Welcome to the first edition of Collider Recommends! This new weekly feature is brought to you by our incredible Collider team, featuring a collection of three movies or TV shows that you need to watch this weekend. From new projects to iconic classics that went under the radar, our experts are here to stack your queue with the best and most entertaining films and series. And this week’s team are here to kick off your weekend.
Joining us this week are Perri Nemiroff, Laura Adams, and Joe Schmidt, who represent three different sections of Collider’s DNA. All three are coming in with stories you might not expect, so be sure to check out the selections for a wide variety of options for your viewing pleasure. From underseen indies to new anime and ’90s classics, this week’s edition of Collider Recommends has all your bases covered.
‘Sneakers’ (1992) starring Robert Redford, Mary McDonnell, Sidney Poitier, and Ben Kingsley
Joe Schmidt, Executive Editor
Credit:Â Jefferson Chacon for Collider
In honor of the late, great Robert Redford, you need to watch Sneakers. Whether you’ve seen it before or have never heard of it, it is relevant now more than ever as a prescient espionage caper dealing with politics, paranoia, and the eternal effort to do what’s right. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson, the movie is stacked with amazing performances from Dan Aykroyd, Mary McDonnell, Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, George Straithairn, and Ben Kingsley.
Sneakers is about a disparate group of ex-cons with troubled pasts who form a team that gets hired to break into banks — by the banks themselves. They then reveal to said banks all of their security weaknesses to patch up in order to prevent similar heists taking place in the future. But then the NSA gets involved and coerces the team to recover a Russian-made, code-breaking device with the ability to change the power dynamics of every nation across the globe. It all sounds simple enough for a heist with international stakes, until a man from Redford‘s character’s past reappears to complicate everything, and the snatch-and-grab transforms into a battle for the soul of the entire world.
You can watch Sneakers on VOD on all the usual platforms, including Amazon Video and Apple TV.
‘Dinner in America’ (2020) starring Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs
Perri Nemiroff, Senior Producer
Credit:Â Image by Jefferson Chacon
Dinner in America premiered to rave reviews at Sundance 2020, but left the festival without a distributor. However, when a film is this good, it will find its audience, and Dinner in America certainly did. After becoming a cult sensation on TikTok, director Adam Rehmeier and his team took the film on a nationwide tour, selling out theater after theater four years after its Sundance debut.
The movie is a coming-of-age, dark comedy gem that features unforgettable performances from Emily Skeggs and Kyle Gallner as two wholly different kinds of outsiders. He’s an undercover punk rock singer who won’t hesitate to break the rules, while she’s super sweet and shy, and often gets pushed around. Turns out, they’re a match made in heaven — a duo that brings out the best in one another, while creating some downright incredible music in the process. Dinner in America is original storytelling at its best. It’s a whirlwind romance with an edge. Like its main characters, Dinner in America very much marches to the beat of its own drum. Get ready to fall hard for Gallner’s Simon and Skeggs’ Patty, and feel the itch to listen to the Watermelon song over and over.
Dinner in America is available to stream on Hulu until the end of the month. After that, you can buy or rent on digital platforms.
‘The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity’ (2025) starring Bijou Middlebrooks and Robbie Daymond
Laura Adams, Social Media Manager
If you’re an anime fan or looking for the perfect series to dive into the genre, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is a must-watch. The story is set against the backdrop of two starkly different schools: Kikyo Private Academy, an elite all-girls institution known for its wealthy students and pristine reputation, and Chidori Public High School, infamous for its rowdy delinquents. Though the schools are next to each other, the differences between their students have created a deep-seated rivalry.
At Chidori, we meet Rintaro, a misunderstood boy whose tall frame and intimidating appearance often push others away. His world changes when, while helping out at his family’s bakery, he meets Kaoruko, a cheerful girl who looks past his rough exterior. Their friendship soon begins to blossom, but when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko is a Kikyo student, their growing connection is put to the test.
What truly makes The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity shine is its universal message. With themes of overcoming prejudice, embracing empathy, and seeing beyond appearances, the story is as heartwarming as it is relevant. Plus, its stunning animation has been widely praised, earning it a spot in Netflix’s Top 10 for two consecutive weeks.
Check back next week when three more of Collider’s best come back with even more recommendations to make your weekend that much better!
Release Date
September 11, 1992
Runtime
126 Minutes