VoD tips: from Bad Boys to Watchers

In 1995, director Michael Bay and his box-office hit «Bad Boys» heralded the start of a hugely successful series of action films. It was followed by the sequels «Bad Boys II» (2003), «Bad Boys 3: Bad Boys for Life» (2017) and now «Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die». Thankfully, the directing duo Adil (El Arbi) and Bilall (Fallah) succeeded in getting the original cast back together. The project even managed to persuade Captain Conrad (Joe Pantoliano) to make a guest appearance.

The film tells the story of four strangers who get stranded in a bunker deep in the forests of Ireland. They’ll never manage to escape because they’re held captive by mysterious creatures who come up to the surface every night to observe their victims. And woe betide anyone who tries to resist... Although the original idea (loosely based on a Gothic horror thriller from 2021) is very simple, it’s presented extremely effectively by Ishana Shyamalan, the daughter of the brilliant filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. We’re not kidding: the German film title for «The Watchers» is «They See You».

Hollywood star Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) meets with Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) to gather material about her life in preparation for a new role. However, Gracie’s family isn’t happy to find someone delving into events that happened over 20 years ago. As a viewer, you’re kept in the dark for much of the film about exactly what fate befell Gracie. But director Todd Haynes ultimately reveals the secret with a dramatic and masterly touch.

From the outskirts to the centre of New York City – this atmospheric prequel doesn’t just stand out from the two previous films in the series thanks to the performance of the brilliant lead actress Lupita Nyong'o. The blind monsters, who use their hearing to hunt their prey and so make the world a very quiet place, also have a very powerful impact. This makes for a really scary ride that uses silence very skilfully to create real suspense. In short, Part 3 is easily the best film in the «A Quiet Place» series. Not what you’re expecting!

Being a child can be easy, but being a father can be tricky: Gru and Lucy are very proud of their son Gru Junior. However, he seems almost to get a kick out of tormenting his dad. And when Gru’s arch enemy Maxime Le Mal is released, the Gru family has to go into hiding. Fortunately, the Minions are on hand to help. It’s a crazy animation sequel for all the fans and anyone who wants to become one.

Kirsten Dunst in «Civil War» – available now in the VoD store

A second civil war has broken out in the United States sometime in the near future. The conflict continues to escalate and threatens to engulf the whole nation. A team of journalists (a strong performance by Kirsten Dunst) travels across the country and finds itself confronted with all manner of horrors. This is the latest US political thriller by Alex Garland («Ex Machina»), who ruthlessly exposes the ills of his own country. Not for the faint-hearted, but a film that conveys a strong message.

Jella Haase in «IF» – available in the VoD store from 26 September

In this crazy, fast-paced fantasy spin-off from the «Fack ju Göhte» film series, Chantal (Jella Haase) takes a step through a magic mirror and enters a fantasy world, giving herself no choice but to face many an adventure and cliché with her best friend Zeynep. Director Bora Dagtekin delivers yet another snappy, fast-paced and original comedy to the big screen. The many social-media and medieval parodies alone are hilarious and wonderfully crude.

Want more entertainment without the ads? These and many other video-on-demand (VoD) highlights will be available soon in the Sunrise VoD store in the «Movies & series» overview.

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