Bond 25 has been moved from April to November. We round up some alternate streaming picks starring the film's all-star cast
Before we all bent to the will of the coronavirus outbreak, April was set to be a huge month for cinema. Mostly that came down to the fact that the long-awaited 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, set to feature Daniel Craig in his fifth – and final – appearance as the iconic British spy, was scheduled for release.
We'll now have to wait until November to watch Craig bow out as the hard-hitting secret agent. Until that time, though, what better way to whittle away the hours than with these great – and largely underseen – films, all of which feature members of No Time to Die's all-star cast and are available to stream from the comfort of your own home…
Watch Daniel Craig in Logan Lucky
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video (stream until April 25)
Daniel Craig doing a Southern accent was an undoubtable highlight of Rian Johnson's recent murder-mystery Knives Out. But Craig could be seen doing similarly brilliant, hammy work in Steven Soderbergh's 2017 crime caper, Logan Lucky. Here the actor plays a con named Joe Bang, enlisted to help Adam Driver, Channing Tatum, and Riley Keogh pull off a heist at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He's great entertainment in a role that clearly paved the way for further campy fun, and the movie, like a Rust Belt Ocean's Eleven, is a twisty delight.
Watch Léa Seydoux in Blue is the Warmest Colour
Where to watch it: Prime Video (rent)
Léa Seydoux might have shot to international fame playing Bond girl Madeleine Swann in Spectre, but all things considered it's probably one of the French actress's least interesting roles. Though Seydoux is always a welcome addition to any Hollywood movie, her greatest performance might lie in the 2013 film Blue is the Warmest Colour, a deeply affecting and unflinchingly intimate love story charting the relationship between a lonely teenager (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and an artist (Seydoux). It's a daring, layered, and vibrant performance – one that, alongside Exarchopoulos, won her the Palme d'Or in 2013, marking the first time in the award's history that it was presented to a film's director and its actresses at the same time. An arthouse favourite, certainly, but still underseen by mainstream standards.
Watch Christoph Waltz in Big Eyes
Where to watch it: Prime Video (rent)
Christoph Waltz first made his name in Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino's intoxicating historical fantasy set at the height of World War II (look out for fellow Bond actor Léa Seydoux in a minor role as a farmer's daughter). As “Jew Hunter” Col. Hans Landa, Waltz bagged a well-deserved Oscar for his scenery-chewing turn, and then repeated the same feat all over again for his role as a sardonic bounty hunter in Django Unchained. His career might have peaked at that point, but Tim Burton's little-mentioned biopic, Big Eyes, is worth seeking out for Waltz's performance as an “artist” who takes credit for his wife's (Amy Adams) unique paintings. Shades of Blofeld, indeed.
Watch Ana de Armas in Knock Knock
Where to watch it: Prime Video (rent)
Ana de Armas has made quite the impression in recent years, what with a memorable appearance in Blade Runner 2049, and a star-making turn in Knives Out (alongside Craig). An upcoming role in No Time to Die, meanwhile, guarantees further success. One of her least seen performances, though, can be glimpsed in Eli Roth's sexy home invasion thriller Knock Knock, which stars Keanu Reeves as an unsuspecting schmuck whose life is turned upside-down by the arrival of two beautiful women, played by Armas and Roth regular Lorenza Izzo. It's unashamedly pulpy in its execution, but also a lot of fun – and Armas is brilliantly self-aware as the terrifying siren come to wreak havoc on Reeves' pathetic architect.
Watch Rami Malek in Short Term 12
Where to watch it: BFI Player (stream)
Let's get this straight: Brie Larson is the undisputed star of Short Term 12 and she delivers what is arguably her greatest performance playing a supervisor at a home for troubled teens. But Rami Malek, best known for his work on TV's Mr. Robot and for his overrated turn playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, provides excellent support as fellow supervisor Nate. It's so far from the posturing of his Oscar-winning performance as Mercury, and a good opportunity to glimpse a different side of Malek before he goes full-on, psychopathic villain in No Time to Die.
