What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to The Shawshank Redemption first
The Green Mile 1999
Film
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
The sides of The Green Mile
- A gentle giant on death row
- Guards who start to doubt
- A small miracle in a prison
Good for you if
- you like Michael Clarke Duncan as a giant of a man who is afraid of the dark.
- you like guards and prisoners becoming people to each other.
- you like a story about goodness in an ugly place.
Bad for you if
- over three hours is too much for one evening.
- executions shown on screen are too hard for you.
About: justice · mercy · death
The Wire 2002
Series
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.
The sides of The Wire
- Baltimore cops wiretapping a drug crew
- The docks, the schools, City Hall and the newspaper
- Dealers and detectives seen from both sides
Good for you if
- you like seeing how police, politics and schools keep a city stuck.
- you like a case built patiently over a whole season.
- you want people like Omar, Stringer Bell and McNulty to stay with you.
Bad for you if
- you lose track with dozens of characters on both sides.
- you need some hope. Baltimore rarely changes here.
About: institutions · the drug war · loyalty
The Irishman 2019
Film
Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.
The sides of The Irishman
- A hitman looking back from a nursing home
- Jimmy Hoffa
- Decades of the mob
Good for you if
- you like a slow, reflective gangster story.
- you like legends acting together one last time.
- you like an ending about loneliness and regret.
Bad for you if
- three and a half hours is far too long for you.
- you want a fast gangster film.
About: loyalty · ageing · regret
Orange Is the New Black 2013
Series
A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.
The sides of Orange Is the New Black
- A New Yorker sent to a women's prison
- Inmates with a backstory each
- Prison friendships, gangs and guards
Good for you if
- you like a show where every inmate at Litchfield gets her own story.
- you like laughing at prison life while it hurts.
- you want women who become each other's family behind bars.
Bad for you if
- seven seasons is too much for you.
- you'd rather not watch frequent sex scenes, or you watch with others.
- you can't take deaths, addiction and abuse inside a prison.
About: prison · sisterhood · second chances
The Godfather 1972
Film
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
The sides of The Godfather
- A family business that is a mafia
- A son who said he'd stay out
- A wedding, a horse, an offer
Good for you if
- you like a story that takes its time and lands like a verdict.
- you like quiet actors saying a lot with one look.
- you like watching a decent man become someone else.
Bad for you if
- nearly three hours is too much for one evening.
- films from the 1970s feel slow and dated to you.
- sudden, cold killings ruin a film for you.
About: family · power · loyalty · America
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975
Film
A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.
The sides of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- A rebel in a psychiatric ward
- A nurse who controls everything
- A fishing trip with the patients
Good for you if
- you like a performance full of energy and defiance.
- you like a ward full of unforgettable faces.
- you like an ending that hits like a stone.
Bad for you if
- you can't root for a petty crook. McMurphy fakes madness to dodge prison work, and the film is on his side.
- you can't stand institutional cruelty. Shock treatment and Nurse Ratched's rule weigh on the whole film.
About: freedom · authority · sanity
Dead Poets Society 1989
Film
At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
The sides of Dead Poets Society
- A teacher who stands on desks
- Boys reading poetry in a cave
- Carpe diem
Good for you if
- you like a school drama that can move you to tears, carried by Robin Williams as a warm, funny teacher.
- you like big, sincere ideas about living fully.
- you like a group of boys finding their own voices.
Bad for you if
- a boy crushed by his father's plans for him is too hard for you tonight.
- you want things to happen fast. Here it's poems read in a cave at night.
About: freedom · conformity · youth
The Help 2011
Film
Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.
The sides of The Help
- Black maids in 1960s Mississippi
- A young writer collecting their stories
- A pie
Good for you if
- you like a story of courage that moves you.
- you like strong, warm performances.
- you like humour that cuts through injustice.
Bad for you if
- you want the segregated South at its harshest. Here the anger comes wrapped in warmth and jokes.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt lines like the ones Aibileen repeats to little Mae Mobley.
About: racism · friendship · courage
Million Dollar Baby 2004
Film
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.
The sides of Million Dollar Baby
- A waitress who wants to box
- An old trainer who says no
- A bond like father and daughter
Good for you if
- you want a boxing film that moves you to tears rather than to cheers.
- you like quiet, deep performances.
- you like two lonely people becoming family.
Bad for you if
- a story that turns to suffering and grief is too heavy for you tonight.
- you want a warm, uplifting sports film. Frankie and Maggie's story is a sad one.
About: dignity · family · loss
The Godfather Part II 1974
Film
In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.
The sides of The Godfather Part II
- A son ruling the family business
- A young father building it in old New York
- A brother's betrayal
Good for you if
- you like a long, patient tragedy.
- you like two great performances in two eras.
- you like a dark family saga that offers no comfort.
Bad for you if
- over three hours is too long for one evening.
About: family · power · loneliness
Forrest Gump 1994
Film
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
The sides of Forrest Gump
- A kind man walking through history
- A love that keeps leaving
- Vietnam, ping-pong and shrimp
Good for you if
- you like a film that makes you laugh and cry in the same scene.
- you like a hero who is simply good, with no irony.
- you want something warm you can watch again and again.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that could really happen. Forrest is everywhere.
- war, abuse and illness on screen are too much for you tonight.
About: destiny · love · innocence · America
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- The biggest battles of the trilogy
- Two hobbits climbing a mountain
- Saying goodbye
Good for you if
- you want the siege of Minas Tirith and the charge of the Rohirrim on a big screen.
- you like an ending that takes its time to say goodbye.
- you've loved this world and want to see it through.
Bad for you if
- over three hours, with several endings, is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at big, sincere speeches. Aragorn rallies an army at the Black Gate.
About: friendship · sacrifice · home
Good Will Hunting 1997
Film
Will Hunting is a headstrong, working-class genius who is failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor, who might be the only man who can reach him.
The sides of Good Will Hunting
- A janitor who's a maths genius
- A therapist who won't give up
- It's not your fault
Good for you if
- you like a therapy scene that breaks everyone open.
- you like long, honest conversations on a park bench.
- you like a young man scared of his own potential.
Bad for you if
- you want things to happen fast. This is all talking.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt speeches. Robin Williams gives several.
About: fear · friendship · healing
American History X 1998
Film
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
The sides of American History X
- A neo-Nazi coming out of prison
- A younger brother following his path
- Black and white memories
Good for you if
- you like a lead performance that's terrifying and then human.
- you can take a story with no easy comfort.
- you like watching someone try to unlearn hate.
Bad for you if
- one infamous scene of violence is too much for you.
- racism and hate crimes on screen are too heavy for you tonight.
About: hate · family · redemption
A Beautiful Mind 2001
Film
From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all. As a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician, he made a groundbreaking discovery early in his career and stands on the brink of international acclaim. But as the handsome and arrogant Nash accepts secret work in cryptography, he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. His life takes a nightmarish turn and he soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.
The sides of A Beautiful Mind
- A maths genius at Princeton
- Codes only he can see
- A wife who stays
Good for you if
- you like a brilliant, fragile lead.
- you like a love story that survives illness.
- you like a film that makes you doubt what you saw.
Bad for you if
- you can't watch mental illness up close. The film stays with Nash through the worst of it.
- you roll your eyes at sincere speeches. The Nobel speech to his wife goes all in.
About: genius · illness · love
Room 2015
Film
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
The sides of Room
- A mother and son in one small room
- The world outside, seen for the first time
- A plan to escape
Good for you if
- you like a story of love that survives the worst.
- you like a child actor you'll never forget.
- you like an escape scene that stops your heart.
Bad for you if
- captivity and abuse, even mostly unseen, are too much for you.
- you need momentum. After the escape, the film slows down to watch them heal.
About: motherhood · freedom · resilience
The Intouchables 2011
Film
A true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects.
The sides of The Intouchables
- A rich man who can't move
- A carer from the suburbs
- A friendship nobody expected
Good for you if
- you like a comedy where two opposite men tease each other.
- you like a feel-good film that also moves you.
- you like a true story, with the real Philippe and Abdel shown at the end.
Bad for you if
- you won't read subtitles. It's in French, though a dubbed version exists.
- you can't laugh at jokes about a man who can't move.
About: friendship · disability · class
Breaking Bad 2008
Series
A high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with lung cancer starts making meth with a former student to pay for his family's future.
The sides of Breaking Bad
- An ordinary man's slow corruption
- Crime as a business
- One bad choice that spirals
- Desert, tension, long silences
Good for you if
- you like rooting for someone you know you shouldn't.
- you like tension that builds for a whole episode before it breaks.
- you watch for how people change more than for what happens.
Bad for you if
- graphic violence ruins a show for you. Some scenes are hard to unsee.
- TV is how you unwind. This one keeps you tense.
- five seasons is more than you want to start.
About: pride · family · power · consequences
The Pursuit of Happyness 2006
Film
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
The sides of The Pursuit of Happyness
- A father and son with nowhere to sleep
- An unpaid internship
- A Rubik's cube in a taxi
Good for you if
- you like a story of struggle with a moving end.
- you like a real father and son on screen together.
- you like a sincere story about never giving up.
Bad for you if
- homelessness with a child is too hard for you tonight.
- you want to laugh with Will Smith. Here he plays it straight, down to a night in a subway bathroom.
About: perseverance · fatherhood · poverty
The Truman Show 1998
Film
In a picture-perfect seaside town, an insurance salesman begins to realize that his entire existence may be staged and observed by a vast unseen audience as part of a long-running real-time reality TV show.
The sides of The Truman Show
- A man whose whole life is a TV show
- A town full of actors
- A boat sailing to the edge of the sky
Good for you if
- you like the creeping feeling that the world is fake.
- you like laughing at ads slipped into a man's life.
- you like a hero who wants something real, whatever the cost.
Bad for you if
- you need the premise to hold up. A whole town has been a TV set for thirty years.
- you want to find out the secret along with Truman. You know it from the opening credits.
About: freedom · reality · media