From comedy to horror to suspense, we’re recommending eight new films from every genre, meaning there’s something for everyone.
Have you already binge-watched all of our KCM summer TV selections — and you’re looking for more? Here’s some good news: We’ve got eight great flicks for every type of movie lover. For those summer nights when it’s too hot to leave the house, they’ll keep you entertained while you cool off inside. Whether you’re looking for a laugh, or you dig catching the latest documentary, we’ve got a variety of favorite films to choose from — and they’re all available to stream now!
If You Dig Documentaries: LFG (HBO Max)
The excitement around female athletes right before the Olympics is simultaneously delightful and distressing: These athletes are miraculous to watch and when they compete, you can’t take your eyes off the screen — but why do we only give them airtime once every two years? That’s the kind of question you’ll likely ask yourself when watching LFG (which stands for “Let’s F-ing Go”) a thrilling new documentary about the meteoric rise in popularity of the elite US Women’s Soccer Team, and their fight for equal pay. Whether or not you’re a sports fan, this doc is a powerful reminder that when it comes to gender equality in this country, we still have a long way to go.
If You’re Gaga for Gangster Films: No Sudden Move (HBO Max)
The latest Steven Soderbergh film is a wild ride. It’s a heist film, a la Oceans 11, and the star-studded cast rivals Oceans as well. In it, the year is 1954 and Curt Goynes, played by Don Cheadle, has just been released from prison and is looking to make some fast cash. When he’s presented with a job that’ll pay 5K to “babysit” the family of a low-level GM employee for a few hours while another criminal forces the employee to steal a classified document, it seems too good to be true…because it is. This isn’t one you’ll want to watch while you’re on your phone, because it’s got about a million characters and a heaping helping of twists, turns, and double crosses. But regardless of how you watch it, you’ll probably be too engrossed in the action to turn away anyway.
If You’re Screaming for a Scare: False Positive (Hulu)
Ilana Glazer is one of the geniuses behind Broad City, the brilliantly funny and original Comedy Central show about two young women navigating life in The Big Apple. If that’s the only place you’ve ever seen Glazer, you might be surprised to hear that her latest project is a horror film which she co-wrote and stars in, about a couple who’s desperate to get pregnant. The film, which could probably be described as “body horror,” looks at the dark side of pregnancy, especially the billion-dollar industry behind fertility treatments.
If You’re Looking for a Laugh: Good On Paper (Netflix)
The “catfish” dating story is a tale as old as time — or at least as old as 2012, when the same-named MTV show (which followed singles who are tricked into dating people lying about their identities) premiered. That’s the premise of Good On Paper, which was written by and stars Iliza Shlesinger, and is based off of her own catfishing story. Here, Shlesinger plays a character pretty similar to herself: A standup comedian living in LA and casually dating in her mid-30s who meets a nerdy, intelligent-seeming guy on a plane. He tells her he’s a rich, successful investment banker, and despite her initial dislike of the guy, he just keeps showing up in her life until all of a sudden she finds herself dating him. That’s when she realizes that a lot of the details of his life doesn’t exactly add up. This is one you can watch solo or with friends, but either way it’ll deliver on laughs. (And may make you want to take a second look at the person you’re sleeping next to.)
For an Animated Adventure: Soul (Disney+)
Whether you’re an actual kid or just a kid at heart, Soul will leave you beaming. This animated film follows a music teacher who finally gets a career-making break when he lands a gig playing piano for a famous jazz musician. Unfortunately as he leaves the audition, he falls down a manhole and ends up in The Great Before, where unborn souls go to prepare for life. While the film’s central message — of whether to live each day to the fullest or spend a lifetime diligently pursuing one’s passion — is enough to give even a 6-year-old viewer an existential crisis, it’s ultimately a powerful story about what exactly makes a life well-lived.
If You’re Down for a Dark Comedy: I Care A Lot (Netflix)
When we say I Care A Lot is a dark comedy, we mean pitch-black. The film follows Marla Grayson, who has built a lucrative career off of acting as a legal guardian for vulnerable seniors, then dumping them into nursing homes and draining their life savings. When Marla finds herself a “cherry,” a very rich older woman with no family and few obvious ties to the outside world, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Rosamund Pike is absolutely magnificent as the merciless Marla, and if you aren’t already a fan of Pike’s work, I Care A Lot will have you vowing to watch everything she’s ever been in.
If You’re Mad About Monster Movies: Sweetheart (Netflix)
A young woman named Jenn wakes up on a deserted island, alone, apparently the only survivor of a yacht disaster. As she explores the island, she finds toys and luggage that appear to be from the 1980s — evidence that she’s not the first person to have been shipwrecked here. At first, Sweetheart seems like a sort of modern twist on Castaway…until night comes, and Jenn begins to understand why nobody else has made it out of here. But she’s a survivor, and she’s not about to go down without a fight.
If You Want to Move to the Music: Summer of Soul (Hulu)
Over the course of six free concerts in the summer of 1969, dozens of soul, jazz, and blues legends including Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, David Ruffin, and Nina Simone performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival for a crowd of more than 300,000 — but you probably never heard about it until now. Thanks to The Roots’ drummer Questlove, who combed through 40 hours of footage of the concerts for his directorial debut Summer of Soul, the most awe-inspiring musical moments from the festival are now just a click away. Interspersed with interviews, the documentary is a celebration of an event that had been all but erased from memory, and fits it into a larger conversation about the legacy of Black history, culture, and music.
