We run down the week's best films to rent and stream, including an unconventional rom-com and a feelgood documentary about spelling...
Going to the cinema might not be an option right now, but bringing the magic of the big screen directly into your home is – especially as more studios opt to release the latest films on VOD platforms instead. What better way to take refuge from the bizarre situation currently gripping our world than with a host of unique, inspiring, and entertaining films?
As always, we've assembled the best of what’s showing (read as: streaming) and gathered them here to make choosing a great film as easy as possible. Whatever you're in the mood for, WeLoveCinema has you well and truly covered…
New Releases
Dating Amber
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video
In mid90s Ireland, two gay friends – played by Fionn O'Shea (Normal People) and Lola Petticrew – pretend to be a couple in order to hide their sexuality from their classmates. Written and directed by David Freyne, Dating Amber offers a clever and funny twist on the rom-com format whilst actually having something to say. And Sharon Horgan is here, too – always a good sign! (read our full review).
Spelling the Dream
Where to watch it: Netflix
Sam Rega's affable documentary, Spelling the Dream, explores the world of the American spelling bee – an institution that has fascinated many an outsider on account of its competitiveness and the pressure it puts on young participates. The focus here is on Indian-Americans and their dominance of the “sport,” offering a light and entertaining look into a very strange world (read our full review).
Still Streaming…
The Vast of Night
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video
In 1950s New Mexico, two teens (Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz) set out to discover the origin of a strange radio frequency. But is what they're hearing part of a government conspiracy? An extraterrestrial force? The debut feature from writer-director Andrew Patterson, The Vast of Night unravels as a clever and twisty homage to the sci-fi yarns of old: Twilight Zone by way of Steven Spielberg, with plenty of surprises (read our full review).
Only the Animals
Where to watch it: Curzon Home Cinema
French filmmaker Dominik Moll, who once had success at Cannes with his Harry, Un Ami Qui Vous Veut Du Bien, returns with the clever and haunting Only the Animals – a strange and gripping mystery set in a snow-covered French suburb. As an interconnected portrait of five lives, linked by a sixth, it unravels as a uniquely structured and fascinating exploration of fate and circumstance (read our full review).
Mike Wallace Is Here
Where to watch it: Various streaming services
Mike Wallace broke ground as the feared and revered newsman of CBS's iconic show “60 Minutes,” his unique and no nonsense approach helping to usher in some of the 20th century's biggest news stories. This compelling and hard-hitting documentary, directed by Avi Belkin, sets out to chart Wallace's career through an assemblage of archive footage (read our full review).
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema
Where to watch it: Various streaming services
Mark Cousins' landmark behemoth of a documentary, running at a whopping fourteen hours, charts a bold and brilliant path through the history of cinema, seen through the accomplishments of female filmmakers – many forgotten. Enlightening and absorbing, it works as an essential companion to his own The Story of Film.
Take Me Somewhere Nice
Where to watch it: MUBI
A Dutch teenager heads to Bosnia to meet with her dying father for the first time. Teamed with her reluctant cousin and his best friend, the trio embark on an unruly, cross country road trip through the Bosnian heartland. A quirky, stylish, and deadpan debut from writer-director Ena Sendijarević, taking its cues from Jim Jarmusch's Stranger Then Paradise (read our full review).
New to Streaming…
Parasite
Where to watch it: Various streaming platforms
Boog Joon-ho's Oscar-winning masterpiece focus in on two South Korean families – one rich, one poor – as their lives converge for a showdown in a ultra-sleek mansion. Less said about the specifics the better, but as a bold and twisty meditation on class and social structure, Parasite blends comedy, horror, and satire to truly dizzying effect (read our full review).
