Found Family
The films in this week’s Spotlight celebrate finding kinship in unlikely places. They feature characters who have lost or left behind their biological families to build their own. Some temporary, some permanent, these chosen families prove that the bonds of family go beyond blood.
Titane
A near-fatal car crash leaves a girl with physical and emotional trauma that shapes her future — and her fetishes.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium • 2021
- Director Julia Ducournau
- Cast Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh, Mara Cissé, Marin Judas
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, Kanopy
Roma
A meditative portrait of a domestic worker's journey through adversity in turbulent 1970s Mexico City.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, United States • 2018
- Director Alfonso Cuarón
- Cast Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Shoplifters
(万引き家族)
Sometimes it's better to choose your own family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2018
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki, Kirin Kiki
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Peacock Premium, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, DistroTV, Hoopla
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Forced to flee into the New Zealand bush, city kid Ricky must learn to survive with his uncle as a national manhunt ensues.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- New Zealand • 2016
- Director Taika Waititi
- Cast Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Oscar Kightley
- Genre Adventure, Comedy, Drama
- Available on fuboTV, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Crackle, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
We Are the Best!
(Vi är bäst!)
Three girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Denmark • 2013
- Director Lukas Moodysson
- Cast Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, Liv LeMoyne, David Dencik, Johan Liljemark, Mattias Wiberg
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Freevee, DistroTV, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
A Simple Life
(桃姐)
Companionship is imperishable.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong • 2011
- Director Ann Hui
- Cast Andy Lau, Deannie Yip, Fuli Wang, Paul Chun Pui, Leung Tin, Hui Siu-ying
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Tokyo Godfathers
(東京ゴッドファーザーズ)
A bizarre, heartwarming holiday tragicomedy film inspired by Peter B. Kyne's novel "Three Godfathers."
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2003
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Aya Okamoto, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Toru Emori, Satomi Kourogi, Mamiko Noto, Ryûji Saikachi
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Freevee, Hoopla
Kolya
(Kolja)
A poor cellist is forced to care for a small child after his scam backfires.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Czech Republic, United Kingdom, France • 1996
- Director Jan Svěrák
- Cast Andrei Chalimon, Zdeněk Svěrák, Libuše Šafránková, Stella Zázvorková, Ondřej Vetchý, Nela Boudová
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Music
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video
Léon: The Professional
An assassin takes a young orphan girl under his wing and helps her get revenge.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1994
- Director Luc Besson
- Cast Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, Peter Appel, Michael Badalucco
- Genre Action, Crime, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Pluto TV
One Sings, the Other Doesn't
(L'une chante, l'autre pas)
This story of friendship and reproductive rights chronicles 14 years in the lives of two very dissimilar women.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Soviet Union • 1977
- Director Agnès Varda
- Cast Thérèse Liotard, Valérie Mairesse, Robert Dadies, Mona Mairesse, Francis Lemaire, Ali Rafie
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max
Alice in the Cities
(Alice in den Städten)
A German writer journeys with a young girl through Europe in a quest to find her grandmother.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- West Germany • 1974
- Director Wim Wenders
- Cast Rüdiger Vogler, Yella Rottländer, Lisa Kreuzer, Edda Köchl, Ernest Boehm, Sam Presti
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Walkabout
Two city-bred children are saved by an Aboriginal boy after escaping from their murderous father in the Australian outback.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Australia • 1971
- Director Nicolas Roeg
- Cast Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, David Gulpilil, John Meillon, Robert McDarra, Peter Carver
- Genre Adventure, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video