Kneel Before VOD: July 2nd
Welcome to Kneel Before VOD! Here, we recommend the latest, highlight-worthy films now on video-on-demand. We'll help you navigate through the thousands of options out there, on dozens of services, to the best in streaming this month!
The Beach Bum (2019)
Rejoice! The best movie of 2019 is now available to rent/own on all major streaming platforms. The latest from cult director Harmony Korine takes a nihilistic look at the uncontrollable power we grant to our heroes and idols, especially white men, through the guise of a bonkers stoner comedy. Matthew McConaughey stars as a once renowned poet named Moondog who has been wasting his days away in the Florida Keys getting wasted and generally living a life of excess. A threat to his fortune finally motivates him to get out and write his next great novel taking him on a journey through unbelievable situations and encounters with out-of-this-world characters. Movies with as much to say as The Beach Bum are rarely as visually striking, side-splittingly funny, and endlessly entertaining as this.
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)
David Lowrey is quickly proving himself to be an expert at playing with my emotions in every kind of way. From the crushing power of A Ghost Story to the loving story of a kid and his dog in Pete’s Dragon to this most recent venture, which is the film equivalent of a warm blanket on a cool fall morning. This may not be the feelings you would think to be associated with a movie based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, the 70 year old man who escaped from San Quentin and went on a string of heists, but I stand by my words. The film beautifully showcases the talents of Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, and Danny Glover making it almost feel like a victory lap for them all. In a crowded 2018 this seemed to get buried on its release but thankfully you can all catch up on HBO GO/NOW!
Minority Report (2002)
The first of two collaborations between Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise, Minority Report is one of the best Philip K. Dick adaptations to date. Often seen as one of Spielberg's “lesser” projects, I’m here to tell you it's actually one of his best and one of the best science fiction films of the modern age. Taking the idea of “pre-crime” and realizing it in a way that is so accurate it's sometimes terrifying, the future Spielberg creates in this movie reflects our modern society in more ways than you can count. They tapped into the direction we as a society were heading and realized it in ways that are almost unbelievable. From motion controlled displays, to self driving cars, to targeted advertising, you'll be amazed with how much they got right. It seems silly to call anything from Spielberg “under-appreciated” but this is about as close to that as you can get. Hopefully this movie becomes the subject of re-evaluation now that it’s streaming.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
This week you guys get four picks because let's be real, there is no way I was getting out of this without gushing about the best movie of 2018. Into the Spider-Verse is not only the best film of last year, it's one of the best of the 21st century and if you've been holding out now is the time to catch up. I've always felt animation was the medium for superhero stories but in my wildest dreams I couldn’t imagine a version of that where they did the things done here. This movie is a marvel of animation that is totally going to revolutionize the industry the way Pixar did when they jumped onto the scene with Toy Story. The blending of different styles and techniques makes every scene, every frame a work of art and it being paired with one of the best, and most inclusive stories we've seen in a comic book movie to date this is truly a special movie. Personally I recommend anyone who’s able to, go get the 4K disc because it look incredible, but for everyone else Netflix will do just fine.
More streaming picks:
Netflix: Cop Car (2015)
Hulu: King Kong (2005)
Amazon: Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
