Arts & Entertainment
15 Movies To Watch At Home This Weekend
You might not be able to get to theaters, but you can still catch up on recent flicks like "Frozen II," "The Irishman" and more.
As we try to maintain our safety and health by staying at home, going to the movie theater is not an option for the foreseeable future. This means that taking a break from the stress and enjoying a flick or two from the comfort of our couches is the next best thing — which is why we've rounded up some films that are sure to keep you and your loved ones entertained.
Looking for a flick that the whole family can enjoy? "Frozen II" and "Toy Story 4" are available for your streaming pleasure on Disney Plus.
If you're in the mood for a good crime drama, Netflix's "The Irishman" is the perfect pick. And if you're looking for a rom-com to lighten the mood, “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is also available for streaming on Netflix.
And if you're wondering about the release date of "Trolls World Tour," the film can be watched through video-on-demand services beginning April 10.
So get ready to curl up on the sofa, enjoy these flicks — and don’t forget the popcorn.
Related: What's New On Netflix: March 2020
“Trolls World Tour” (Video on Demand, April 10) — Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake; directed by Walt Dohrn and David P. Smith
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return to the “Trolls” animated franchise as a pair of unlikely friends in an enchanting universe of musical chords and harmony.
In the sequel, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake) of the Pop tribe accidentally unearth five other tribes in the Troll universe — Funk, Country, Techno, Classical and Rock. That’s music to Poppy and Branch’s ears, right?
Well, yes — that is, until the magnificent duo discovers the master plan of Rock Trolls Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) to rid all musical genres other than her beloved rock.
With time running out, Poppy and Branch must find a way to vanquish the polarizing queen.
“Blow the Man Down” (Amazon Prime) — Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe; directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy
Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s feature directorial debut tells a tale of long-simmering resentments, suspicions and fears in a small seaside town of Maine.
Featuring a female-centric cast, the black comedy stars Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe as two sibling sisters suddenly thrust into a world of chaos and confusion.
The movie opens with the level-headed Priscilla (Lowe) and the reactionary Mary Beth (Saylor), who have just buried their mother after a long illness. Feeling restless, Mary Beth goes out drinking the night of the funeral. As the evening progresses, she gets drunk and catches the eye of a creepy man.
What happens next is a grisly crime that will lead the Connolly sisters to a bag of money, a carving knife and a triumvirate of women, all linked to the tiny town’s darkest secrets.
"Frozen II" (Disney Plus) — Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel; directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
Remember the Disney blockbuster animation that made the feverishly catchy song, "Let It Go," a household name? Well, its compelling message about sisterhood, grit, courage and friendship continues in "Frozen II," bringing together the original cast members Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff for another epic adventure into the unknown.
For moviegoers who have not yet seen the 2013 original film, fear not. You will certainly catch up in no time, as the sequel includes endearing flashbacks to "Frozen," the story of sibling sisters Elsa (Menzel) and Anna (Bell), two princesses fighting to save their Nordic realm of Arendelle from an unforgiving chill.
“The Banker” (Apple TV Plus) — Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson; directed by George Nolfi
Dreams do come alive — roaring with a message of perseverance and determination — in George Nolfi’s pleasant drama about two black entrepreneurs.
Enter Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie), a 30-something who arrives in 1950s Los Angeles with his young wife, Eunice (Nia Long), and a big dream of purchasing real estate properties. There, the aspiring real estate broker encounters Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), a savvy club owner who becomes his business partner.
In due time, Bernard and Joe will concoct a nifty idea to be able to secure big business deals, which are otherwise not accessible to them in California. But first, they must hire their white friend, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult).
His role? Matt will pretend to be the head honcho of their budding business empire. Meanwhile, Bernard and Morris will oversee the operation from behind the scenes.
Will the duo’s con scheme work for everyone’s best interest in the end?
“The Invisible Man” (Video on Demand) — Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen; directed by Leigh Whannell
From Leigh Whannell, creator of the "Saw" series, comes "The Invisible Man," the latest incarnation of H.G. Wells' iconic scientist known for his invisibility, heightened narcissism and insatiable thirst to stoke fear and horror.
In the latest iteration of "The Invisible Man," Elisabeth Moss plays a married woman trapped in an abusive relationship with a wealthy, brilliant scientist (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), whose reign of terror will drive her to the brink of madness.
"Emma." (Video on Demand) — Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Nighy; directed by Autumn de Wilde
The latest film adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved comedy about misguided matchmaking in 1800s England comes to life in this punctuated film version — that is, "Emma" with a period.
Anya Taylor-Joy portrays the titular heroine Emma Woodhouse, an affluent, haughty 20-year-old woman who has a penchant for meddling in the romantic lives of people around her. In fact, she is a self-proclaimed matchmaker, ultimately arranging marriages for everyone — but herself.
Is Emma doing it to vent out her romantic frustrations? Regardless, her world is about to become more intriguing than ever.
"The Lion King" (Disney Plus) — Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor; directed by Jon Favreau
Disney's remake of the studio's Oscar-winning 1994 animated classic comes from Jon Favreau's immersive storytelling that blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photo-real computer-generated imagery. In other words, the new film is a photo-realistic drama, featuring the voices of Donald Glover as future King Simba, Beyoncé as his friend-turned-love-interest Nala, James Earl Jones as Simba's father, Mufasa, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Simba's villainous uncle Scar.
Following closely to the classic story, the Hamlet-inspired plot opens with a beat-by-beat re-creation of the original's opening sequence celebrating the birth of Simba (Glover), a little cub destined to succeed his father, Mufasa (Jones), as heir to the leonine throne of the Pride Lands. Then, the well-known narrative unfolds with a Shakespearean plot, including Simba's friendship with the "Hakuna Matata" duo (Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner).
"Marriage Story" (Netflix) — Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver; directed by Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach takes an in-depth look at divorce and its consequences in "Marriage Story," a film that chronicles the unraveling of one couple's perfect marriage under mounting irreconcilable differences.
In the film, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play Charlie and Nicole, the married couple who have grown apart. The two have been trying to iron out their marital issues; but much to Charlie's dismay, divorce papers already await when he arrives in California to see Nicole and their 8-year-old son.
And so begins their custody battle that further corrodes their marriage.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" — Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac; directed by J.J. Abrams
"The Rise of Skywalker" is indeed the last chapter in the nine-film "Star Wars" series, now dubbed as the Skywalker saga — a trilogy of three trilogies that began in 1977 with George Lucas' "Star Wars: A New Hope." Written and directed by J.J. Abrams (who directed "The Force Awakens"), this grand finale echoes universal themes of good versus evil, paying homage to the first films in the "Star Wars" canon, all set to the backdrop of John Williams' masterful score.
As Abrams' storytelling transports audiences across an action-packed adventure, the late Carrie Fisher resurfaces from archived footage as General Leia Organa, leader of the Resistance movement. Joining her in the crusade is the next generation of brave freedom fighters: scavenger-turned-Jedi-in-training Rey (Daisy Ridley), the swashbuckling Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), former First Order stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), the legendary Wookiee warrior Chewie (Joonas Suotamo) and the droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).
"The Irishman" (Netflix) — Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci; directed by Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci reunite with their "Goodfellas" director, Martin Scorsese, in the biographical crime drama about one man's long, deep introspection to reflect on his life as he nears death. That man is Frank Sheeran (De Niro), the titular "Irishman," a truck-driver-turned-mobster who becomes an enforcer for mob boss Russ Bufalino (Pesci).
Based on Charles Brandt's book, "I Heard You Painted Houses," the film adaptation chronicles Sheeran's involvement with the killing of mob boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) through a series of flashbacks within flashbacks.
In the end, the crux of the matter lies in the question: Can we see one man's humanity in the face of his despicable acts?
"Snowpiercer" (Netflix) — Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton; directed by Bong Joon-ho
One of Bong Joon-ho’s early masterpieces before his 2019 Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” the sci-fi dystopian “Snowpiercer” marked the director’s English-language debut in 2013.
Set in post-apocalyptic Ice Age, the irresistible and clever film boasts an international cast, led by Chris Evans and Jamie Bell, to illustrate Earth's remaining survivors, rich or poor, all confined to the titular futuristic train circling the globe for over 17 years.
Expect non-stop action as the passengers in the steerage become increasingly dispirited.
"The Aeronauts" (Amazon Prime) — Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne; directed by Tom Harper
Eddie Redmayne reunites with his "The Theory of Everything" co-star Felicity Jones in Tom Harper's adventure film that is loosely based on a record-setting 19th century balloon flight into the atmosphere.
It is 1862, and real-life pioneering British meteorologist James Glaisher (Redmayne) applies for a funding grant from the Royal Society to undertake his balloon expedition. He's determined to prove his theory that atmospheric conditions could predict the weather. Unfortunately, his application for funds gets declined.
Undeterred, James teams up with balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Jones) and turns the daring flight into a profitable circus act, setting in motion a myriad of death-defying stunts and unforeseen events that will change their lives forever.
“Honey Boy” (Amazon Prime) — Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges; directed by Alma Har’el
Alma Har’el brings to life a screenplay written by Shia LaBeouf, based on the actor’s turbulent childhood and young adult years.
In the film, Lucas Hedges portrays 20-something Otis Lort, a movie stunt man whose life is in a downward spiral because of his addiction to substance abuse. While spending time in rehab, the young man decides to write his life story in order to rid his personal demons.
In the process, we will learn about Otis’ life as a 12-year-old child star (Noah Jupe) struggling to navigate a stormy relationship with his alcoholic father, James Lort (Shia LaBeouf).
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (Netflix) — Lana Condor, Noah Centineo; directed by Susan Johnson
Secret love letters delight in Susan Johnson’s teen romance that is based on Jenny Han’s 2014 young-adult novel of the same name.
At the center of the story is high school junior Lara Jean whose life suddenly spins out of control when her little sister (Anna Cathcart) mails the love letters the teenager has written to all her five crushes over the years.
One after another, the boys show up to talk about her affections, setting in motion a series of events that will spark an accidental romance between Lara Jean and her crush from the seventh grade, Peter (Noah Centineo).
“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” — Lana Condor, Noah Centineo; directed by Michael Fimognari
This sequel makes it official that Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are in a romantic relationship. However, complications arise when one of Lara Jean’s old crushes re-enters her life, ultimately creating a dilemma for the young woman to face: Is it possible for her to be in love with two boys at the same time?
"Toy Story 4" (Disney Plus) — Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts; directed by Josh Cooley
Tom Hanks leads the returning cast of "Toy Story 4," the final installment of the animated comedy-adventure franchise known for its technical innovation, emotional depth, originality and vocal performances.
Picking up two years after the events of "Toy Story 3," the saga continues with cowboy Sheriff Woody (voiced by Hanks) ridden with an existential crisis. As it turns out, for the first time in his life, our hero feels obsolete and worthless. It doesn't help that his owner, 5-year-old Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw), pays more attention to cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), space ranger Buzz (Tim Allen) and googly-eyed spork Forky (Tony Hale).
What can our favorite sheriff do to get his mojo back? Well, after discovering that Forky doesn't want to be a toy, Woody makes it his mission to teach Forky the beauty and joys of being a toy.
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