As award season approaches very quickly, it may soon dawn on you that you missed some of the big movies people are talking about from over the summer. Fear not! Here is a quick list of critically acclaimed and overlooked indie and summer films that you may have missed out on in their first run, but can now catch from the comfort of your living room.
Love & Friendship (Available for purchase and rental on Amazon and iTunes):
Anyone longing for a new Jane Austen adaptation, or something to fill the Downton Abbey sized hole n their heart, should look no further than Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship. Starring Kate Beckinsale as a noblewoman on the prowl for both a new husband for herself and a suitable husband for her daughter. Stillman is a master of the comedy of manners and Love & Friendship takes it to its natural extreme: a farcical costume drama based on a previously unpublished Jane Austen story, and frankly should not be missed.
The Lobster (Available for purchase and rental on Amazon and iTunes):
This pitch black romantic comedy from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos imagines a dystopic world where newly single people are sent to a hotel and have 45 days to find a new significant other, or they will be turned into the animal of their choosing. They also have the choice to leave and live as a loner, though hotel residents hunt them seeking to prolong their stay. There is truly nothing else like The Lobster out right now and it serves as an absurd commentary on the confusing, often depressing state of modern dating.
The Fits (Available for purchase and rental on Amazon and iTunes):
This micro-budget film from director Anna Rose Holmer follows the story of Toni, a young girl who decides to leave the boxing gym she trains at for a local dance team, in an effort to better fit in with girls her age. Suddenly, many of the girls on the dance team are stricken with these “fits” that cause Toni to question her decision to join the team, as well as who she is as a young girl. The Fits is an often quiet, albeit enthralling film about the mysteries of being young and trying to fit in, with an artful flourish from Holmer as a director.
Everybody Wants Some!! (Available for purchase and rental on Amazon and iTunes):
Picking up right where Dazed and Confused left off, this spiritual sequel from director Richard Linklater follows a team of baseball players bonding and partying in the days before their 1980 fall semester of college begins. It is a raucous, rollicking film that captures some of the moments and music that make college great for some and exploring the relationships that make it meaningful for so many others. It’s the perfect film to watch with a bunch of friends while you crack open a case of cheap beer and reminisce about your glory days.
The Nice Guys (Available for purchase and rental on Amazon and iTunes):
Director Shane Black’s latest take on the classic buddy cop film follows a fixer and a boozy private investigator who bumble across ‘70s Los Angeles trying piece together how a missing girl, a porn film and a conspiracy about the major car companies are connected. What makes this more entertaining is that the ever-charming Ryan Gosling and a doughy Russell Crowe play the film’s buddy cop duo. The film manages to balance its mystery with its humor quite well, making for an excellent take on the noir genre.
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