Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
We’re not quite there yet, but the fall movie season is almost here, and with it comes the influx of quality movies meant to take the awards-season race by storm. But the truth is, good movies are released all year ’round. You just have to know where to look for them. Even in a year when summer blockbusters have disappointed in almost every instance, there have been some real gems. And many of them are already available to stream. Check out the top 10 movies of 2016 that are available to stream right now, and get yourself all caught up in time for the fall.
'Everybody Wants Some!!'
Director: Richard Linklater
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video and iTunes
Everybody Wants Some!! is Linklater at his loosest and most fun. It’s hard not to enjoy it on SOME level, be it wholly superficial (those boys in baseball pants) or nostalgic.
Award Prospects? It’s the longest of long shots, especially since it flatlined at the box-office. Maybe if it can become a streaming hit …
'Eye in the Sky'
Director: Gavin Hood
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video and iTunes
Helen Mirren stars as a British military colonel tasked with a drone strike to take out some high-value terrorists. What proceeds is a tense, minute-by-minute account of the decisions, compromises, posturing, and humanity that goes into just one military decision. It’s a movie with a lot on its mind.
Award Prospects? Doubtful, despite its decent indie box-office numbers.
'Hail Caesar!'
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video
It’s probably not going to be remembered as one of the Coens’ major entries into their canon, but Hail Caesar! is a hell of a good time, a love letter to Hollywood that counts among some of the more open-hearted filmmaking they’ve ever done, and boasts some truly great performances.
Award Prospects? You’re going to see Alden Ehrenreich’s name pop up on a lot of “who should be nominated” lists at the end of the year, but it’d be too good to actually happen.
'Hello, My Name Is Doris'
Director: Michael Showalter
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video
Sally Field gives a wonderful, lightly comedic performance in Hello, My Name Is Doris that fits well with the movie’s unexpectedly generous humanity. And it’s surprisingly fun to watch Field try to fit in with a bunch of Williamsburg hipsters.
Award Prospects? Sally Field could see some daylight in the Golden Globe comedy categories. After that … well, Oscars voters have always liked her.
'The Invitation'
Director: Karyn Kusama
Where’s It Streaming? Netflix
The scariest, most suspenseful movie of the year — and a great comeback story for Kusama (Girlfight; Jennifer’s Body) — The Invitation poses a simple and relatable scenario: your friends appear to have falled for some kind of culty spiritualism fad, and now they want to talk to you about it. And they’ve literally locked the door. From there, the relatable becomes the terrifying, and it’s all balanced on an incredibly tense wire.
Award Prospects? Not that kind of movie, unfortunately.
'The Lobster'
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video
A truly unique comedy and sneaky smart social commentary, The Lobster is scratching an itch that no other movie is approaching this year. Colin Farrell plays a single man who must find a mate in 30 days or else be turned into an animal, as has become the law in the horrible near future.
Award Prospects? Farrell won a Golden Globe back in 2008 for In Bruges. Depending on how strong the field is this year, I wouldn’t be shocked to see that happen again.
'Sing Street'
Director: John Carney
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video and iTunes
Carney once again manages to put together a movie that captures the joys of making music. Sing Street tells the appealing story of a group of Catholic-school kids making New Wave music in the ’80s, and it’s one of the most purely likeable movies of the year.
Award Prospects? In a just world, Sing Street would have a spot waiting for it in Best Original Song. A smart campaign could do it.
'Tallulah'
Director: Sian Heder
Where’s It Streaming? Netflix
A great showcase for Allison Janney, Ellen Page, and Tammy Blanchard — not to mention for writer/director Heder — Tallulah takes its Lifetime-movie premise and imbues it with a heck of a lot of feeling.
Award Prospects? If there’s any justice, someone will put a campaign together for Janney.
'The Witch'
Director: Robert Eggers
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video
The second-scariest and most suspenseful movie of the year. The Witch blends New England Puritan fears of the devil (and sexuality; and children; and goats) with a kind of “stare at the woods until the woods stare back” filmmaking patience that can honestly drive you mad. Dare to live deliciously.
Award Prospects? It’s almost sure to get some kind of Indie Spirits love.
'Zootopia'
Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Where’s It Streaming? Amazon Video and iTunes
With Pixar scoring huge with a sequel to Finding Dory, Zootopia managed to be a huge hit on its own accord with an original story. And one which had way more to say about things like diversity and racial profiling than you’d have ever expected. It’s funny and heartwarming in a way that should be standard for animated movies but increasingly isn’t.
Award Prospects? It’s almost certainly going to be nominated for Best Animated Feature, where it’ll face stiff competition from Dory as well as (probably) Disney’s Moana.
