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

‘Used Cars’ – Kurt Russell has a deal for you on Prime Video
‘The Interpreter’ – conspiracy at the United Nations on Netflix
The Coen Bros.’ ‘A Serious Man’ – a modern Job on Prime Video
‘The Buddy Holly Story’ – Gary Busey plays the American rock original on Criterion Channel
‘The Revenant’ – Leonardo DiCaprio in the savage wilderness on HBO Max
Jason Statham is ‘The Beekeeper’ on Prime Video, Peacock and AMC+
‘Witness for the Prosecution’ with Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich on Prime Video
Satyajit Ray’s ‘The Music Room’ on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

‘Used Cars’ – Kurt Russell has a deal for you on Prime Video

Before Robert Zemeckis became a blockbuster director and Oscar-winning filmmaker, he made the raucous, rebellious, anarchic lampoon ‘Used Cars.’

‘The Interpreter’ – conspiracy at the United Nations on Netflix

Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn star in the conspiracy thriller ‘The Interpreter’ from director Sydney Pollack.

Michael Stuhlbarg stars in the 2009 film by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Coen Bros.’ ‘A Serious Man’ – a modern Job on Prime Video

Michael Stuhlbarg stars in the serious (and seriously funny) meditation on the meaning of life in the 1967 Minneapolis suburbs ‘A Serious Man’ from Joel and Ethan Coen.

Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant." Photo credit: 20th Century Fox.

‘The Revenant’ – Leonardo DiCaprio in the savage wilderness on HBO Max

The brutal survival tale ‘The Revenant’ from Alejandro González Iñárritu won won three Academy Awards, including one for star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jason Statham is ‘The Beekeeper’ on Prime Video, Peacock and AMC+

Jason Statham plays a retired agent who smokes out a nest of predatory high-tech hornets in the action thriller ‘The Beekeeper’ from director David Ayer.

The stop-motion animation dark fairy tale 'Coraline' directed by Henry Selick

‘Coraline’ – a dark fairy tale on Hulu

The dark fantasy storybook ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman is transformed into an imaginative animated fairy tale by director Henry Selick.

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in the J.J. Abrams revival of the original Enterprise crew

‘Star Trek’ – A new beginning on Paramount+ and Peacock

J.J. Abrams dares to rewrite Trek lore with an origin story that chronicles the first voyage of the Enterprise crew in ‘Star Trek.’

Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon in the 2016 'Ghostbusters'

‘Ghostbusters: Answer the Call’ – the 2016 revival on Netflix

Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kat McKinnon, and Leslie Jones don the iconic suits in ‘Ghostbusters: Answer the Call,’ the 2016 revival from director Paul Feig.

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.

‘The Buddy Holly Story’ – Gary Busey plays the American rock original on Criterion Channel

Gary Busey earned his only Oscar nomination playing the rock and rool pioneer from Lubbock, Texas in ‘The Buddy Holly Story.’

Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton in Billy Wilder's adaptation of the Agatha Christie play

‘Witness for the Prosecution’ with Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich on Prime Video

Director Billy Wilder takes on the classic Agatha Christie mystery in the stylish and witty adaptation of her hit stage play ‘Witness for the Prosecution.’

Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, and Sydney Greenstreet in the film adapted from the Dashiell Hammett novel by John Huston.

‘The Maltese Falcon’ – the stuff dreams are made of on HBO Max

Humphrey Bogart is Sam Spade in John Huston’s note-perfect adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s iconic novel in the pioneering film noir classic ‘The Maltese Falcon.’

‘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.

‘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.

Chhabi Biswas stars in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece from India

Satyajit Ray’s ‘The Music Room’ on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

Graceful and melancholy, Satyajit Ray’s 1959 classic ‘The Music Room’ observes the old-world feudal life of the 1920s fading into irrelevance with both sympathy and disparagement.

Agnes Varda’s ‘Le Bonheur’ – beauty and tragedy on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

A sun-dappled tale of a tragic love triangle in the Paris suburbs, ‘Le Bonheur’ looks like an impressionist painting come to life.

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.

‘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.

‘Coraline’ – a dark fairy tale on Hulu

The dark fantasy storybook ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman is transformed into an imaginative animated fairy tale by director Henry Selick.

‘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.

Miriam Shor, Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, and Debi Mazur in Darren Starr's 'Younger.' Photo credit: Darren Starr Productions

Sutton Foster is ‘Younger’ on Netflix and Paramount+

The lively, sexy romantic comedy series ‘Younger’ stars Sutton Foster as a 40-year-old single mother who poses as a twentysomething to land a job at a publishing house

‘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.

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.

‘Coraline’ – a dark fairy tale on Hulu

The dark fantasy storybook ‘Coraline’ by Neil Gaiman is transformed into an imaginative animated fairy tale by director Henry Selick.

‘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.

‘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.

‘Witness for the Prosecution’ with Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich on Prime Video

Director Billy Wilder takes on the classic Agatha Christie mystery in the stylish and witty adaptation of her hit stage play ‘Witness for the Prosecution.’

‘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.

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.

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.’

Agnes Varda’s ‘Le Bonheur’ – beauty and tragedy on HBO Max and Criterion Channel

A sun-dappled tale of a tragic love triangle in the Paris suburbs, ‘Le Bonheur’ looks like an impressionist painting come to life.

‘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.

‘Used Cars’ – Kurt Russell has a deal for you on Prime Video

Before Robert Zemeckis became a blockbuster director and Oscar-winning filmmaker, he made the raucous, rebellious, anarchic lampoon ‘Used Cars.’

The Coen Bros.’ ‘A Serious Man’ – a modern Job on Prime Video

Michael Stuhlbarg stars in the serious (and seriously funny) meditation on the meaning of life in the 1967 Minneapolis suburbs ‘A Serious Man’ from Joel and Ethan Coen.

‘The Buddy Holly Story’ – Gary Busey plays the American rock original on Criterion Channel

Gary Busey earned his only Oscar nomination playing the rock and rool pioneer from Lubbock, Texas in ‘The Buddy Holly Story.’

‘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.

‘Used Cars’ – Kurt Russell has a deal for you on Prime Video

Before Robert Zemeckis became a blockbuster director and Oscar-winning filmmaker, he made the raucous, rebellious, anarchic lampoon ‘Used Cars.’

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.

‘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.