Whenever I am staying in a hotel and have a little time to kill, I usually end up watching terrible television. With the limited channel selection and subpar early afternoon HBO programming, there’s not a lot to choose from. But Marriott hotels are looking to change that by offering Netflix streaming on the in-room television. Unfortunately for some, you have to be a Netflix subscriber to use the service, but it is definitely a cool little perk to make the business or pleasure stay more pleasurable. The service is already employed in a few hotels in New York and California, with a full roll-out expected in 2016. So, if you find yourself at a Marriott with Netflix this weekend, check out what you should be watching, along with new streaming suggestions elsewhere on the internet.

Netflix

A Most Wanted Man (Anton Corbijn, 2014)

One of the most underrated films of 2014, A Most Wanted Man boasts a slick spy game look and fantastic performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman (in his last lead performance) and its ensemble cast. Only Anton Corbijn’s third feature film, he fully controls a rich script based on a John le Carre novel. The work of the popular spy novellist has shown to translate well to the screen, and A Most Wanted Man is no exception—its geopolitical messages are complex and absolutely vital to today’s world culture. Beautifully shot in industrial Hamburg, Germany, the dreary atmosphere cranks up the the already tense political landscape. Working in every aspect, it is surprising that the film didn’t receive more critical praise last year. Now is the time to check it out for yourself and re-think your top 10 of 2014 list.

Other titles new to Netflix this week:
Ballet 422 (Jody Lee Lipes, 2014)
Beyond the Lights (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2014)
Cake (Daniel Barnz, 2014)
GasLand (Josh Fox, 2010)
What Happened, Miss Simone? (Liz Garbus, 2015)

Fandor

Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2012)

Because of a strange split release, Dolan’s newest film Mommy received it’s fair share of attention at the end of last year and will likely pop up on end-of-year lists in future months (it was #3 on our best of the year so far list), but Laurence Anyways is the young filmmaker’s best film. The film stars Melvil Poupaud as a school teacher who decides to undergo a gender transition. There haven’t been many films that positively depict a transgendered lead, making Laurence Anyways more interesting. Dolan fully employs his sensual, vibrant style, full of color and bold cinematography. There is plenty of drama, too, as Laurence’s decision affects his family and long-term girlfriend, played by Dolan staple Suzanne Clement. Clement delivers a fiery and dynamic performance, enough to make me wonder why other filmmakers haven’t seemed to discover her yet.

Other titles new to Fandor this week:
Confidentially Yours (François Truffaut, 1983)
Othello (Orson Welles, 1952)
Street of Shame (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1956)
The Stranger (Satyajit Ray, 1991)
Three Colors: Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994)

MUBI

The Host (Bong Joon-ho, 2006)

With Jurassic World setting the box-office on fire, it’s a good time to watch/re-watch one of the best modern monster movies. Before he broke through to English language film with the indie-hit Snowpiercer last year, South Korean auteur Bong Joon-Ho built his career on clever genre constructions, The Host chief among them. The film follows a family trying to save one of their own from a vicious sea monster that has come to destroy Seoul. The Host is scary, thrilling, funny, action packed and super cool. And the title monster features one of the most inspired creature designs. On MUBI, the curated titles are only available for 30 days, so you’ll want check out The Host sooner rather than later.

Other titles new to MUBI this week:
Exiled (Johnnie To, 2006)
The Lost World (Harry O. Hoyt, 1925)
My Brilliant Career (Gillian Armstrong, 1979)
The Rink (Charles Chaplin, 1916)
A Summer’s Tale (Eric Rohmer, 1996)

Video On-Demand

While We’re Young (Noah Baumbach, 2014)

Baumbach’s latest film now makes its VOD debut along with its release on DVD and Blu-ray. Starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as a 40-something hipster couple whose relationship hits a breaking point after befriending a 20-something hipster couple, While We’re Young is a very funny look across generations. The film has a sharp eye on how culture, music, technology and filmmaking has changed over time and how we have become dependent on finding the next coolest trends. Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried are great as the foils to Stiller and Watts, slightly exaggerated versions of Brooklyn youths, but well-developed and whole characters in their own right. Baumbach has become one of the premiere indie directors of his generation, and While We’re Young strengthens his place.

Other titles new to VOD this week:
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (David Zellner, 2014)
A Little Chaos (Alan Rickman, 2014)
The Little Death (Josh Lawson, 2014)

A grey cloud follows every film featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman ever since his untimely death earlier this year (read our Favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman moments). Posthumously released films are always tinged with darkness. So when a film like God’s Pocket comes out to disappointing reviews (read our own underwhelmed reaction) every Hoffman fan among us can’t help but feel slightly dejected. So here’s some much-needed good news; Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man, adapted from the John Le Carré novel of the same name, stars Philip Seymour Hoffman in the lead and it’s the kind of material that’s perfectly suited for the late, great actor’s talents. It may not get ahead of films like The Master, Capote, Magnolia, and Almost Famous in terms of substance; but it’s a sophisticated and shining addition to a boisterous filmography.

The plot follows Günter Bachmann (Hoffman) a government operative in command of a small anti-terrorist unit operating out of Hamburg, Germany. Title cards give us the reason behind the susceptible conditions in Hamburg; this is the port where the 9/11 attacks were planned and executed from. It’s been over a decade, and the city is still under major surveillance for any signs of terrorist activity. When a Chechen prisoner of war is picked up on a surveillance camera roaming the streets, he’s found to be Issa Karpov (Grigory Dobrygin) who will become Bachmann’s key to infiltrating a highly complicated network of Islamic terrorist cells. Other prominent players on the chessboard include Karpov’s pro bono lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) the head of Hamburg intelligence Dieter Mohr (Rainer Bock) Tommy Brue (Willem Dafoe) the head of a bank with old ties to Karpov’s father, and Martha (Robin Wright) a CIA agent who represents the concerns and support of the United States. As the game clock ticks louder and louder, the elaborate narrative separates the rooks from the pawns.

Thanks to his formidable cast, and an airtight screenplay by Andrew Bovell (in redemption mode from forgettable yarn Edge Of Darkness) Corbijn manages to build tension and suspense without needing to fire a single gunshot. While it doesn’t fail to hit all the familiar notes of the genre, A Most Wanted Man is engaging from start to finish, ultimately revealing the purpose of espionage in today’s highly paranoid world and the people who suffer at the hands of faceless bureaucrats operating inside air-conditioned offices. Much like the brilliant Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, another successful John Le Carré adaptation, A Most Wanted Man is a highly plot-driven film, brimming with shady characters and between-the-lines dialogue, but it’s got something extra as well. With the character of Issa Karpov, a completely disillusioned young man who ‘has no idea what he wants’ as Bachmann rightly puts it, the picture carries heavy emotional baggage not usually associated with espionage thrillers. Tinker, Tailor carried some as well but in a much more delicate and subtle fashion, which ultimately adds to the superiority it has over Corbijn’s film, but it works just as effectively here because of the story’s build-up and highly involved climax, done with expert precision.

The performances are solid across the board, but Hoffman (and I write this without an ounce of projected exaggeration) truly carries the film on the weary and grounded shoulders of Günter, a withered-down version of his Gust Avrakatos from Charlie Wilson’s War. This is a film that doesn’t pretend to shake any ground, or develop any new artistic cinematic perspectives in a genre that’s become all too familiar thanks to TV shows like Homeland and mainstream attempts at conquering the box-office with action-figure spies like Jack Ryan and Ethan Hunt. A Most Wanted Man is not a story of heroes and villains, but a tightly wound game of chess knee-deep in the murky swamps of morality’s grey areas. As such, it does an excellent job of balancing entertainment, suspense, reality, and just enough emotional investment to stop it from being corny. It solidifies Corbijn’s status as a highly efficient director (the man already has the awesome slow-burning The American under his belt) but above all else and to the delight of Hoffman fans, it’s a film worthy of the actor’s incredible career.

A Most Wanted Man trailer

The first promotional poster for A Most Wanted Man is here for all to see below. The film marks the final lead performance in the career of Philip Seymour Hoffman. The spy thriller is adapted from John le Carré’s novel of the same name, which tells the story of a mysterious refugee who turns up in Germany, who may have terrorist ties. Hoffman plays the chief of a covert German spy group who is tasked with putting the pieces together. The intelligent but secretive character is certainly a role that can fit Hoffman’s best abilities.

A Most Wanted Man should also appeal as a film directed by Anton Corbijn, whose previous film, The American, was a slow-build, intense and smart thriller in the same vein. The film debuted at Sundance to positive reviews and is set to open in limited release on July 25, 2014.

A Most Wanted Man poster