24.7 C
Canberra
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The best movies on SBS on Demand in 2024

To help you navigate the hours of movies streaming on SBS on Demand, Canberra Daily journalist Jessica Cordwell shares her top 10 picks for 2024.


Killer Joe (MA15+) 2011

A deep dive into a dysfunctional family and the lengths they’ll go to help themselves.  

When Chris (Emile Hirsch) finds himself with a debt that he can’t repay, he hires Joe (Matthew McConaughey), a cop by day and hitman by night, to kill his mother. As the contract fee is hefty, Joe requires a retainer and chooses Chris’s sister Dottie (Juno Temple).

Chris, his father and stepmother are happy to sacrifice young Dottie for their chance of getting their hands on some of the money. However, soon Chris’s jealousy creates tension that is set to explode.

A slightly uncomfortable look into the lives of a family you would never want to be a part of.

Killer Joe is available now on SBS on Demand.


Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG) 2009

A fun-loving, hen-heckling, turkey-stealing, cider-sipping fox takes things a step too far and his friends and family feel the wrath.

Based on the classic Roald Dahl novel, the film follows Mr Fox (George Clooney), a fox who loves to push his luck as he steals from the local farmers. Fed up with their goods going missing, the farmers start to fight back and dig up the land where the foxes and other woodland creatures reside. Can the clever creature get his loved ones to safety in time?

Created mainly using stop-animation, the intricate puppets and meticulous sets create a visually appealing spectacle, while the characters and storyline keep the viewer wanting to know what happens next.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is available now on SBS on Demand


Parasite (MA15+) 2019

An expose of class and greed as a family unit goes to extreme lengths to change their economic circumstances.

Residing in the working-class commercial district of Seoul, the Kim family are cramped in their rundown apartment. Son, Ki Woo (Choi Woo-shik) has dreams of attending university and breaking the cycle. When his friend leaves for university, he recommends Ki Woo for his tutoring job.

Ki Woo is hired by the Parks, a wealthy family who live in a modern home designed by a famous architect with many hiding spots and nooks. Seeing the life they live, Ki Woo starts to envision himself in the home forever. Soon he tells a lie and gets his sister a job as an art tutor with plans for the rest of the family to join, but it isn’t as easy as the Kim family hoped.

Tense and dark, Parasite is a truly excellent film that everyone (over 18) should experience at least once.

Parasite is available now on SBS on Demand.


A Beautiful Mind (M) 2001

Watch A Beautiful Mind on SBS on Demand.

Based on the life of Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematical genius.

Brilliant, handsome and arrogant, John Nash (Russell Crowe) is a student at Princeton University and is much better with numbers than most people, with the exception of his roommate Charles (Paul Bettany). A breakthrough thesis sees John offered a job teaching at MIT where he meets student Alicia (Jeniffer Connelly), the pair fall in love and marry.

John’s career takes a turn when he meets a mysterious government agent William Parcher (Ed Harris) on a visit to Princeton. He is tasked with cracking a complex enemy code, which he does easily then he is asked to look for soviet communication in media publications. Spies, shootouts, stalking and tense confrontations follow but is all as it seems?

An emotional rollercoaster and an almost true story of how love and persistence helped a man overcome his demons.

A Beautiful Mind is available now on SBS on Demand


Black Sheep (MA15+) 2006

A genetic experiment goes wrong, horribly wrong and turns a large flock of well-natured sheep into bloodthirsty killers.

Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister) returns to the family farm 15 years after the death of his father, he has completed schooling and sheep-phobia therapy. Arriving home, he learns that his brother, Angus (Peter Feeney), has been experimenting with genetic engineering to create the Oldfield Sheep.

Soon the brothers, farm staff and visitors to the property encounter the horrific side effects of the mutations. The werewolf-like sheep hunt all those on the property with buckets of blood, gore and a few laughs.

A fun horror comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you will always be slightly more cautious around sheep after watching this one.

Black Sheep is available from now on SBS on Demand


Pulp Fiction (MA15+) 1994

The lives of misfits, gangsters and crooks overlap in this iconic Quentin Tarantino film.

Two hitmen have a bad time as their paths cross with a boxer, gangster, the gangster’s wife, would-be thieves and underground types. The characters are complex – most being ‘bad’ but also compelling and likable. With some big hitters on the cast, no performance is a letdown. The overlapping and time-shifting plot keeps the viewer on edge and questioning what is going to happen to the people encountered.  

There is a reason Pulp Fiction is a classic; the characters, the intertwining storylines, plus John Travolta has never looked so good.

Pulp Fiction is available from 8 March on SBS on Demand


Watch Drop Dead Gorgeous on SBS on Demand.

Drop Dead Gorgeous (M) 1999

It’s first or nothing as this small-town beauty pageant turns deadly.

A TV crew covering a Minnesota beauty pageant stumbles across more than they bargained for as former pageant queen Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley) is determined to ensure her daughter (Denise Richards) follows in her footsteps. Main rival Amber Atkins isn’t derailed by the fires, explosions and falling lights trying to stop her from getting close to the crown.

An overlooked comedy, Drop Dead Gorgeous was released at a similar time to Miss Congeniality which reigned over the beauty pageant genre. Which is better? You decide.

Drop Dead Gorgeous is available now on SBS on Demand


Rush (MA15+) 2013

Fast cars and huge egos fill the screen as two drivers compete to be the very best driver in Formula One.

Based on the rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). The 1970s were a particularly ruthless time to be a racecar driver, as there was much less regulation, deaths were common. Knowing the risk every time they got behind the wheel, Hunt lives for the thrill of it, while Lauda is determined to be the best, no matter the cost.

Over the years we see the pair climb the ranks until they are toe to toe, both determined to be the best.  Crashes, relationships breakdowns and financial struggles won’t see the men stray from their track.

No Formula One racing knowledge is needed to enjoy the film, the characters are flawed and relatable while the rivalry is compelling. 

Rush is available now on SBS on Demand


Bring It On (PG) 2000

Cheerleading is life as rival high schools set their eyes on the national championship prize, a journey in which relationships are tried while skills are tested.

Living her dream as the new captain of the Torros Cheerleaders, Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) soon has a harsh reality check when she learns that the previous captain stole the routines. The Clovers, the team that was robbed, are determined to beat the Torros at the upcoming championships. Torrance scrambles to get her team there with original moves.

Cute and popular to boot, with catchy cheers that will stay in your head for days and dance moves that’ll have you redecorating your lounge room, Bring It On is a feel-good blast from the past.

Bring It On is available now on SBS on Demand.


Fried Green Tomatoes (PG) 1991

Watch Fried Green Tomatoes on SBS on Demand

Based on the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café by Fannie Flag.

In the present, a lonesome housewife Evelyn (Kathy Bates) meets a new friend, Ninny (Jessica Tandy) when visiting a nursing home. During their chats, Ninny tells Evelyn stories of the past, about an untamable young woman Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker).

Inspired by the strength of Idgie and Ruth, Evelyn makes some major changes in her life. As Ninny continues the story, major incidents occur, while Evelyn is left wondering what lengths Idgie would go to protect her friend. A beautiful story about friendships and the strength of women.

Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.

More Stories

 
 

 

Latest

canberra daily

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANBERRA DAILY NEWSLETTER

Join our mailing lists to receieve the latest news straight into your inbox.

You have Successfully Subscribed!