Chris & Jonny’s Film (in the) House Watch List 3/12/21

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 Babadook (15) (2014) (BBC iPlayer)
A terrifying chiller from Australian director Jennifer Kent, The Babadook tells a story that centres on the bond between widowed mother Amelia (Essie Davis) and her young son Sam (Noah Wiseman). Their world is torn apart when Ellie comes to realise that her son is telling the truth about a monster that has entered their home through the pages of a children’s book…

A Secret Love (12) (2020) (Netflix)
Chris Bolan’s heart-warming documentary tells the tender love story between two women, a couple for over seven decades who kept their love secret until late in life. Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel have been together since the 1940s. For fear of rocking the boat amidst their families, the couple kept up the pretence of being “good friends” until now, when the pair are both in their nineties. Bolan, the great nephew of  Terry, unpicks the family dynamics to pay tribute to the couple and their enduring sacrifices…

Rams (15) (2015) (All 4)
This award winning black comedy about sheep farmers facing a crisis in a secluded Icelandic valley is a real treat! Estranged brothers Gummi and Kiddi live side by side tending to their prized ancestral sheep stock, despite not having spoken in 40 years. When a lethal disease suddenly infects Kiddi’s sheep, all the animals in the area are culled to contain the outbreak, with many farmers abandoning their land. But the brothers don’t give up so easily and each tries to stave off the disaster in his own fashion: Kiddi by using his rifle and Gummi by using his wits.

A Hard Day’s Night (U) (1964) (Amazon Prime)
John, Paul, George and Ringo make their feature film debut in this breathless slice of pop perfection, presented via a fully restored negative and digitally restored soundtrack. Starting with The Beatles running away from their adoring fans, director Richard Lester never lets the pace slip as the Fab Four head from Liverpool to a TV appearance in London, with Paul’s granddad (Wilfrid Brambell) in tow. A magical mock-doc, this is a beautiful ‘day-in-the-life’ film and still shines almost 60 years later.

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

See you next week,

Chris & Jonny

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