With the weather getting a little bit colder it’s perfect conditions for weekend movie nights, so now’s the perfect time to get yourself a Standalone VodafoneTV with added Sky Starter + Sky Movies and receive your first two months of Sky Movies on us! (before 30 June 2020.*)
The movie selection is refreshed every month so if you manage to make your way through everything on offer in May, you’ll have a new selection to enjoy in June! What are you waiting for, grab VodafoneTV online now!
Angel Has Fallen
Genre: Action
Rating: R16
Watch if you loved: the first two movies in the series, Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen
Sometimes, we all need a bit of ‘take your brain out’ and watch movies and Angel Has Fallen fits nicely into this genre. The third movie in the series (though you can probably watch this one as a standalone without having seen the first two) follow on a few years from the events of London Has Fallen, when there is an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), and his trusted confidant, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (the star of the series - Gerard Butler), is wrongfully accused and taken into custody.
We follow Banning on as he escapes capture and goes on the run to find the real threat to the President, turning to some unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger.
Late Night
Genre: Comedy
Rating: M
Watch if you loved: Morning Glory
In this feel good comedy, Emma Thompson plays a legendary late-night talk show host, Katherine Newbury, who hires a new staff writer, Molly – the only female writer on the team – to try to save her show and to smooth over diversity concerns. As expected, her decision leads to some hilarious consequences.
Mindy Kaling (from TV Show The Mindy Project – also well worth a watch) wrote the screenplay for the movie as also stars as Molly, who originally struggles due to her lack of experience in comedy, but ultimately gives the show the boost it needs to keep going.
Downton Abbey
Genre: Period Drama
Rating: PG
Watch if you loved: Downton Abbey the TV show
For those not familiar with this beloved series, it’s set in fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house, which is the home and seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, along with their children and distant family members. In reality, the show is actually filmed at Highclere House, which is just a short drive from Vodafone UK’s HQ in Newbury!
Each series follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family, their friends, and their servants during the reign of King George V, and the film picks up around two years after the events of season 6 – recounting the story of a visit by King George V and Queen Mary to Downton Abbey in 1927 - a visit which causes a stir among the Crawley family and servants.
Get your fill of historical period drama, and don’t forget to check out the series too – if only for George Clooney’s appearance in the 2014 Christmas Special
The Theory of Everything
Genre: Romance / Drama
Rating: M
Watch if you loved: The Man Who Knew Infinity
Starring the talented Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything embarks on telling the story of one of the world’s greatest minds, Stephen Hawking.
The movie follows Hawking’s time at Cambridge University, meeting his wife Jane Wilde there (Felicity Jones), and being diagnosed at age 21 with a life-altering illness and being given two years to live. While the film follows the brilliant mind of Hawking and how he puts it to use, it primarily focuses on his relationship with Jane. The screenplay’s source of wisdom is Jane Hawking’s memoir, “Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen”.
Watch this if you’re in the mood for an honest portrayal of how life can throw some serious curveballs, and if you are interested in the world of Stephen Hawking.
A Star is Born
Genre: Romance / Drama
Rating: M
Watch if you loved: La La Land
A Star is Born is a love story that will mend and break your heart all at once. This is the fourth Hollywood remake released of this storyline, with the last being in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. This remake, we promise, is worth the watch.
Jackson Maine (played by Bradley Cooper) is an established country-rock star who meets Ally Campana (played by Lady Gaga), a waitress with superstar potential. The story follows Maine race to the bottom, and Campana soar to the top.
Casting Lady Gaga as Ally was one of the biggest brownie points Bradley Cooper could have scored, with another being that he also directed this film. Bravo, Mr. Cooper!
Be prepared for a film that will leave you needing a few tissues with this one.
A Simple Favor
Genre: Mystery
Rating: M
Watch if you loved: Gone Girl
Based on the thriller novel, A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell, Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively come together to portray a privileged world that gets a share of misfortune.
When Stephanie (Kendrick) and Emily (Lively) become friends through their children who go to the same school, Stephanie was not prepared for the journey of mystery and bizarre family dynamics that would follow. When her secretive friend goes missing, Stephanie follows the clues to work out what has really been happening in Emily’s ‘perfect home’.
The ending will have you Googling for hours! Enjoy this recommendation when you’re in the mood for a good mystery with a shocking conclusion.
Hangman
Genre: Thriller
Rating: R16
Watch if you loved: Zodiac
Remember the word game Hangman you would play as a kid? Imagine receiving clues from a serial killer who never left the game in childhood. Al Pacino, Karl Urban and Brittany Snow star in this thriller, their characters investigating a string of mysterious murders.
We’ll be honest, this film didn’t receive rave reviews but it is a really easy watch for a rainy afternoon with some familiar faces. It follows a classic serial killer movie formula with two detectives and a prize-winning journalist all chasing down the killer together, who sends them Scrabble-like taunts.
If you have watched and enjoyed movies like Zodiac, Se7en and 88 Minutes then you know what you’ll be in for with Hangman.
Little
Genre: Comedy / Fantasy
Rating: PG
Watch if you loved: 17 Again, Freaky Friday
Bringing another body-swapping fantasy comedy into the mix, Little follows the story of a successful but selfish tech mogul, Jordan Sanders, who one day wakes up as her former, littler self.
Jordan navigates this unexpected threat to her career and personal life as a 13 year old, by relying on her assistant April’s help for a life-changing presentation at the tech company. April is the character to watch, played by Issa Rae, as she transforms from a nervous and unconfident assistant to someone who knows their worth.
This is a family-friendly film with some decent giggle-worthy moments.
Inglourious Basterds
Genre: War / Drama
Rating: R16
Watch if you loved: Allied
You’ve probably heard of this recommendation, it is a Tarantino film starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender and Eli Roth. It follows the first year of World War II, where a group of Jewish-American soldiers commit violent acts against the Nazis in a guerrilla fashion.
The fear of the ‘Basterds’ group spreads through the German ranks, with the aim being to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. Fate brings the opposing sides together for an epic conclusion at a French cinema.
Inglourious Basterds also has the voice of Samuel L. Jackson as narrator for a moment. So that’s a win too.
Widows
Genre: Crime
Rating: R16
Watch if you loved: The Good Liar / Prisoners
‘Widows’ is a somber depiction of debt clearance by the wives left behind of criminals who have been taken down in their line of work. Veronica, played by the talented Viola Davis, has to come to terms with the death of her husband (played by Liam Neeson), and also the inconvenient secrets he has left behind.
A money heist movie is often one of greed and mayhem, however this film moves at a contemplative pace driven by grief, raw need and the recovery of self-respect.
This is a movie that will leave you feeling inspired by strong women for Mother’s Day, despite it being a story of melancholy and corruption.
There you have it – 10 movies to keep everyone happy over the month of May! Let us know what you watch by sharing with @vodafonenz on social.
