Films to Watch From Home

Compiled by Marisa Cutillas

Honey Boy

A biographical film written and directed by Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy starts in the actor’s childhood, when he worked long days to fend for his family. Shia has to cope with a charismatic, yet abusive dad – a Vietnam vet who once pointed a gun at his son while having a war flashback. The film is comical and tragic all at once, with LaBeouf admitting he wrote the script while residing in a mental institution. He had just been diagnosed with PTSD and through his writing, he sought to uncover the reasons why.

View it on: Amazon Prime

Extraction

Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a hardened mercenary who is about to face the toughest mission of his career: rescuing the kidnapped son of an international crime lord in Bangladesh. The film is as action-packed as they come, which is logical considering it was produced by Joe and Anthony Russo (who directed Avengers: Endgame). Hemsworth is convincing as a tough guy who is spiritually lost but still committed to saving the innocent.

View it on: Netflix

Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler (known for a spate of tacky yet comical films) does a major 180º in this film, in which he pays Howard, a brilliant New York jeweller who hatches a plan to make big bucks. Events take an exhilarating turn when he encounters a group of adversaries who do everything it takes to foil his plans. The result is a thrilling, anxiety-ridden crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

View it on: Netflix

Spenser Confidential

Peter Berg directs Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke in this action-packed thriller about a disgraced police officer and his roommate. The unlikely duo set out to privately investigate the death of two officers. The film is based on Ace Atkins’ Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland – a fabulous foray into government corruption and greed.

View it on: Netflix

The Laundromat

This film is based on the true story of a Panamanian law firm that created the biggest global tax evasion operation of all time. Antonio Banderas and Gary Oldman play Ramón Fonseca and Jürgen Mossack – two cunning characters running a scandal-ridden Panamanian law firm that is doomed to failure. Meryl Streep plays a wisened widow who decides to investigate the firm after she is unable to collect on her husband’s insurance because his policy is tied to a shell company that doesn’t exist.

View it on: Netflix

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

This period drama was nominated for the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is set in 1770 in France. Marianne is a young painter commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse – a shy woman who has just left a convent. Marianne is told to paint Héloïse without the latter’s knowledge so she does so silently and from a distance. Eventually the two women meet and a spark ignites between then. They decide to enjoy Héloïse’s last days of freedom together, knowing that the magic will soon end.

View it on: Hulu

The Eddy

If you love jazz then this gem is simply unmissable. It is the story of Elliot Udo, a renowned musician from New York who is now running a cool jazz club called The Eddy in downtown Paris. The bar features some out-of-this-world musicians but things start to go awry when Elliot’s partner becomes involved in shady dealings and the future of the club is threatened.

View it on: Netflix

The Half of It

This is Cyrano de Bergerac all over again, but with a very modern twist. This time the bard is Ellie – a hardworking, straight A student who is hired by her classmate, Paul, a well-meaning but inarticulate jock who is in love with his classmate, Aster. The tale has a bit of a twist: Ellie begins developing feelings for Aster and the more she spends time with her, the more she is torn between emotion and duty.

View it on: Netflix