Movies you (probably) skipped
Welcome to Movies You (Probably) Skipped, a monthly column where I pick out the best new releases that didn’t quite pull in the crowds on the big screen, but deserve a second chance now they’ve arrived on streaming.
I watch a lot of movies at my local theaters every year. I’m talking more than 100 per year. Because of this, I often end up watching a lot of great movies that don’t get the attention they deserve on the big screen, and then find myself frustrated when it feels like almost nobody else actually saw them.
The solution? This column you’re reading right now. Below, I’m picking out the five best movies that may not have become box office juggernauts or pop culture talking points, but are most certainly worth circling back to now that they’ve arrived on streaming platforms over the past few weeks. And there’s plenty of variety here from dramas to thrillers, and even a historical musical.
You may not have heard of some of these movies, or perhaps you saw them playing in your nearest multiplex but skipped them in favor of catching the latest blockbuster instead. But take it from me, a huge movie buff, these deserve your attention now that they can be enjoyed on streaming services.
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‘Urchin’
British actor Harris Dickinson made his directorial debut with “Urchin,” an alarmingly raw movie about the harsh realities of homelessness, addiction and self-destructive behavior. This drama can be a really tough watch, and the numerous ambiguous dream sequences won’t be for everybody. However, it packs a star-making performance from Frank Dillane in the central role of Mike, and feels like an important movie given its topical subject matter.
In London, Mike (Dillane) is a young homeless man, clearly capable and with a charismatic streak, but completely unable to get out of his own way. He makes the wrong decisions a little too often. After being arrested for assaulting and robbing a man offering him help, he attempts to reintergrate into society, but his addictions and destructive tendencies surface again.
Watch “Urchin” on Hulu now
‘No Other Choice’
It’s hard to believe that Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” isn’t a serious contender at this weekend’s Oscars. It didn’t even get a nod in the Best International Feature category, which is a miscarriage of movie justice that I simply won’t stand for. This screwball, but extremely sharp, satirical dark comedy has plenty to say about the inhuman job market in the 21st century.
Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), a long-serving and well-respected worker in a paper company, comes face-to-face with the uncaring nature of shareholder-first business when he’s suddenly laid off. Facing the prospect of being unable to provide for his family, he resorts to an extreme method to secure a new position: Kill off his competition for a coveted job. Park Chan-wook skillfully blends humor with the narrative’s dark elements, and the subtly devastating ending has stayed with me, even weeks after I caught the flick in theaters.
Watch “No Other Choice” on Prime Video (buy/rent) now
‘Dead of Winter’
With spring officially starting this month (on March 20), “Dead of Winter’s” seasonal appeal is all but over. However, if you want an intense and very chilly dark thriller to wave goodbye to the cold weather, it’s certainly a suitable pick. It’s also great to see Emma Thompson in a role that lets her spread her acting wings a little, and Judy Greer makes for a pleasingly menacing villain. The middle portion is rather repetitive, but things finish on a strong note.
Barb (Thompson) is a recent widow traveling through snowy Minnesota to spread her husband’s ashes at the site of their first date, a frozen-over Lake Hilda. Along the icy road, she stumbles upon a couple (Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca) acting suspiciously. Knowing something isn’t right, when she discovers that they’ve taken a young girl (Laurel Marsden), she’s forced into a cat-and-mouse game to save both the kidnapped girl and her own life.
Watch “Dead of Winter” on HBO Max now
‘It Was Just An Accident’
“The Secret Agent” is the big international contender at the Oscars, scoring nominations in major categories including Best Picture, Director and Actor. I can’t help but feel that “It Was Just An Accident” was a little snubbed, deserving similar plaudits (but at least it got an Original Screenplay nod).
Directed by filmmaker Jafar Panahi, the story of this movie’s production is just as interesting as the thriller narrative that unfolds within. Panahi made the flick without permission from the Iranian authorities, shooting without permits, and risking jail time for its critical commentary on the government.
The movie centers on Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), an auto mechanic, who is stunned when a man from his past walks into his autoshop. Vahid believes this visitor (Ebrahim Azizi) is his former torturer, named Eghbal. In a fit of fury, Vahid kidnaps this man with plans to bury him alive in the desert, but when the man swears he’s not Vahid’s cruel tormentor, doubt creeps in. Now Vahid must attempt to confirm the man’s identity by contacting his fellow victims.
Watch “It Was Just an Accident” on Hulu now
‘The Testament of Ann Lee’
“The Testament of Ann Lee” is another one where I just can’t understand what the Academy was thinking this year. It’s by no means my favorite movie of 2025, but Amanda Seyfried gives the best performance of her career, and yet was shut out of the Best Actress field? That’s a puzzler to me. She completely sinks into the meaty eponymous role of Ann Lee, and apart from a slightly iffy Mancunian accent, she delivers a powerful, captivating performance.
Reuniting the writing team of 2024’s brilliant “The Brutalist,” this historical dramatic musical (yes, I’m sorry if that puts you off), tells the story of, you’ve guessed it, Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century. The movie follows Lee from birth until her death at the age of 48, as she preaches a particularly devout form of Christianity. Gorgeously shot, if a little long in the tooth, “The Testament of Ann Lee” is worth singing about.
Watch “The Testament of Ann Lee” on Prime Video (buy/rent) now
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