Stream On Demand Reviews of streaming movies and shows by Sean Axmaker.

‘Gone Baby Gone’ – a Boston mystery on Prime Video and Paramount+
‘House of Flying Daggers’ – grand and glorious romantic martial arts spectacle on Prime Video
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the original ‘Conan the Barbarian’ on Netflix and AMC+
‘Antz’ – a neurotic bug’s life on Netflix
‘The Love Witch’ – Sex, magic, and sixties style on Peacock and Criterion Channel
‘Winchester ’73’ – James Stewart is out for revenge on Prime Video
‘Band of Brothers’ at 25 – the war in Europe on HBO Max
‘Inglourious Basterds’ – Quentin Tarantino rewrites WWII on Hulu

Casey Affleck in Ben Affleck's directorial debut

‘Gone Baby Gone’ – a Boston mystery on Prime Video and Paramount+

Ben Affleck made a confident and compelling directorial debut with ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ his smart adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s mystery novel, and his brother Casey Affleck stars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is Conan the Barbarian on Netflix

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the original ‘Conan the Barbarian’ on Netflix and AMC+

The Austrian bodybuilder took his first major role playing Robert E. Howard’s primitive mercenary hero in the adventure fantasy ‘Conan the Barbarian’ from director John Milius and screenwriter Oliver Stone.

‘Antz’ – a neurotic bug’s life on Netflix

Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, and Sylvester Stallone provide voices in ‘Antz,’ a 1998 animated comedy filled with in-jokes for the adults in the audience.

Samantha Robinson is The Love Witch in Anna Biller's retro-styled feminist / horror / fantasy / melodrama

‘The Love Witch’ – Sex, magic, and sixties style on Peacock and Criterion Channel

A collision of feminism, romantic fantasy, power, sex, and horror, Anna Biller’s ‘The Love Witch’ is a silky mix of fifties romantic melodrama, sixties style, and seventies erotic horror.

‘Inglourious Basterds’ – Quentin Tarantino rewrites WWII on Hulu

Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurant, Michael Fassbender, and Diane Krueger plot to take out Hitler in the wildly entertaining World War II mission thriller, ‘Inglourious Basterds.’

Viggo Mortensen makes ‘Eastern Promises’ on Prime Video

David Cronenberg dives into the shadowy, dangerous world of organized crime and hidden identities with ‘Eastern Promises.’

‘The World’s End’ – pub crawling to the end of the world on Peacock

‘The World’s End,’ the third film in the “Cornetto” trilogy created by friends and collaborators Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, is cheeky fun.

Tom Cruise in Paul Brickman's 'Risky Business'

Tom Cruise engages in ‘Risky Business’ on HBO Max and Paramount+

The savvy social satire ‘Risky Business’ is like an art movie version of the teen sex comedy. It’s sexy, smart and funny, and filled with commentary on the culture of wealth.

George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jack O'Connell star in Money Monster,' directed by Jodie Foster

George Clooney is a ‘Money Monster’ on Netflix

A hostage thriller by way of a commentary on Wall Street corruption, ‘Money Monster’ stars George Clooney as a financial news show host.

‘Winchester ’73’ – James Stewart is out for revenge on Prime Video

The first of eight films that James Stewart made with director Anthony Mann, ‘Winchester ’73’ is a tight, lean revenge thriller, practically a film noir on the frontier.

‘House of Usher’ – Vincent Price channels Edgar Allan Poe on Prime Video

Roger Corman’s Gothic horror ‘House of Usher,’ shot in rich, vivid color, is a triumph of expressionism on a budget and launched a series of Poe adaptations.

‘The Lady Vanishes’ – Alfred Hitchcock’s first great romantic thriller on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave fall in love while chasing a mystery on a moving train in ‘The Lady Vanishes.’

‘American Graffiti’ – George Lucas before ‘Star Wars’ on Netflix

Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Cindy Williams star in ‘American Graffiti,’ a nostalgic look back on the last night of summer before high school graduates move on.

David Lean’s ‘Hobson’s Choice’ on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Charles Laughton is comically tyrannical as a greedy widower who treats his daughters as indentured servants in the classic British comedy ‘Hobson’s Choice.’

‘Tales of Terror’ – a trilogy of Poe stories on Prime Video and MGM+

Vincent Price stars in all three short films in Roger Corman’s horror trilogy ‘Tales of Terror’ based on the stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

‘The Band Wagon’ – Fred Astaire goes to Broadway on HBO Max

Vincent Minnelli directs ‘The Band Wagon,’ a colorful show biz satire and one of the great movie musicals.

‘The Long Goodbye’ – Robert Altman takes on Raymond Chandler on Criterion Channel and MGM+

Elliot Gould is Philip Marlowe in Robert Altman’s seventies take on the classic forties film noir private eye movie, ‘The Long Goodbye.’

Vincent Price and Diana Rigg star in the Shakespearean horror

Vincent Price kills in ‘Theatre of Blood’ on Prime Video and MGM+

Vincent Price hams it up as a vain actor who takes revenge on his critics in the darkly comic horror ‘Theatre of Blood,’ costarring Diana Rigg.

‘House of Flying Daggers’ – grand and glorious romantic martial arts spectacle on Prime Video

Zhang Yimou directs ‘House of Flying Daggers,’ an action thriller of star-crossed romance with dazzling imagery, starring Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Andy Lau.

‘The Guilty’ – a rivetting Danish thriller on Prime Video

Actor Jakob Cedergren carries ‘The Guilty,’ a drama about an Emergency Services operator who receives a call from a woman in trouble.

‘demonlover’ – the brutal business of corporate conspiracy on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Connie Nielson is a ruthless executive in Olivier Assayas’ confrontational 2002 thriller ‘demonlover’ seeped in the dehumanizing effects of internet imagery.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s ‘Fox and his Friends’ on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

R.W. Fassbinder takes a rare leading role in his searing 1975 drama ‘Fox and his Friends’ as a working class carny in a predatory relationship.

‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ – Agnes Varda’s nouvelle vague classic on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Agnes Varda’s breakthrough film ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ follows a flighty young pop singer through Paris for a day as she awaits potentially tragic news.

Vera Clouzot in Henri-Georges Clouzot's Hitchcockian thriller with Simone Signoret

The original ‘Diabolique’ on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Henri-Georges Clouzot displays his talent as a master conductor of suspense in the ruthlessly effective thriller ‘Diabolique.’

‘American Graffiti’ – George Lucas before ‘Star Wars’ on Netflix

Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Cindy Williams star in ‘American Graffiti,’ a nostalgic look back on the last night of summer before high school graduates move on.

‘Smiles of a Summer Night’ – Ingmar Bergman’s comic roundelay on Criterion Channel

Ingmanr Bergman’s international breakthrough was the light, sunny, airy sex comedy ‘Smiles of a Summer Night.’

The original 2001 comedy from David Wain and Michael Showalter.

The original ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ on Peacock

An all-star cast of comedy stars and improv veterans spoof summer camp movies in the episodic comedy ‘Wet Hot American Summer.’

‘A Summer’s Tale’ – romance on the beach times three on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

A recent college grad juggle three women in his final summer before joining the workforce in ‘A Summer’s Tale,’ the third film is Eric Rohmer’s “Four Seasons” cycle.

‘Dead End Drive-In’ – internment camp with a snack bar on Prime Video and Arrow

Brian Trenchard-Smith’s mix of science fiction, gearhead action, and social commentary, ‘Dead End Drive-In’ is a social satire in a ‘Mad Max’ world

Harriet Andersson stars in Ingmar Bergman's 'Summer With Monika'

Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Summer’s on Criterion Channel

‘Summer Interlude’ and ‘Summer with Monika’ show off the two sides Ingmar Bergman as he finds his voice and hones his craft as a filmmaker.

‘Antz’ – a neurotic bug’s life on Netflix

Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, and Sylvester Stallone provide voices in ‘Antz,’ a 1998 animated comedy filled with in-jokes for the adults in the audience.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ – a Wes Anderson storybook movie on Peacock

Wes Anderson brings his distinctive sensibility to Roald Dahl fantasy and stop motion animation in ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ a storybook kid’s movie for grown-ups.

‘The Lego Movie’ – Everything is awesome on Paramount+

This wild ride through the world of interlocking plastic bricks, ‘The Lego Movie’ is clever, playful, and at times even profound.

‘Ballykissangel’ – life in an eccentric Irish village on BritBox

Set in a mountain village of ecccentic characters in Ireland, the cozy comedy ‘Ballykissangel’ is like a UK twist on ‘Northern Exposure.’

‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’ – the cyber-S.W.A.T. team prequel on Criterion Channel

The animated series spin-off ‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’ is a prequel to the landmark cyberpunk feature.

‘MI-5’ – Britain’s searing spy series on Prime Video, Peacock and BritBox

The brilliant British spy drama ‘MI-5’ helped launch the careers of Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, and David Oyelowo while delivering riveting TV.

Donnie Wahlberg, Neil McDonough, and the men of Easy Company in the miniseries from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks

‘Band of Brothers’ at 25 – the war in Europe on HBO Max

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produce the epic ten-part limited series ‘Band of Brothers,’ that follows a single company through the European theater of World War II.

'The Great Train Robbery' is one of the features films in Mark Cousins ' documentary 'The Story of Film: An Odyssey '

‘The Story of Film: An Odyssey’ – an exhaustive cinema history lesson on Prime Video

Filmmaker Mark Cousins takes an unconventional, expansive, and almost exhaustive approach to the history of cinema in ‘The Story of Film: An Odyssey.’

Zooey Deschanel, Raoul Trujillo, Alan Cumming, and Neal McDonough in a revisionist Oz

‘Tin Man’ – Steampunk Oz on Prime Video and Peacock

Zooey Deschanel is a modern day Dorothy in the SyFy limited series ‘Tin Man,’ a radical reworking of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ that is equal parts revisionist remake and dark sequel.

‘Star Trek’ – the first frontier at 60 on Paramount+

A rich universe of characters and stories, and the dreams of many a visionary, began in the landmark science fiction show ‘Star Trek’ that launched in 1966.

The original ‘The Outer Limits’ – sixties SF TV on Prime Video

Stephen King called the original incarnation of the TV science fiction anthology series ‘The Outer Limits’ “the best program of its type to ever run on network TV.”

‘The Twilight Zone’ – enter another dimension on Paramount+ and Prime Video

Submitted for your approval: Rod Serling, a writer whose mix of science fiction, fantasy, and social commentary results in the most celebrated and respected anthology series of all time in… The Twilight Zone.

‘Antz’ – a neurotic bug’s life on Netflix

Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, and Sylvester Stallone provide voices in ‘Antz,’ a 1998 animated comedy filled with in-jokes for the adults in the audience.

‘The Lego Movie’ – Everything is awesome on Paramount+

This wild ride through the world of interlocking plastic bricks, ‘The Lego Movie’ is clever, playful, and at times even profound.

‘Flushed Away’ – Aardman Animation’s underground adventure on Peacock

Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Ian McKellen provide the voices in ‘Flushed Away, a spirited comedy of a pet mouse who becomes a hero in a subterranean London world.

‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ – Agnes Varda’s nouvelle vague classic on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Agnes Varda’s breakthrough film ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ follows a flighty young pop singer through Paris for a day as she awaits potentially tragic news.

Miguel Sandoval, Spike Lee, and Ossie Davis

Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ – fight the power on Prime Video

Spike Lee’s vibrant, vital, thoroughly accomplished third feature ‘Do The Right Thing’ is a provocative and intelligent exploration of race and racism.

Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Paul Sorvino, and Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese's gangster classic.

‘GoodFellas’ – Martin Scorsese’s gangster masterpiece on Prime Video

Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s violent, dynamic, exhilarating mob thriller ‘GoodFellas,’ the greatest American gangster movie since Coppola’s ‘The Godfather.’

Charles Bronson in Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon a Time in the West'

‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ – Sergio Leone’s operatic epic on Prime Video, Paramount+ and MGM+

Charles Bronson and Claudia Cardinale star in Sergio Leone’s loving tribute to the myth of the American West ‘Once Upon a Time in the West,’ with Henry Fonda in a rare role as a cold-blooded villain.

François Leterrier in the 1956 Robert Bresson film

‘A Man Escaped’ – Robert Bresson’s prison break on Criterion Channel

Robert Bresson’s quiet drama of an escape from a German prison camp, ‘A Man Escaped’ is an austere film of documentary detail where every detail takes on monumental significance.

‘Apocalypse Now: Redux’ – Francis Ford Coppola’s trippy war epic free on Kanopy and Hoopla

Francis Ford Coppola turns Vietnam into a war movie as drug-addled theme park ride with Marlon Brando as a mad guru warrior in ‘Apocalypse Now.’ He reedited it in 2001 as ‘Apocalypse Now Redux.’

William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal debate the 1968 elections on ABC in 'Best of Enemies'

‘Best of Enemies’ – Buckley vs. Vidal on Netflix

The landmark TV debates between conservative leader William F. Buckley and liberal writer Gore Vidal are profiled in the documentary ‘Best of Enemies.’

‘The Wrecking Crew!’ – the musicians behind the sixties hits on Netflix and Prime Video

Get to know the professionals who played on literally hundreds of pop songs and albums and created the West Coast sound in ‘The Wrecking Crew!’

‘Grizzly Man’ – The indifference of nature on Prime Video and Criterion Channel

Werner Herzog directs the fascinating documentary ‘Grizzly Man,’ about self-made wildlife activist and grizzly bear guardian Timothy Treadwell, who was mauled and devoured by his beloved cause.

‘Gone Baby Gone’ – a Boston mystery on Prime Video and Paramount+

Ben Affleck made a confident and compelling directorial debut with ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ his smart adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s mystery novel, and his brother Casey Affleck stars.

‘The Love Witch’ – Sex, magic, and sixties style on Peacock and Criterion Channel

A collision of feminism, romantic fantasy, power, sex, and horror, Anna Biller’s ‘The Love Witch’ is a silky mix of fifties romantic melodrama, sixties style, and seventies erotic horror.

Peter Sarsgaard is Stanley Milgram in Michael Almereyda's 'Experimenter'

‘Experimenter’ with Peter Sarsgaard on Prime Video

Peter Sarsgaard plays Yale psychology professor Stanley Milgram in Michael Almereyda’s ‘Experimenter,’ an inventive drama about the legendary experiments that shocked the world.

‘The Guilty’ – a rivetting Danish thriller on Prime Video

Actor Jakob Cedergren carries ‘The Guilty,’ a drama about an Emergency Services operator who receives a call from a woman in trouble.

Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo, and Riley Keough star in the horror thriller from Trey Edward Shults

‘It Comes at Night’ – surviving the end of the world on HBO Max

Strangers unite to survive a feral world after a plague in the eerie and nuanced survival thriller ‘It Comes at Night.’

‘Flags of Our Fathers’ – Clint Eastwood at Iwo Jima on Prime Video and Paramount+

Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, and Adam Beach play three of the Marines who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima in ‘Flags of Our Fathers.’

‘The Love Witch’ – Sex, magic, and sixties style on Peacock and Criterion Channel

A collision of feminism, romantic fantasy, power, sex, and horror, Anna Biller’s ‘The Love Witch’ is a silky mix of fifties romantic melodrama, sixties style, and seventies erotic horror.

Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ – finding Bin Laden on Netflix

Jessica Chastain stars in ‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ the searing story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and legacy of torture in America’s war on terror.

‘The Runaways’ – the story of the original grrrl rockers on Criterion Channel

Kristen Stewart plays Joan Joan and Dakota Fanning is Cherie Currie in the story of the original all-girl rock rebel band ‘The Runaways.’

Tom Cruise engages in ‘Risky Business’ on HBO Max and Paramount+

The savvy social satire ‘Risky Business’ is like an art movie version of the teen sex comedy. It’s sexy, smart and funny, and filled with commentary on the culture of wealth.

Matthew McConaughey is ‘Mud’ on Peacock

Jeff Nichols’ ‘Mud’ is a story of childhood adventure steeped in the rural culture of life on the Mississippi and Huckleberry Finn.

‘Experimenter’ with Peter Sarsgaard on Prime Video

Peter Sarsgaard plays Yale psychology professor Stanley Milgram in Michael Almereyda’s ‘Experimenter,’ an inventive drama about the legendary experiments that shocked the world.

‘Star Trek’ – the first frontier at 60 on Paramount+

A rich universe of characters and stories, and the dreams of many a visionary, began in the landmark science fiction show ‘Star Trek’ that launched in 1966.

The cast of NBC's 'Hannibal,' starring Hugh Dancy, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, and Mads Mikkelsen

‘Hannibal’ – Mads Mikkelsen incarnates the genius serial killer for TV on Netflix and Prime Video

Mads Mikkelsen plays Dr. Hannibal Lecter in ‘Hannibal,’ Bryan Fuller’s beautiful and gruesome reimagining of the universe created by author Thomas Harris.

Patrick McGoohan and Leo McKern in the cult TV classic

Patrick McGoohan is ‘The Prisoner’ in the cult series on Prime Video and Criterion Channel

Patrick McGoohan’s cerebral spy show and portrait of personal freedom as an existential prison has been proclaimed the greatest TV show of all time. It certainly pushed the boundaries of episodic TV storytelling when it debuted in 1968.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the original ‘Conan the Barbarian’ on Netflix and AMC+

‘The Love Witch’ – Sex, magic, and sixties style on Peacock and Criterion Channel

A collision of feminism, romantic fantasy, power, sex, and horror, Anna Biller’s ‘The Love Witch’ is a silky mix of fifties romantic melodrama, sixties style, and seventies erotic horror.

‘Inglourious Basterds’ – Quentin Tarantino rewrites WWII on Hulu

Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurant, Michael Fassbender, and Diane Krueger plot to take out Hitler in the wildly entertaining World War II mission thriller, ‘Inglourious Basterds.’