BCAT News

While it is summer blockbuster season, I understand that most people don’t want to spend the time and money on multiple trips to the theater each month. Not everyone is as big a movie buff as I am. Plus, these days, there is so much available right at home with just a few clicks of the remote. So here are some streaming recommendations for your summer watchlist.

First up are some releases from earlier this year, now available for streaming…

Project Hail Mary – Based on the novel by Andy Weir, Ryan Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a middle school teacher who wakes up aboard a spacecraft, as the sole survivor, with no memory of how he got there. He soon discovers he’s on a “Hail Mary” mission to save Earth, and crosses paths an alien also trying to save his own planet. This film is beautiful, emotional, and hilarious. Ryan Gosling gives one of his best performances, and his chemistry with the alien Rocky (Played and voiced by puppeteer James Ortiz) is off the charts. One of the best “bromances” ever put to screen. Here’s hoping this film gets some award season attention. Available to stream on Prime Video and MGM+.

The Sheep Detectives – The hype is real for easily one of the best films of the year in my opinion. Based on the 2005 novel “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann, a flock of sheep in the English countryside take it upon themselves to solve the murder of their Shepard (Hugh Jackman), who often read to them many mystery novels. It sounds silly but it is an incredibly heartfelt film with a lot of laughs and moments that will have you reaching for the tissue box over and over. The mystery is also compelling. The Sheep Detectives is basically if Aardman Animation did Knives Out, with an ensemble cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Molly Gordon, and Emma Thompson. Available to stream on Prime Video and MGM+.

Hoppers – Toy Story 5 wasn’t the only hit Pixar delivered this year. Hoppers follows young Mabel (Piper Curda) on a mission to save a beloved area in a nearby forest from being destroyed for a freeway. In doing so, she hijacks a technology that transports her mind into a robotic beaver, and allows her to communicate with the forest animals. In her quest to save the forest, she inadvertently causes an animal uprising against the human race. Jon Hamm and Bobby Moynihan also star. This is one of Pixar’s freshest original films, and hands down one of its funniest, with a strong message about protecting the environment, and the balance of nature. Available to stream on Disney+.

While on the subject of Disney, a lot of the company’s animated films have major anniversaries this year. Here are two overlooked gems that I would reccomend.

The Great Mouse Detective – Celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Great Mouse Detective is based on the book “Basil of Baker Street” by Eve Titus, and follows Basil (The late Basil Rathbone) as the titular mouse detective who lives beneath the home of the great Sherlock Holmes. A young girl-mouse named Olivia hires Basil to solve the kidnapping of her father, a local toymaker. As one would expect, her father’s disappearance is part of a larger scheme, that threatens all of London (at least, on the mouse side of things.) Legendary horror actor, the late Vincent Price also stars as Basil’s nemesis, Professor Ratigan, a role he himself claimed as one of his favorites. The film is a lot of fun, suspenseful, and the quality of animation and music is what you come to expect from Disney. Also, two of its four directors, John Musker & Ron Clements, would go on to direct Disney hits like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess & The Frog, and Moana.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this film is, yes, a Disney adaptation of Victor Hugo’s famous novel…but a lot less bleak. Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) the physically-deformed bellringer of Notre Dame cathedral, defies his master’s wishes, and leaves his home in the bell tower for the first time during The Festival of Fools, setting off a chain of events changing the city of Paris forever. Kevin Kline, Demi Moore, and Jason Alexander also star. This film contains some of the best animation and music out of the studio during their Renaissance Era, and it’s honestly incredible how they adapted such an adult story for family audiences, with a message that still resonates as much today as it did in 1996.
(Parents, please be aware that while the film is rated G, there are some darker scenes that would probably be more suitable for a PG rating. Also, as the Romani population are heavily featured in the story, an outdated and offensive slur is used throughout the film.)

Now here’s some more films from the past you may have missed…

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – I promise this is the last mystery on the list. Rian Johnson’s third entry into his series starring Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc hit streaming over the holidays last year. Blanc is called to a small church in upstate New York when its eccentric pastor (Josh Brolin) is murdered and his large inheritance goes his missing. Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, and Kerry Washington are featured in the ensemble cast. I can’t say this is the best of the three Knives Out mysteries (because they’re all amazing) but this one has possibly the most compelling story and mystery. Available to stream on Netflix.

Thelma – Academy Award nominee June Squibb stars as a woman who falls victim to a phone scam, and takes the law into her own hands. She steals a motor scooter and a gun, and leaves her assisted living facility to track down the thieves. This is one of the most creative and original films I’ve seen in theaters in years, and it’s a story I think audiences of all ages can connect with. It’s also just fun, and June Squibb is amazing in the lead. Available to stream on Hulu.

Godzilla: Minus One – This is just a great, good old-fashioned monster film, with a sequel coming out later this year. Ryunosuke Kamiki plays Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot in World-War II suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a Godzilla attack at his former base. Years later, Godzilla returns, mutated and stronger than ever, and Shikishima joins the efforts to destroy the monster once and for all. Available to stream on Netflix.

The Hunger Games – The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – I’ve never claimed to be a fan of this series, but this prequel from 2023 is easily the best one, and there’s another prequel coming this November. Songbirds & Snakes focuses on the younger years of Donald Sutherland’s President Snow (played here by Tom Blyth), and his rise to power through mentoring a young woman (Rachel Zegler) during the 10th Annual Hunger Games. The choices and actions he make will eventually end up changing the course of history. Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, and Hunter Schafer also star. This film was the breath of fresh nobody knew The Hunger Games films needed. Available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.

The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie – Might as well end both of this summer’s lists with the Looney Tunes. Daffy Duck and Porky Pig risk losing their family home if they can’t bring it up to code, so they go on a massive job hunt. They land at the local bubble gum factory, where they uncover a mind-control plot of an alien adversary, and become humanity’s last hope for survival. This is just classic Looney Tunes at its peak, and viewers of all ages can enjoy this one. Available to stream on HBO Max.