Pandemic! At the Cinema
😷 Streaming Recommendations
While the coronavirus has disrupted the lives of millions by forcing folks into voluntary or involuntary quarantine, my nightly routine of avoiding other people, ordering take-out, and watching movies hasn’t changed a bit. As a world-weary introvert and aspiring hermit, I’ve been “social distancing” for years — just ask anyone who’s ever tried to invite me to a public gathering! [rimshot]
Those of you who are new to this way of life, however, may find yourself in need of some expert advice on how best to spend 4-6 hours at home, on the couch, every night, for the foreseeable future. There are thousands upon thousands of movies and shows available on streaming services right now, but finding something truly gnarly can be challenging. So, here’s a list of some cool shit you can watch while eating take-out!
PS: Don’t forget to support your local pizza place in these troubling times. Spring for the garlic knots and the mozzarella sticks, ya cheap bastard!
THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER (2015)
Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER centers on Kat (Kiernan Shipka, MAD MEN and Netflix’s CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA) and Rose (Lucy Boynton of SING STREET), two girls who are left alone at their prep school over winter break when their parents mysteriously fail to pick them up. Kat becomes plagued by progressively intense and horrifying visions, with Rose doing her best to help her new friend as she slips further and further into the grasp of an unseen evil force.
THE BLACKCOAT’S DAUGHTER is on Netflix, and Amazon Prime. If you like this, check out Oz Perkins’ other films, I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE and GRETEL AND HANSEL.
GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR (2019)
Written and directed by Travis Stevens (producer of CHEAP THRILLS, STARRY EYES, and WE ARE STILL HERE), GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR stars former professional wrestler Phil “C.M. Punk” Brooks as failing husband Don Koch. For years, Don has skated by on charm and charisma until it nearly landed him in jail. Now, he’s fixing up an old house as a chance to make up for past mistakes. Meanwhile, his wife, Liz (Trieste Kelly Dunn), is worried about the renovation timeline as they have a baby on the way. In over his head and under pressure, it's no wonder Don responds to the flirtations of an attractive stranger (Sarah Brooks). As Don tears the house apart, it begins to tear him apart as well, revealing the rot behind the drywall.
GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR is on Netflix and Amazon Prime. If you dig it, check out COME TO DADDY and DANIEL ISN’T REAL, also available on Amazon Prime.
TRAIN TO BUSAN (2017)
TRAIN TO BUSAN is a South Korean zombie horror-thriller that follows a group of passengers on a bullet train ride during a countrywide viral outbreak. With Seoul overrun by zombies, the conductor takes the train toward Busan, where a quarantine zone has been established. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, TRAIN TO BUSAN is SNOWPIERCER meets 28 DAYS LATER — a zombie pandemic flick that delivers on everything WORLD WAR Z promised you, but couldn’t.
TRAIN TO BUSAN is on Netflix and Amazon Prime. If you’re into South Korean cinema, check out the Academy Award-winning PARASITE, THE HANDMAIDEN, and THE WAILING, also available on digital platforms.
THE INVITATION (2016)
Directed by Karyn Kusama (JENNIFER’S BODY), this psychological thriller stars Logan Marshall-Green (UPGRADE) as Will, who shows up to his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband’s (Michiel Huisman) dinner party. The former couple’s tragic past haunts an equally unsettling present: Amid Eden's suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, including John Carroll Lynch (ZODIAC, FARGO), Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda.
THE INVITATION is a simmering slow burn about people whose lives are in crisis. It’s a movie about pain, both physical and emotional, and how we attempt to dull it at all costs. Kusama’s film speaks to the value of pain and the necessity of feeling it. In dulling it, we blunt our ability to fully appreciate life. It’s fuckin’ good, y’all.
THE INVITATION is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime. If you dig it, check out Logan Marshall-Green in UPGRADE because it rules, and you deserve to see something that kicks this much ass right now.
ASSASSINATION NATION (2018)
Sam Levinson's ASSASSINATION NATION is a searingly relevant and outrageously bold piece of filmmaking about the downward spiral of American values; a re-imagining of the infamous Salem witch trials through the lens of the Snapchat generation. As the film opens, audiences are greeted with an extensive list of trigger warnings ("sexism," "toxic masculinity," "homophobia," "murder," "nationalism," "male gaze," etc.), which prefaces the nightmares that await.
A fascinating, genre-bending mix of Harmony Korine's SPRING BREAKERS, THE SCARLET LETTER, and THE PURGE series, NATION is as exploitative as it is entertaining, with dynamic performances by Odessa Young and Hari Nef (Amazon's TRANSPARENT) and powerful visuals from cinematographer Marcell Rév (WHITE GOD). A blood-splattered declaration of female empowerment with an emphatic disdain for contemporary society, ASSASSINATION NATION is an audacious movie that cannot and will not be ignored.
Nearly everyone slept on this movie a couple of years ago, but it’s only going to get more relevant as time marches on. It’s too fucking wild to go unseen, so rectify that immediately. ASSASSINATION NATION is available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Bonus Round
What’s that? You only watch streaming series? FINE!
STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN (Disney+)
TIGER KING: MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MADNESS (Netflix)
THE OUTSIDER (HBO)
THE CHEF SHOW (Netflix)
DEVS (Hulu)
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Disney+)
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (Netflix)
CHANNEL ZERO: CANDLE COVE (Shudder)
TACO CHRONICLES (Netflix)
STAR WARS: REBELS (Disney+)
🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕🥤🍕
Subscribe to POP ‘N’ PIZZA so you don’t miss an update and tell your friends!