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…

Gregory’s Girl (12A) (1980) (BBC iPlayer)

Bill Forsyth’s touching and funny teenage romance is one of the most charming films you’ll ever see. Scottish teenager Gregory Underwood (Gordon John Sinclair) is a rubbish soccer player on a poor team, but when a girl named Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) shows up and wants to play things change quickly. Dorothy soon becomes the team’s top player and Gregory and the rest of the team fall in love.  Working up the courage to ask her out, Gregory lands a date, but things start to go sweetly awry….

Ordet – The Word (PG) (1955) (Netflix)

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s masterpiece is a deep exploration of religion in all of its forms.

The three sons of devout Danish farmer Morten (Henrik Malberg) differ in their beliefs. Youngest son Anders (Cay Kristiansen) shares his father’s religion, but eldest son Mikkel (Emil Hass Christensen) has lost his faith.  Meanwhile middle child Johannes (Preben Lerdorff Rye) has become delusional and proclaims that he himself is Jesus Christ. When Mikkel’s wife, Inger (Birgitte Federspiel) goes into a difficult childbirth everyone’s beliefs are firmly put to the test.

Animals (15) (2019) (All 4)

Adapted from the novel by Emma Jane Unsworth, Animals is an adorable and authentic tale of female friendship from director Sophie Hyde. Close friends and party lovers Laura (Holliday Grainger) and Tyler (Alia Shawkat) navigate life and love in Dublin. They’re never apart from one another – or the party scene. However, when Laura meets handsome stranger Jim (Fra Fee) and falls head-over-heels in love with him, the girls realise that they are drifting apart. A story of the nature of friendships and how long they last, Animals is both meaningful and fun and frothy – and a must-watch.

The King Of New York (18) (1990) (Amazon Prime)

Abel Ferrara’s gripping and bloody crime drama features a bravura performance by Christopher Walken. Walken is crime lord Frank White, who’s plotting to take control of New York’s underground drug economy and distribute the profits to the poor. However, obstacles are in his way, not least in the form of the eager young cop Gilley (David Caruso), who’s desperate to take him down. Featuring a talented young cast including Laurence Fishburne and Wesley Snipes, Ferrara’s (Bad Lieutenant) film is a fast-paced fusion of crime film and hip hop culture.

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

See you next week,

Chris & Jonny