MHT’s choice for the best movie of 2015 and a new entry into one of the greatest franchises in movie history top the list of this week’s DVD releases for March 1st:
Room (Check out our Movie Hot Take from Sunday)
Super Simple Synopsis: The incredible bond of a mother and son who survive a horrible ordeal.
Why Buy?
You love great storytelling, chemistry and great performances.
Why Rent?
You like great storytelling, chemistry and great performances.
Why Stream?
You are sort of interested in great storytelling, chemistry and great performances.
Why Skip?
You hate great storytelling, chemistry and great performances. You have no soul.
MHT Verdict: Buy it!
If you told me you were only going to buy one movie this year, I’d push for it to be Room. (It’ll probably be Star Wars: The Force Awakens because you are so stubborn.) Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay turn in phenomenal performances in this gutwrenching tale.
Creed (Check out our Movie Hot Take from last year)
Super Simple Synopsis: Not your ordinary Rocky sequel, the son of Apollo Creed wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and enlists Rocky to help him do so.
Why Buy?
You own every other Rocky movie (even V? Yup, even V!). You love boxing movies.
Why Rent?
You liked Rocky, Rocky II and one of the other sequels but weren’t too crazy about the other three.
Why Stream?
Rocky isn’t your cup of tea but you saw Fruitvale Station and have to see every movie featuring Michael B. Jordan.
Why Skip?
You still haven’t forgiven Jordan for The Fantastic Four reboot.
MHT Verdict: Buy it!
While most of the Rocky sequels paled in comparison to the first one, Creed is more of a refresh (and refreshing!) than a sequel.
Legend (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: A biopic on the Krays, two of London’s most notorious gangsters with Tom Hardy playing both brothers.
Why Buy?
You wish for more Tom Hardy every time you see a movie with him in it and now you finally have your wish!
Why Rent?
You love Hardy and gangster films but are still a little skeptical based on the fact it never received a wide release in the states.
Why Stream?
You think it sounds good but have never been a fan of films where someone plays multiple roles.
Why Skip?
You think Hardy is an overrated actor and the market is saturated with gangster films.
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
Hardy was phenomenal in Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant so why didn’t Legend ever get a proper showing in the United States?
The Night Before (Check out our Movie Hot Take from last year)
Super Simple Synopsis: Three childhood friends are bringing their Christmas Eve tradition to an end.
Why Buy?
You thought This Is The End and The Interview were hilarious. You’ve always wanted an R-rated comedy to have in rotation during the holidays.
Why Rent?
You need a laugh and don’t want to think too hard. You always wanted to see Cheech & Chong make a Christmas movie and think this will be the closest you’ll ever get to your dream.
Why Stream?
You heard Miley Cyrus has a cameo and love “Wrecking Ball.”
Why Skip?
You can’t believe anyone thought This Is The End or The Interview were funny.
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
The Night Before was a very funny Christmas film but not quite funny enough to own.
Intruders (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: An agoraphobe must survive a home invasion without leaving. Well, she could just leave but then where’s the movie in that?
Why Buy?
You are a horror junkie and watch anything that might make you jump or lose sleep.
Why Rent?
You always disagree with those idiots on Rotten Tomatoes and think that audience score of 23% might mean it’s actually better than originally thought.
Why Stream?
You’ve seen every Paranormal Activity and like revenge horror.
Why Skip?
You don’t like horror films. You like horror films but thought Insidious and Paranormal Activity were awful and those were supposed to be this filmmaker’s better movies.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
Based on the trailer, Intruders looks to have an interesting enough twist to at least be different. It may not be good but it definitely looks different.
A Country Called Home (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: A coming of age film about a girl dealing with the loss of her estranged father whom she hadn’t seen since childhood. She returns to a small Texas town for the funeral.
Why Buy?
You couldn’t get enough of Imogen Poots in That Awkward Moment. You love coming of age films of all shapes, sizes and qualities.
Why Rent?
You think critics are always wrong. You can’t find a movie on Lifetime or The Hallmark Channel.
Why Stream?
You tend to believe critics but love films with huge casts of actors and actresses you’ve loved in bit roles in other films.
Why Skip?
You figure if a film like A Country Called Home was good, it would be plastered with film festival accolades so you’d rather pass.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
It’s doubtful A Country Called Home is anything better than mediocre but Imogen Poots in a bigger role is not a bad idea and sometimes coming of age films such as this have a sneaky way of being good. It’s at least worth a viewing, right?
The Danish Girl (Check out our Movie Hot Take from last year)
Super Simple Synopsis: Eddie Redmayne is not a girl not yet a woman.
Why Buy?
You think Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander are both brilliant. You love super heavy films.
Why Rent?
You have heard it might be a little slow but think you’ll be fascinated by the tale of a transgender pioneer.
Why Stream?
You don’t know why but you’re curious to see a completely naked Redmayne.
Why Skip?
You’re holding out for The Doughnut Boy.
MHT Verdict: Rent it!
While it was overrated, The Danish Girl isn’t terrible. Redmayne doesn’t blow anyone away here but Vikander’s performance is very worthy of the Oscar it received.
Miss You Already (Check out our Movie Hot Take from last year)
Super Simple Synopsis: Two lifelong friends grow apart due to cancer and a baby.
Why Buy?
You want as much angst as you can possibly jam into one film. You have a box of tissues and are easily moved.
Why Rent?
You think a Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore pairing sounds divine no matter the emotional cost.
Why Stream?
You still can’t find a movie on Lifetime or The Hallmark Channel.
Why Skip?
You’d rather not spend the weekend depressed.
MHT Verdict: Skip it!
Never one to back away from a depressing 2 hours, it’s not the depressing nature of the film but the actual horribleness of it all that makes the recommendation be to stay away from Miss You Already.
Youth (Did Not Review)
Super Simple Synopsis: A coming of old age film about two friends vacationing together in the Swiss Alps reflecting on life.
Why Buy?
You can’t imagine going wrong with a film starring Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel.
Why Rent?
You’ve seen the trailer and are intrigued but can’t help but wonder how such Oscar bait can’t get more than an Original Song nomination.
Why Stream?
You have no real desire to see Youth but keep seeing a somewhat blurry picture of a naked woman with a rather impressive backside getting in a hot tub with Caine and Keitel and want to see that scene.
Why Skip?
You’ve already had a nap today.
MHT Verdict: Stream it!
This has mediocre written all over it… and pretentiousness.