Great films added to streaming – quick links
The Gold Rush (1925) – Prime Video
- Director: Charlie Chaplin
- Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain
- Genre: Silent comedy
- Runtime: 95 minutes
Chaplin’s Little Tramp heads to the Klondike in search of gold and finds hardship, hunger and unexpected romance. His struggle for survival leads to some of cinema’s most enduring comic sequences, including the famous bread-roll dance and the boiled-shoe dinner.
Why watch: The Gold Rush is a timeless classic that showcases Chaplin’s perfect blend of pathos and physical comedy. A century later, it remains funny, moving and technically astonishing. Chances are you’ve seen it referenced or parodied in dozens of stories since – so why not take time to appreciate the OG? Watch the trailer.
Cinema of Sleep (2021) – Tubi
- Director: Jeffrey St Jules
- Cast: Dayo Ade, Getenesh Berhe, Deragh Campbell
- Genre: Psychological thriller
- Runtime: 94 minutes
Anthony, a Nigerian refugee hotel worker, wakes up from a dream about a woman’s murder – only to discover the same woman dead in his motel room. As his reality fractures, he becomes trapped between guilt, memory and imagination.
Why watch: This genre-bending thriller blends dream logic with noir visuals and political commentary. It’s visually inventive and hauntingly acted.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) – Apple TV
- Director: Jim Sharman
- Cast: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien
- Genre: Musical comedy
- Runtime: 100 minutes
A stranded couple stumbles into the castle of Dr Frank-N-Furter, a self-proclaimed ‘sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania’. What follows is a delirious night of music, madness and liberation.
Why watch: The ultimate cult film, Rocky Horror broke boundaries with its celebration of queerness and camp, and its midnight screenings remain a rite of passage for film lovers. If you can’t make it out this Halloween, stage your own showing at home! Watch the trailer.
Brother’s Keeper (2021) – SBS On Demand
- Director: Ferit Karahan
- Cast: Samet Yildiz, Ekin Koç, Mahir Ipek
- Genre: Drama
- Runtime: 85 minutes
In a remote boarding school in eastern Turkey, a young Kurdish boy falls ill during a snowstorm and his classmate faces a desperate fight to get him help amid bureaucratic indifference.
Why watch: Told with quiet realism, Brother’s Keeper is a stark, emotionally gripping story of childhood and powerlessness, and is simply a powerful piece of Turkish social cinema. Watch the trailer.
Velocipastor (2018) – Prime Video
- Director: Brendan Steere
- Cast: Greg Cohan, Alyssa Kempinski, Daniel Steere
- Genre: Horror, Comedy
- Runtime: 75 minutes
After losing his parents, a priest travels to China, gains the ability to transform into a dinosaur and uses it to fight ninjas and crime.
Why watch: Utterly ridiculous and gloriously self-aware, Velocipastor embraces its B-movie absurdity. Best enjoyed with friends and a silly sense of humour. Watch the trailer.
Shampoo (1975) – Apple TV
- Director: Hal Ashby
- Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Jack Warden
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Runtime: 110 minutes
On the eve of Nixon’s election in 1968, a charming Beverly Hills hairdresser juggles his romantic entanglements with clients, lovers and political hypocrisy.
Why watch: A sharp, stylish satire of sexual politics and American decadence, 1975’s Shampoo is buoyed by Hal Ashby’s direction and a sly performance from Warren Beatty. Watch the trailer.
Flesh of the Unforgiven (2024) – Apple TV
- Director: Joe Hollow
- Cast: Debbie Rochon, Joe Hollow, August Kyss, Adriana Uchishiba
- Genre: Horror
- Runtime: 88 minutes
A dark, psychological, supernatural horror that follows a struggling couple tortured by the twisted games played by the Death Dealer and his manipulating legion of demons.
Why watch: Flesh of the Unforgiven is an underground indie shocker that you’ve probably never heard of. As a horror, it favours mood and metaphysical menace over jump scares, and is anchored by genre icon Debbie Rochon in the lead. Watch the trailer.
Jackie Brown (1997) – Fetch
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Robert De Niro
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Runtime: 154 minutes
A flight attendant caught smuggling money for a gun-runner hatches a plan to outsmart both the cops and the crooks.
Why watch: Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s most mature film, a slow-burn caper elevated by Pam Grier’s commanding presence and a soulful soundtrack. Watch the trailer.
Heat (1995) – Prime Video
- Director: Michael Mann
- Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Amy Brenneman
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Runtime: 170 minutes
A veteran detective hunts a meticulous career thief in Los Angeles, their cat-and-mouse duel culminating in one of cinema’s great shootouts.
Why watch: Heat is the definitive 90s crime epic – sleek, operatic and obsessed with professionalism. Pacino and De Niro’s face-off is legendary. Watch the trailer.
Chopper (2000) – HBO Max
- Director: Andrew Dominik
- Cast: Eric Bana, Simon Lyndon, Vince Colosimo
- Genre: Crime, Biopic
- Runtime: 94 minutes
Based on the life of Australian criminal and author Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, the film traces his violent, chaotic rise and his myth-making notoriety.
Why watch: Eric Bana’s astonishing performance as Chopper launched his career and remains one of Australian cinema’s finest. Brutal, darkly funny and unforgettable. Watch the trailer.
