The best films you might have missed this summer (and how to watch them online now)

The glamour of Hollywood still has pulling power. This summer, movie lovers returned to the cinema in their droves – and in their masks – after months away and, after weeks of coronavirus concerns, Tenet took £5.4m at the UK and Irish box offices in its opening weekend. It was a moment that offered much-needed hope to the cinemas.

Christopher Nolan’s film made headlines and most cinephiles have made the trip to see the cerebral sci-fi epic at least once (after all, barely anyone understood it first time round). But there are dozens of movies that have arrived with less fanfare during this, the strangest of summers for film.

In fact, and to considerable irony, the pandemic coincided with one of the best years for British film in decades, with Lynn + Lucy, Emma., Rocks and the forthcoming festival circuit hit Saint Maud just some of the names winning critical acclaim.

There are new movies arriving in cinemas every week, and plenty more waiting to be discovered online now. But while film has staying power, the sun doesn't. Now the good weather is turning bad, it's time to cosy up with one of this year's recent releases that may have slipped under the radar.

No, not the musical set in revolutionary France – this Les Misérables is a striking drama following the lives of characters in the poverty-stricken Paris suburb of Montfermeil in Seine-Saint-Denis, who encounter violent racists and oppressive police officers. It’s a staggering achievement from first time Parisian director Ladj Ly. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2019, but the film was only officially released in the UK in September.

Available to watch on Amazon Prime

The first Pixar movie since Toy Story 4 arrived in March. It had a very brief run in cinemas before lockdown hit, and now it’s one of the top performing films in the UK box office once again after being screened in cinemas months later. The film takes place in a fantasy world where magic once existed. It focuses on two brothers (voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) who are given the chance to spend one final day with their late father. Bring the tissues.

Available to watch in cinemas and from video on demand stores such as Amazon, Sky Store, Google Play and iTunes (and on Disney+ from October 2)

Georgian-set romance And Then We Danced follows a young dance student as he enters into a love affair with a male classmate. The film is a tender romance, which shines a light on homophobia in Georgian society. It’s one of the most impressive international releases of the past 12 months and it’s available to watch now.

Available to watch on BFI Player

This 2020 gem became one of the most acclaimed foreign-language films of the year when it arrived in March. The contemporary western tells the story of Brazilian villagers who are attacked by gun-wielding tourists, with the Standard’s Charlotte O’Sullivan describing it as “agonisingly suspenseful” and “laugh out loud funny” in her five-star review. She went on to say: “Bacurau is in the same class as Parasite".

Available to watch on MUBI and Curzon Home Cinema

This indie thriller starring Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots follows a couple who become trapped in a strange, labyrinthian neighbourhood, before being forced to raise a child against their will. If creepy dystopian dramas are your thing, this comes highly recommended – especially as it got a little lost in the depths of lockdown and didn’t get the attention it deserved.

Available to watch on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and other UK streaming services

This inspired debut from British director Fyzal Boulifa follows the fraught friendship between Essex pair Lynn (Roxanne Scrimshaw) and Lucy (Nichola Burley). The Standard’s critic Charlotte O’Sullivan called it “disorientating, stressful and — ultimately — electrifying” in her review, praising it as one of the best to come out over the summer. It was released on September 4 and was made available to watch on the BFI Player simultaneously.

Available to watch on BFI Player

The Assistant, the drama inspired by the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal, has been received as one of the most powerful films of the year. Directed by Kitty Green, the movie takes a look at workplace harassment, toxicity and bullying, starring Julia Garner as Jane, an assistant working at a film production company. The film arrived in April in the UK and deserves to be seen by more people online.

Available to watch on Curzon Home Video, BFI Player, Mubi, iTunes, Amazon & Microsoft

One of the standout British movies of the year, this coming-of-age story follows a British-Nigerian teenager as she learns to take care of herself and her younger brother after being abandoned by her mother. There’s tough social realism on show, but the film is uplifting and full of joy. It’s a real delight from filmmaker Sarah Gavron, which has received a raft of five-star reviews – read the Standard’s here. The film is showing in cinemas right now.