Sofa Cinema
Charlie Smith-Knight
September.
The 9th leg of the year. Traditionally, a time of harvest, the kids going back to school and the autumn equinox, signaling the start of shorter days. It’s a return to routines all round and as the summer rush is simmering down, it’s important to factor in downtime. Grab your weighted blanket, light your candles, let the rain lash the windows and enjoy a spot of sofa cinema with some silver screen sensations available on your favourite streaming services. Too many S’s? I don’t know, it felt right.
Grab the tequila from the front porch and take a trip with witches, do brunch and have a laugh with old friends or chase a homicidal lead through London. Either way, make sure you bulk buy the popcorn, draw the curtains and get lost in some sensational sofa cinema this September.
Coco
Family friendly/heart-warming/feast for the eyes
This visually vibrant film centres on Miguel, a young Mexican boy. The descendant of generations of shoemakers, Miguel is forbidden to play music in the family home. But when he finds the guitar of his musical hero, Miguel gives in to temptation and inadvertently finds himself in the Land of the Dead. Reunited with his lost loved ones, Miguel needs to find a way back to the Land of the Living. Available to stream on Disney +, Miguel’s bright and beautifully illustrated tale reveals the important parts family and death play in life. A whirlwind of glittering golds, pinks and purples with all the striking aesthetics of Dia de los Muertos, this family led story aims to tug on your heart strings, as well as the guitar strings.
Practical Magic
Gothic/seasonal/supernatural
A family curse. Sister witches. The rebel and the good girl. Romantic and mysterious Massachusetts vibes enveloping a gothic mansion. Murder, intrigue and midnight margaritas. This tale about the Owens women and the men that dare to love them will have you bewitched and ready for the spooky season ahead. Available to rent on Amazon Prime, for any given rainy Sunday curled up with your animal familiar.
Brian and Charles
Quirky/curious/mental health
In true X Factor style, I am throwing this in as a wild card. Available to stream on NOW TV and Sky Cinema, Brian and Charles follows the story of a deeply depressed man who builds himself a robot, in order to have someone to talk to. It’s offbeat, it’s funny and the plight of a washing machine-turned-posh-robot-in-a-grandad-cardigan is weirdly moving. Although a slow burner, you won’t regret investing the time in seeing how white goods helped a lonely man stick up for himself, find love and return to society.
Luther: The Fallen Sun
Crime/serial killer/anti-hero
The BBC’s prodigal son, Luther, returned with a feature length edition, available now to stream on Netflix. Both good cop and bad cop, brooding John Luther has proven himself a force to be reckoned with. From prison escape, to kidnap, synchronized suicide and a death chamber, this thriller is tense with a triple digit body count. A mad dash after a murderous foe. No spoilers but not for the faint of heart.
First Wives Club
Brash/ laugh out loud/sisterhood
First off, it’s Goldie, Bette and Diane. Available to stream on Paramount + , 4 young women, Elise, Cynthia, Brenda and Annie, make a pact in 1969, to always be there for one another. But such is life, the girls leave college and drift apart. However, when Cynthia commits suicide, the remaining 3 friends reunite to find that although they took very different paths in life, they all have failed relationships in common. Bolstered by each other’s stories and letters they received from Cynthia, the friends decide to band together to take revenge on their former husbands by hitting them where it hurts. Their wallets and their egos. This female-led ball-buster about women in the autumn of their lives is the ultimate word in girl power. Sad, funny, poignant and heart-warming- much like actresses, this film has all the emotions.