Seven Movies Available To Stream While You’re Stuck At Home
Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2019 and is available to stream on Hulu. Photo via Facebook.
Illinois is still in the thick of its statewide shelter-in-place order, and chances are high you have already exhausted your Netflix watchlist. To help keep you entertained while you stay at home, we found seven films now available on streaming services that deserve to snag a spot during your next movie night.
Portrait of A Lady on Fire (Hulu)
Celine Sciamma’s drama follows the romance between Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter, and Heloise (Adèle Haenel), a reluctant future bride who refuses to pose for a wedding portrait. Set almost entirely within a seaside estate situated on a French island, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is a film particularly well-suited for the moment, examining the womens’ feelings of longing, restriction and restlessness within a backdrop of isolation.
Bong Joon Ho movie marathon (Hulu and Netflix)
All eyes were on director Bong Joon Ho after his film “Parasite” won four Oscars last February, including Best Director and Best Picture (making it the first non-English language film to win the award). For anyone that missed it, Hulu is now streaming “Parasite,” as well as a slate of the director’s older films including “Barking Dogs Never Bite,” “The Host,” and “Mother.” Rounding out Bong’s filmography, his films “Okja” and “Snowpiercer” can be streamed on Netflix.
Groundhog Day (Netflix)
This classic comedy is about a weatherman named Phil who travels to Punxsutawney, Penn. for its annual Groundhog Day ceremony, where he is forced to relive the same 24 hours over and over. While stuck in his purgatorial loop, Phil learns to play piano, gorges himself on deserts, fixes some personality flaws and becomes the most beloved person in Punxsutawney history. Being productive in quarantine is hard, but if you are looking for inspiration, “Groundhog Day” is all about making the most of your time, in whatever way works for you, while spinning in a wheel of routine and repetition.
Train to Busan (Netflix)
Set within a high speed rail traveling from Seoul to Busan, “Train to Busan” depicts a zombie outbreak just as it overtakes Korea, both outside and aboard the train. Director Yeon Sang-ho centers the film around a father and his young daughter as they dodge the undead within the narrow confines of the train. It does not necessarily make for stress-free viewing, but “Train to Busan’s” tense and claustrophobic action sequences are the perfect antidote to anyone who might be missing public transportation.
A Goofy Movie (Disney+)
The story of a hijinks-filled road trip with famed anthropomorphic dog Goofy Goof and his teenaged son Max Goof has become a much-loved cult classic. With enduring musical moments like “After Today” and the entire Powerline back catalog, “A Goofy Movie” has carved out its spot in the annals of the Disney vault and is a prime choice for anyone searching for a 90 minute nostalgia trip.
Gone Girl (FXNow)
Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, “Gone Girl” is a pulpy, humid, Southern-set mystery executed with the elegantly sterilized vision of director David Fincher. Starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, “Gone Girl” has had an outsized legacy since its release, kicking off a trend of twist-heavy female-led mystery thrillers, including adaptations of Flynn’s other novels. It has also stood the test of time by being one of Anne Hathaway’s favorite romantic comedies.
Fantastic Planet (Criterion Channel)
Take a trip to Ygam, the planet of the Draags, a race of blue-skinned beings that keep humans as pets. Based on a novel by French author Stefan Wul, “Fantastic Planet’s” plot is well-trodden ground: humans band together after years of mistreatment by the Draags, a relatively broad allegory for human rights. However, “Fantastic Planet’” plot often takes a backseat to the movie’s imaginative, hallucinogenic animation, which takes obvious references and reverence to surrealist art.