Spotlight: Beyond Studio Ghibli Part Two
We’re back this week with part two of our Spotlight series of worthy, wonderful anime films to enjoy outside of the Studio Ghibli catalogue. This time we’re showcasing anime films released from the turn of the millennium to present day — check out last week’s Spotlight to find great films from before the year 2000.
Millennium Actress
(千年女優)
A documentary filmmaker interviews an aged actress about her legendary career.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2002
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shozo Iizuka, Masaya Onosaka, Showko Tsuda
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Fandor Amazon Channel, Crunchyroll, Viewster Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Retrocrush, AsianCrush, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Freevee, Cineverse, Shout! Factory TV
Weathering with You
(天気の子)
Hodaka runs away from home to rainy Tokyo and meets a young girl with a mysterious and magical power.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2019
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu, Sei Hiraizumi, Yūki Kaji
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Hoopla
The Animatrix
A collection of short animated films that provide background for the Matrix universe from the creators of the Matrix trilogy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States, Japan • 2003
- Director Koji Morimoto, Peter Chung, Andrew R. Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe
- Cast Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Clayton Watson, Pamela Adlon, Melinda Clarke
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Mind Game
(マインド・ゲーム
)
After an encounter with the Japanese mafia in which he fails to save his crush, Nishi journeys to heaven and back.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2004
- Director Masaaki Yuasa
- Cast Koji Imada, Sayaka Maeda, Takashi Fujii, Seiko Takuma, Tomomitsu Yamaguchi
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Mystery
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Hoopla
Tekkonkinkreet
(鉄コン筋クリート)
Orphans Black and White must fight off assassins' in order to save their town from an angered Yakuza boss.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Michael Arias
- Cast Kazunari Ninomiya, Yusuke Iseya, Yu Aoi, Kankuro Kudo, Min Tanaka, Rokuro Naya
- Genre Action, Adventure, Animation
- Available on No streaming locations found.
5 Centimeters per Second
(秒速5センチメートル)
Covering three stages of Takaki's life, from elementary school to adulthood, and the relationships with women that he navigates.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2007
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Risa Mizuno, Ayaka Onoue, Hiroshi Shimozaki
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Netflix, Criterion Channel, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
A visual companion to Daft Punk's Discovery, this follows an interstellar pop band kidnapped and forced to perform as humans.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, France • 2003
- Director Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Daisuke Nishio, Bernard Deyriès, Hirotoshi Rissen
- Cast Romanthony, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Todd Edwards, DJ Sneak
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Music, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Paprika
(パプリカ)
Just anyone can let themselves into your dreams now...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Megumi Hayashibara, Tōru Furuya, Kouichi Yamadera, Katsunosuke Hori, Toru Emori
- Genre Animation, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV
Metropolis
(メトロポリス)
Android Tima befriends young Kenichi, who must investigate how Tima is being used by those trying to gain destructive power.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2001
- Director Rintaro
- Cast Kei Kobayashi, Yuka Imoto, Kōki Okada, Taro Ishida, Kousei Tomita, Norio Wakamoto
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Wolf Children
(おおかみこどもの雨と雪)
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2012
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, Haru Kuroki, Yukito Nishii, Momoka Ohno, Amon Kabe
- Genre Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
A Silent Voice: The Movie
(映画 聲の形
)
A high-school boy seeks forgiveness from the deaf girl he bullied in elementary school.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Director Naoko Yamada
- Cast Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yuki, Kensho Ono, Yuki Kaneko, Yui Ishikawa
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Your Name.
(君の名は。)
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Masami Nagasawa, Etsuko Ichihara, Ryou Narita, Aoi Yuki
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Apple TV, AMC on Demand
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, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Hoopla
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
(カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉)
The crew of the spaceship Bebop must stop a terrorist from destroying the human population of Mars.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, United States • 2001
- Director Shinichiro Watanabe
- Cast Kouichi Yamadera, Unsho Ishizuka, Aoi Tada, Ai Kobayashi, Megumi Hayashibara
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Redline
(レッドライン)
Daredevil driver JP is ready for the most dangerous and exciting car race in the universe, Redline.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2010
- Director Takeshi Koike
- Cast Takuya Kimura, Yu Aoi, Tadanobu Asano, Takeshi Aono, Tatsuya Gashūin, Unsho Ishizuka
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Fandango At Home
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
(時をかける少女)
A teenage girl finds out she can travel through time and, after some missteps, must make things right again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Spotlight: Beyond Studio Ghibli Part One
For many, the filmography of beloved animation studio Studio Ghibli was what kick-started their journey into anime, and for good reason. However, there are plenty of non-Ghibli anime films out there that are just as important and incredible, even if they haven’t received the same degree of international attention. In this two-part Spotlight, we're showcasing some of the best non-Ghibli anime films created.
Vampire Hunter D
(吸血鬼ハンターD
)
A young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Toyoo Ashida
- Cast Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, Seizō Katō, Ichirō Nagai, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Kan Tokumaru
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Horror
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Memories
(MEMORIES)
An anime trilogy of sci-fi and the supernatural.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1995
- Director Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tensai Okamura
- Cast Shigeru Chiba, Hisao Egawa
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
(人狼 JIN-ROH)
Trouble follows after officer Kazuki befriends the sister of a young girl he failed to stop from detonating a bomb.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1999
- Director Hiroyuki Okiura
- Cast Yoshikatsu Fujiki, Sumi Mutou, Hiroyuki Kinosha, Eri Sendai, Kenji Nakagawa, Kohsei Hirota
- Genre Animation, Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Crunchyroll, Tubi TV
Akira
(AKIRA
)
Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1988
- Director Takashi Nakamura
- Cast Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshou Genda, Hiroshi Ohtake, Kōichi Kitamura
- Genre Science Fiction, Animation
- Available on Hulu, Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video
Barefoot Gen
(はだしのゲン)
Gen cares for his pregnant mother and assists other survivors in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1983
- Director Mori Masaki
- Cast Issei Miyazaki, Masaki Kouda, Seiko Nakano, Takao Inoue, Yoshie Shimamura, Takeshi Aono
- Genre Animation, Drama, War
- Available on Viewster Amazon Channel, Retrocrush, Cineverse, Plex, Plex Channel
Angel's Egg
(天使のたまご)
A young girl protects a mysterious egg while exploring the ruins of a city and bonding with a young boy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Keiichi Noda, Mako Hyoudou, Jinpachi Nezu
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ninja Scroll
(獣兵衛忍風帖)
Feudal Japan—a time of danger, intrigue and deception . . .
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1993
- Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Cast Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gouri, Toshihiko Seki, Shûichirô Moriyama
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Perfect Blue
(パーフェクトブルー)
A retired pop singer starts to lose her hold on reality when she is stalked by an obsessive fan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1998
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ōkura, Yōsuke Akimoto, Yoku Shioya
- Genre Animation, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Royal Space Force - The Wings Of Honneamise
(王立宇宙軍 オネアミスの翼)
On a future Earth, a small group seeks to propel mankind into space in order to escape Armageddon.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1987
- Director Hiroyuki Yamaga
- Cast Leo Morimoto, Mitsuki Yayoi, Aya Murata, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Masato Hirano, Masahiro Anzai
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ghost in the Shell
(GHOST IN THE SHELL/攻殻機動隊
)
A group of cybernetically enhanced cops are called into a stop a biohacking threat.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, United Kingdom • 1995
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Iemasa Kayumi, Kouichi Yamadera, Yutaka Nakano, Tesshou Genda
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Neo Tokyo
(迷宮物語)
Three shorts directed by the same names that brought you Metropolis, Ninja Scroll, and Akira.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1989
- Director Katsuhiro Otomo, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Rintaro
- Cast Banjo Ginga, Masane Tsukayama, Hideko Yoshida, Iemasa Kayumi, Hiroshi Ôtake, Kazumi Tanaka
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Robot Carnival
(ロボットカーニバル
)
An anthology of nine robot themed shorts from some of Japan's most well known artists and directors.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1987
- Director Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Yasuomi Umetsu, Atsuko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kitazume, Takashi Nakamura, Manabu Oohashi, Hidetoshi Omori
- Cast Kumiko Takizawa, Katsue Miwa, Chisa Yokoyama, Koji Moritsugu, Keiko Hanagata, Aya Murata
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Viewster Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Retrocrush, Freevee, Cineverse
Spotlight: Nordic Noir
Now that we’ve reached the dead of winter, what better time for a little Nordic noir? Originally a literary genre, Nordic noir has given rise to a large and growing number of films and, perhaps most notably, series. Produced by countries with long, dark winters, these shows are known for their grisly murders, the troubled detectives who solve them.
Before We Die
(Innan vi dör)
Stockholm police inspector Hanna is drawn into her colleague and lover's investigation of a criminal motorcycle gang when he disappears.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Germany, Norway • 2017
- Creator Wilhelm Behrman, Niklas Rockström
- Cast Marie Richardson, Adam Pålsson, Magnus Krepper, Cedomir Djordjevic
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
The Killing
(Forbrydelsen)
It's Inspector Sarah Lund's last day at work until a dead body is found with links to a local politician.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Norway, Sweden • 2007
- Creator Søren Sveistrup
- Cast Sofie Gråbøl, Morten Suurballe
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on MZ Choice Amazon Channel
Dicte
Newly divorced Danish crime reporter Dicte comes into conflict with the local police over the course of an investigation.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Sweden, Germany • 2013
- Creator Kasper Barfoed
- Cast Iben Hjejle, Lars Brygmann, Lærke Winther Andersen, Emilie Kruse
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
The Sandhamn Murders
(Morden i Sandhamn)
Lawyer Nora Linde assists in the police force's investigations in this Swedish series based on the books by Viveca Sten.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 2010
- Creator Viveca Sten
- Cast Jakob Cedergren, Alexandra Rapaport, Jonas Malmsjö, Anki Lidén, Louise Edlind
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Video, Hoopla, MZ Choice Amazon Channel, Mhz Choice
The Bridge
(Bron/Broen)
Detectives from neighboring countries must work together on the case of a body found on the Swedish-Danish border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Denmark, Germany • 2011
- Creator Hans Rosenfeldt
- Cast Sofia Helin, Thure Lindhardt, Mikael Birkkjær, Sarah Boberg, Selma Modéer Wiking, Rafael Pettersson
- Genre Crime, Mystery
- Available on Amazon Video, MZ Choice Amazon Channel, Mhz Choice, Plex, Topic Apple TV Channel, Plex Channel
Ragnarok
Norwegian teeanger Magne discovers that he is the reincarnation of Thor and must help prevent the end of the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark • 2020
- Creator Adam Price
- Cast David Alexander Sjøholt, Jonas Strand Gravli, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Herman Tømmeraas, Emma Bones, Synnøve Macody Lund
- Genre Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Quicksand
(Störst av allt)
Teenage Maja reveals details that suggest she may also be a victim while on trial for murder after a shooting.
- Sweden • 2019
- Creator Per-Olav Sørensen, Lisa Farzaneh
- Cast Hanna Ardéhn, Felix Sandman, David Dencik, Rebecka Hemse, Anna Björk, Reuben Sallmander
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Wallander
Detective Kurt Wallander investigates crimes in a small Swedish town alongside the newest addition to the force, his daughter Linda.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Germany, Denmark • 2005
- Creator Henning Mankell
- Cast Krister Henriksson, Charlotta Jonsson, Signe Dahlkvist, Mats Bergman, Fredrik Gunnarsson
- Genre Drama, Mystery
- Available on Amazon Video, MZ Choice Amazon Channel
Fallet
British and Swedish police join forces to solve a case in this spoof on the Nordic noir genre.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 2017
- Creator Erik Hultkvist, Rikard Ulvshammar
- Cast Adam Godley
- Genre Comedy, Crime, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Trapped
(Ófærð)
A small town is trapped after a heavy snowstorm, with a killer hiding among them.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Iceland, Denmark, Finland • 2015
- Creator Baltasar Kormákur
- Cast Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Bordertown
(Sorjonen)
DI Kari Sorjonen heads the Serious Crime Unit in the Finnish city of Lappeenranta, near the Russian Border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Finland, France • 2016
- Creator Miikko Oikkonen
- Cast Ville Virtanen, Matleena Kuusniemi, Olivia Ainali, Anu Sinisalo, Lenita Susi, Kristiina Halttu
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on MZ Choice Amazon Channel, Mhz Choice
Deadwind
(Karppi)
Recently widowed detective Sofia Karppi investigates the murder of a woman with ties to Helsinki wind power research firm, Tempo.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Finland, Germany, France • 2018
- Creator Rike Jokela
- Cast Pihla Viitala, Lauri Tilkanen, Mimosa Willamo, Noa Tola, Ville Myllyrinne
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Spotlight: Who Runs the World?
Girls! .... Except in Bollywood where actresses have long been delegated to the roles of a romantic interest or an "item girl," while the lead roles are given to men. This curation of female-centric movies aims to depict the wide range of possibilities that exist when women are at the center of the story, as opposed to the sidelines.
Pink
In this gripping courtroom drama, three women are accused of solicitation and attempted murder.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2016
- Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
- Cast Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Angad Bedi
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
Mother India
In this Bollywood classic, a poverty-stricken woman rises above her circumstances to be there for her children and for herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1957
- Director Mehboob Khan
- Cast Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Kanhaiyalal, Kumkum
- Genre Drama
- Available on Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel, Amazon Video
Umrao Jaan
(امراؤ جان)
Can the legendary courtesan Umrao Jaan escape the confines of her circumstances to find love and happiness?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1981
- Director Muzaffar Ali
- Cast Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Shaukat Azmi, Prema Narayan
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Music
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Dear Zindagi
An unconventional thinker helps a budding cinematographer gain a new perspective on life.
- India • 2016
- Director Gauri Shinde
- Cast Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ali Zafar, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ira Dubey
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Romance
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Kahaani
A pregnant mother desperately tried to find her husband in Kolkata, a city drenched in corruption.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2012
- Director Sujoy Ghosh
- Cast Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Parambrata Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta, Darshan Jariwala
- Genre Mystery, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Queen
When her fiancé calls off their wedding, Rani embarks on a journey around Europe to find who she truly is.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2013
- Director Vikas Bahl
- Cast Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon, Mish Boyko, Jeffrey Ho, Yogendra Tiku
- Genre Bollywood, Comedy, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Margarita with a Straw
A college student with cerebral palsy seeks her independence by spending a semester abroad in New York City.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2015
- Director Shonali Bose
- Cast Kalki Koechlin, Revathi, Sayani Gupta, William Moseley, Hussain Dalal
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Family
- Available on The Roku Channel
English Vinglish
(इंग्लिश विंग्लिश)
A middle-class Indian housewife enrolls in English language classes after her family makes her feel insecure for not knowing the language.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2012
- Director Gauri Shinde
- Cast Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Mehdi Nebbou, Navika Kotia, Shivansh Kotia, Priya Anand
- Genre Bollywood, Comedy, Drama, Family
- Available on Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Kanopy
Raazi
(राज़ी)
A young woman from India agrees to marry a Pakistani military officer in order to spy for her country.
- India • 2018
- Director Meghna Gulzar
- Cast Alia Bhatt, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Rajit Kapoor
- Genre Action, Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Lipstick Under My Burkha
Four ordinary women, inflicted by silly societal norms, have to steal, lie, cheat and hide in order to lead the lives that they rightfully deserve.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2017
- Director Alankrita Shrivastava
- Cast Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra, Plabita Borthakur, Sushant Singh, Vikrant Massey
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Thappad
(थप्पड़)
Amrita, a devoted house wife, finds her perfect life shattered when her husband slaps her.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2020
- Director Anubhav Sinha
- Cast Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Dia Mirza, Manav Kaul, Naila Grewal, Ram Kapoor
- Genre Bollywood, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Neerja
(नीरजा)
Based on Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendant who sacrificed her life to save the other passengers during a terrorist hijacking.
- India • 2016
- Director Ram Madhvani
- Cast Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani, Yogendra Tiku, Jim Sarbh
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Spotlight: Cities: Paris
Paris: the birthplace of cinema, home to some of the best filmmaking of all time, and a city that has inspired filmmakers from around the world. This week’s Spotlight features the city in its glamour, grittiness, and everything in between.
Moulin Rouge!
An English poet falls in love with the star courtesan of the Moulin Rouge, but she hides a dark secret
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 2001
- Director Baz Luhrmann
- Cast Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry McDonald
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
The Class
(Entre les murs)
Based on his real life, a teacher must deal with the challenging dynamics of his multicultural classroom.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2008
- Director Laurent Cantet
- Cast François Bégaudeau, Franck Keïta, Louise Grinberg, Rabah Nait Oufella, Esmeralda Ouertani, Rachel Regulier
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
La Haine
In the banlieues of France, the immigrant populations' resentment simmers away -- until it starts to boil.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United States • 1995
- Director Mathieu Kassovitz
- Cast Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili, Souleymane Dicko, Héloïse Rauth
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, TCM, Apple TV, Amazon Video
La Vie en Rose
(La Môme)
The extraordinary story of Edith Piaf, a singer and icon
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United Kingdom, Czech Republic • 2007
- Director Olivier Dahan
- Cast Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The 400 Blows
(Les Quatre Cents Coups)
The story of a misunderstood adolescent boy growing up in Paris.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1959
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay, Robert Beauvais
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Cléo from 5 to 7
(Cléo de cinq à sept)
A young singer awaiting life-changing medical results embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1962
- Director Agnès Varda
- Cast Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray, Dorothée Blanck, Michel Legrand, José Luis de Vilallonga
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Kanopy
The Red Balloon
(Le ballon rouge)
A boy discovers a red balloon, with a mind and life of its own, on the streets of Paris.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1956
- Director Albert Lamorisse
- Cast Pascal Lamorisse, Georges Sellier, Paul Perey, Vladimir Popov, Sabine Lamorisse, Michel Pezin
- Genre Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Criterion Channel, FlixFling, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Plex, Plex Channel
Breathless
(À bout de souffle)
When you discover the dirty truth about the person you love...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1960
- Director Jean-Luc Godard
- Cast Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger, Jean-Pierre Melville, Henri-Jacques Huet, Van Doude
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Hôtel du Nord
A young couple's failed double suicide sets off a chain of events in the Hotel du Nord
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1938
- Director Marcel Carné
- Cast Annabella, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Louis Jouvet, Arletty, Paulette Dubost, Andrex
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Les Misérables
An epic tale of the life of a French prisoner set against the backdrop of the June 1832 Rebellion
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States, France • 2012
- Director Tom Hooper
- Cast Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Children of Paradise
(Les Enfants du Paradis)
This French masterpiece centers around the theatrical life of a courtesan and the four men who love her.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1945
- Director Marcel Carné
- Cast Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, María Casares, Marcel Herrand, Louis Salou
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, IndieFlix, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Plex Channel
Girlhood
(Bande de filles)
A girl with few real prospects joins a gang, reinventing herself and gaining a sense of self confidence in the process.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2014
- Director Céline Sciamma
- Cast Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Rabah Nait Oufella
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
Spotlight: Best Films of 2021
As we head into the final days of 2021, another challenging year for filmmakers and film viewers alike, we are pleased to present twelve of the best international films of the year that are currently available for streaming.
Beginning
(Დასაწყისი)
Yana is the wife of a Jehovah’s Witness who begins to question her faith — with dramatic and devastating results.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Georgia • 2020
- Director Dea Kulumbegashvili
- Cast Ia Sukhitashvili, Rati Oneli, Kakha Kintsurashvili, Saba Gogichaishvil, Giorgi Tsereteli, Ia Kokiashvili
- Genre Drama
- Available on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Fandango At Home
The Velvet Underground
An exploration of the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States • 2021
- Director Todd Haynes
- Cast John Cale, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison
- Genre Documentary, Music
- Available on Apple TV Plus
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, AMC on Demand, Kanopy
Belfast
A young boy grows up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles of the late 1960s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2021
- Director Kenneth Branagh
- Cast Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Lara McDonnell
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, FlixFling, AMC on Demand, Freevee
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
(偶然と想像)
Three women deal with the problems of modern relationships in this anthology of unique stories.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2021
- Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- Cast Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
The Power of the Dog
In Montana, in 1925, a rancher responds with cruelty when his brother brings home a new wife and her son.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Australia, United States • 2021
- Director Jane Campion
- Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Frances Conroy
- Genre Drama, Western
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Mogul Mowgli
A terminal illness threatens a British Pakistani rapper's career.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2020
- Director Bassam Tariq
- Cast Riz Ahmed, Aiysha Hart, Nabhaan Rizwan, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Anjana Vasan
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Disciple
A young man devotes his life to achieving greatness in Indian classical music, which proves difficult.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2020
- Director Chaitanya Tamhane
- Cast Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhida Bhagwat, Kiran Yadnyopavit, Abhishek Kale
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Spencer
A fictionalized account of Princess Diana's decision to leave the British royal family
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany, Chile, United Kingdom • 2021
- Director Pablo Larraín
- Cast Kristen Stewart, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall, Sean Harris, Thomas Douglas
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Kanopy
Identifying Features
(Sin señas particulares)
Magdalena sets out on an epic journey in search of her son, who disappeared en route to the US border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, Spain • 2020
- Director Fernanda Valadez
- Cast Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela
- Genre Drama
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, YouTube, Hoopla
Bergman Island
Art imitates life and life imitates art.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2021
- Director Mia Hansen-Løve
- Cast Tim Roth, Vicky Krieps, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie, Wouter Hendrickx, Gabe Klinger
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on MUBI, Hulu, Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
I'm Your Man
(Ich bin dein Mensch)
To secure funding for her work, an archeologist signs up to test a robot designed to be her perfect partner.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2021
- Director Maria Schrader
- Cast Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw, Annika Meier
- Genre Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, AMC on Demand, Kanopy, Hoopla
Spotlight: Directors: Lina Wertmuller
Provocative, outrageous, and larger-than-life, the films of this week’s spotlight comprise the early work of filmmaker Lina Wertmuller, the first woman nominated for a Best Director Oscar (for Seven Beauties). This week we offer a tribute to the Italian iconoclast’s controversial work.
The Basilisks
(I basilischi)
The uneventful lives of three young men who live in a small, poverty-stricken village in southern Italy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1963
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Stefano Satta Flores, Antonio Petruzzi, Rosanna Santoro, Sergio Ferranino, Luigi Barbieri, Flora Carabella
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Video
A Night Full of Rain
(La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia)
A communist journalist and an American liberal photographer try to cohabit with their different perspectives of love and life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, Canada • 1978
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Candice Bergen, Michael Tucker, Mario Scarpetta, Lucio Amelio, Massimo Wertmüller
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Hoopla
Love and Anarchy
(d'amore e d'anarchia)
A melancholy farmer takes up residence in a Roman brothel as he and an anarchist prostitute plot to assassinate Mussolini.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1973
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Lina Polito, Eros Pagni, Pina Cei, Elena Fiore
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Seven Beauties
(Pasqualino Settebellezze)
To survive, an Italian thief submits to the female commandant of a Nazi prison camp.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1975
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, Shirley Stoler, Elena Fiore, Roberto Herlitzka, Piero Di Iorio
- Genre Comedy, Drama, War
- Available on Criterion Channel, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
The Seduction of Mimi
(Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore)
Mimi, forced to leave his family in Sicily, finds a job in a factory in Turin, where he gets involved in an extramarital affair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1972
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Agostina Belli, Livia Giampalmo, Luigi Diberti, Turi Ferro
- Genre Comedy
- Available on OVID, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
Behind the White Glasses
(Dietro gli occhiali bianchi)
A deep dive into the life of the first woman nominated for the Best Director Oscar.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2015
- Director Valerio Ruiz
- Cast Lina Wertmüller, Massimo Wertmüller, Martin Scorsese, Sophia Loren, Harvey Keitel, Rutger Hauer
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
The Belle Starr Story
(Il mio corpo per un poker)
The story of a woman in the West
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1968
- Director Lina Wertmüller, Piero Cristofani
- Cast Elsa Martinelli, George Eastman, Robert Woods, Francesca Righini, Bruno Piergentili, Bruno Corazzari
- Genre Western
- Available on FlixFling, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Swept Away
(Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto)
A spoiled rich woman and a brutish Communist deckhand become stranded on a desert island.
- ✭
- Italy • 1974
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Mariangela Melato, Giancarlo Giannini, Riccardo Salvino, Isa Danieli, Aldo Puglisi, Eros Pagni
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on OVID, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
Ferdinando and Carolina
(Ferdinando e Carolina)
A lusty Italian ruler must marry, and an Austrian empress has her daughter ready to become his wife.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1999
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Sergio Assisi, Gabriella Pession, Nicole Grimaudo, Adriano Pantaleo, Lola Pagnani, Carlo Caprioli
- Genre Comedy, Drama, History, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Summer Night with Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and Scent of Basil
(Notte d'estate con profilo greco, occhi a mandorla e odore di basilico)
A charming billionaire kidnaps a criminal and locks him up in her private villa in Sardinia.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1986
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Mariangela Melato, Michele Placido, Roberto Herlitzka, John Steiner, Arnaldo Ninchi
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
Blood Feud
(Fatto di sangue fra due uomini per causa di una vedova. Si sospettano moventi politici)
A recent widow is romanced by both an attorney and a local crook.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, United Kingdom • 1978
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Giancarlo Giannini, Turi Ferro, Mario Scarpetta, Antonella Murgia
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Amazon Video, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, Plex, Plex Channel
All Screwed Up
(Tutto a posto e niente in ordine)
A multitude of immigrants, struggling to survive in Milan, rent an apartment and face the reality of everyday life in the metropoly.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1974
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Luigi Diberti, Lina Polito, Sara Rapisarda, Giuliana Calandra, Isa Danieli, Cesare Gelli
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Spotlight: Directors: Yasujiro Ozu
Honoring the anniversary of both his birth and his death on December 12th, this week’s spotlight is a curation of the filmography of Yasujiro Ozu that highlights not only his famed melodramas but also his delightful comedies and thrilling yakuza films.
There Was a Father
(父ありき)
Widower and father Shuhei Horikawa grapples with raising his son amidst financial strife and personal failings of honor.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1942
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Shûji Sano, Haruhiko Tsuda, Shin Saburi, Takeshi Sakamoto, Mitsuko Mito
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Plex, Plex Channel
I Was Born, But...
(大人の見る繪本 生れてはみたけれど)
In moving to a new town, two young brothers come of age when faced with new social and class struggles.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1932
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Tomio Aoki, Tatsuo Saitô, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Hideo Sugawara, Takeshi Sakamoto, Teruyo Hayami
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Good Morning
(お早よう)
Two young boys stop speaking in protest when their parents refuse to buy a television set.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1959
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Keiji Sada, Yoshiko Kuga, Chishū Ryū, Kuniko Miyake, Haruko Sugimura, Kôji Shitara
- Genre Comedy, Family, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
Floating Weeds
(浮草)
Members of a traveling theater troupe meddle in the personal life of the troupe's leader.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1959
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Ganjiro Nakamura, Machiko Kyō, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Ayako Wakao, Haruko Sugimura, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
An Autumn Afternoon
(秋刀魚の味)
An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1962
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Teruo Yoshida, Noriko Maki
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
The End of Summer
(小早川家の秋)
The Kohayakawa family is thrown into distress when childlike father Manbei takes up with his old mistress.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1961
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Ganjiro Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Yôko Tsukasa, Michiyo Aratama, Keiju Kobayashi, Masahiko Shimazu
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kanopy, Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel
Early Summer
(麦秋)
28-year-old Noriko's parents pressure her to marry in postwar Japan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1951
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Setsuko Hara, Chishū Ryū, Chikage Awashima, Kuniko Miyake, Ichirô Sugai, Chieko Higashiyama
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV
The Only Son
(一人息子)
A poor factory worker finds even her son's college degree doesn't make a difference in Depression era Japan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1936
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chôko Iida, Shinichi Himori, Masao Hayama, Yoshiko Tsubouchi, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Plex, Plex Channel
Late Spring
(晩春)
Widower Shukichi feels obligated to marry off his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1949
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura, Hohi Aoki, Jun Usami
- Genre Drama
- Available on Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
Dragnet Girl
(非常線の女)
In this silent gangster film, a career criminal is drawn to a sweet, strait-laced girl much to the ire of his longtime moll.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1933
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Kinuyo Tanaka, Joji Oka, Sumiko Mizukubo, Kōji Mitsui, Yumeko Aizome, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Crime, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Plex, Plex Channel
Tokyo Story
(東京物語)
Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, journey to visit their adult children in Tokyo.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1953
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, Sō Yamamura, Kuniko Miyake
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Early Spring
(早春)
A young salary man and his wife struggle within the confines of their passionless relationship while he has an extramarital affair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1956
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chikage Awashima, Takako Fujino, Ryô Ikebe, Daisuke Katô, Keiko Kishi, Kuniko Miyake
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
Spotlight: Time Travel
Limited by our linear experience of time, we cannot foresee the future or rewrite the past. In our finite lifetimes, there are people whose paths we'll cross, and there are those we'll never know -- but with our imagination, the possibilities are endless. These time travel films take the imagined and make it real.
Predestination
To save the future, he must reshape the past.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 2014
- Director Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
- Cast Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby, Madeleine West, Jim Knobeloch
- Genre Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Fandango At Home, AMC on Demand
Russian Ark
(Русский ковчег)
2000 cast members, 3 orchestras, 33 rooms, 300 years. All in one take.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Russia, Germany, Japan • 2002
- Director Aleksandr Sokurov
- Cast Sergei Dreiden, Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, Maksim Sergeev, Vladimir Baranov, Kirill Miller
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, History, Mystery
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime
(Je t'aime, je t'aime)
A malfunctioning time machine traps a man in his painful past.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1968
- Director Alain Resnais
- Cast Claude Rich, Olga Georges-Picot, Anouk Ferjac, Van Doude, Claire Duhamel, Bernard Fresson
- Genre Drama, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
La Jetée
The story of a post-nuclear war experiment with time travel, constructed almost entirely from still photos.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1962
- Director Chris Marker
- Cast Jean Négroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich, Jacques Ledoux, André Heinrich, Jacques Branchu
- Genre Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Mirai
(未来のミライ)
A young boy meets his sister from the future.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2018
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki, Gen Hoshino, Kumiko Aso, Mitsuo Yoshihara, Yoshiko Miyazaki
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Not the End
(Sin fin)
A man travels back in time in a desperate effort to make his depressed lover happy once again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2018
- Director José Esteban Alenda, César Esteban Alenda
- Cast Javier Rey, María León, Juan Carlos Sánchez, Mari Paz Sayago, Paco Ochoa, Roberto Campillo
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Midnight in Paris
A young couple is forced to confront the idea that a life different from their own might be better.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, United States, France • 2011
- Director Woody Allen
- Cast Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda
- Genre Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
About Time
A man uses his newfound time travel ability to win over the girl of his dreams.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2013
- Director Richard Curtis
- Cast Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Kaili Blues
(路边野餐)
In search of his brother's abandoned son, a doctor encounters a mysterious town of dreams and memories.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- China • 2016
- Director Bi Gan
- Cast Chen Yongzhong, Guo Yue, Linyan Liu, Feiyang Luo, Lixun Xie
- Genre Drama, Mystery
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Fandor
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
(時をかける少女)
A teenage girl finds out she can travel through time and, after some missteps, must make things right again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Run Lola Run
(Lola rennt)
Every second of every day, you're faced with a decision that can change your life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 1998
- Director Tom Tykwer
- Cast Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rohde, Joachim Król
- Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Timecrimes
(Los cronocrímenes)
After accidentally traveling back in time, Hector must stop a murder before it happens.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2007
- Director Nacho Vigalondo
- Cast Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo, Juan Inciarte, Libby Brien
- Genre Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Crackle, Tubi TV, VUDU Free, DistroTV, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel