Movies and Shows To Stream While Quarantined (Part 6)

The Usual Suspects (Amazon Prime Video)

I vividly remember the first time I saw this movie's twist ending. I shot out of my seat so fast I threw my Pizza Hut Cinnamon Sticks at the wall (I'm kidding those are delicious, I would never). I sat there thinking how I had been bamboozled the entire time.

This criminal-mystery thriller draws you in as Kevin Spacey begins to recount how a group of random criminals got involved in a shootout in the docks. It holds your attention with clever storytelling, Oscar-winning dialogue, and a single line that will stay in your head long after the credits roll.

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world he didn't exist." That quote had me staring at my ceiling.

Manchester By The Sea (Amazon Prime Video)

Hey there, are you depressed? Feeling down? Upset at life? Get ready to amplify those feelings with this depressing, but beautifully-made movie that deals with the persistence of grief better than any film I have ever seen.

Casey Affleck shines in this Oscar-winning performance as a depressed Boston man who must take care of his newly-orphaned nephew all while dealing with his own past tragedy. Very rarely do I find myself watching a movie that so perfectly mixes love, anger, vulnerability, and brittle humor so well.

7500 (Amazon Prime Video)

Ever think that being an airline pilot is a walk through a fresh meadow? Prepare to feel like a dick, because this movie makes you really appreciate what these pilots have to go through. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (however you say his name, you know you say it wrong every time) shines as young co-pilot who must handle a hijacking on his plane. This film offers an interesting take on hijacking by showing the entire movie through the perspective of the pilots in the cockpit.

You will legitimately not be able to breathe because this movie goes by real-time over the course of a hijacking-in-progress, giving us a fascinating and horrific look into the protocol and responsibilities of airline pilots when dealing with terrorists.

Knives Out (Amazon Prime Video)

This movie was arguably my favorite of 2020. Not just because it had little to no competition, but also because it's just a damn good movie. It's a classic who-done-it with several interesting twists, an all-star cast, and clever dialogue that delivers on most every level. It's a funny, intense, and suspenseful film that has more layers to it than you'd expect from a rehash of Clue.

Million Dollar Baby (Netflix)

This film didn't win the Oscar for best picture, best director, and best leading actress for nothing. Clint Eastwood directs and co-stars in a boxing movie that's jam-packed with raw emotion. Hillary Swank stars as Maggie, a Missouri waitress who seeks Eastwood's Frankie, an underappreciated trainer, for help in becoming a professional boxer.

Morgan Freeman won an Oscar for best supporting actor as well, so this movie should truly prove to you that Clint Eastwood is one of the greatest Hollywood icons who ever lived. It'll have you pumping your fists with enthusiasm and then pretending to excuse yourself to the bathroom so you can wipe your tears away.

Inside Man (Netflix)

One of Spike Lee's most underrated films, Inside Man is an extremely well-told crime thriller that takes place over one long bank heist. Clive Owen plays a calculated bank robber who seems to have mysterious motives. Denzel Washington stars as the detective tasks with negotiating, and Jodie Foster plays a sketchy broker who seems to have an different motive than everyone. It's intense, smart, and has a killer jazz soundtrack from long-time Spike Lee collaborator, Terence Blanchard.

The People vs. OJ Simpson (Netflix)

Either you lived through this event, or you've heard your parents recount it countless times, but either way you know about the OJ Simpson trial. This mini-series spans 10 expertly-crafted episodes that tell the story of what has been called the most closely-watched trial in history.

I was blown away with how well this story was told. I was especially impressed with the fact that they offered equal screentime to both the prosecution and the defense, making you go back and forth on your belief if he actually did it or not. The biggest factor I appreciated was how the media played into this whole trial. It showed how much race relations played into the verdict, and how it became a battle of defamation: finding ways to get the public to hate the opposing party. By the end, the actual crime was the last thing that mattered. Simply great storytelling.

Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)

Buckle up, because this is a long movie that has great payoff. Spike Lee offers a refreshing, original story about 5 Vietnam veterans who return years later to find the remains of their fallen captain, as well as look for the buried treasure they left behind. There is a lot to say about this movie, so I won't get into everything, but you can tell Spike Lee took this opportunity to break out every Spike-Lee-ism in his book. There is one scene in particular that I would call the most tense scene I have ever witnessed.

I also have to give a shout-out to Delroy Lindo, who will surely get (and hopefully win) the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance as a vet stricken with PTSD.

Ford v Ferrari (HBO)

This is not only my favorite racing movie, but it's in my top 3 best sports movies of all time. It tells the true story about the incredible 1966 Le Mans race in France and how Ford stuck it to the world. Ferrari laughed, LAUGHED, at the fact that an American company would even dare challenge their reputation as the world's fasted car company. Go ahead and tell America we can't do something and watch us throw as much money and manpower at it until it happens. It's truly a beautiful sight to see. This movie stars Matt Damon as the racing legend Caroll Shelby and Christian Bale as the maverick driver Ken Miles. Together, along with James Mangold's incredible directing, gives us pure movie magic.

Horrible Bosses (HBO)

I don't usually put comedies in my recommendations because everyone has a different comedic taste and preference. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that one of my favorites got put in HBO recently. This movie is one of the most slept on comedies and I re-watched it recently and almost forgot how funny it is. Give it a shot.

Silicon Valley (HBO)

Speaking of comedies, I just finished binge-watching this comedic masterpiece last night. Silicon Valley is an HBO original series that centers around a tech startup in Silicon Valley as it goes through the trials and obstacles of being a startup in what is considered the golden era of technological innovation. It's hilarious, it's smart, and it's extremely interesting as we see how the inner workings of big tech operate through the eyes of our protagonists, a small startup, and our antagonists, a giant mega-corporation akin to Google. It actually makes you wish you knew how to code.

Unbreakable (HBO)

It's been awhile since I've recommended this highly-underrated superhero movie. Most people won't even realize it's a superhero movie, but it certainly is. It stars Bruce Willis as a man who ends up being the sole survivor in a train accident that left 200 people dead. What's weirder is that he is miraculously unharmed. He slowly realizes that he has never taken a sick day and never broken a bone either. Samuel L. Jackson plays a man on the opposite end of the spectrum, Elijah Price, a guy whose bones break at the slightest fall. The movie offers an interesting take on superheros and shows how it could entirely be possible that superheros could exist and nobody, not even themselves, could realize it.