With Stage 2 of Ontario's Covid-19 recovery kicking off across Simcoe Muskoka, there has been nothing but talk of patios, haircuts, and get-togethers. Not everyone is so quick to pull down their social distancing walls though and we haven't forgotten about you! Here are a few hidden gems for you to stream and keep you from the all too familiar endless scroll.
Layer Cake
Daniel Craig has become a household name thanks to his (nearly flawless) performance as James Bond, but what you might not know is that his role in this film is one of the main reasons he got to play 007. Layer Cake is a crime drama steeped in British wit and its twisting plot will keep you guessing the whole way through. If you're a fan of Guy Ritchie films like Snatch, RocknRolla, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, you will love Layer Cake.
Hell or High Water
What do you get when you combine a western, a heist film, and a family drama? You get one of the best movies to come out in 2016. Hell or High Water follows two desperate brothers who must pull off a string of robberies in order to pay off their mother's mortgage debt. While the performances are spectacular and the action is realistic and gritty, the thing that really puts this movie over the top is the fantastic screenplay written by Taylor Sheridan, writer of Sicario and another movie on this list.
Wind River
It's not often someone comes along and works on a bonafide masterpiece three years in a row. Taylor Sheridan moved from writing Sicario in 2015, to writing Hell or High Water in 2016, and finally capped it off with Wind River in 2017. Along with writing, he also sat in the director's chair for this one and the sublime marriage of story and direction is clearly evident. Wind River is a crime mystery film about an FBI agent (Elizabeth Olson) who works with a local hunter (Jeremy Renner) to track down a young woman's killer.
Hot Fuzz
The second film in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy (don't worry, they all have separate stories), Hot Fuzz follows Nicholas Angel, a cop who is transferred to a remote village after his superiors become jealous of his achievements. Directed by Edgar Wright, the movie is action-packed and overflowing with charm, wit, and humour. Wright uses every frame of his films to build character, make you laugh, or advance the story and Hot Fuzz is no different.
The Iceman
Based on the life of one of the most notorious contract killers in history, The Iceman follows Richard Kuklinski, a hitman with over 100 victims to his name. This movie was an absolute flop when it hit theatres even though it's packed with A-list performances from Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder, and Ray Liotta. While it isn't perfect, The Iceman is a gripping film that will satisfy fans of mob-style movies.
Featured image courtesy of cottonbro via pexels.com
