Mother Nature kicked off the new year by blanketing the Midwest with several feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures. Lucky us! Out here near Chicago, the highs for this week barely breach the double digits, capping off an already bitterly cold January. Frankly, it should be illegal to get this cold.
For those riding out these frigid days by catching up on your watchlist, I've got just the thing. Psychological thrillers have a way of getting under your skin, injecting some much-needed excitement on these quiet afternoons. Why not make the most of your time snowed inside with a movie marathon on the best streaming services? We've rounded up some of the best movies to chill you to the bone while the weather outside is frightful.
‘The Lodge' (Tubi)
Slow-burn thrillers don't usually rattle me, but "The Lodge" took some surprising turns that have haunted me ever since. The icy stillness, eerily close to what's outside my front door, thaws into full-blown psychological chaos without relying on bad CGI effects or jump scares to chill. "The Lodge" is the kind of horror movie engineered to unsettle you as much as possible, and it will.
Riley Keough does a compelling turn as Grace, a soon-to-be-stepmother who joins her fiancé Richard (Richard Armitage) and his two children, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh), on a snowy Christmas retreat to a remote cabin. When he's called away for work, strange things start happening. The children begin to suspect Grace may be hiding something sinister, though "The Lodge" always keeps you guessing whether supernatural forces are at play or if we're watching an achingly human situation unravel.
Watch "The Lodge" on Tubi now
'Frozen' (Tubi)
Years before Idina Menzel belted out "Let It Go" in Disney's animated hit, this "Frozen" gave me a new reason to be terrified of ski lifts (look, I just don't trust them, ok?). Friends Dan (Kevin Zegers), Joe (Shawn Ashmore) and Parker (Emma Bell) are enjoying an overdue vacation at a ski resort when the thing of nightmares happens: They get trapped in a rickety metal chairlift suspended high above the ground.
With no help arriving anytime soon, they come to realize their dire position when a winter storm rolls in and a pack of wolves begins to circle underneath them. Lingering tensions bubble over as their chances of survival dwindle, and they're forced to make tough choices if they have any hope to survive.
Stream "Frozen" on Tubi now
'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' (Netflix)
I already know this will be a divisive one, but I love a movie that's so weird, you just have to share it with the world. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Iain Reid, "I’m Thinking of Ending Things" centers on a young woman (Jessie Buckley) and her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) as they head out on a trip to introduce her to his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis). As stressful as meeting your partner's parents is, it's nothing compared to the surrealist nightmare these two find themselves in.
This is the kind of movie that's almost impossible to talk about without giving away What's Really Going On, so I'm keeping the details light on purpose. "I’m Thinking of Ending Things" hurls a lot at you, but if you're willing to strap in for the ride, I promise you it's worth it. It's in the same vein as "Anywhere, Everywhere, All at Once," where you just have to commit to the bit and know you'll find something truly rewarding.
Watch "I'm Thinking of Endings Things" on Netflix now
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