What movies can you watch on SBS On Demand tonight? We’ve put together a list of the best movies from around the world streaming on SBS On Demand right now

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THREE COLORS: BLUE

Why you should watch: We’re going to begin this list with the two trilogies. To start we have the first film in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s masterpiece Three Colours. Although I have watched them separately, this is my initial viewing of the three in sequence. There are so many nuances there that I missed seeing them singularly. Blue sees Juliet Binoche star as Julie who loses her husband, an acclaimed composer and her young daughter in a car accident. The film embodies Julie’s attempt to start life anew, free of personal commitments, belongings, grief or love. She intends to numb herself by withdrawing from the world and living completely independently, anonymously and in solitude in Paris. Despite her intentions, people from her former and present life intrude with their own needs. This is beautifully acted and filmed, although it is a little dark at times. The grief of Julie is palpable and heart-wrenching.

Director: KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI
Cast: CATHERINE DENEUVE, JULIETTE BINOCHE, ETHAN HAWKE, CLEMENTINE GRENIER, MANON CLAVEL, LUC GARBOIS

THREE COLOURS: WHITE

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6fX7tyxBNsM

Why you should watch: In the second film in Kieslowski’s trilogy, Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence. Forced to leave France after losing the business they jointly owned, Karol enlists fellow Polish expat Mikolah to smuggle him back to their homeland. Karol manages to get his life back on track with a bit of ingenuity and devises a clever scenario to win over Dominique.

Director: KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI
Cast: ZBIGNIEW ZAMACHOWSKI, JULIE DELPHY, JANUSZ GAJOS, JERZY STUHR, ALEKSANDER BARDINI, JERZY TRELA

THREE COLORS: RED

Why you should watch: In the final film in Kieslowski’s trilogy, the story tells of Valentine, a young model living in Geneva. Because of a dog she ran over, she meets a retired judge who spies on his neighbours’ phone calls, not for money but to feed his cynicism. The film is the story of relationships, that of Valentine and the judge, but also other people who may not be aware of the relationship they have with Valentine or/and the old judge. Redemption, forgiveness and compassion abound. In the final scenes of the film, the trilogy becomes one. On completion of the “Three Colors” Trilogy, Kieslowski vowed that he would never work again in movies. Sadly, the famed director would die in 1996, still in his mid-50s.

Director: KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI
Cast: IRENE JACOB, JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT, FRRDERIQUE FEDER, JEAN-PIERRE LORIT, SAMUEL LE BIHAN, MARION STALENS

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Why you should watch: Here we begin Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy adapted from his crime novels, which were originally produced for television. The Swedish version is far superior to the English version. Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace are perfect in the lead roles, with an excellent ensemble cast attached. Be warned that in all three films the violence is extreme in some cases. Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle suspects murder and that the killer is a member of his own dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. Riveting, exceptional viewing.

Director: NIELS ARDEN OPLEV
Cast: MICHAEL NYQVIST, NOOMI RAPACE, LENA ENDRE, EWA FROLING, SVEN-BERTIL TAUBE, PETER HABER, PETER ANDERSSON

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

Why you should watch: This is the second film in the best-selling Millennium series by Stieg Larsson, which was published posthumously in 2006. Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of establishment Swedish figures. When a young journalist approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuse underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation, again with the assistance of Lisbeth, who has reasons of her own to ensure that justice prevails. I must say that the most powerful performance in all three of these films is Noomi Rapace. She is absolutely stunning.

Director: DANIEL ALFREDSON
Cast: NOOMI RAPACE, MICHAEL NYQVIST, LENA ENDRE, PETER ANDERSSON, ANNIKA HALLIN, YASMIN GARBI, MICKE SPREITZ

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST

Why you should watch: The third film in the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson is both political thriller and legal drama, also published posthumously. Lisbeth Salander is under close supervision in a hospital and is set to face trial for attempted murder on her eventual release. With help from journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, she must prove her innocence. In doing this she plays against powerful enemies and her own past. When Noomi Rapace enters the courtroom, she looked spectacular. This one, in my opinion, is the most dramatic of the three, and the most thrilling. Stig Larsen died in 2004 of a heart attack, aged 50. Nyqvist died of lung cancer in 2017. He was 56.

Director: DANIEL ALFREDSON
Cast: NOOMI RAPACE, MICHAEL NYQVIST, LENA ENDRE, ANNIKA HALIN, JACOB ERICKSSON, MICKE SPREITZ, ANDERS AHLBOM ROSENDAHL

BODY DOUBLE

Why you should watch: SBS OnDemand have an excellent collection of Retro movies in their library. When this Brian de Palma film was released, it was considered ground-breaking in its themes and filming. It’s a thriller which has various nods to Hitchcock. I did laugh out loud at a couple of scenes as times have definitely changed since 1984. Jake comes home to find his girlfriend with another man and has to find a new place. Sam Bouchard, a fellow actor, needs a house sitter – the house is amazing. Sam shows him his favourite neighbour, a woman who strips with her window open each night. Jake becomes obsessed with meeting her. When he witnesses a murder, his life becomes very complicated as he becomes a suspect. The bizarre home-on-a-stalk that Jake temporarily occupies is architect John Lautner’s Chemosphere House in the Hollywood Hills.

Director: BRIAN DE PALMA
Cast: CRAIG WASSON, DEBORAH SHELTON, GREGG HENRY, MELANIE GRIFFITH, DENNIS FRANZ, LANE DAVIES, JERRY BRUTSCHE

THIS IS SPINAL TAP

Why you should watch: Rob Reiner’s wonderful film, written by the exceedingly talented Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer,  would have to have some of the most quoted dialogue of all time. My personal favourite, “Have a good time, all the time.” There’s Nigel’s “we’ve got armadillos in our trousers” and “It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black”. And, of course, the amplifier that goes to 11. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story, but if not – in 1982, the legendary English heavy metal band Spinal Tap attempt an American comeback tour accompanied by a fan who is also a film-maker. Is it the greatest comedy ever? Yes, I think so. I’ve seen it many times, and I still find bits I missed, or possibly have forgotten. Age does that to you. I had a friend tell me that his mum thought it was a real documentary.

Director: ROB REINER
Cast: CHRISTOPHER GUEST, MICHAEL MCKEAN, ROB REINER, HARRY SHEARER, R.J. PARNELL, TONY HENDRA, JUNE CHADWICK

I’M NOT THERE

Why you should watch: This is a brilliant biography drama from Todd Haynes. It is a totally different concept detailing the layers of a musician’s life. Six incarnations of Bob Dylan: an actor, a folk singer, an electrified troubadour, Rimbaud, Billy the Kid, and Woody Guthrie. Put Dylan’s music behind their adventures, soliloquies, interviews, marriage, and infidelity. Recreate 1960s documentaries in black and white. Put each at a crossroads, the artist becoming someone else. Jack, the son of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, finds Jesus; handsome Robbie falls in love then abandons Claire. Woody, a lad escaped from foster care, hobos the US singing; Billy awakes in a valley threatened by a six-lane highway; Rimbaud talks. Jude, booed at Newport when he goes electric. The cast is exceptional. A joy to watch. Cate Blanchett is a standout for me.

Director: TODD HAYNES
Cast: CHRISTIAN BALE, CATE BLANCHETT, HEATH LEDGER, BEN WHISHAW, RICHARD GERE, MARCUS CARL FRANKLIN

THE QUIET GIRL

Why you should watch: To quieten things down a bit, this is a beautiful, poignant film from Ireland, adapted from Claire Keegan’s book Foster. Set in 1981, it tells the story of a young girl, Cáit, who is sent away for the summer from her dysfunctional family to live with mother’s family. These are Seán and Eibhlín Cinnsealach; a middle-aged couple she has never met. Slowly, in the care of this couple, Cáit blossoms and discovers a new way of living, but in this house where affection grows and there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one. It is a story of childhood and healing. It is the first film in the Irish language to be nominated for an Oscar, and deservedly so.

Director: COLM BAIREAD
Cast: CATHERINE CLINCH, CARRIE CROWLEY, ANDREW BENNETT, MICHAEL PATRIC, KATE NIC CHONAONAIGH, JOAN SHEEHY