Some of the best movies to watch right now are ones you can watch in the comfort of your own home and I’ve got eight of the best on tap for you. This post includes two recent summer hits, blockbusters from years past, classics that demand a rewatch, a couple of movies that are perfect for the Halloween season and one for those of you that are already feeling the Christmas spirit. So grab your remote and your spot on the sofa and pick your favorite platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Peacock, Starz and Paramount+; from there I’ve you covered with films like these.
Django Unchained (2012) – Starz
Django Unchained is classic Quentin Tarantino with its blend of sharp dialogue, dark comical undertones, and an all-star cast that makes every scene a standout. Tarantino’s admiration for 1960s spaghetti Westerns can be heard in the Ennio Morricone inspired score which adds unparalleled style to all of the bloodshed. Christoph Waltz is the perfect complement to Jamie Foxx’s Django, and the film really shines when the two are allowed to toy with the comically stupid slave owners.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 9.2/10
Stand by Me (1986) – Netflix
Truly the film that defined a generation or at least that’s how it seemed to me as a kid watching Stand by Me for the first time. Between childhood and death, lies aching nostalgia and no movie has ever captured that better than the lost boys looking for a body but finding a whole lot more in this Stephen King masterpiece. The sleeper hit of 1986, Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age drama is poignant, astute, thrilling and emotional and it all works because it is all at the same time so personal. Notable here is the standout performance from the late River Phoenix.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.8/10
Ghostbusters (1984) – Starz
The question of the Summer of 1984; who you gonna call? The answer of course, was Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, who were saving New York City from the ghosts and ghoulies with their wisecracking and wonderful contraptions. Interesting fact, a studio boss who saw an early version of the film was in fear for his career, but audiences were enamored the moment our heroes hit the screen on the hunt for a ghost in the New York City Public Library. Ghostbusters is one of the most fun, exciting and entertaining blockbusters ever created.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.5/10
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) – Max
Everything Everywhere All at Once was one of my favorite films of 2022 and I’ve talked about it many times on this site. So taking a different approach this time, I want to talk about one of the movie’s standout scenes and taking a cue from others we’re going to call it the Fanny-Pack Brawl. The scene takes place about a half hour into the film and it’s at that point everything changes. What at one point was a little quiet drama about an Asian American laundromat owner trying to get her taxes done, suddenly morphs into a full blown Hong Kong style action spectacular. Ke Huy Quan, in his first movie role in decades, plays quiet dad Waymond. In the scene he chows down on some lip balm, ‘verse-jumps’ his brain into the multiverse, and proceeds to kick some serious butt, while being armed with a single fanny-pack. It’s a scene that has to be seen to believe. So what are you waiting for? Give it a watch!
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.5/10
Love Actually (2003) – Starz
Certainly Love Actually is best watched a little closer to the holiday season, but if you’re hankering to get the holidays rolling, you could do a lot worse than this beloved movie. This sprawling ensemble is writer and director Richard Curtis’ masterpiece. Among the many storylines, you will find at least one that will speak to you. Your choices include, but are not limited to the porn star stand-ins finding a tentative and awkward sort of romance, Colin Firth’s fumbling attempts to woo a woman with whom he doesn’t share a common language, Laura Linney’s devotion to her brother, and Emma Thompson’s quiet heartbreak. Altogether, Love Actually is so good because it is a thoughtful and entertaining look at relationships.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.3/10
Beetlejuice (1988) – Max
With the newly arrived sequel in theaters, whether watching it for the first time or getting a refresher, you should add this 1988 classic to your cue. Beetlejuice was Tim Burton’s second film and the one that launched him into cult-classic stratosphere. Fans of the film may find it interesting to note that Sammy Davis Jr. was almost cast as the ghost with the most, who is hired by the newly dead couple to rid their house of living yuppies. It was David Geffen who suggested Michael Keaton, who would erupt from the screen like hot lava as the panda-eyed bio-exorcist Betelgeuse. Combined with Burton’s riotous visuals, an amazing soundtrack and Keaton’s energy the afterlife portrayed here is a deathless blast.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.2/10
The Fall Guy (2024) – Peacock
The Fall Guy kicked off the Summer blockbuster season this year. Whether you missed it in theaters or just enjoyed as much as I did, you can catch it on Peacock now. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in the film directed by former stuntman, David Leitch. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a down-and-almost-out stuntman who must find the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s blockbuster film. As it goes in the stunt business, he gets blown up, shot, crashed through windows and falls from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. You will be amused to watch Gosling as he attempts to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and try to win back the love of his life; all while still doing his day job.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 7.6/10
IF (2024) – MGM+ and Paramount +
IF is that perfect film for family movie night. The film answers the question we’ve all been asking… What happens to imaginary friends when the kids that dream them leave them behind? Imaginary friends are known for being there to guide kids through some of the most difficult times in their young lives. But once those times are over, those imaginary friends are often discarded, having no one to turn to. IF is a world where the imaginations of children are real, and one girl begins to hear and see them all. She, along with Ryan Reynolds’ character, will attempt at matchmaking these IF’s with new kids, in an effort to keep them alive.
A Cute Film Addictive Rating 7.2/10
