8 Films to Watch Right Now, According to Barry Jenkins

“Though it’s a sci-fi movie, it’s about these very simple human emotions between Chris [George Clooney] and his wife, Rheya [Natascha McElhone]. The final argument they have where you understand [what broke them apart], it’s so visceral. In one moment, I’m thinking about theoretical physics and the limitations of time, and in another moment I’m being taken back to some of the heaviest moments I’ve ever had in my personal relationships. I can’t say I’m good friends with Steven, but I know him, and when I need advice, I reach out and he always gets back to me. I own the shooting script of Solaris; it’s one of the few films he actually wrote, but he just will not talk about it! It’s a desert-island movie for me.”

Watch it on: Starz

Oslo, August 31st (2011, directed by Joachim Trier)

The film: A man recovering from a drug addiction in Oslo leaves his rehab clinic to try to find a new job, encountering old and new friends and struggling with the temptation of his former lifestyle.

Jenkins’s notes: “Amazon has all these channels, including the Strand Releasing channel, so Lulu and I were bopping around and found Oslo, August 31st. This is the thing about watching at home—we put it on expecting to watch five or 10 minutes because we were tired, and watched the whole damn thing! Then we put on [Trier’s follow-up film] Louder Than Bombs. Oslo is just a masterpiece. It’s sad, yes, but it doesn’t flinch. Right now, I vacillate between feel-good things and something like Oslo, which is not that at all. It’s defeatist as hell, in some ways. But it’s made with such vitality; it’s one of those films that’s just about real life.”

Watch it on: Criterion Channel

The Company (2003, directed by Robert Altman)

The film: Set in the company of Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet, this behind-the-scenes look at dancers, choreographers, and stars digs into the grueling work of honing one’s craft and the reward that comes with it.

Jenkins’s notes: “I hadn’t seen this in a very, very long time, but I remembered having such fond memories of it when it came out. Like with Solaris, it’s a major, major director translating a very particular place, a very particular vocation. There’s something [about the film itself] that feels resonant, because I want to be able to do what I do [make movies], and right now under COVID so many of us can’t. So it was great to see this grounded depiction of these dancers, living such a strange life, but being given the space to explore their art. I just want to watch all the dreary, slow, melancholy shit right now.”

Watch it on: Crackle

Train to Busan (2016, Directed by Yeon Sang-ho)

The film: A zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out in South Korea, ensnaring the passengers of a train on the way to the city of Busan.

Jenkins’s notes: “This was Lulu’s recommendation. I hadn’t seen it, but it’s really awesome—I was in the back room where we watched, screaming and shouting. It transported us, in a way! We turned the lights off, enjoyed the jump scares. Then Lulu wanted to go even further down the rabbit hole, so we watched the animated prequel, Seoul Station [also directed by Yeon], and that was astounding. If we weren’t in quarantine, I might not have been able to make time to watch them back to back, but we’ve got nothing but time right now.”