From recent Oscar winners to classic blasts from the past, here are the best cinematic offerings on the prestige streamer.
RIP local video stores and the intimidating film nerds manning the counter, debating the merits of Kurosawa while side-eying your ninth rental of Happy Gilmore. RIP “Be kind, rewind.” And RIP most of all to those towering shelves stuffed with DVD and VHS cases, adorned with scribbled staff suggestion cards conveying intense YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!!! energy in 100 Sharpied words or less. Because as convenient as streaming is, the human aspect of video stores is something we sorely miss. This leads us to… HBO Max! Hear us out.
More than any other streamer, HBO Max really does remind us of ye olde video store days. And while it might sound odd to compare a corporate behemoth to a Kim’s Video (NYC), Vulcan Video (Austin), or Vidiots (L.A.), HBO Max does have a vibe similar to those hallowed spots, with choices that feel human rather than algorithmic, and a sense that it favors quality films. Clicking on the HBO home page makes us wonder— just for a second or two — if a surly (but knowledgeable) film addict is lurking somewhere behind our screen, arranging the titles just so.
And while streaming will never replace the real thing (if you live in Baltimore or L.A., support your locals!), at least you can enjoy our own “staff suggestions” — the 50 best HBO Max films to stream right now broken up by vibe categories (no rewinding necessary).
Do you like being scared?
House (1977)
Only after you’ve seen this completely unhinged Japanese cult masterpiece can you appreciate the humor in HBO’s description: “A schoolgirl spends her summer vacation in a haunted house.” Um, sure? Here’s the real deal: Way back in 1977, director Nobuhiko Obayashi created a comedy/experimental art film/horror film based on the ideas of his, yes, 12-year-old daughter. That sounds cute, until you’ve seen the film, which features a demonic cat, a killer piano, and plenty of evil spirits. It’s another experience we can thank the Criterion Collection for (and HBO Max, which has many CC gems streaming).
Cabin in the Woods (2011)
So. Much. Freaking. Fun. This movie is fantastic on many levels, but its highest achievement is how it brokered a peace agreement between horror movie aficionados and horror movie haters, who can ALL watch this film happily together (unless the sight of blood makes them squeamish). This makes Cabin in the Woods similar to one of its major inspirations, Evil Dead 2, which also had audiences screaming and laughing (sometimes at the same time). Scary? Yes. Funny? Also yes. Now, before we go on, a disclaimer: Discussing even a tiny bit of plot would completely spoil things, so we won’t, except to say that during the first, say, two-and-a-half minutes, you might be tempted to check that you’re actually streaming the correct movie.
Malignant (2021)
We love a good twist, which is why the less we say about this bloody good horror flick from James Wan (the devious mind behind Saw, among other films) the better. Because there’s a twist in here — and it’s a doozy. Malignant in a spoiler-free nutshell? Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle, Peaky Blinders) stars as a woman named Madison who sees dead people (she has murder vision, you could say). And if you love to be scared (and surprised), quit reading — and start watching.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
How about a nice hot bowl of creepypasta? Dad jokes aside, it takes a brave soul to venture down the internet rabbit hole presented here, full of all the unnerving, unsettling vibes. This low-budget coming-of-age tale — focused on the blurry line between our real lives and our online ones — stars newcomer Anna Cobb as Casey, a teenager whose descent into a “game” leads to some serious trouble. Viewers’ reactions to the film were polarizing, to say the least. Yes, with a 91% positive critics score facing off against a 27% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the only correct conclusion is to see it for yourself and decide.
Film school (on your couch)
Seven Samurai (1954)
If you need a little push to check out Akira Kurosawa’s three-hour masterpiece, consider this: It’s George Lucas’ favorite film (see also: Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and John Woo). Considered by many to be the finest action film ever made, Seven Samurai displays Kurosawa’s unmatched command of emotional and cinematic power, using both bravura editing and daring experimental filming techniques. As our writer noted at the time of the Criterion release, Kurosawa wrote the book on how modern movie violence is portrayed, “from its character-driven setup to the glorious chaos of the rain-soaked climax.” In other words, if you like films, you owe it to yourself to check out this one.
The 400 Blows (1959)
François Truffaut’s autobiographical classic, beautifully shot in rich black and white on the streets of Paris, looks as modern and vibrant today as it did when it was made. Credited as one of the crown jewels of the French New Wave film movement, the story follows 12-year-old Antoine (played by Jean-Pierre Leaud, resembling a young Jake Gyllenhaal), as he floats from a rough home life to a strict classroom to a life of juvenile crime. Each moment is more interesting than the next thanks to the shaggy, sensitive, stunning visuals — the spinning carnival Gravitron ride, the claustrophobic faces of his stressed parents, the way Antoine guzzles a bottle of milk in an alley — which are guaranteed to grab you. We won’t spoil the ending by telling you what the iconic final shot is except to say it’s devastatingly perfect and perfectly devastating, just like the film itself.
Down by Law (1986)
Though HBO Max boasts a good deal of the Jim Jarmusch collection, from the stunning Stranger Than Paradise to the globe-trotting Night on Earth to the genre-rocking Ghost Dog, nothing beats the darkly comic hero’s journey of Down by Law. Featuring flawless performances by John Lurie, Tom Waits, and Roberto Benigni, this film is like a master class in atmosphere and off-kilter humor. Shot in lush black and white on the streets of New Orleans (and literally in the surrounding swamps), Down by Law possesses a relaxed magic, and the intro alone is worth the price of admission (Waits’ “Jockey Full of Bourbon” plays as we travel through NOLA). Watching this is an experience, like the best films are.
Slacker (1990)
Coffee shops, conspiracy theories, Madonna’s pap smear — Austin has changed a lot since Richard Linklater’s ode to the velvet coffin/college town lifestyle was filmed there. This mesmerizingly lackadaisical, gloriously shambolic creation is a love letter to the boredom, part-time employment, and cheap rents that flooded ’90s college towns (and now feels like ancient history). Taking a “day in the life” approach, Linklater’s camera follows a variety of oddball characters (most of them unprofessional actors) who cross paths as they go about their strange business in and around the University of Texas. Inspired in part by François Truffaut’s naturalistic approach, Linklater’s film announced his arrival on the scene in a big (but relaxed) way. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Beau Travail (1999)
This basically wordless film from director Claire Denis — who adapts Herman Melville’s “Billy Budd” to be in a French Foreign Legion outpost in Africa — tells the story of an officer (the incredible Denis Lavant) and his relationship (a.k.a. power struggle) with a new recruit (Grégoire Colin). As EW’s critic wrote about the film, “Her visual style is hypnotic, rapturous, and she makes barren landscapes look gorgeous, hard men look vulnerable.” What’s more, the ending is a stunner. It features one of the most haunting, beautiful, and bizarre dance scenes (a Denis Lavant solo) in modern cinema, encapsulating joy, confusion, release, and regret, set to, yes, Corona’s Rhythm of the Night.
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Elaine May was that Hollywood rarity: an acclaimed comedian and writer turned director with a singular, eccentric vision — who also happened to be a woman. This brings us to her film Mikey and Nicky, a darkly comic tale of friendship and toxic masculinity starring John Cassavetes as a paranoid mobster and Peter Falk as his lifelong best friend. With a powerfully raw script and a gritty aesthetic, the film captured two men at the end of their grubby ropes. Wild tales from the set abound, including May’s habit of letting the camera run for hours (to capture the impromptu moments), which ended up with more footage than Gone With the Wind. She also hid the film in her garage so that the studio couldn’t seize it and mangle it with edits (which they did, eventually, leading to box office failure). Eventually, Mikey and Nicky got the happy ending it deserved, including a 1986 re-cut, a Criterion release, and near-universal critical acclaim.
Fine dining
Tampopo (1985)
You’ve heard of Spaghetti Westerns? Well, Tampopo is a Ramen Western, a deliciously daffy movie about a feisty ramen shop owner (named Tampopo, played by Nobuko Miyamoto) and a mysterious Clint Eastwood-inspired noodle fanatic (Ken Watanabe). The film is a wild, funny, lustful, food-centric quest that fuses Western moviemaking styles with Japanese ideas. Interesting side note: When Tampopo was released, ramen was still something most U.S. audiences thought of as the cheap stuff on grocery store shelves, making scenes about the quest for the “perfect noodle” feel, well, maybe a bit silly to the general audience. Now, of course, things are much different — real ramen shops have popped up from coast to coast, and many of us have spent hours waiting for the perfect steamy bowl of tonkotsu broth and handmade noodles. This fact only adds extra richness to an already joyously bizarre film experience.
Sideways (2004)
While we would gladly watch an amped-up Paul Giamatti spar with Thomas Haden Church in any setting, putting this duo in wine country for a bachelor’s weekend is as enjoyable as a glass of perfectly aged Pinot. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh turn in pitch-perfect performances as well in a road trip comedy that’ll leave you desperate to wet your whistle.
Chef (2014)
Equal parts heartwarming and hunger-inducing, this film about a dad’s (Jon Favreau) quest to bond with his son (Emjay Anthony) while re-invigorating his passion for cooking is pure cinematic comfort food — real Chicken Soup for the Soul, hold the schmaltz.
The Menu (2022)
The latest in a line of “rich people getting theirs” content, The Menu takes a simple concept (ultra-ultra luxury dining) and runs with it, to say the least. From dry-as-a-quail-bone comedy to shocking moments of violence, this film (which mainly takes place in one room) rides the uneasy line between realism and fantasy. But we had to wonder: The moment the diners spotted Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) as head chef, why didn’t they ask for the check?
Fantastic beasts, aliens, elves, and dwarfs
Time Bandits (1981)
For those who like a little anarchy with their popcorn (and who have an appreciation for uh, unconventional endings) this genre-breaking oddity conjures a grotesque and beautiful magic that could only have come from the mind of a Python. Terry Gilliam, the man responsible for The Fisher King, Brazil, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, has, in Time Bandits, created a title suitable for “the whole family” (sort of). It tells the story of young Kevin, a boy whose parents make the Dursleys look decent, who is kidnapped by time-traveling dwarves and taken on a wild journey (chock-full of stop-motion animation effects). Like the best of Roald Dahl, Gilliam (who co-wrote the script) presents adults as idiots, children as heroes, and adventure as a priority, all in a non-sentimental yet moving manner.
The Lord of the Rings series (2001-2003)
What can we say that hasn’t already been said? To quote our critic, Peter Jackson’s channeling of J.R.R. Tolkien’s visionary series exemplifies “what magic the movies can conjure with an inspired fellowship in charge, and unlimited pots of gold.” Or take it from Middle-earth’s No. 1 fan, Stephen Colbert, who created an obsessive/loving rap tribute. Thanks to HBO, the complete series is now available to stream.
District 9 (2009)
Politically resonant, completely terrifying (for reasons you wouldn’t expect), and shot like a very scary documentary, District 9 crashed (or, should we say, “hovered over”) the action/horror genre with complete assurance and a hidden, gigantic heart. The rare movie that puts your emotions (and POV) through the tumble-dry cycle, A.O. Scott described this low-budget gem as swerving from “speculative science fiction” to “zombie bio-horror” to “escape-action-chase movie,” and we think that sums it up perfectly.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
If you’re not familiar with the film our critic called “a deliciously subversive kind of blockbuster” as well as “the most feminist summer action flick in years,” don’t feel bad — a lot of people missed it. One problem might be the name of the film, which is also known, confusingly, as Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow. This thrilling, unique, twisty (like a Philip K. Dick book on steroids) movie is considered by many, including our reviewer, to be Tom Cruise’s best work (Emily Blunt ain’t so bad herself), filled with more surprises than a Cracker Jack box. All of this only makes its underseen status kind of a head-scratcher. In fact, the only plausible explanation must be that we are stuck in a loop of some kind…
Teen angst 101
The Outsiders (1983)
Based on the classic teens-in-trouble novel (written by a teen: S.E. Hinton was just 18 when it was published) the film, directed by Frances Ford Coppola, is a definitive who’s who of Future Stars in baby-faced, leather-jacketed glory. Starring Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Emilio Estevez, and Diane Lane, this movie is a major tearjerker, guaranteed to grab (and hold) the interest of even the most reticent young viewer. Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Late director John Hughes defined ’80s teenage cinema with pitch-perfect (and occasionally problematic) classics, including The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But there’s something extra special about Pretty in Pink, which he named after the Psychedelic Furs song and wrote especially for his muse, Molly Ringwald. The film STILL feels lightning years ahead of its time, from its cluttered, handmade indie look to its sensitivity to the teenage emotional state to its perfectly cast crew of supportive adults (Annie Potts… and Harry Dean Stanton?!). As one of a kind as a hand-sewn prom dress, the magic of Pretty in Pink remains undimmed, and watching it feels like finding a diamond bracelet at the bottom of a thrift store bin.
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Before husky-voiced Natasha Lyonne became a multi-hyphenate (actor, director, producer, crossword puzzle writer, comeback kid) she made a splash in this Tamara Jenkins coming-of-age classic. While not her debut (far from it, she had appeared as a series regular on Pee Wee’s Playhouse and had a starring role in Everyone Says I Love You), Slums seems to capture her true essence as a motormouth with a rebellious streak who’s always slightly too smart for the room.
House Party (1990)
Parties, loud music, angry parents, running from the cops, and chasing girls — just another typical teenage Saturday night (at least, if you were in a ’90s movie). But House Party (the first feature from director Reginald Hudlin) is anything but typical: The onscreen teens are Black, which was a rarity back then (and, sadly, now). In a world of white teen films, House Party came onto the scene with fierce energy, humor, and style, featuring a stellar young cast including Kid ‘n Play, Tisha Campbell, and Martin Lawrence. No surprise, the film was a major hit. Hilarious, exuberant, fast-paced, and fun, it has since spawned multiple sequels, including this 2023 one from LeBron James and Atlanta’s Stephen Glover. Better practice your kick-step!
Donnie Darko (2001)
What makes a film the stuff of legends? Well, it helps when it gets under your skin and takes up permanent residency — and Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko is a prime example. Led by Jake Gyllenhaal in a role he absolutely inhabits, this cult classic served as a template for a new kind of teenage movie hero, one coping with mental illness, standing up to authority, navigating an uncanny landscape, and making a kid’s skeleton costume actually look cool. This film’s hypnotic charms have had far-reaching influences on pop culture, from Stranger Things and Dark to Phoebe Bridgers’ sartorial choices and music videos. And while some might say the plot itself is mysteriously muddled, others would argue that’s not really the point: capturing the terror-ific emotional roller coaster ride that being a teenager is — and Darko is a film that absolutely justifies its wildly passionate fan base.
Starving artists
Withnail and I (1987)
Calling this downwardly mobile, oft-drunk duo “artists” might be a stretch, though Withnail and I is devoted to art — the art of friendship, the art of self-delusion, and especially the art of awkward comedy. Long before cringeworthy masterpieces like The Office and Veep arrived on the scene, this rain-soaked, very British tale of two struggling actors with a LOT of dirty dishes introduced the world to the charms of one Richard E. Grant as the titular anti-hero, Withnail, besides Paul McGann’s “and I.” The film is one of those secret handshakes — meeting other Withnail fans often results in an instant bond. Based on director Bruce Robinson’s early days as an actor, the film is considered one of the greatest British comedies of all time.
Girlfriends (1978)
Rescued from obscurity with its 2021 re-release, this lovely slice of urban life captures a time (the 1970s) and place (NYC) so vividly that watching it can feel like stepping into a little-seen portal. Notable for its sensitive and funny portrayal of a young photographer navigating love, art, and her career, Girlfriends is written and directed by Claudia Weill and stars Melanie Mayron (of the ’80s TV classic Thirtysomething). And the supporting cast (including a young Christopher Guest) is wonderful, too.
American Splendor (2003)
“Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff,” was one of cartoonist Harvey Pekar’s mottos — and it also perfectly describes this film based on his ordinary and complex life. Paul Giamatti was born to play Pekar, the cantankerous, vinegary Cleveland resident who was, weirdly, a regular David Letterman guest. While Giamatti’s performance (and Hope Davis’ as his wife Joyce Brabner) would be reason enough to watch, American Splendor has a whole other selling point: The filmmakers took a super meta approach to the working-class story, blending drama, documentary interviews, archival footage, animation, and cartoons to tell the tale. For example, in one scene, Giamatti turns to watch the actual Pekar finish up a conversation he started (about jelly beans). The result is, as our reviewer put it, “an inventive new movie hybrid that is its own formal breakthrough,” or, in other words, an eye-popping delight.
Get happy
9 to 5 (1980)
By taking a “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar” approach to some serious sociological messages (workplace sexual harassment, gender pay gap disparities, etc.), 9 to 5 is as charming, funny, and joyous as its three stars: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. The brilliant concept came from Fonda, who, through her activism, had her eyes opened to the struggles of women secretaries, many with bosses who made Dabney Coleman’s character look like a teddy bear. In addition to the concept, Fonda also had the idea to cast Tomlin and Parton, creating a sparkly alchemy that virtually radiates from the screen. Thanks to Fonda’s sharp, savvy sensibility, 9 to 5 is now an eternal classic, not to mention the second highest-grossing film the year it came out (a little film called Star Wars earned the top spot).
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
An indie sparkler made by a Greek firecracker (writer and star Nia Vardalos), this film is the equivalent of a triple threat: funny, smart, and romantic. My Big Fat Greek Wedding welcomes viewers inside a world that previously hadn’t gotten much screen time (a large, noisy, loving Greek family) presented in a hilariously eccentric and personal way. Vardalos, a veteran of Second City, had to fight to star in her own film (execs wanted someone famous) and also to keep the core concept (she was pushed to make the Greek-American family Italian) making her eventual victory even sweeter when MBFGW became one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time.
Stardust (2007)
Attempts to take Neil Gaiman’s magical worlds from page to screen haven’t always worked — getting his off-kilter, funny, weird, scary/sweet tone right is a tough order. But we are here to report that Stardust pulls it off with flying sparkles. The fact that this film didn’t become a massive hit is a head-scratcher: It looks beautiful, is filled with amazing performances from a stellar cast (Claire Danes playing a literal star come to life, plus Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ian McKellen), and has too many quintessentially Gaiman touches to list here (but shout-out to Robert De Niro’s charming Captain Shakespeare and the ghostly Greek chorus). And then there’s the romantic aspect (which reminds us a bit of The Princess Bride). This film fully captures the essence of what makes a good love story, one that will have even cynics swooning by the end.
Men in trouble
Raging Bull (1980)
A beautifully brutal meditation on boxing and life, Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull is at times an almost excruciatingly grotesque look at one man’s journey through the sport. Robert De Niro’s portrayal of the real-life fighter Jake LaMotta garnered attention for many reasons, from his intense, self-loathing acting style to his physical transformations (both training with the real LaMotta to get into ring-ready shape, then gaining 55 pounds to portray him in later years). Though it wasn’t exactly a “hit” when it was first released, time has been kind to the black-and-white biopic, which is now considered one of the best films of the ’80s.
Goodfellas (1990)
There’s no better way, in our mind, to honor the great Ray Liotta than with a screening of one of his best — Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (make it a double feature with Something Wild). In a performance our critic called “alternately terrifying and electrifying,” Liotta plays the real-life Henry Hill, a mafioso wannabe and guy on the edge. The glorious scene wherein a coked-up Liotta piloting a Coupe DeVille around Long Island, N.Y., for eight minutes while peering through the windshield at a mysterious helicopter (and worrying about the red sauce cooking on the stove at home!) is one of our favorite cinematic moments, evah. But of course, that’s not all: Goodfellas is rich with great performances, including Lorraine Bracco as his long-suffering wife and Joe Pesci, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of unhinged gangster Tommy DeVito.
Birdman (2014)
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s surreal, high-energy dramatic catastrophe wasn’t actually filmed in one take. But it looks like it was, and that’s part of the chaotic fun. Much of the film takes place in the backstage labyrinth of a working Broadway theater (the St. James at 246 W. 44th St.), which is just as claustrophobic and confusing as the mental state of the protagonist, washed-up film star Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) who is trying to make a comeback. The entire cast (including Andrea Riseborough and Edward Norton) is firing on all cylinders, and the movie spins on a wild, caffeinated axis of its own making until there’s nowhere else to go but up.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
Hey hey, it’s the Daniels! No one combines gross-out with awww better than the singularly named directing dynamic duo (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), and if you loved their Oscar-collecting spectacular Everything Everywhere All at Once, you’ll probably (maybe? maybe not?) also like their very first film, Swiss Army Man. Why the qualifier? Well, because you might find some scenes a little… well… gross (two words: farting corpse). But as is their specialty, the Daniels found a way to make this quirky tale of a shipwrecked man (Paul Dano) and his dead buddy (Daniel Radcliffe) quite moving, too.
Women in trouble
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning horror-thriller pits Jodie Foster as FBI agent in training/role model Clarice Starling against Anthony Hopkins’ terrifying yet magnetic Hannibal Lecter. This movie wanted to make it really hard on Starling, so it gave her more than one bad guy. In addition to Lecter, we had Buffalo Bill (a never eerier Ted Levine), who gave ’90s kids nightmares for days. Watching a strong female lead defeat some truly frightening baddies made for an irresistible film, and the Academy agreed, bestowing The Silence of the Lambs a bevy of bests in all the major categories (a rarity for a horror film), including wins for Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay.
Under the Skin (2013)
Lest you forget, Scarlett Johansson has some serious indie film roots (Ghost World) that belie her current blockbuster-y status. This terrifying mood pic brings her back to her beginnings with a strong, terrifying, and profoundly weird performance. We don’t want to give too much away, so let’s just put the pertinent details out there: A24. Sci-fi. Scotland. Alien. Super creepy. ‘Nuff said.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Glamorous, mysterious, time travel-y, and slightly scary? Perfect Saturday night movie fare, the swinging ’60s-set Last Night in Soho is the latest feature from Edgar Wright (Baby Driver). With a stellar cast (including Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Terence Stamp, and Diana Rigg), the film is a neon-soaked thrill, set to a brilliant soundtrack (as is the standard for Wright films).
Kids’ corner
Stranger than fiction
Paris Is Burning (1990)
One of the most compelling and groundbreaking documentaries of all time, Paris Is Burning is also off-the-hook entertaining, as a film about drag balls should be. Helping to introduce mainstream audiences to the phenomenon that is drag, each character we meet is larger than the next, all serving magisterial amounts of color and sparkle, attitude, and pathos. Our critic called Paris Is Burning a “passionately empathetic piece of documentary filmmaking” by director Jennie Livingston, who created an iconic piece of American culture that, to quote our review once again, recorded “the tensions between ridicule and reverence that render the balls themselves a kind of proletarian performance art.”
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert agreeing (!) that Hoop Dreams was the best movie of 1994 should be all we need to say about this big-hearted, deep-dive doc about the lives of two young NBA hopefuls. But we’ll add a little more: The film follows two talented teenage boys, Arthur Agee and William Gates, with their eyes on basketball careers. But coming from tough circumstances means it won’t always be easy. Director Steve James spent five years immersed in his subjects’ lives to fully tell the tale, which he does with a poignancy that at times makes it difficult to watch, but impossible to turn away from. The result is a masterpiece. As our critic put it, the film has “more passion and suspense than most dramatic features.”
20 Feet From Stardom (2013)
The best docs do multiple things at once, and in the case of 20 Feet From Stardom, that includes a new take on an old tale (the lives of backup singers), a story so mind-blowing we can’t shut up about it, even now (the midnight recording session of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter”), and some jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring greatness via a group of truly amazing voices. Winning a much-deserved Academy Award for Best Documentary, Morgan Neville puts the focus on the capable backup singers who often remain in the shadows. The stories of Darlene Love and Merry Clayton, just two of the featured singers here, are rich enough to fill entire documentaries of their own.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
A documentary that puts photographer Nan Goldin on the other side of the camera, this revealing and intimate film takes a look at an artist who documented her friends’ most intimate moments (and covered tough subjects in the process, from the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York to her own domestic abuse). But this isn’t just a retrospective. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed — which EW named one of the best films of 2022 — spends ample time on Goldin’s recent activism, notably her fight against the opioid epidemic (and specifically, the Sackler family’s role in it).
Oscars catch-up
Elvis (2022)
Baz Luhrmann’s lush, beautifully twisted vision of Americana makes a perfectly gilded frame for this complex, gorgeous, and ultimately tragic tale starring Oscar-nominated Austin Butler as the King. If you think you “know” Elvis Presley, or his story, or the dark machinations behind the scenes that ultimately destroyed him, well, think again. In the end, this tribute to the healing power of music (and the corrupting power of fame) is a masterpiece you can dance to.
Navalny (2022)
A documentary so suspenseful it rivals even the most thrilling fictional story, this year’s Oscar winner paints a portrait of life under Putin and the price paid by those who defy him. Navalny tells the story of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader whose poisoning by Putin operatives in August 2020 nearly killed him. Shot like a thriller, Navalny will make you sweat while shaking your head in disbelief that the onscreen action is all true. To quote EW’s critic, the film is “a raw and urgent document” and “a painfully timely reminder of what it actually means to speak truth to power.”
For the love of movies
Breathless (1960)
As our critic so succinctly put it, Breathless “simultaneously salutes Hollywood and gives it the finger,” and its rebellious spirit is more than apparent upon re-watch. This breezy, sexy, black-and-white crime number is the definition of cool, exemplified in the offhand, insouciant performances by Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Meanwhile, director Jean-Luc Godard’s loose, relaxed, handheld camera magic captures the spirit of love, danger, and Paris… forever.
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
First note: “Laundrette” is just the cuter British word for “Laundromat.” Second: This is the film that introduced the world to the genius that is Daniel Day-Lewis, giving the legend his first starring role. Stephen Frears (director) and Hanif Kureishi (screenwriter) conjured some real magic in this tale of forbidden love between Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young Pakistani man our critic deemed “a cocaine-and-detergent entrepreneur,” and his boyfriend Johnny (Day-Lewis), a British, neo-fascist punk with a bleached blond ‘do. Their love is a force field keeping the chaotic reality of the world at bay, while the plot is quick-paced and compelling — and a fascinating look at London street life in the ’80s, to boot.
Chungking Express (1994)
There’s no doubt that Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express is a super romantic film, telling not one, but two overlapping love stories. This classic, which was definitely influenced by another movie on our list (Breathless), also has one pretty big name benefactor: Mr. Quentin Tarantino, who loved the movie so much he started a company to distribute it. Its charming vision of love in Hong Kong is a gorgeously shot, super stylish journey with a winning pop soundtrack, all adding up to an experience that our reviewer described as “a pure ecstasy bath.”
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