6 hidden gems to get you through lockdown No.6

John Bernthal and Christopher Abbott in Sweet Virginia

So many lockdowns over the past 18 months have resulted in us running out of things to watch. Taran Pannu gathers the best underrated films now streaming to get you through the next few days.

In honour of our latest lockdown, here are six movies that will help you weather the storm.

1. Sweet Virginia, a neo-Western thriller

Jon Bernthal (Widows, Sicario, Wind River) delivers a career-best performance as a motel owner who unknowingly befriends a violent sociopath. What ensues is the tense unravelling of a story about an unlikely friendship. This thriller expertly plays on genre conventions and uses them to its advantage to create a chilling and utterly brilliant film.

Streaming on Netflix

6 hidden gems to get you through lockdown No.6 — *Liam James stars as the lead, Duncan*.

2. The Way Way Back (drama/comedy)

This heartfelt and emotionally driven film sees a shy boy caught between his mother and her not-so-nice boyfriend while on summer vacation. Duncan (Liam James) finds solitude in a local waterpark manager who helps improve his confidence. This is a feel-good film for the entire family.

Streaming on Stan and Disney+

3. Disobedience (romantic drama)

Adapted from a novel by the same name, this drama explores the battle between religion and self-discovery. Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams star as two lovers facing the hard reality of forbidden romance within an Orthodox community.

Streaming on Netflix

4. Wind River (mystery thriller)

This dark mystery follows a Fish and Wildlife Service agent and an FBI agent tasked with investigating the murder of a young woman. The duo, played by Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, find themselves in danger while they search for the truth. Wind River explores the harsh climate of snowy Wyoming and the toll it takes on its residents.

Available on Apple TV

5. Journeyman (sports drama)

Paddy Considine directs and stars in this drama about a boxer who suffers a life-changing injury and must adjust his entire life to these new and trying circumstances. Journeyman is a rare and welcome example of a boxing story that’s not about the sport itself but the man inside the ring.

Available on Amazon Prime

6. Arctic (survival thriller)

Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt, Another Round) delivers a searing performance as a man stranded in the Arctic searching for a way home. With a brilliantly wound screenplay, Mikkelsen transcends in this almost silent thriller that focuses on the difference between surviving and living.