Whilst the world is on pause and your Filmhouse Sunderland visits aren’t possible, we’re keeping the independent cinema flag flying with our new weekly watch lists from Chris & Jonny, the people behind the project. 

Each Friday, we’ll post a list of four films that are currently available across BBC iPlayer, All4, Netflix and Amazon Prime that we think you should seek out. 

This week’s selection is…

The Shining (15) (1980) (BBC iPlayer)

Few horror films come close to Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying haunted house story.  Adapted from Stephen King’s bestseller, The Shining is the story of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a wannabe writer who accepts a job as caretaker of the isolated Colorado hotel The Overlook during the winter. Settling into the cavernous mountaintop resort with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (who is plagued by psychic visions), Jack’s writing falters and Danny begins to see disturbing echoes of the hotel’s dark past. As the visions spiral out of control and the hotel takes hold of a quickly unravelling Jack, Wendy and Danny find themselves trapped with a maniac…

Skate Kitchen (15) (2018) (All 4)

A beguiling coming of age drama from up and coming director Crystal Moselle, Skate Kitchen follows Camille, a lonely suburban teenager through New York City skateboarding subculture. Meeting up with a group of female skaters, Camille is thrust into a world of parties with her new sisterhood, but when a relationship with a young photographer complicates matters, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship…

Calm With Horses (U) (2020) (Netflix)

This gritty Irish crime drama stars a swathe of up and coming talent. Cosmo Jarvis (Lady Macbeth) is Douglas, a former boxer who cares for his autistic son while working as an enforcer for a family of drug dealers. Having been introduced to the family by the younger Dympna (Barry Keoghan), who acts as his ‘handler’, Douglas puts he and his family in potential danger when a moment of clarity leads to him failing to fulfil a ‘job’ for his bosses. Part drama, part thriller, where Calm With Horses succeeds most is as a riveting and powerful character study, driven by terrific performances.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (PG) (1981) (Amazon Prime)

“Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes…?” Harrison ford was never more the leading man than in Steven Spielberg’s unbeatable action film. Spawning four sequels, and cementing Ford’s credentials as an A List movie star as well as Spielberg’s place as one of the World’s greatest directors of family entertainment, Raiders Of The Lost Ark starts with that oh-so-famous rolling boulder and ends with the terrifying result of the Ark of the Covenant being opened. In between, it’s a delight of peerless adventure, thrilling chases, perfect action and fun humour as our hero Indy saves the Ark from the clutches of Hitler’s henchmen. If you haven’t seen this, where have you been? If you have, then you already know that you want to watch it again.

We’d love to hear what you think of the films we recommend – let us know!

See you next week,

Chris & Jonny