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agoodmovietowatch is Netflix and Amazon as curated by humans, not algorithms. It's home to handpicked, highly-rated, but often little-known movies and shows on popular streaming services. Read More.

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mood: Tear-jerker

Drama

Short Term 12 is exactly like being injured in a part of your body where you didn't think it was possible to get injured before. It will hurt but it will make you care. Natural and understated by budget and by purpose, it is powered by perfect performances that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride you will never forget. It is at times sweet, at times depressing and at times hilarious. The thing is, without even taking into consideration its small budget or the importance of the issues it talks about - we would still consider Short Term 12 as one of the best movies of the past 20 years.

10
BF
9

Drama

A college professor (Richard Gere) provides a home for the abandoned Akita he encountered at the train station, against the wishes of his wife (Joan Allen). As a bond develops between dog and master and tragedy suddenly strikes the family, a true act of devotion is displayed by the pup. Based on a supposedly true story which played out in Japan in early 20th century, Lasse Hallstrom's Hachi finds beauty in its simplicity without being overly cloying and gets empathetic, frankly really strong performance from Gere.

7.1

Drama

A very touching film about Japanese children who are abandoned by their mother in their apartment and left on their own. It's movie that perfectly encapsulates the world of kids and its alignment with this story is both heartbreaking and joyful. Their innocence will make you smile from ear to ear until moments come where you will shed tears. This is a film everyone should have watched, it breaks my heart how little-known it is.

7.8

Documentary

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei directs his attention towards the ongoing refugee crisis, the biggest displacement of people since World War II. His documentary is apolitical and tries to focus on the human side of the picture. It's not a news report or a commentary on the causes of the situation. Instead, it's a combination of heartfelt stories spanning 23 countries that showcase people's battle for dignity and basic rights. A truly epic movie complemented by impressive drone footage that's as impressive as it is sad.

7.5

Drama

A heart-breaking examination of a decaying shell of a once-bright marriage, this sad yet erotic-seeming story mixes happy flashbacks of attraction and desire with the grim reality of a dull life. It boosts an electrifying performance from Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, who seamlessly combine tenderness, rage, lust and sadness. This is a guaranteed tear-jerker, so make sure you've brought your Kleenexes!

9.5
BF
2

Drama

Sensibly written and thoughtfully directed, intuitively acted, bitter-sweet like Belgian chocolate, and propelled by incredible bluegrass music, this is one of my coming-home movies. Aside from the beautiful imagery and stunning music, the highly emotional subject matter is perfect for summer nights. It'll leave you full and empty, it'll make you cry, value life, and will also more than likely get you back into bluegrass again. Elise and Dedier fall passionately in love despite their differences, but when their daughter falls ill, their future together becomes uncertain.

9.1
BF
3

Drama

First off you have to remember it is the same writer as Training Day. Then you have to believe that he must have gone to a joint training camp between the Taliban and Mexican Cartels or something since Training Day to come up with such a tense, unpredictable script. But End of Watch is more than that. It is warm and sweet (yes), and a great showcase of Gyllenhaal and Pena's talents -- which thanks to a documentary-style cinematography, and the actors' 5-month immersion program with actual LA cops, make for a very authentic, rich, and overall exciting film.

9.6
BF
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