13-year old boy, Stevie (Sunny Suljic), who starts hanging out with an older group of skaters. Although sometimes naive, Hill’s honest, uncomplicated style makes for a poignant and charming observation of time and place.
Read our 4-star review of Mid90s
El Camino (2019)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Vince Gilligan. Cast: Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Jonathan Banks, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Bryan Cranston. Cert: 15. Time: 122 mins.
In a nutshell: Following the events of the Breaking Bad finale, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) tries to forge a new life for himself. Series creator Vince Gilligan proves there is life after Walter White with a gritty and sympathetic portrayal of the series’s sidekick, while Aaron Paul gives a career-best performance in his best-known role.
Read our 3-star review of El Camino
Shirkers (2018)
Genre: Documentary. Dir: Sandi Tan. Cast: N/A. Cert: 12. Time: 97 mins.
In a nutshell: A young Singaporean woman shoots her country’s first road movie, then her kindly male mentor vanishes with the footage. A perplexing, ingenious, timely documentary that pries the lid off a shaken jigsaw box of broken dreams.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Genre: Western. Dirs: Joel and Ethan Coen. Cast: Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Harry Melling, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson. Cert: 15. Time: 133 mins.
In a nutshell: The Coen brothers brilliantly revive the anthology film with these six offbeat tales from the old American West. Among an impeccably-cast ensemble, there are standout performances from Tom Waits as a beardy prospector and Tim Blake Nelson as the eponymous singing cowboy.
Read our 5-star review of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Groundhog Day (1993)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Harold Ramis. Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Angela Paton. Cert: PG. Time: 101 mins.
In a nutshell: A cult classic featuring Bill Murray as the self-centred TV weatherman Phil Connors, who gets caught in a time loop while covering a local Groundhog Day event. It’s Murray’s career-best performance, in a role perfectly suited to his unique blend of lethargy and mania.
Private Life (2018)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Tamara Jenkins. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch. Cert: 15. Time: 127 mins.
In a nutshell: Eleven long years after The Savages, Tamara Jenkins returns with this wincingly intimate comedy of fertility, featuring Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti as a 40-something couple taking every conceivable measure to conceive. The two terrific lead performances feel unswervingly true-to-life, even as the plot toys expertly with irony and farce.
The King’s Speech (2010)
Genre: Historical drama. Dir: Tom Hooper. Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon. Cert: 12. Time: 119 mins.
In a nutshell: The Oscars went wild for this most austere of British period dramas. Stylishly produced but quite predictable, Colin Firth shines as the awkward, stammering George VI, who visits an unorthodox speech therapist to help his public speaking.
Read our 4-star review of The King's Speech
Roma (2018)
Dir: Alfonso Cuarón. Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Verónica García, Fernando Grediaga, Nancy García. Cert: 15. Time: 135 mins.
In a nutshell: Alfonso Cuarón has made some gorgeous films – Y Tu Mamá También, Children of Men – but this may be his best yet. In 1970s Mexico, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is the devoted maid to Sofia (Marina de Tavira), whose husband is walking out; Cleo has her own unhappy liaison with macho Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero). Roma is a beautifully stark snapshot of the era, and its intricate human drama is heart-rending.
Read our 5-star review of Roma
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Martin McDonagh. Cast: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken. Cert: 15. Time: 108 mins.
In a nutshell: Colin Farrell stars as boozy writer Marty in Martin McDonagh’s (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) brutal black comedy. He is struggling to find the plot for his screenplay, so friend Billy (Rockwell), a part-time dognapper, tries to help him out – inadvertently embroiling him in a world of gangster crime. Not as clever as McDonagh’s best work, but it’s entertaining.
Read our 3-star review of Seven Psychopaths
6 Underground (2019)
Genre: Action. Dir: Michael Bay. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Corey Hawkins, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Payman Maadi, Dave Franco. Cert: 15. Time: 128 mins.
In a nutshell: A brilliantly terrible action comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds as the corny, gun-wielding leading man. Michael Bay competes with himself for the record number of explosions packed into a single movie. After faking his death, a billionaire recruits a vigilante squad of operatives to take down a brutal dictator.
The Martian (2015)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Ridley Scott. Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels. Cert: 12. Time: 151 mins.
In a nutshell: A manned mission to Mars, with six astronauts tasked with bringing back samples, is thrown into disarray when heavy weather blows in and botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is hit by flying debris and assumed dead. Stuck on the red planet with any hope of rescue several years away, he must figure out a long-term survival plan (think potato planting and, well, human nature).
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Terry Jones. Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin. Cert: 15. Time: 90 mins.
In a nutshell: The Monty Python team’s brilliant Biblical satire – about a baby born just down the road from the true Nativity who grows up to be constantly mistaken for the Messiah – caused an almighty furore when it was released. The charges were that it was blasphemous when, in fact, it is heretical (a big difference). One of the greatest British comedies, as funny today as ever.
American Psycho (2000)
Genre: Horror/comedy. Dir: Mary Harron. Cast: Christian Bale, Samantha Mathis, Willem Dafoe. Cert: 18. Time: 99 mins.
In a nutshell: Adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s satire of 1980s America, this film bristles with razor-sharp wit and stars Christian Bale in the role that made him a household name. He plays Patrick Bateman, an unctuous Wall Street financier, obsessed with success. He’s also – apparently – a serial killer who murders without provocation or reason. Willem Dafoe is the detective who suspects Bateman is up to no good.
Gone Girl (2014)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: David Fincher. Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry. Cert: 18. Time: 149 mins.
In a nutshell: Gillian Flynn’s screenplay, based on her novel of the same name, swerves so dramatically from its initial premise that it’s difficult to know what or who to trust. With strong performances from the two leads, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, this story of a failing marriage and abducted wife continues to shock on repeated viewing.
Read our 4-star review of Gone Girl
Cargo (2017)
Genre: Horror. Dir: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke Cast: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Caren Pistorius. Cert: 15. Time: 104 mins.
In a nutshell: Martin Freeman stars in this Australian zombie movie, in which his character Andy has two days to find somebody to take care of his infant daughter and to protect her from his own changing nature after he is chomped on by his newly-turned wife. It’s a strong entry from first-time feature film-makers Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, who eschew scares for survival-esque thrills.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen. Cast: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi. Cert: 18. Time: 119 mins.
In a nutshell: This cult stoner comedy classic from the Coen Brothers stars Jeff Bridges as the archetypal slacker – the dressing-gown-wearing, white-Russian-sipping The Dude. He becomes embroiled in a noirish mystery after being mistaken for a millionaire whose wife has been kidnapped.
The Social Network (2010)
Genre: Drama. Cast: David Fincher. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rashida Jones.Cert: 12. Time: 117 mins.
In a nutshell: Jesse Eisenberg is superb as the gauche cyber-geek who became a billionaire in his twenties in this dazzling dramatisation of the story of Facebook. It may necessarily be speculative in parts about Mark Zuckerberg and his invention, but this is a brilliantly scripted and gripping tale of clashing egos, precocious talent and betrayal.
Read our 4-star review of The Social Network
Annihilation (2018)
Genre: Sci-fi. Dir: Alex Garland. Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez. Cert: 15. Time: 115 mins.
In a nutshell: In this thrilling, otherworldly sci-fi film, Natalie Portman heads into a mind-altering contamination zone to learn exactly what happened to her husband (Oscar Isaac) when he preceded her there. Alex Garland’s follow-up to Ex Machina is beautifully trippy, with shades of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Read our 5-star review of Annihilation
Nightcrawler (2014)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Dan Gilroy. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Ann Cusack. Cert: 15. Time: 115 mins.
In a nutshell: This satirical thriller has a can’t-miss-the-point premise, and a big, weird, sharkish performance from Jake Gyllenhaal as a petty thief who stumbles into a career as a news cameraman. It’s a must-talk-about film, electrically overblown in the moment, if not wholly in control of its payoff.
Read our 3-star review of Nightcrawler
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Genre: Romantic comedy. Dir: Rob Reiner. Cast: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher. Cert: 15. Time: 92 mins.
In a nutshell: In Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner’s perfectly pitched romcom, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan play neurotic New Yorkers who have been friends for a decade. Harry’s assertion that it’s impossible for men and women to be platonic sets up a predictable ending, but the pair’s chemistry and the script’s crisp dialogue offer a humorous, and at times poignant, view of relationships.
Mudbound (2017)
Genre: Period drama. Dir: Dee Rees. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund. Cert: 15. Time: 134 mins.
In a nutshell: Two families thrash out the complexities of race relations in Second World War-era America. Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke and Garrett Hedlund are the newcomers to the Mississippi Delta, but the cast standouts are Jason Mitchell, as an airman, and Mary J Blige as his mother.
Read our 4-star review of Mudbound
Vertigo (1958)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak. Cert: PG. Time: 129 mins.
In a nutshell: In this classic noir, James Stewart stars as a former police detective with acrophobia hired by an acquaintance to follow his wife (Novak), who is behaving strangely. A deeply sad, dark and twisty love story unfolds, combining Hitchcock’s mastery of psychological strain and poised emotional heft.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Genre: Biographical drama. Dir: James Marsh. Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, David Thewlis. Cert: 12. Time: 123 mins.
In a nutshell: Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for his committed portrayal of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. While studying at Cambridge, Hawking is diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given two years to live. This seems to spell the end of his promising research career, and his developing relationship with literature student Jane Wilde. Although a touch sycophantic, it is well-plotted and emotionally poignant, and does a good job of translating the physics for the layman.
Read our 3-star review of The Theory of Everything
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)
Genre: Comedy drama. Dir: Desiree Akhavan. Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle, Marin Ireland, John Gallagher Jr, Quinn Shephard. Cert: 15 Time: 91 mins.
In a nutshell: This second feature from Desiree Akhavan, maker of 2014’s incisive contemporary romcom Appropriate Behavior, is adapted from Emily Danforth’s coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl in 1990s Montana sent to a Christian gay conversion camp for the summer. Chloë Grace Moretz makes the leap from child star to serious actress with a performance of eye-rolling resignation, bottomless despair, then tentative hope.
Read our 4-star review of The Miseducation of Cameron Post
The Two Popes (2019)
Genre: Biographical drama. Dir: Fernando Meirelles. Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins, Mario Bergoglio, Juan Minujín, Luis Gnecco, Sidney Cole. Cert: 12. Time: 125 mins.
In a nutshell: Behind the Vatican walls, Pope Benedict and the future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church, forming an unlikely friendship in the process. It’s easy to relish Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce chewing the fat as Vatican rivals, but Fernando Meirelles’s chirpy depiction of the papal handover evades some difficult questions at its centre.
Read our 2-star review of The Two Popes
The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Noah Baumbach. Cast: Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller. Cert: 15. Time: 112 mins.
In a nutshell: Its premiere at Cannes was overshadowed by an ugly row with the French cinema industry, but this bittersweet Wes Anderson-ish comedy about three generations of a Jewish family in New York (led by Dustin Hoffman’s aging patriarch) is a gem worth watching – and not just because it features a great performance from Adam Sandler.
Read our 4-star review of The Meyerowitz Stories
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: James C Strouse. Cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O'Dowd, Noël Wells. Cert: 15. Time: 83 mins.
In a nutshell: Comedian, podcaster and Daily Show alumna Jessica Williams impressed with her first leading film role in this lightweight, whimsical Netflix-only romcom, playing a struggling New York playwright who strikes up an unexpected romance with a geeky Irish app-designer (Chris O’Dowd).
Okja (2017)
Genre: Sci-fi. Dir: Bong Joon-ho. Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun. Cert: G. Time: 121 mins.
In a nutshell: A diverting blend of find-the-missing-pet adventure and anti-meat satire, Okja comes from the pen of Jon Ronson (a vegetarian with a dark sense of humour) and the fervid brain of recently Oscar-decorated Korean director Bong Joon-ho. It follows a young Korean girl’s journey to rescue her beloved pet – a giant mutant pig – after it’s abducted by a multinational food company fronted by Tilda Swinton.
Read our 3-star review of Okja
Notes on Blindness (2016)
Genre: Documentary. Dir: Peter Middleton, James Spinney. Cert: U Time: 86 mins.
In a nutshell: John Hull, a professor at Birmingham University, went blind in 1983, and spent much of that decade compiling detailed thoughts on the experience of sight loss – a condition he grieved at first, before finding in it much of philosophical value. This fascinating documentary from James Spinney and Peter Middleton uses audio recordings of Hull and his family to reconstruct his voyage into darkness.
Read our 4-star review of Notes on Blindness
Other People (2016)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Chris Kelly. Cast: Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford, Maude Apatow, John Early, Zach Woods. Cert: N/A. Time: 96 mins.
In a nutshell: Saturday Night Live writer Chris Kelly exorcised his demons by turning two years of his life into a feature film, creating a warm if bittersweet comedy drama that’s far better than the cancer weepie its premise implies. Jesse Plemons is a gay aspiring comedy-writer forced to return home when his mother, a brilliant Molly Shannon, reveals she has been diagnosed with cancer. There he is forced to confront his demons and plot his next move.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Genre: Horror. Dir: Drew Goddard. Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connelly, Jesse Williams. Cert: 15. Time: 95 mins.
In a nutshell: Don’t be fooled by its young cast and stereotypical teen-horror appeal: co-writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s clever detonation of the scary movie is actually very good, with the genre’s most original plot twist in years. Five friends visit a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend away, where they encounter more than they bargained for.
Read our 4-star review of The Cabin in the Woods
The Siege of Jadotville (2016)
Genre: War drama. Dir: Richie Smyth. Cast: Jamie Dornan, Mark Strong, Mikael Persbrandt. Cert: 15. Time: 108 mins.
In a nutshell: In 1961, a handful of poorly-equipped Irish soldiers held off an army of 3,000 mercenaries in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Jamie Dornan stars as their intelligent but inexperienced commanding officer in a workmanlike take on a little-known corner of history.
Read our interview with the film’s director Richie Smyth
Tramps (2017)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Adam Leon. Cast: Callum Turner, Grace Van Patten. Cert: 15. Time: 83 mins.
In a nutshell: A low-budget indie picture snapped up by Netflix straight from the festival circuit. This breezy, charming caper wooed the critics at the Toronto Film Festival. When awkward teenager Danny (Callum Turner) fails to leave the right suitcase in the right place at the right time, he has to go on the run with his good-looking getaway driver (Grace Van Patten) to recover it. Sure enough, young love blooms.
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
Genre: Horror. Dir: Osgood Perkins. Cast: Ruth Wilson, Paula Prentiss, Bob Balaban. Cert: 15. Time: 87 mins.
In a nutshell: Osgood Perkins, son of Psycho’s Anthony and formerly an actor (you might remember him from Legally Blonde), has embarked on an intriguing horror career of late, directing subtle, strange indie chillers. Ruth Wilson is the home caregiver finding herself caught up in a ghostly haunting, with Paula Prentiss her terrified elderly charge.
The Big Short (2015)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Adam McKay. Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling. Cert: 15. Time: 130 mins.
In a nutshell: Anchorman’s Adam McKay knows how to wrangle absurdity. So the fact that he directed this pitiless dissection of the 2008 financial crisis, adapted from Michael Lewis’s 2010 exposé, makes a crazy kind of sense. Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt play Wall Street “weirdos” who spot the storm brewing and cook up the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme: a bet against the supposedly rock-solid housing market. Its thinking is as lucid as its laughs are frantic.
Read our 4-star review of The Big Short
The Discovery (2017)
Genre: Sci-fi. Dir: Charlie McDowell. Cast: Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough.Cert: 15. Time: 102 mins.
In a nutshell: This solemn, straight-to-Netflix puzzler is set in a world where scientists have proved the existence of an afterlife, prompting a wave of mass suicides. The boffin behind this discovery is Dr Thomas Harbour (Robert Redford). It premiered at Redford’s own Sundance Festival, where it left the critics passionately divided.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Any More (2017)
Genre: Comedy/thriller. Dir: Macon Blair. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow, Jane Levy. Cert: 15. Time: 96 mins.
In a nutshell: Writer/director Macon Blair’s promising debut won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. In this crime comedy, chronically depressed Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) is shaken out of her malaise when a group of burglars raid her home. Teaming up with her weirdo neighbour (Elijah Wood), she decides to track down the wrongdoers.
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
Genre: Comedy. Dir: Rob Burnett. Cast: Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez, Craig Roberts. Cert: 15.
In a nutshell: In this indie road-movie, Rudd plays a professional caregiver tasked with looking after Roberts’s sparky, sardonic disabled teenager. Together, they set off on a bizarre cross-country quest to see America’s deepest pit. Muscular dystrophy is hardly the most obvious material for comedy, but the chemistry between Rudd and Roberts (and a surprisingly strong cameo from Selena Gomez) makes it a quirky, feel-good piece.
Read our 3-star review of The Fundamentals of Caring
13th (2016)
Genre: Documentary. Dir: Ava DuVernay. Cert: 15. Time: 100 mins.
In a nutshell: The Oscar-nominated documentary from Selma director DuVernay tackles the racial inequalities in America’s prisons, and leans towards the radical argument that through the mass incarceration of black Americans, slavery has been allowed to continue under another name. The wide range of interviewees includes Angela Davis, Newt Gingrich and Michelle Alexander.
The Laundromat (2019)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Steven Soderbergh. Cast: Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Meryl Streep, David Schwimmer, Matthias Schoenaerts. Cert: 15. Time: 95 mins.
In a nutshell: Steven Soderbergh’s wickedly comic full-spectrum analysis of human greed is based on Jake Bernstein’s book about the 2016 Panama Papers scandal, in which the money-laundering and tax-dodging tactics of the rich and famous were laid bare in leaked documents. It’s a strong ensemble piece, but the film’s base notes of outrage and bewilderment at the hidden world of financial sharp practice are rooted in Meryl Streep’s (fictional) crusading widow Ellen Martin, who follows the thread of a low-level Texas insurance scam all the way to the Caribbean.
Read our 4-star review of The Laundromat
Mean Streets (1973)
Genre: Crime. Dir: Martin Scorsese. Cast: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval. Cert: 18. Time: 112 mins.
In a nutshell: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Martin Scorsese – all burst on to the scene with this dangerous, hugely influential showpiece, about punk gangsters and the sins they have to atone for. Still crackling with alleycat verve and method-acting electricity, it features an excess of strutting machismo.
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Cary Fukunaga. Cast: Idris Elba, Abraham Attah. Cert: 15. Time: 136 mins.
In a nutshell: Uzodinma Iweala’s novel about child soldiers in West Africa gets potent, urgent and searing treatment from a director, Cary Fukunaga, who shows more range with every film. Idris Elba should have been given an Oscar nomination for his role as the scary commandant, but even more key to the experience is Abraham Attah’s utterly beguiling debut as the orphaned Agu.
Inception (2010)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Christopher Nolan. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite. Cert: 12A. Time: 148 mins.
In a nutshell: In classically tricksy Nolan style, Leonardo DiCaprio leads a gang of thieves whose speciality is infiltrating the subconscious of their victims via dreams to pilfer their private thoughts. Also in classic Nolan style, Marion Cotillard is the dead wife who haunts him. Most of thrills consist of keeping up with Nolan’s head-spinning plot, but by the end he has also added some surprisingly powerful emotional stakes.
Reality Bites (1994)
Genre: Romantic comedy. Dir: Ben Stiller. Cast: Ben Stiller, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke. Cert: 12. Time: 99 mins.
In a nutshell: Winona Ryder is an idealistic young documentary-maker who must choose between her lay-about drifter best-friend (Hawke) and a shiny but suited young TV executive (Stiller) in this off-beat comedy about how life begins after graduation. It’s quintessentially 1990s in tone, but feels just as resonant today.
The Truman Show (1998)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Peter Weir. Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney. Cert: PG. Time: 103 mins.
In a nutshell: An insurance salesman is oblivious of the fact that his entire life is a TV show and his family members are mere actors. As he starts noticing things and uncovers the truth, he decides to escape. It predicted the reality-TV craze, the phenomenon of product placement (as presented by Linney’s impeccably named character, Meryl Burbank) and the existential question of whether to live for yourself or an audience – be it on television or social media.
Scent of a Woman (1992)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Martin Brest. Cast: Al Pacino, Chris O’Donnell, James Rebhorn, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Cert: 15. Time: 157 mins.
In a nutshell: A prep-school student strapped for cash agrees to be the caregiver of a blind man while his family is away. Unbeknownst to him, the aged ex-army officer has his own agenda for the weekend and whisks him off to New York city for a weekend of excess. A touching friendship ensues.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Stephen Chbosky. Cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, Paul Rudd. Cert: 12. Time: 103 mins.
In a nutshell: In Stephen Chbosky’s wonderfully observed coming-of-age film, which the director adapted from his own novel, 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman) is just one wallflower in an entire herbaceous border of them. He struggles with depression after a friend’s suicide but learns to cope with his tumultuous past after befriending two high-school seniors.
Read our 4-star review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
La La Land (2016)
Genre: Musical-drama. Dir: Damien Chazelle. Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt. Cert: 12. Time: 128 mins.
In a nutshell: A charming musical tribute to Los Angeles. Emma Stone plays an aspiring actress who meets an enigmatic jazz musician (Ryan Gosling). They are drawn together by their shared passion for art, but must choose between staying together and chasing their dreams. Although the film’s repeated insistence that we feel sad and nostalgic for the plight of budding LA superstars can be irritating, the beautiful cinematography and hypnotic score make it easy to forgive.
Read our 5-star review of La La Land
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Genre: Biographical drama. Dir: Steven Soderbergh. Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walter, Peter Coyote. Cert: 15. Time: 130 mins.
In a nutshell: Steven Soderbergh’s quirky, thoughtful legal drama dramatises the true story of Erin Brockovich, a single mother who took on the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for polluting her town’s water supply. Although guilty of elbowing awkward details aside, this is a rousing tale about sticking it to the man – with a typically captivating performance from Julia Roberts.
Warrior (2011)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Gavin O’Connor. Cast: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte. Cert: 15. Time: 109 mins.
In a nutshell: A heaving, grunting, proudly macho-sentimental drama about two brothers (Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton) who find themselves pitted against each other in the same mixed martial arts championship. It’s forcefully filmed and acted, with Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte lapping up supporting honours as their pitiful dad, a reformed alcoholic pleading for forgiveness.
Read our 4-star review of Warrior
Moneyball (2011)
Genre: Comedy/drama. Dir: Bennett Miller. Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Cert: 12A. Time: 133 mins.
This thrillingly smart drama, directed by Bennett Miller and anchored by an award-calibre performance by Brad Pitt, might play out in locker rooms, dugouts and gyms, but it isn’t really about baseball at all. It’s about something that, on the face of it, sounds even more boring: statistics. It recounts, with a bit of artistic licence, the momentous change in fortunes enjoyed by the Oakland Athletics baseball team in 2002 when general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) hires Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a pasty, tubby economics graduate who claims to have created a formula that can unearth strong players overlooked by the Major League.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Spike Lee. Cast: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier. Cert: 15. Time: 128 mins.
In a nutshell: After a spotty period, Spike Lee found form again with this true-life account of a black cop in 1970s Colorado Springs, who managed to get himself enrolled in the KKK. It’s a heady hybrid of comedy, polemic and period crime drama, which only occasionally veers into the preachy.
Read our 4-star review of BlackKkKlansman here
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Steven Spielberg. Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance. Cert: 12A. Time: 144 mins.
In a nutshell: A mature and classically handsome thriller, swirling with novelistic intrigue, inspired by the true story of an insurance lawyer who became the unlikely go-between in an exchange of prisoners between the US and Soviet governments in 1957. Hanks is as well-cast here as you’d expect, slipping into the role like it’s a silk dressing gown.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Ang Lee. Cast: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman. Cert: U. Time: 140 mins.
In a nutshell: Emma Thompson’s intelligent, understated adaptation of Jane Austen’s Regency novel about two young women suddenly thrust into the marriage market by the death of their father brought together some of the best young actors of the 1990s, herself included. Ang Lee, who had never made a film in English before, drew from them superb performances.
The Town (2010)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Ben Affleck. Cast: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm. Cert: 15. Time: 125 mins.
In a nutshell: Ben Affleck spent weeks interviewing bank robbers and CIA officers for this meaty, lightly sentimental tale of professional bank robbers in Charlestown, Boston. Affleck pays the Robin Hood-styled gang leader with a yen for a better life; when fate (and a well executed heist gone wrong) throws him into the arms of a local do-gooder (Rebecca Hall), he starts to think he may have found a way out.
Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993)
Genre: Animation. Dir: Nick Park. Cast: Peter Sallis, Peter Hawkins. Cert: U. Time: 30 mins.
In a nutshell: To cover his debts, Wallace takes in a lodger, a devious penguin who drives Gromit from the house. Stealing Wallace’s techno-trousers, the penguin plans an ambitious heist. All Aardman films are miracles in themselves considering the painstaking claymation process, but The Wrong Trousers is a particular triumph with its memorable stunts and clever plotting – while being funnier than most adult comedies.
Attacking the Devil (2014)
Genre: Documentary. Dirs: Jacqui and David Morris. Cert: 12A. Time: 102 min.
In a nutshell: In the 1960s and 1970s, the Sunday Times ran a dogged campaign to uncover the truth about thalidomide, the morning-sickness drug which left thousands of children malformed after the war. This shrewdly organised doc looks at the persistence of the paper’s editor, Harold Evans, against an army of lawyers and a complacent political establishment.
Scarface (1983)
Genre: Drama. Dir: Brian De Palma. Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer. Cert: 18. Time: 170 mins.
In a nutshell: Tony Montana arrived in Miami from Cuba as a child, and climbed his shady way to the top of a drugs empire. But in Mafia-land, the rise can only ever pre-empt the fall: as Tony’s power grows, so does his ego and his paranoia. A remake of the 1932 original, it is now considered one of the best crime films ever made.
1922 (2017)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Zack Hilditch. Starring: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker. Cert: 15. Time: 102 min.
In a nutshell: Nebraskan farmer Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) looks back at the year he murdered his wife, and – in time-honoured fashion – failed to prosper from his deed. Based on the King novella of the same name, and set against a wide backdrop of open skies and whispering cornfields, it’s primarily about guilt and regret, and about the “conniving” stranger hiding inside ordinary men and women, driving them to unspeakable crimes.
Read our 4-star review of 1922
Prisoners (2014)
Genre: Crime thriller. Dir: Denis Villeneuve. Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Hugh Jackman. Cert: 15. Time: 153 min.
In a nutshell: Two daughters step out one Thanksgiving, and don’t come back: enter a tattooed, twitchy Gyllenhaal as a maverick cop who has never failed to solve a case. He gets straight down to business by arresting a weirdo RV driver (Paul Dano) seen loitering suspiciously on the relevant street, but the lack of physical evidence encourages Jackman’s hot-headed carpenter to take the law into his own hands.
Read our 2-star review of Prisoners
Looper (2012)
Genre: Sci-fi thriller. Dir: Rian Johnson. Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano. Cert: 15. Time: 118 min.
In a nutshell: Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a looper: a freelance assassin living in the 2040s, whose targets are zapped back to him from the 2070s, an era in which it is easier to teleport a live body than dispose of a dead one. He spends his days blowing away the bound and hooded unfortunates who materialise in front of him, and his nights blowing the spoils on fast women, neat spirits, and recreational drugs administered by eye-dropper.
Read our 4-star review of Looper
Misery (1990)
Genre: Thriller. Dir: Rob Reiner. Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall. Cert: 18. Time: 97 min.
In a nutshell: From another of Stephen King’s dark designs. Paul Sheldon, author of hugely popular series of romance novels, decides to kill off his main character and take a break from the writer’s life. That is, until he crashes his car on a snowy road and is taken in by Annie Wilkes (Cathy Bates). Far from a godsend, however, she is Sheldon’s “biggest fan”, and none too happy about the forthcoming death of the series’ protagonist... Thrills, gore and unbearable tension await.
