Video on Demand

By Ian Floodgate

As we face another month of cinemas being temporarily closed, seeing what’s available on video on demand has become more prominent. Netflix is bringing Ben Affleck‘s sophomore film The Town to audiences this month. Affleck also stars in the film as a longtime thief who develops feelings for a former hostage while he and his fellow thieves simultaneously attempt to evade arrest from the FBI. Whether or not you are familiar with Affleck’s early work behind the camera, The Town is worth watching. This film along with his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone are excellent, gritty neo-noirs. They both display what knowledge that Affleck has of filmmaking and are entertaining. The Town is available to stream on Netflix starting July 1.

Netflix will also be streaming Best Picture winner Spotlight (dir. Tom McCarthy) later this month. It tells the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered a scandal of child molestation within the local Catholic Archdiocese which shook the whole church community. The film gives a shocking and harrowing insight into what people now know had been happening within the Catholic Church. Even though the original investigation took place at the turn of the century, Spotlight is still relevant today five years after its release. Not only because the revelations still scar the Catholic Church, but because of the cover-ups and corruption that continues to happen. Netflix will be streaming Spotlight from July 22.

If you’re looking for a horror film to watch this month, then they don’t come much scarier than The Exorcist (dir. William Friedkin). Many people are familiar with the story of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), a twelve-year-old who becomes possessed by a mysterious entity. Certain scenes and elements of the film are so horrifying that have become part of popular culture. If you’re like me and have not seen The Exorcist in a long time, it’s perhaps worth watching it if you can brave the scares another time. The Exorcist is available on HBO from July 1.

Another disturbing film available this month is Lars Von Trier‘s The House That Jack Built. The story follows Jack (Matt Dillon), an intelligent serial killer, over twelve years as he describes the murders that developed him. Dillon’s performance is subtly cold and calculating that it becomes absorbing. The film also features the late Bruno Ganz in one of his final roles. The film marked a return to Cannes for von Trier who is known for his dark and melancholic films, and The House That Jack Built certainly is not a delightful film to watch; however, it does make you feel uneasy like good horror should. The House That Jack Built is available on Hulu starting July 1.

Hulu is also streaming the highly acclaimed international film Things to Come (dir. Mia Hansen-Løve) in July. The film follows Nathalie Chazeaux (Isabelle Huppert), a philosophy teacher who soldiers on through the death of her mother, losing her job, and discovering her husband’s infidelity. Huppert has had an illustrious career full of excellent performances, and her role in Things to Come is no exception. The film gives profound observations on love and life, and it is another magnificent piece of French cinema. Things to Come is streaming on Hulu from July 1.

Continue to the next page to read about our most anticipated films coming to home media this month!