Sure-Fire Streaming: Stardust, The General's Daughter, Legend, and more
By Jordan Parker
The best in TV and film from your living room.
Stardust – Available On Netflix
I have avoided watching this movie for nearly 15 years, fearing it would draw unfavourable comparisons to one of my all-time favourites, The Princess Bride.
But Stardust manages to take the fantasy-adventure genre, and make its own path, with a fantastic little movie that will take you on an incredible ride.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn – as only his second feature – it's in assured hands. This fine director is best known for the Kingsman series and Kick-Ass, but he makes an adorable little whimsical delight with this one.
It follows a young man who begins a journey into a magical realm to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves, who will marry someone else if he doesn't bring the star back in seven days.
This star-studded cast introduces us to a young Charlie Cox – of Daredevil TV series fame – and Claire Danes and Sienna Miller also star.
With Ian McKellen narrating, Ben Barnes, Henry Cavill, Peter O'Toole, Mark Strong, and standout performances by an incredible Robert De Niro, Ricky Gervais, and Michelle Pfeiffer, this one really sings.
It's no Princess Bride, but by God, is it ever a wonderful, cute, hilarious delight of a movie.
The General's Daughter – Available On Netflix
It's a difficult watch – for sure – but this starring vehicle for John Travolta tackles some difficult topics with more grace than I expected.
When the daughter of a base commander is murdered, an undercover detective is recruited to look into it, but he also happens upon a huge amount of cover-ups connected to the crime.
But there are military personnel who have an interest in keeping the truth buried with the dead, and they'll stop at nothing to see it happen.
It's one of the best from action-drama director Simon West – of Con Air and Tomb Raider fame – and he gives a sure hand for this one.
With Madeleine Stowe, James Woods and James Cromwell also aboard, it's a top-flight cast carrying this one.
It's a tonally bleak film, but if you can handle it, you'll find yourself rewarded.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie – Available On Prime Video
This adorable, sassy little romp of an LGBTQ2S+ tribute doesn't work as well as it does without the winning performance of its lead.
Max Harwood absolutely carries this one as high schooler Jamie, who is absolutely set on becoming a drag queen after high school.
Jamie is completely, unabashedly himself, and that's exactly why I loved this character. The musical, set in Sheffield, England, is focused on making Jamie a symbol of strength and a testament to what can happen when you follow your dreams.
The songs are absolutely wonderful, Harwood is incredible, and performances from Lauren Patel and Sarah Lancashire round things out. A supporting performance from Richard E. Grant is stunning, and lends a ton of heart to this one.
I love this movie, and I think you will to as well.
Legend – Available On Netflix
This incredible movie – based on the John Pearson book 'The Profession of Violence' – is spellbinding.
It follows identical twin gangsters who couldn't be further apart in their mannerisms and personalities, who terrorize London in the 1960s.
Ronald and Reginald Kray do what they want, when they want, and overall, they always have each other's backs.
They're terrifying, and Tom Hardy plays both twins in a tour-de-force performance. He's joined by Taron Egerton, Emily Browning, Paul Anderson, Christopher Eccleston and more in this wonderful drama.
The screenplay was written and the film was directed by Brian Helgeland, responsible for the screenplays for L.A. Confidential, Mystic River, and A Knight's Tale.
A gritty gangster drama, Legend is absolute can't-miss cinema with an intense performance at its centre.
Short Term 12 – Available On Prime Video
This bittersweet little drama was the introduction I got to Brie Larson, and it was a perfect movie to show everyone just how incredible she was.
It follows a supervisor at a residential treatment facility, and the way her work affects her personal life.
She tries to get through day-to-day while dealing with her co-worker and her long-term boyfriend, and often wonders if she's doing enough to help the kids in her care.
Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton creates an amazing, beautiful film. His feature debut led him to direct hits like Just Mercy, The Glass Castle, and the recent Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and for good reason. He's absolutely fantastic, and it shows here.
Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Frantz Turner, Kaitlyn Dever and a young Rami Malek are all revelatory.
You'll be absolutely stunned by this film, so don't let it pass you by.