Yeah, it’s summer vacation and all, but we’ve got some homework for you cinephiles.
The best part: You don’t even have to go anywhere! Sure, you could hit up a local movie theater and check out Harrison Ford’s final “Indiana Jones” adventure or venture into the “Spider-Verse” with your fellow Spider-Man fans, but streaming services have all sorts of great options if you want to beat the heat but would prefer not to leave the couch.
Here are 15 movies we’ve thoroughly enjoyed this year that you can stream right now on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Peacock, Hulu, Paramount+, Disney+ and Apple TV+.
‘Air’
Ben Affleck has one of his best directorial efforts yet with this 1984-set drama, based on Nike’s real-life pursuit of an endorsement deal with Michael Jordan. A top-notch Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the basketball scout who sees something special in the young NBA rookie-to-be, but to steal him from Adidas, Sonny has to pull out all the stops – and most importantly, impress Jordan’s mother, Deloris (an outstanding Viola Davis).
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’
Die-hard fans of the 2018 hit “Book Club” will want to check out the next adventure when best friends Vivian (Jane Fonda), Carol (Mary Steenburgen), Diane (Diane Keaton) and Sharon (Candice Bergen) go international. A long-planned vacation to escape for the old pals turns into a bachelorette trip for Vivian when she gets engaged to Arthur (Don Johnson). Bonding moments, the reappearance of an old flame and high jinks ensue, from a car breakdown on the way to Tuscany to getting tossed in jail.
Where to watch:Peacock
‘Chevalier’
Those who adored “Amadeus” back in the day will live for this well-crafted classical music biopic about a relatively forgotten 18th-century Black composer/violin virtuoso. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is confident and charismatic as Joseph Bologne, a French musician who is pals with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and gets a crack at leading the national opera but faces troubles because of his skin color and a coming revolution.
Where to watch:Hulu
‘Creed III’
Michael B. Jordan finally has this two-fisted universe all to himself in the latest entry, where his former champ Adonis Creed is enjoying retirement when childhood friend Dame (Jonathan Majors) shows up after finishing a two-decade jail sentence and wants help in getting a title shot. Dame’s underdog story takes a dark turn and frenemies battle it out in a well-crafted film that uses anime influence for its ring brawls.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Ranked:The 10 best movies of 2023 so far (from ‘Spider-Verse’ to ‘John Wick 4’)
‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’
The action-adventure departs from other serious fantasy films and delivers something genuinely joyous and funny. A thieving bard (Chris Pine) and his barbarian BFF (Michelle Rodriguez) round up a posse to find a magical artifact and save a kid in a quest that involves jailbreaks, shape shifters, nifty monsters, bad girl wizards, lonesome skeleton soldiers and, yes, a few dragons.
Where to watch: Paramount+
‘Evil Dead Rise’
Get ready to never look at a cheese grater the same way again. The latest delightfully demented “Evil Dead” film centers on an LA family and teenage curiosity that unlocks the Book of the Dead and unleashes dark demonic forces once again. Alyssa Sutherland’s possessed, tormenting mom is a phenomenally nasty piece of work, and the jaw-droppingly gory, endlessly bloody finale is a joy to behold.
Where to watch:Max
‘Extraction 2’
Chris Hemsworth returns as Australian black ops mercenary Tyler Rake, who somehow made it out alive after the deadly first “Extraction.” After a recovery period, he’s sent back on another more personal mission: to rescue the wife and kids of a powerful Georgian gangster from the prison where they’re being held captive along with their bad-guy dad. It’s a sequel that improves on the emotional stakes and explosive situations of the original, including an unreal 21-minute, one-take scene that action lovers will adore.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Flamin’ Hot’
Something’s in the Dasani water because it’s a period of brand biopics, with everything from Nike to BlackBerry to Nintendo getting the movie treatment. The latest is a real snack attack: Director Eva Longoria’s dramedy centers on Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a Frito-Lay janitor in California who saw a way to connect with his underserved Mexican American community via a spicy treat that ultimately became Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Sure, the true story is a bit complicated, yet the film itself is feel-good fare with a magnetic turn from Garcia.
Where to watch: Disney+, Hulu
‘The Mother’
In case you forgot, Jennifer Lopez isn’t just a rom-com queen, and director Niki Caro (“Mulan”) utilizes her action-movie intensity in this solid, bullet-riddled thriller. Lopez plays a former military sniper and black-ops assassin who gave up her newborn daughter years ago and went into hiding in Alaska to protect the kid. Twelve years later, the mom is forced back into action when her two dangerous ex-lovers (Joseph Fiennes and Gael García Bernal) reemerge as threats to their safety.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Nimona’
Based on the ND Stevenson graphic novel, this lively and refreshing family fantasy stars Riz Ahmed as Ballister Boldheart, a knight in a futuristic medieval world who’s framed for murdering the queen. To prove his innocence, Ballister teams with mercurial Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might be the same creature the kingdom’s knights have been trained to destroy. It’s an inclusive and thoughtful piece about friendship and honor with engaging queer characters that’s also a heck of a lot of fun.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Renfield’
Channeling Bela Lugosi, Nicolas Cage chews all the scenery he can with some impressive fangs. But this movie (when it’s working) is way more about Drac’s put-upon servant Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who befriends a dogged New Orleans cop (Awkwafina), runs afoul of drug dealers and more importantly realizes his codependent working relationship isn’t working anymore. It’s a bit of a gory mess, but Cage and Hoult keep it watchable.
Where to watch: Peacock
‘Rye Lane’
Raine Allen-Miller’s endearing film begins with the opposite of a meet-cute: Dom (David Jonsson) is crying over his ex in a unisex bathroom when he runs into carefree Yas (Vivian Oparah). That awkward encounter sparks a memorable jaunt through London involving a karaoke bar, a lunch comeuppance, some breaking-and-entering and revealing convos in a rom-com that freshens the genre while paying tribute to its past.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’
The DC movie universe is preparing for a reset, but don’t skip another fun-filled tale in a more lighthearted corner of its comic book world. Billy Batson has the power to transform from teenage boy (Asher Angel) to swole hero (Zachary Levi), which he shares with his foster brothers and sisters. But a trio of goddesses (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) shows up wanting to take those abilities and enslave mankind.
Where to watch: Max
‘Shooting Stars’
Since he’s still playing, LeBron James is some years off from a “This is your life” biopic, but it probably won’t be as solid and focused as this coming-of-age drama, which widens the spotlight from the hoops star to his tight-knit group of childhood friends. After playing on the same youth team for years, LeBron (Mookie Cook) and his pals eschew going to their local high school so they can play together at a private academy in a sports flick that charts their path to becoming the No. 1 squad in the country.
Where to watch: Peacock
‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’
A generation of folks raised on Michael J. Fox’s seminal works – “Back to the Future,” “Teen Wolf,” “Family Ties” – will adore director Davis Guggenheim’s humorous and moving chronicle of the beloved actor’s life. From the Canadian native’s quick ascent to superstardom to dealing with his debilitating Parkinson’s disease, Fox tells stories about his most famous projects, his dive into alcoholism and the pains of everyday life, exhibiting the same comedic charm that made us fall in love for him in the first place.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Ranked:Every ‘Indiana Jones’ movie (including ‘Dial of Destiny’)
