Home Cinema 5: Five films to watch right now

Our weekly guide to the best films available on home entertainment platforms
Here at The List we tend to look forward to what's on the horizon, but when that's a whole lot of staying in knowing what to watch right now in the comfort of your home has never been more needed. To help ride out these challenging times, we will be casting our expert eye over what's new to TV and streaming services each week, bringing you the cream of the current movie crop. Let us do the decision-making for you, and then just sit back and enjoy.
As lockdown fatigue begins to bite, film continues to deliver, with big releases being hastened into our homes and arthouse titles aiming to keep us stimulated as well as sane. This week, the latest from film's most famous franchise is amongst the new arrivals.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire ★★★★★
We really can't recommend this one highly enough. Setting light to cinema screens just two months back, Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been snapped up to stream on MUBI (who are currently offering a seven-day free trial). Céline Sciamma's story of forbidden passion and flirtations with feminism in eighteenth-century Brittany is an instant classic, which is so dynamically directed and full of feeling it'll leave you floored.
Watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire on Mubi.
Martin Margiela: In His Own Words ★★★★☆
Our favourite rental release from last Friday is a fascinating documentary about the enigmatic Belgian fashion designer from director Reiner Holzemer. Featuring significant contributions from the man himself (albeit in faceless fashion, with only his busy hands appearing on screen) who discusses his work in unusually forthcoming form, it's a valuable insight into a convention-defying career and the industry at large.
Watch Martin Margiela: In His Own Words On Demand.
Tigertail ★★★★☆
This week's Netflix highlight is a melancholic, artful offering from TV comedy staple Alan Yang (the co-creator of Master of None, also known for his work as writer and producer on Parks and Recreation, amongst others). Making his feature debut as writer-director with some style, Yang turns to his Taiwanese father for inspiration; Yang Senior's stories form the basis of a coming-to-America tale saturated with sorrow, as an elderly man (played by Tzi Ma) contemplates the life and love that could have been.
Watch Tigertail on Netflix.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ★★★☆☆
Available to purchase earlier than planned (first on digital and then on DVD / Blu-ray from 20 April), the conclusion of the Skywalker saga wasn't exactly what everyone wanted. Cameo-heavy and emotionally cursory, JJ Abrams' return to the director's chair marked a return to fanboy pleasing following the bolder approach of Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi, giving the impression of a franchise that had lost its nerve. Nevertheless, it's as action-packed as ever, while the ensemble impress, with Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley once again standouts as they do battle with their own natures and each other.
Watch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker On Demand.
Blue Story ★★★★☆
Also available to buy on digital this week is a critically acclaimed British crime drama that made an unceremonious exit from cinemas late last year. When a violent incident took place at a Birmingham multiplex that was screening the film, a media furore ensued, leading to it being temporarily pulled from a number of venues, a decision that many felt was tinged with racism. Now audiences have a chance to judge it on its merits. Written, directed and narrated by Andrew Onwubolu, better known as Rapman, and set in South London, Blue Story is a powerful, well-informed portrait of gang warfare and divided loyalties, in part based on Onwubolu's own experiences and starring BAFTA Rising Star Award winner Micheal Ward.
Watch Blue Story On Demand.
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