Couch Cinema: Weekly Streaming Roundup (September 5th-11th, 2024)

— Selecting a movie from streaming apps can be a daunting task, and I appreciate the value of a good recommendation. Whether it’s a film you’ve never heard of or one you’ve been meaning to watch but forgot about, just having someone suggest a title can make all the difference. Each week, I’ll share a curated mix of personal recommendations that I’ve seen and films from my own watchlist. I’ll spotlight a few titles that have just landed on streaming services and highlight why they might deserve your attention. If this helps you find something to watch, then mission accomplished. —

TOP OF MY QUEUE

FAST COLOR (2019)

Directed by Julia Hart
Lionsgate | 100 min | Rated PG-13

Synopsis: After years in hiding, a woman is forced to go on the run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. Years after having abandoned her family, the only place she has left to hide is home.

UNSEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN

TRIPLE 9 (2016)

Directed by John Hillcoat
Open Road | 115 min | Rated R

Synopsis: A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.

MUST-STREAM OF THE WEEK

REBEL RIDGE (2024)

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier
Netflix | 131 min | Not Rated

Synopsis: An ex-Marine grapples his way through a web of small-town corruption when an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates into a violent standoff with the local police chief.

GOLDEN STATUE SPOTLIGHT

THE BOY AND THE HERON (2023)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghibli | 124 min | Rated PG-13

Synopsis: In the wake of his mother’s death and his father’s remarriage, a headstrong boy named Mahito ventures into a dreamlike world shared by both the living and the dead. Best Animated Feature Academy Award Winner.

UNDERRATED PERFORMANCES

THE ICEMAN (2013)

Directed by Ariel Vromen
Millennium Entertainment | 105 min | Rated R

Synopsis: The story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When he was finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor his daughters had any clue about his real profession.

HORROR HALL OF FAME

THE CONJURING (2013)

Directed by James Wan
Warner Bros | 111 min | Rated R

Synopsis: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.

HIDDEN GEMS

ALL SUMMERS END (2018)

Directed by Kyle Wilamowski
Gravitas Ventures | 110 min | Not Rated

Synopsis: After a summer prank goes awry, a teenage boy falls in love while grappling with his guilty conscience.

QUEER CHRONICLES

I USED TO FUNNY (2024)

Directed by Ally Pankiw
Utopia | 105 min | Not Rated

Synopsis: Sam, a stand-up comedian struggling with PTSD, weighs whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.

INDIE PICK

I SAW THE TV GLOW (2024)

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun
A24 | 100 min | Rated PG-13

Synopsis: Two teenagers bond over their love of a supernatural TV show, but it is mysteriously cancelled.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED

APOCALYPTO (2006)

Directed by Mel Gibson
Touchstone Pictures | 137 min | Rated R

Synopsis: As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, a young man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression.