September 2024’s Best Streaming Titles: Bubba Ho-Tep, The Shining, Grave of the Fireflies, Pan’s Labyrinth

Everyone knows that Elvis Presley died in 1977. But Bubba Ho-Tep presupposes that he’s actually been living in a Texas nursing home all these years, along with a Black man who believes he’s John F. Kennedy. And it’s up to the two of them to stop an ancient Egyptian mummy from devouring the souls of their neighbors. Bruce Campbell gives a performance for the ages as the regret-filled King of Rock and Roll who gets one final shot at being a hero. Although its premise is ridiculous on paper, Bubba Ho-Tep is a pitch-perfect blend of dark humor, horror, and pathos (read our review).

As an adaptation of the long-running Hellblazer comic, Constantine ticked off fans by casting Keanu Reeves as the cynical British sorcerer/occult expert/con-man John Constantine and transplanting him to California. But once you get past that (not to mention the film’s muddled plot and theology), Constantine can still be a fun Hollywood-level “B” movie. The plot: when Constantine agrees to help a detective (Rachel Weisz) solve the mystery of her sister’s suicide, they’re both drawn into the long-running conflict between Heaven and Hell. Cue the special effects, gross demons, and Reeves’ inimitable watchability.

The premise — actors from a classic sci-fi TV series are kidnapped by aliens who believe the show to be real — makes it sound like Galaxy Quest does nothing but poke fun at all things Star Trek. Which it does, and brilliantly so, but all of its jokes come from a place of love. As a result, it’s the best kind of parody, one that recognizes the inherent silliness of Star Trek while also capturing what makes Star Trek so great in the first place. By Grabthar’s Hammer, indeed.

There was a time when my friends and I considered Swingers to be the ultimate guys’ movie, but don’t let that turn you off from this clever, winsome ’90s comedy. In Doug Liman’s directorial debut, Jon Favreau (who wrote the script) plays a struggling actor and comedian who’s reeling from his last relationship. Vince Vaughn plays the ladies’ man trying to help Favreau get over his broken heart with the help of parties, a trip to Las Vegas, and lots of swing music.

Jonny Lee Miller stars in this modern update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes stories. This time around, Holmes is a recovering addict living in New York City, where he uses his considerable intellect to help the NYPD solve crimes. Joining him is Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), who is initially his sober companion, but soon becomes a trusted aid and confidant. Although initially criticized for copying BBC’s Sherlock, Elementary ran for seven seasons and developed quite a devoted following of its own.

2014’s Paddington was an absolute delight of a film, following a young marmalade-loving bear’s adventures in London, and his unlikely adoption by a family there. And dare I say that Paddington 2 is an even bigger delight, filled with heart and laughs as our titular ursine hero is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and sent to jail — where his upbeat spirit begins changing his fellow inmates for the better. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Hugh Grant’s scene-stealing performance as a washed up actor whose ego far exceeds his talent.

One of the greatest action movies of all time, period (read my review). Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, a sardonic detective from New York who’s visiting his estranged wife in Los Angeles for a Christmas party at her office. And then, wouldn’t you know it, a bunch of terrorists break up the party and hold everyone hostage. It’s up to McClane to take on the terrorists — who are led by Alan Rickman at his most suave — armed with little more than some one-liners. Suffice to say, the terrorists don’t stand a chance.

Following the smash success of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, writer/director Guy Ritchie’s sophomore film found him returning with a similarly convoluted criminal comedy with an ensemble cast that emphasizes style way over substance. Snatch begins with a diamond heist that eventually turns into a comedy of errors, but through twists and turns, involves ex-KGB agents, bare-knuckle boxing matches, and Brad Pitt sporting a very distinctive accent.

I know I seemed a bit harsh on J. J. Abrams in my review of The Rise of Skywalker, but if you want an example of where his nostalgia-driven approach to filmmaking does work, then check out Super 8. An obvious love letter to classic Spielberg films — it was even produced by Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment — Super 8 is nevertheless a fun sci-fi action romp as a group of teenage filmmakers find themselves caught between an alien life form and the military trying to capture it.

One of 2022’s most acclaimed films, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a riotous journey through the multiverse as a Chinese woman (played by Michelle Yeoh) tries to file her taxes. Oh, and prevent the collapse of all of existence. Riffing on everything from Wong Kar-wai films to Ratatouille, with a heady dose of martial arts and existentialism and fantastic performances from Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a truly unique cinematic experience (read my review).

Based on JK Rowling’s best-selling books about a boy wizard, a magical school, and… well… you know the rest, the Harry Potter films represent one of the biggest and most successful film franchises of all time.

When Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as the winter caretaker for a remote hotel, he looks forward to writing his new book. But malevolent forces in the hotel have other plans, and soon, Jack begins sliding into a madness that threatens the lives of his wife and son. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the 1977 Stephen King novel contains some of the creepiest and most indelible images in all of film history.

The latest film by master animator Hayao Miyazaki is certainly one of his most fantastical and challenging works. When a young boy moves in with his father’s new wife — who happens to be his aunt — he encounters a strange heron who promises to help him find his mother. When ensues is a darkly bizarre tale involving wizards, giant man-eating parakeets, and alternate worlds (read my review).

Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second explores themes of loss, alienation, and unrequited longing through three inter-connected segments that follow a young man over the years (read my review). Although it’s far less fantastical than some of Shinkai’s more well-known films, like Your Name and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second is nevertheless a beautifully animated work that ends on a very poignant note.

2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog was, to be perfectly honest, far more enjoyable than it probably had any right to be. After the titular groundhog escapes to Earth from his own planet, he does his best to live in secret and under the radar. But when his super speed catches the eye of an evil scientist — played by Jim Carrey in all of his scene-chewing glory — he must use his powers to protect his new friends. The first Sonic movie was successful enough to inspire a sequel in 2022, and a third one’s on its way.

An innocent Black man’s savings are unjustly seized by corrupt cops when he passes through their town. Unfortunately for them, he just so happens to be an elite commando and, shades of Rambo, decides to take the fight to them. Star Wars’ John Boyega was originally set to star in Rebel Ridge, but bowed out for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad). Film production was further delayed due to COVID. Director Jeremy Saulnier’s previous films include Green Room and Blue Ruin.

In this time twisty sci-fi actioner, Tom Cruise plays a disgraced soldier who’s quickly killed while trying to defend Earth from mysterious alien invaders — only to discover that he now relives the same day over and over again. Not only does this allow him to become a super-soldier Groundhog Day-style, but it might also be the key to defeating the aliens once and for all. In the hands of a lesser cast and crew, Edge of Tomorrow’s premise could be ridiculous and boring, but that is most certainly not the case here (read my review).

One of the greatest animated movies of all time, as well as one of the greatest war movies of all time, Grave of the Fireflies is the haunting and heartbreaking story of two young siblings attempting to survive in the final days of World War II. Directed by Isao Takahata and based on Akiyuki Nosaka’s semi-autobiographical short story, Grave of the Fireflies is profoundly and devastatingly beautiful (read my review).

Before he directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson directed The Frighteners, a horror comedy about a man who somehow develops the ability to see ghosts — a skill he uses to con people out of money. That is, until the Grim Reaper shows up. Starring Michael J. Fox, Jeffrey Combs, and R. Lee Ermey, The Frighteners wasn’t a box office success back in 1996, but it has since developed a cult following.

The third film in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly finds three gunslingers — Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach — racing against time and each other to find a hidden cache of Confederate gold in the midst of the Civil War. Leone’s film was notable for its striking cinematography and stylized violence, as well as Ennio Morricone’s iconic theme. Although critics initially dismissed it upon its release in 1966, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is now considered one of the greatest films of all time, and the definitive spaghetti Western (read my review).

When it comes to over-the-top, special effects-filled, big screen spectacle, it doesn’t get much better than Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day. Yes, Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum taking on an alien invasion may require you to suspend your disbelief higher and longer than you’d like to, especially if you’re concerned about, say, the science of the movie’s events. But if you do, you’re in for a whole lot of explosion-filled, world-saving, alien-busting fun.

Sing (Stephen Chow) has one dream in life: to become a member of the feared Axe Gang. But when he encounters a group of reclusive and unlikely martial artists, he’s slowly begins to realize that he could be something more. But not without plenty of hijinks — this is a Stephen Chow movie, after all. Coming on the heels of Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle went even further into CGI-fuelled leaps of martial arts slapstick. While Shaolin Soccer is the better film overall, Kung Fu Hustle still has plenty of hilarious delights all its own.

In this dark fantasy film by Guillermo del Toro, a young girl in 1940s-era Spain encounters a mystical creature who promises her immortality in exchange for completing several tasks. Is this really happening, or is it just her imaginative way of coping with the violence and brutality surrounding her? Filled with gorgeous visuals, imaginative creatures, and fantastical effects, Pan’s Labyrinth is arguably Del Toro’s finest movie to date (read my review).

By all appearances, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mild-mannered computer salesman. In reality, though, he’s a secret agent living a double life. But a terrorist organization’s latest activities threaten to reveal Harry’s secrets, putting his loved ones in danger. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, and Bill Paxton (RIP), and directed by James Cameron, True Lies is peak ’90s action comedy.

It doesn’t feel quite right to call Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory a “children’s movie” given how dark and disturbing it can get (e.g., the tunnel ride). And yet, the movie overflows with charm and delight thanks to Gene Wilder’s charismatic performance as Willy Wonka himself, who invites the lucky winners of his golden ticket contest to tour his magical candy factory (read my review). The film was a critical and commercial success when it was originally released in 1971, and in 2014, it was added to the United States National Film Registry.