'Rona Recommends: The 14 Best Movies to Watch While You're Socially Distancing

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Streaming service: Netflix

Genre(s): Drama, romance, supernatural

Logline: A couple deal with life's struggles in the first film directed by a black woman to compete at Cannes

Many great films inevitably get lost in the ceaseless tide of Netflix offerings, but French director Mati Diop’s exceptional feature debut Atlantics demands to be seen. The film follows a young Senegalese woman named Ada as she grieves the sudden loss of her paramour, Souleiman, who is lost at sea along with a troupe of fellow young men traveling to Europe to perform manual labor. Ada isn’t the only one haunted by the loss, though: Souleiman and the other boys return, in an unexpected way, to settle their unfinished business. What follows is a genre-bending yarn that is part romance and part supernatural mystery, as well as a complex meditation on class, migration, lineage, and the ghostly echoes of slavery.

The film moves at a hypnotic pace that lures you in carefully, as does its arresting cinematography (by D.P. Claire Mathon, who shot the equally beautiful Portrait of a Lady on Fire). Once you submit to its spectral allure, you’ll understand why Atlantics took home the Grand Prix at Cannes last year, where Mati Diop was the first Black woman ever to be selected to compete for the Palme d’Or. The winner of that prize, of course, was ultimately Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, which is a fitting companion film to Atlantics: each is a bold, genre-melting vision of what it looks like when the ghosts of capitalism’s casualties refuse to stay buried. —Ariel LeBeau

Streaming service: Amazon Prime

Genre(s): Comedy, drama

Logline: A family hides a woman's impending death from her

Writer/director Lulu Wang prefaces her semi-autobiographical feature The Farewell with a title card: “Based on an actual lie.” Drawing directly from Wang’s own life, The Farewell centers on a young Chinese-American woman named Billi (played with impressive depth by Awkwafina), who faces a moral dilemma when she learns that her grandmother Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and that the rest of the family has decided not to tell Nai Nai about her condition. The family orchestrates a wedding as an elaborate ruse to visit her in China and say goodbye without revealing the truth. Once there, Billi must walk an emotional tightrope while grappling with the ethical ambiguity of the situation, and she also finds herself reckoning with the cultural alienation of having been born in China but socialized in America. It’s an incredibly subtle but deeply cathartic look at filial love, cultural displacement, and the different ways we all rely on artifice in order to keep our lives in motion. Mercifully, it is also extremely funny.

Though the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s controversial relegation of the film to the Foreign category at last year’s Golden Globes (a decision that was based solely on the amount of Mandarin dialogue in the film) might encourage the belief that The Farewell is a niche story, too culturally particular for the mainstream (i.e. white people) to relate to, ultimately that’s a lie of another kind: its themes of love and grief are universal, and its representation of multicultural American immigrant experience—while specific—is far from narrow. —Ariel LeBeau

Streaming service: HBO Now

Genre(s): Drama, thriller

Logline: An unnamed narrator joins a fight club, ends up bringing chaos to The Man.

True, you already know the twist ending. And yes, the umpteen amount of times some project mayhem frat boy has preached why it’s the greatest film ever before breaking into a chant of “his name is Robert Paulson” is liable enough to make anyone good on revisiting this. But take it from someone who just re-watched Fight Club for the first time in a decade—it’s not what you remember.

Blood, sweat, and twists are still all present, but upon fresh viewing, those shrink in significance. What takes precedence is brilliant directing, sharp dialogue, and commanding acting. David Fincher is at a career-best, filling the film with technique and style that not only captures attention but bolsters the story. His aggressive cuts perfectly communicate the character’s mindsets and transform Fight Club’s every frame into a psychological thriller masterpiece. The only thing faster than the camerawork is the dialogue. Spouting from the mouths of Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter in dementedly symbiotic performances, lines like “happier than a Hindu cow” (which you probably missed altogether on first watch) highlight just how stacked this script really is.

So, if you’re looking to fend off Tyler Durden levels of crazy while trapped in quarantine check Fight Club. It still packs all the surface thrills that made it famous, while deep down offering enough to hook even the (Ed Note: self-proclaimed) arthouse cinephiles among us. —Nate Houston

Streaming service: Netflix

Genre(s): Crime thriller

Logline: A thief tries to scrape up enough cash to bail his developmentally disabled brother out of jail.

Some unwise souls may try to sell you a lie jankier than one of Demany’s Rolexes: that Uncut Gems is the Safdie Brothers’ best film. Good Time holds that distinct honor. [Ed. Note: While the homie H. Drew Blackburn will say he is NOT wrong, Complex is big #GemsHive. We do respect the views and opinions of our writers, and will allow them to ride for theirs.] Don’t get me wrong, both pictures are masterpieces in their own right. And they’re proof positive in the Safdies’ deft touch when it comes to making their audience feel anxious. Of course, Uncut Gems gives you Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKieth Stanfield and Kevin Garnett. You get breaks from the tension and some real genuine heart. The gilded glory of New York City’s Diamond District and the masterful thematic element of telling a story about a degenerate gambling addict—the gut feeling that Howie Bling ju$t might win in the end. 

Those are a few things that make Uncut Gems great and Good Time has absolutely none of that shit, which makes it perfect. It’s an unrelenting patina-less farce. A stomach-turning one hour and forty minutes of Robert Pattinson just getting deeper and deeper and deeper into shit. You know that Connie’s never gonna win, the thrill is in watching his demise. Schadenfreude’s not supposed to taste this marvelous. A good time indeed.  —H. Drew Blackburn

Streaming service: Hulu

Genre(s): Comedy, drama

Logline: The cringiest relationship comedy you've seen in a bit.

You remember the story of Zola, aka that Twitter thread that shook the world? Well, if you don’t know by now, A24 went ahead and made a movie of it, penned by Broadway insurgent, Jeremy O. Harris and starring Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, and Taylour Paige as Zola. Thanks to COVID-19, who knows when the film—which premiered at Sundance—is actually gonna come out. One of the most intriguing bits about this movie’s stacked cast and crew is that it was directed by none other than Janicza Bravo. 

For the uninitiated, Bravo has one of the most bizarre senses of humor in Hollywood today. Lemon, her first feature, is an off-kilter independent comedy starring Bravo’s ex-husband, Brett Gelman, as an aimless man whose life spirals even more out of control after his long-time girlfriend dumps him. Lemon finds Bravo breaking new ground in the cringe comedy genre. We’re gifted with something that’s essentially David Brent in the middle of a David Lynch film with set design that recalls Pedro Almodóvar. And yet, you’ve probably never seen anything quite like it. Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Fred Melamed, Rhea Perlman, Gillian Jacobs, Jon Daly, Megan Mullally, Jeff Garlin, and Nia Long round out the stellar cast for this unique film. 

Lemon might leave you feeling a little sour in the end, but the marriage of Bravo’s sadistic humor and O. Harris’ interrogative mind is a testament to the fact that the one of a kind Zola story couldn’t be in more capable hands. —H. Drew Blackburn

Streaming service: Amazon Prime

Genre(s): Comedy, heist

Logline: A couple of brothers hatch a scheme for a robbery during a major race

How Logan Lucky managed to fly under the radar back in 2017 is an error we should all regret. I blame it on Baby Driver; the buzzy action flick-cum-Apple-commercial fishtailed its way into the zeitgeist in the Spring of that year, and despite being the woefully less charming, less agile of the two automobile-centric heist movies, its huge splash at the box office is, by my estimations, the reason why Logan Lucky took a bath upon its late Summer release. In any case, we can all make the right choice now.

Logan Lucky saw Steven Soderbergh return to the spring-loaded form he mastered in the Oceans franchise, but this time with more NASCAR. The film follows construction worker Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum), who hatches a hair-brained plot to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway with the help of his mild-mannered veteran brother Clyde (Adam Driver), their beautician slash automotive expert sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and an incarcerated explosives savant known as Joe Bang (a peroxide-blonde Daniel Craig). What follows is at least as fun as any of the Oceans installments, but with more heart, and syrupy Southern accents to boot. And as with Oceans, the thrill isn’t a matter of whether or not the heist itself is successful—you know it will be—but the sheer satisfaction of watching the chain reaction unfold.

Tatum, Driver, and Craig are an incredibly endearing and hilarious trio you would have never known you needed. The latter two, in particular, are funnier than they’ve ever been; it’s as delightful to see them flex their comedic muscles as it is tragic to realize how deprived of them we are in other films. Long live the Logans. —Ariel LeBeau

Streaming service: Amazon Prime

Genre(s): Science fiction

Logline: An astronaut struggles to survive alone on Mars.

I’ll be the first to admit that picking The Martian—a movie in which Matt Damon is essentially self-quarantined on Mars for the better part of two years—might be a little too cutesy. Nevertheless, the Ridley Scott directed, Drew Goddard-penned film was already immensely entertaining and rewatchable on its own. In the age of Rona, however, it becomes more topical than it ever was upon release as the movie’s themes of resilience and the power of the human spirit certainly will resonate deeper in our current quagmire.

Adapted from the Andy Weir Kindle novel of the same name, The Martian excels off the charm of watching Damon’s Mark Watney “science the shit” out his situation. It’s the same leading-man performance that we love to see from actors, a certified star who is capable of carrying the film through his charisma alone. Goddard’s script crackles and allows comedy and drama in equal measures which Damon effortlessly nails. With a frankly absurdly stacked supporting cast that includes the likes of Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Peña, the movie seemingly features an appearance from your favorite character actor every minute. Make no mistake though, it’s absolutely Damon’s movie—and he’s nothing short of electric from start to finish.

But above all else, The Martian confirms that no matter what planet you’re on, the triumph of humanity banding together can cause some incredible things to happen. Perhaps that’s a lesson we could stand to be reminded of right now. —William Goodman

Streaming service: Hulu

Genre(s): Historical drama, romance

Logline: Two women in late 18th century France hide their love affair

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a staggering romantic masterpiece (yes, I said it) in which writer/director Céline Sciamma proves that you can be in your feelings and in your bag at the same damn time. While some readers might have reservations about devoting their time to a French movie about ladies in the 18th century, I’m here to assure you that you can handle it and you will grow from this experience. Just trust me. 

The film follows Héloïse and Marianne: the former is the daughter of a countess, cloistered in her house and only permitted to go outside for walks (sound familiar?); the latter is an artist commissioned to covertly paint Héloïse’s portrait so that Héloïse’s mother can marry her daughter off to an Italian nobleman against her will. A connection quietly ignites within the two women and painstakingly smolders until they are eventually engulfed by their feelings for one another. The romance that ensues is nothing short of ravishing; the mastery of Sciamma’s storytelling (which earned her Best Screenplay at Cannes last year), the nuanced performances by Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, and stunning imagery by cinematographer Claire Mathon amount to a romance so rich—and yet so artfully restrained—it feels like a symphony is swelling inside your chest. 

Portrait feels remarkably different from the cinematic love stories we’re used to seeing, not just because it is a lesbian romance, but because the way it focuses on and exists through the female gaze gives it an emotional texture we don’t get to experience often enough. Sciamma understands the dimension and vastness of love between women, both romantic and sororal, and she renders it with all the beauty and complexity it deserves. Portrait is a great example of how some of the best cinematic experiences hinge not on how dramatic a situational plot can be, but about how powerful human emotion can be. 

Go on, feel something. —Ariel LeBeau

Streaming service: HBO Now

Genre(s): Thriller

Logline: After two young girls get abducted, one father does what most good fathers want to do: get revenge.

When looking for things to binge, most people—especially faced with more choices than ever these days—tend to end up rewatching old favorites over taking a risk on new material. But if you’re done with comfort food and want something new and bold, never fear, Prisoners is here to save the day. (I saw it in theaters but judging from the box office returns, the masses slept on this one.) Telling the story of a father (Hugh Jackman) trying to find his kidnapped daughter, and the detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) investigating, this 2013 thriller has somehow managed to float under most people’s radars despite being pure heat. Favoring taught psychological tension, masterful pacing, and truly great performances from Jackman, Gyllenhaal, and the reliably creepy Paul Dano over Hollywood special effects, Prisoners worms its way into your mind to deliver thrills that last well beyond their screen time.

So, if simply new isn’t enough, but instead, you’re looking for something genuinely unique, look no further. Just be warned, the horror isn’t hiding in the dark on this one. It’s lurking under the surface of every character. —Nate Houston

Streaming service: Netflix

Genre(s): Superhero

Logline: All of the Spider-men (and women) across the multiverse band together to stop one rich guy's diabolical plot. Amazingness ensues.

The idea of escaping to another reality has probably crossed your mind once or twice but with our current world pandemic, there’s a good chance the thought has swung through your head far more frequently. This idea is what’s at the core of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s plot; the 2018 Academy-Award winning movie is not only incredibly fun escapist fare but also one of the best superhero stories to ever grace our screens. 

What unfolds is an action-packed superhero romp rendered in a staggering animation style that’s the closest we’ve gotten to the feeling of actually reading a comic book on screen. Word balloons pop in with a decisive hum while the action itself seems to almost ooze from the screen like ink. With superlative performances from Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, and Liev Schreiber the movie only serves to come alive even more.

But if you’ve seen it, you already know it’s a masterpiece. If you haven’t, now’s absolutely the perfect time to sit down and let it completely wash over you as you’re pulled headfirst into its world. Sure, try as hard as we’d like, we can’t escape our current reality, but Into the Spider-Verse might as well be the next best thing. —William Goodman

Streaming service: Hulu

Genre(s): Science fiction, thriller, monster

Logline: A group of kids, armed with a Super 8 camera, make a dangerous discovery

Playing like an ode to '80s Spielberg, JJ Abrams pulls off this period alien piece with all the panache of his hero. Think E.T. minus some of the family sentiment, then sprinkled with a pinch of Lost-esque mystery. Set in a small Ohio town in 1979, a group of young friends head out one night to make a monster movie at their local train station. When a military convoy is derailed, the real-life monster that it’s carrying escapes and sets about terrorizing the town. In classic blockbuster fashion and with some truly savvy camera thrills, our pre-teen heroes set about unearthing the who, why, and what in order to save their home.

If you’re in need of some pure entertainment, or maybe just sick of watching Stranger Things on repeat, then Super 8 is the movie for you. It’s a pure shot of nostalgia that will bring you back to a time when going outside was only a gamble of life and death for the characters in our favorite flicks. —Nate Houston

Streaming service: Hulu

Genre(s): Documentary

Logline: The life and times of Toni Morrison

Anyone who’s ever read the work of Toni Morrison can tell you it is a uniquely invigorating and moving experience to be immersed in her world for any amount of time. This documentary, a vivid two-hour portrait of Morrison’s remarkable mind, career, and legacy, is yet another gift. Savor insightful interviews with Morrison herself as well as her colleagues and friends, including Angela Davis and Oprah Winfrey, about what made the late novelist one of the most masterful writers (and thinkers!) of all time.

The doc chronicles a career dedicated to amplifying the richness of Black subjectivity: from Morrison’s years spent championing Black literature as a book editor at Knopf, to her own iconic contributions to the American literary canon including The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, to her historical winning of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, and beyond. The film, which was released shortly before Morrison’s passing last Summer, invites viewers to steep in her warmth and depth of spirit as she reflects on those milestones and much more. —Ariel LeBeau

Streaming service: Disney+

Genre(s): Action, science fiction

Logline: In this sequel to the 1982 classic, Kevin's son has to travel to the Grid to stop the real world from being corrupted

Who would have thought when it was first released in 2010 that Tron: Legacy of all movies would prove to be a pseudo-Rosetta Stone about the future of filmmaking? At the time, much was made of Legacy’s innovative method of digitally de-aging key cast members to look like they’d just stepped out of the 1982 original. This tech has now become liberally adopted, showing up in everything from Star Wars, to Marvel, to a damn Martin Scorsese movie of all things! No, perhaps the real sin of Tron: Legacy was that it befell the many of the same errors that come with sequels whose stories also have to serve as a soft reboot: There’s more than likely too much happening in Legacy for its own good. 

However, I admire its ambition and the swings it takes, even if they all don’t land. Thusly, it was probably too “out there” for a mainstream audience and not the movie diehard fans had spent almost thirty years clamoring for. If anything, I’m reminded of some of the conversations that The Last Jedi detractors used in their cases: It reinterpreted and sidelined too much of its older cast—in this case, Tron himself (Bruce Boxleitner) and Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges)—in favor of a new generation led by Garrett Hedlund and a downright charming Olivia Wilde. Unburdened by expectations all this time later, it’s now free to be what its admirers loved it for initially: an entertaining blockbuster thrill ride with technology that was definitively ahead of its time. It still holds up extremely well as a visual and auditory delight; hell, even the film’s biggest detractors will tell you Daft Punk’s score for the film completely and utterly rips. 

In 2010, perhaps the alternate reality of Tron: Legacy seemed too farfetched, too alien for a world that was—even then—becoming increasingly tethered and dependent on our connected devices. Now, almost a decade later, as we’re trapped inside our homes completely absorbed by the Internet, I suspect the world painted in Tron: Legacy skews far closer to fact than it ever did fiction. —William Goodman

Streaming service: Amazon Prime Video

Genre(s): Romcom, drama

Logline: A video store employee tries to get a movie made about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing "mammy" roles

The 1990s was the greatest decade in the history of American cinema. The 1970s are a close second, but the '90s takes the cake. The Hollywood blockbuster saw itself perfecting its identity with legitimately great films like Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and Men In Black. And the directors at the helm of independent movies became superstars: Tarantino, Rodriguez, Linklater, Nolan, Korine, PTA, Wes Anderson, Kevin Smith. But this period, flush with funding for a deluge of filmmakers spanning across a myriad of genres and budgets, didn’t gift the fruits of success to many black artists, let alone many black women, let alone many queer black women. 

In 1997, Cheryl Dunye wrote, directed, and starred in The Watermelon Woman, the first feature film directed by a queer black woman. The romantic comedy finds Dunye’s character researching an obscure actress billed as the Watermelon Woman for a documentary project. The film is an incisive look at issues of race, class, and sex—a delicate balancing act of drama, comedy, historical context, and steamy romance. Dunye’s nimble ability to squeeze all of these themes into a film while making it light-hearted and fun proves that this country failed her masterpiece, by casting it away into obscurity. The Watermelon Woman is a much better debut film than what was released by a lot of those aforementioned men. It sends Clerks home searching for its shine box. —H. Drew Blackburn