With cinemas closed and everyone (hopefully) practising social distancing, we’re going to provide some suggestions to help you get by until things (hopefully) return to normal. Let us know your own recommendations in the comments below or on Twitter.

Cinema Alternatives

Each week, we’ll recommend films to watch in place of the ones that were meant to be in cinemas but have been delayed. This week: Mulan and Onward.

Mulan Alternative:

The Forbidden Kingdom

Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
IMDb: 6.6
Metacritic: 57

Year of Release: 2008
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Written by: John Fusco
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Collin Chou, Liu Yifei, Li Bingbing, Michael Angarano

Synopsis:
While hunting down bootleg kung fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason Tripitikas makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: He must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the powerful Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed—and find a way home.

Rationale:
The Forbidden Kingdom is one of the few Western films Liu Yifei made prior to Mulan, so this is a great chance to get familiar with her before her big Disney debut. It’s also the first onscreen pairing of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, so the fights are top-tier even if the story is a little pulpy.

Mulan has been delayed indefinitely.

Find out where you can watch The Forbidden Kingdom here.

Onward Alternative:

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
IMDb: 5.9
Metacritic: 47

Year of Release: 2010
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Written by: Craig Titley (screenplay), Rick Riordan (novel)
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman

Synopsis:
Trouble-prone Percy Jackson is having problems in high school—but that’s the least of his challenges. It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus seem to have walked out of his Greek mythology texts and into his life. Percy learns his real father is Poseidon, god of the sea—which makes Percy a demigod. Meanwhile, the powerful gods on Olympus are feuding, risking a war that could engulf our entire planet.

Rationale:
Much like Onward, Percy’s story features a road trip, newly discovered abilities, magical creatures, and a previously unmet father. It may not reach Pixar’s emotional highs, but it’ll keep kids entertained.

Onward was briefly in cinemas. It’s available VOD in the US and select countries and is slated for Disney+ on 3 April. Check out our Onward review.

Find out where you can watch Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief here.

Movie of the Week

Five Feet Apart

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
IMDb: 7.2
Metacritic: 53

Year of Release: 2019
Directed by: Justin Baldoni
Written by: Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse, Moisés Arias, Kimberly Hébert Gregory

Synopsis:
Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is every bit a seventeen-year-old—glued to her laptop and devoted to her best friends. But unlike most teens, she spends much of her time living in a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life of routines and boundaries is upended when she meets a charming fellow CF patient, Will Newman (Cole Sprouse). They’re instantly drawn to each other, but restrictions dictate they must maintain a safe distance. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to bend the rules.

Rationale:
A love story about two people who must stay six feet (two metres) apart is fitting in a time of social distancing. Haley Lu Richardson is stellar here—and one to watch.

Find out where you can watch Five Feet Apart here.

TV to Binge

The Lost Room

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
IMDb: 8.2
Metacritic: 83

Year of Release: 2006
Created by: Christopher Leone & Laura Harkcom
Episodes: 6 × 45-minute episodes
Starring: Peter Krause, Julianna Margulies, Peter Jacobson, Dennis Christopher, April Grace, Chris Bauer, Elle Fanning, Roger Bart, Kevin Pollak

Synopsis:
Pittsburgh detective Joe Miller embarks on a desperate search for his young daughter, Anna, who vanished from an eerie room in an abandoned New Mexico motel. That room exists outside normal time and space, and Joe must track down a series of occult objects—each with strange properties—to find the key to opening the “lost room.” His quest is complicated by others who seek the objects for their own hidden motives.

Rationale:
The Lost Room was a limited series on the Sci-Fi Channel that flew under the radar but has since become a cult favourite—often cited on lists of overlooked sci-fi shows. The cast is excellent (many went on to bigger things, especially Julianna Margulies). It’s a fun, brisk sci-fi binge you can polish off in an evening.

Find out where you can watch The Lost Room here.