We have access to more movies and TV shows these days than ever before. There’s always something to watch, so it can be overwhelming to know what to look for or if what you want to watch is any good. And while it’s amazing to see pop culture events that take over the world, like Barbenheimer or Avengers: Endgame, for every blockbuster, there’s a dozen other excellent movies that can slip through the cracks. And especially during the pandemic, with so many movies dropping directly on streaming services, it was easy to miss something.
So here are five great movies from recent years I love that less obsessive (and insane) movie watchers possibly haven’t seen but are definitely worth your time and should be added to the top of your watchlist.
- The Vast of Night (2020)
Two things to know about me: I love a good sci-fi movie and I love a good vibes movie, and The Vast of Night is the perfect combination of both. Set in the 1950s, the story follows two friends, a radio DJ and a telephone switch operator, who discover a mysterious sound coming through radio broadcasts and set out to discover the source.
The first half brilliantly sets the mood. It doesn’t rush into anything and takes its time just letting the audience sit in this world. It’s full of long takes where the camera doesn’t cut, drawing you into the characters as they discover the mystery. And once they set off to investigate, their journey is intensely compelling and propulsive, driving toward a conclusion that takes your breath away.
Stream it on Amazon Prime!
- Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Richard Linklater has made some of my favorite movies of all time – like Before Sunrise, Dazed and Confused, and School of Rock. So as I expanded on his filmography, one of the most delightful surprises I discovered was 2016’s Everybody Wants Some!! The movie, which is very much a spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused, follows a college baseball team in 1980 through the weekend before their fall semester begins. The movie stars a who’s who of up-and-coming young actors from the 2010s like Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell, Tyler Hoechlin, Zoey Deutch, and Blake Jenner.
Linklater is the king of the vibes movie, where the audience just gets to hang out with these characters for a period of their lives. And being set in 1980, it’s packed with incredible songs, great styles, and perfect hair. Be ready to sit back, settle in, rock out, and enjoy the experience.
- The Kid Detective (2020)
The Kid Detective is for the former gifted kids – the ones who were told they were so smart and destined for greatness who grow up to be perfectly average, except maybe with some extra anxiety, depression or an ever-looming fear that you’re not living up to your potential.
The movie follows Abe Applebaum (played wonderfully by the underappreciated Adam Brody), a detective who was able to solve a handful of local mysteries as a kid, but when a real case proves too much for him, he loses credibility and fame in the community. But now as a 31-year-old, a new case comes to him that could save his reputation and a young girl’s life. It’s an excellent dark comedy and a great spin on a detective/noir genre. Each discovery and revelation is more shocking than the next, leading to an ending that you won’t forget.
- See How They Run (2022)
Murder mysteries are an underappreciated genre, even though they’ve seen a bit of a resurgence with Knives Out and Glass Onion. See How They Run follows in their footsteps, with a quirky style and tone layered on top reminiscent of Wes Anderson movies.
The cast is stacked and everyone really just goes for it, including Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, David Oyelowo, Harris Dickinson, and so many others. The movie doesn’t reinvent the wheel for whodunnits but doesn’t take itself too seriously and brings a refreshing joy to the genre. And once you get to the ending, you’ll realize the clues have been laid out for you all along.
Stream it on (HBO) Max!
- Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
Graduating from college is so weird. It’s the end of a major chapter of your life, and for many people it’s the definitive boundary between childhood and adulthood. There’s a whole world of possibilities and opportunities in front of you, but you quickly realize how much you still don’t know.
Cha Cha Real Smooth perfectly captures the feeling of what it’s like to be in your 20s, to be filled with excitement, confusion and frustration, and to feel a constant pull between wanting to stay a kid and feeling like you have to grow up so fast. All those emotions are packaged in an incredibly sweet, charming, and heartfelt story about the people that come in and out of our lives that help us grow and remind us of what’s really important.
Stream it on Apple TV+!
Movies with Mitchell 