10 of the best movies to check out right now across the digital platforms

We are currently going through a period where there is a lot more time on our hands to get hold of that remote control and seek out those movies we maybe haven’t been able to during normal working weeks. In this article, we take a look at ten of the best movies to devour across the main streaming platforms and on-demand digital services.

Light Of My Life

We start off with a bit of a hidden gem that is currently available to stream over on Amazon Prime Video. Light Of My Life may hit a little close to home at the moment due to its subject matter but it features an amazing central performance by Casey Affleck as an unnamed father and an equally effective turn by Anna Pniowsky as his character’s child, Rag. Set in a world during a pandemic where half of the world’s population has been wiped out, the father must protect his offspring no matter what the cost.

American Woman

Sienna Miller is remarkable in American Woman, a little-seen though exceptional drama about a woman who must take care of her young grandson after her teenage daughter goes missing. There’s huge depth to the narrative and features wonderful performances from the likes of Christina Hendricks and Aaron Paul. Jake Scott directs. It is now available on the Sky Cinema platform for your viewing pleasure and we suggest you check it out at your earliest opportunity as it is one of the best dramas we’ve seen in ages.

Upgrade

From one of the filmmakers that created the legendary Saw franchise comes Upgrade, a sci-fi-horror-action hybrid that is one of the most original features we’ve seen for a good while. Leigh Whannell is the talented filmmaker behind the camera, writing and directing his second feature (following Insidious: Chapter 3). On one horrific night, mechanic Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), is attacked in a seemingly random act where his wife is tragically killed. Himself paralysed from the event, Trace is given the opportunity to use special technology to give him back the use of his limbs, which he uses to wreak revenge on the people that destroyed his life. The film can be seen on Sky Cinema where available.

The Invisible Man

While we are on the subject of Leigh Whannell, here’s his latest vision, coming to on-demand digital services from Universal earlier than expected following a very successful cinema run in February. The Invisible Man is an update of the legendary ‘monsters’ story. Elisabeth Moss is Cecilia Kass, a  woman who has gone through a hard break-up with a man who commits suicide just days after she finally leaves him. When strange occurrences start to happen, Cecilia starts to whether her former partner is dead as she begins to be hunted by a figure that nobody can see. Universal has made the film available on most on-demand stores.

Casino Royale

“I’m sorry. That last hand… nearly killed me”, said James Bond in this legendary James Bond film and won the game in perhaps the film’s most notable scene. The action takes place in Montenegro casino, where Le Chiffre, the banker of the world’s leading terrorist organisation should win Texas Hold’em game. Bond’s mission was to prevent the dastardly villain Le Chiffre from winning the game and escape, which, if you’ve seen the film, he succeeds in doing. Casino Royale is the 21st official film in the James Bond series, the first of the Daniel Craig tenure is also his best (so far) and it was so good to see 007 back in a casino – a live one- and not one where he doesn’t resort to online slots, video poker or other such gaming by visiting an Australian casino online which is what a lot of players do in the modern. The big news is that all of the Bond movies are coming to Amazon Prime Video in May – but not in the UK where they can be seen on-demand services one-by-one instead.

Apollo 11

If documentaries are your thing then Apollo 11 on Netflix is an absolute must. Featuring no voice-over, talking heads, or any recreated scenes, this film takes you through the build-up to the Apollo mission, during the moon landings themselves and briefly, the return to Earth from the thrilling 1969 event. Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landings in 2019, the film is best seen on the biggest screen possible and with the best sound system as it really does utilise every sense to re-stage such a significant event of our time. Unmissable.

Uncorked

Also on Netflix is Uncorked, a new original movie starring Mamoudou Athie and the superb Courtney B. Vance. Athie stars as a young man named Elijah who is expected to take over the family BBQ restaurant business full-time when his parents retire. However, Elijah wants his future to be different and has aspirations to become a master sommelier. Superbly told, utterly heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film carries a message to fulfill one’s dreams but also to realise that they are nothing without family.

Brightburn

Returning to the Sky Cinema platform now and the James Gunn-produced Brightburn, a gripping 90-minute horror film about a young boy who falls to Earth and who is adopted by a small-town family who are unable to have children. Elizabeth Banks plays the mother, Tori Brewer, while David Denman is the father, Kyle. As the child grows up, it seems that rather than using his special powers to do good, he looks to the dark side to something far more sinister.

Terminator: Dark Fate

Available to rent or buy on most platforms, Terminator: Dark Fate is the sixth film in the famous sci-fi action franchise. Although the film didn’t exactly set the world on fire in terms of box-office receipts last year, it is actually pretty decent. James Cameron returns to the franchise for the first time since Terminator 2, and this film is a direct follow-on from the events of that film. Following a gripping and indeed shocking opening, the story revolves around a young girl whose future is critical to the survival of mankind. Sent back in time from the future to stop an unrelenting assassin is a human-machine hybrid, but also helping to protect the girl is Sarah Connor herself, Linda Hamilton. Arnold Schwarzenegger also returns while Tim Miller (Deadpool) directs.

The Report

Turning back to Amazon Prime Video and The Report, an absorbing real-life drama from Scott Z. Burns about Daniel J. Jones, a Senate staff member who is tasked to lead an investigation into the CIA’s post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program. Featuring a wonderful turn by Adam Driver as Jones, as well as a fantastic screenplay by Burns (who also wrote the likes of Contagion and The Bourne Ultimatum, should top your lists if you’re searching for some top-drawer, involving drama full of exceptional performances from its central cast.