BCAT News

In the modern age of cinema, it’s not always the easiest to take a trip to the theater. There’s the price of admission and concessions, certain movies aren’t available at your local theater (or any theater), or just come and go with little fanfare before you even get a chance to see them. Also theater etiquette just isn’t what it used to be.

If you don’t feel like heading out to the theaters this summer, here’s some options you can stream right from the comfort of your air-conditioned home, including some streaming exclusives, old favorites and others you may have missed during their theatrical run…

Disney Plus:

A Goofy Movie – Turning 30 this year, this Disney animated favorite features Goofy (Voiced by Disney Legend Bill Farmer) and his estranged teenage son Max (Jason Marsden) on a misguided fishing trip across the United States (Summer road-trip!) The film is filled with masterful hand-drawn animation, infectious music, and a perfect blend of emotion and laughs. All you would expect from The House of Mouse. You may also want to check out the documentary Not Just A Goof, on the film’s production and legacy.

Jim Henson: Idea Man – What better way to celebrate The Muppets’ 70th anniversary than by checking out this documentary on their creator’s life and career. The film is directed by Ron Howard and currently has a 98% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. I haven’t had the chance to watch yet, but no doubt it is sure to be both inspirational and heartfelt.

Young Woman & The Sea – Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) plays Trudy Ederle, Olympic swimmer and the first-ever woman to successfully swim The English Channel. This is a top-tier inspirational sports drama, and if you haven’t rewatched Jaws yet this summer (Happy 50th) this gives you plenty of those “man vs sea” thrills at the movies. It’s a shame Disney only put this out to limited screens and dropped it onto streaming shortly after, because critics loved it and Ridley should’ve easily been in the Oscar conversations last year.

The Sound of Music – Director Robert Wise’s masterful adaptation of the Rogers & Hammerstein musical turns sixty this year so why not give it a rewatch. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a free-spirited nun living in Austria, who is assigned to be the governess of the seven mischievous children of a strict, former naval captain (Christopher Plummer). Maria and The Captain initially butt heads but soon come to love one another in this sweeping ballad, whose themes still resonate today.

Netflix:

The Adam Project – Walker Scobell plays twelve-year-old Adam who is fallen on hard times after the death of his father. Life throws him another curveball when his future self from the year 2050, played by Ryan Reynolds, arrives. The two Adam’s then team up on a mission to prevent an evil corporation from using the very concept of time-travel to turn a profit. The mission leads them back in time to seek help from their late father (Mark Ruffalo). Jennifer Garner and Catherine Keener also star. It sounds very campy, but if you enjoyed the fantasy films of the 1980s this one is for you. Also, keep some tissues handy.

Vivo – Lin-Manuel Miranda producers, stars, and writes the songs for this 2021 animated film about a street-performing kinkajou who goes on a cross-country journey to deliver a song written by his late-owner for his old flame before she retires from singing. Zoe Saldana and Gloria Estefan also star. This a very cute film, but again, keep some tissues handy. I once described this film as “If Up and Coco had a baby, and that baby was raised by Lin-Manuel Miranda.”

Saturday Night – Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in The Air, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) directs this comical and harrowing look at the ninety minutes leading up to the first-ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live. The ensemble cast is full of talent including Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien and JK Simmons.

Happy Gilmore – Considering the sequel drops on Netflix later this month, now might be a good time to revisit the Adam Sandler comedy-classic about an aspiring hockey player (Sandler) who discovers his talent for golf and enters a tournament in the hopes of winning the cash-prize to save his grandmother’s house. Julie Bowen, Christopher MacDonald, and the late Carl Weathers also star.

HBO Max:

Sinners – A recent blockbuster hit, and the latest from Ryan Coogler (Black Panter, Creed) stars Michael B. Jordan playing double-duty as two twin gangsters who return to their hometown in Mississippi 1932 with plans for a fresh start, but at the same time a malicious individual arrives in town threatening to ruin their plans. Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton (his film debut) and Delroy Lindo also star. Social media and marketing may have already given away the identity of the aforementioned malicious individual, but if you missed this in theaters I strongly recommend you check out this captivating thriller. An instant masterpiece and one of the best of the decade.

Flow – The winner of last year’s Best Animated Feature Oscar was a co-production of Latvia, France, and Belgium and made through the free graphics software Blender. The film has no dialogue, and follows a black cat and a group of other animals navigating a flooded world. I didn’t love it personally, but I recognize it’s cinematic achievement, and at only 84 minutes it’s easily worth you and your family’s time.

My Mom Jayne – Mariska Hargitay, aka Olivia Benson of television’s Law & Order SVU, directs this documentary where she gets to know the mother she never had, Actress and Hollywood Bombshell Jayne Mansfield, who died in a car accident when Hargitay was only three. As someone who’s lost many weekend afternoons to Law & Order marathons, I will be sure to check this one out. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

Pee-Wee as Himself – While I did not, many of my generation grew up with Pee-Wee Herman, and I’m sure many remember the trouble Actor Paul Reubens found himself in the 90s and early 2000’s. This two-part documentary is composed from 40 hours of interviews between Reubens and Director Matt Wolf, which examines the former’s life and career from his perspective, and how he spent most of it hiding his sexual identity. As polarizing a figure the late-Reubens is, the documentary has a 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics describing it as ruthless, heart-warming, and thought-provoking.

Apple TV+:

Tetris – You would never think a biopic about the video game where you reorder falling blocks would be as thrilling or as attention-grabbing as this film from 2023. Taron Edgerton (Rocketman, Kingsman) stars as video-game designer and entrepreneur Henk Rogers, who finds himself at the center of a vicious race to license the patent for the game from Russia…during The Cold War. This film is the very definition of a hidden-gem on streaming. There are car chases, intense interrogations, and people’s very lives are at stake…all for Tetirs. Also, shameless plug, we discussed this in a recent episode of Movies That Matter.

Fly Me To The Moon – This gem from 2024 that came and went with little buzz was directed by Greg Berlanti (Responsible for a plethora of television series like Dawson’s Creek, Everwood, Riverdale, and all the DC superhero shows that kept the lights on at The CW for years). Scarlett Johannson plays Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist, who is hired to stage a false moon-landing, in case the real launch of the Apollo 11 fails. Channing Tatum plays NASA launch director Cole Davis, who clashes with Johannson’s Jones. Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, and Jim Rash also star. Although the film was technically a box-office bomb, it is a very charming film filled with wonderful performances and a lot of funny moments.

CODA –If you missed seeing the 2021 Best Picture Winner when it hit Apple TV, or you just haven’t watched it in awhile, there is no time like the present. Rubi Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of her family. She tries to pursue her singing career while also helping her family’s struggling fishing business. Filmed right up the road in Gloucester, this is a lovely little family film with some stellar performances.