Thanks to the increase in Internet speeds and more streaming services than ever, there’s no need to bundle up and leave the apartment to watch a blockbuster anymore! Late February is a great time to have a home date night, girls’ night in, or viewing party with friends. It’s still a bit too chilly to venture outside for long periods of time, and once you’ve cleaned and organized your apartment from top to bottom you’ll want to find excuses to enjoy your space! Pop some popcorn and fire up your favorite streaming service for one of these cinematic journeys! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and let us know what your go-to movie night films are!
The Shawshank Redemption
A 1994 film that has passed the test of time, The Shawshank Redemption quickly solidified itself as a classic and was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1995. Based on a 1982 novella by Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the film tells the tale of Andy Dufresne, a banker who is accused of the murder of his wife and her lover and sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary. Over the following two decades Dufresne continues his claims of innocence while befriending a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis “Red” Redding, and finds himself an integral piece of a money laundering operation led by the prison warden. As of 2015, the film has been preserved in the National Film Registry in the U.S. Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Where to Stream:
YouTube (from $3.99), iTunes (from $3.99), Google Play Movies & TV (from $3.99), Vudu (from $3.99)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Another instant classic, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a crime comedy film released in 2000 and set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. Loosely based on Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the film is a modern satire that brings in mythology from the American South. Through the course of the story we follow the journey of three convicts, Ulysses Everett McGill, Pete Hogwallop, and Delmar O'Donnell, who escape from a chain gang, get baptized, fall in with a bank robber, rescue a friend from the KKK, and become radio stars among other adventures. One of the first movies to extensively use digital color correction (in this case to add a sepia tint), the film received two Academy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.
Where to Stream:
YouTube (from $2.99), iTunes (from $2.99), Amazon Prime Video (from $2.99), Vudu (from $2.99), Google Play Movies and TV (from $2.99)
The Dark Knight
The second installment in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, the star-studded The Dark Knight is regarded by critics as one of the best films of the decade as well as one of the best superhero films of all times. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, Nolan drew inspiration from the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, which is the first appearance of the Joker. Particularly notable to the film and its release, Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, died six months prior to release from a toxic combination of prescription drugs, in part due to his method acting for the role. Winning numerous awards and accolades, including those awarded to Ledger posthumously, The Dark Knight is sure to stay on lists of best films for years to come.
Where to Stream:
Netflix, YouTube (from $3.99), iTunes (from $3.99), Google Play Movies & TV (from $3.99), Vudu (from $3.99)
Super Troopers
If you’re wanting something less serious or action-packed, the 2001 comedy Super Troopers may be more your style. While the film didn’t exactly receive acclaim from critics, it’s gained a cult following of sorts, with Esquire describing it as “shaggy-dog classic for Generation Y.” The movie follows a rag-tag group of Vermont state troopers who get into numerous hijinks while attempting to bust a drug ring, save their station from being shut down, and out-do the local police department at the same time.
Where to Stream:
HBO Now, YouTube (from $3.99), Amazon Prime Video (from $3.99), iTunes (from $3.99), Google Play Movies & TV (from $3.99), Vudu (from $3.99)
The Notebook
Based on the Nickolas Sparks’ novel of the same name, The Notebook became a go-to date or girls’ night romantic drama as soon as it was released. The film received generally mixed reviews, but did receive a number of awards nominations and did well at the box office. The film follows the love story of the two protagonists, Allie and Noah, during the years prior and directly after WWII. It won several awards including several categories in the 2005 Teen Choice Awards and was also nominated for a SAG Award, MTV Movie Award, as well as a few other nominations.
Where to Stream:
YouTube (from $3.99), iTunes (from $3.99), Google Play Movies & TV (from $3.99), Vudu (from $3.99)