Every year, the technology for watching movies improves, inching along on its way to total cinematic immersion. So much is made about advances in visual fidelity, however, that the role of sound is sometimes overlooked. Sound design is a crucial aspect of filmmaking, engulfing the audience in a way visuals simply cannot, and Dolby Atmos is one of the most revolutionary formats to hit commercial and home theaters in years.

Along with overhead sound, Dolby Atmos (and its rival DTS:X) offers enhancement over traditional surround sound setups by placing each “sound object” (such as a radio alarm or a buzzing bee) in a specific spot in the soundstage, as designated by the film’s sound engineers. This enables highly detailed sound mixes that help evoke the suspension of disbelief. Find out more about Dolby Atmos in the home below, or scroll to the next page to see our picks for the best home releases to watch with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack right now.

Important things to know

Atmos on Netflix?

Before we jump in here (feel free to skip to the next page if you’re an Atmos pro), there are a few things you should know. If you’re already paying for a Netflix subscription, you might as well take advantage of its Atmos offerings. Netflix does have some Atmos movies to stream, but it’s a fairly limited selection, and you’ll need a plan that supports Ultra HD (4K) streaming. Set your streaming quality to High or Auto, then look for titles with the Atmos logo next to the description. Netflix’s support for Dolby Atmos varies from device to device, and that list changes regularly. At publication time, it includes:

Apple TV 4K (requires tvOS 12 or later)

LG OLED TVs (2017 or newer models)

Panasonic TVs (2019 or newer models)

Pixela 4K Smart Tuner

Sony Bravia Android TVs (2018 or newer models)

Toshiba TVs (2019 or newer models)

Vizio TVs (2018 or newer models)

Windows 10 computer or tablet (requires Windows 10 RS3 Build 16299 or later)

Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X

Atmos on Disney+?

If you want to show off your home theater setup, Disney+ also offers Dolby Atmos sound mixes on selected content, including the Marvel movies and every single Star Wars flick, including the original trilogy. Even better, you won’t need to pay extra. Atmos, 4K, and Dolby Vision HDR are included in Disney+’s standard $7 subscription fee.

Officially, any Atmos-friendly device should be able to stream Dolby Atmos on Disney+, but that functionality isn’t working on certain pieces of hardware quite yet. Disney told Digital Trends that it’s aware of the problem, and will be rolling out fixes for more devices soon.

What about other streaming services?

Per the official Dolby website, Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, and Vudu are the only other services to offer Atmos support. As with Netflix, you’ll want to browse those services’ libraries (see all of Vudu’s UHD content here) and look for the Dolby Atmos logo. Neither Hulu nor HBO currently supports any Dolby tech.

Digital copies vs. Blu-ray

In many cases, you’ll need to buy (or rent) a physical Blu-ray copy to get the full Dolby Atmos experience. While a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray isn’t necessary to get Atmos, it’s often not included with the 1080p Blu-ray version. Most on-demand streaming services — some of which also act as hosts for purchased digital copies — do not support Dolby Atmos. That includes the Google Play Store. Although iTunes supports Atmos on select titles, you’ll need an Apple TV 4K to get that level of quality.

With the recently upgraded Movies Anywhere program, most any digital film you own there — assuming it’s not ineligible — should automatically transfer into your Vudu library as well. Vudu’s selection of Atmos-supported content is still limited, but it’s better than nothing. Now that Ultraviolet is closing its doors, this is one of the few ways to maintain your digital copy library.

Note: Movies Anywhere only includes movies from Disney (Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar), Fox, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros., and some exclusivity agreements may prevent certain titles (even those made by the aforementioned studios) from appearing across all libraries.

Which playback devices support Atmos?

We’ve got a more thorough breakdown in our Dolby Atmos explainer, but for specific lists of supported devices, head here and scroll down until you see an array of colored boxes with the header Enjoy Dolby Atmos on These Products. Atmos is supported on a wide range of devices, including TVs, smartphones, streaming boxes, and Blu-ray players, but keep in mind that you’ll need an Atmos-capable sound system to hear the results. Not sure if you’ve got the right gear? Here’s how to know if you’ve got great Dolby Atmos sound.

What about TV shows?

As you might expect, the films that best take advantage of Dolby Atmos are typically action-packed movies that can show off the technology’s capabilities (that’s why a good number of our selections are on the Action/Adventure page). Since TV shows are produced with the living room TV in mind — not the movie-theater screen — they don’t include Atmos as a general rule. However, this rule is slowly changing: HBO’s Game of Thrones and Westworld do feature Dolby Atmos, but only if you buy seasons on Blu-ray. On Netflix, shows like Altered Carbon, as well as the now-canceled Daredevil and Jessica Jones, are Atmos-enabled, as is Luke Cage.

Action/Adventure

John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

Did you think that John Wick and its sequel were wild? You ain’t seen nothing yet. In John Wick 3, Keanu Reeves’ hitman finds himself on the run. He’s been outlawed by the High Table, the assassins’ governing body that has placed a $14 million bounty on Wick — a figure that goes up every hour that Wick remains alive. If Wick wants to survive, his only hopes are a mysterious woman from his past (Anjelica Huston) and a former colleague (Halle Berry), who owes him a big favor.

From its balletic gunfights to a high-speed sword duel against a motorcycle gang, John Wick: Chapter 3 is a blood-soaked delight from beginning to end, and hearing each and every bullet whiz through your living room is a great way to show off your Dolby Atmos system. The John Wick series is the most innovative franchise of the 2010s. Watching it with anything less than the best sound mix you can find is a mistake.

Black Panther

Black Panther obliterated expectations and set box-office records on the back of incredible direction from Ryan Coogler (Creed) and a sparkling ensemble performance from a cast including big names like Sterling K. Brown, Forest Whitaker, and Michael B. Jordan. The Marvel movie — one of two on our list, both recent releases — focuses on T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the superpowered leader and guardian of Wakanda, an African nation blessed with extraterrestrial technologies and shrouded from the outside world.

Jordan’s character, Killmonger, intrudes on this utopia, fracturing Wakandan politics and endangering the world with radical plans. Coogler — aided by Kendrick Lamar — underscores all of Wakanda’s shine with a gritty, hip-hop-inspired soundtrack that will sound even better on an Atmos system.

Our full review

Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War is the first half of an epic battle that pits many of Marvel’s iconic superheroes against supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who will stop at nothing to acquire all six Infinity Stones. Once he has them, Thanos intends to wipe out half of the life in the entire universe in a misguided attempt to bring it back into balance. While you’re champing at the bit to see how the story ends, we recommend watching Infinity War again to prepare for the climactic second chapter. The Atmos soundtrack is outstanding, with lots of spaceships and Avengers flying around the room. Avengers assemble — in your home theater!

Our full review

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road, the resurrection of George Miller’s apocalyptic 1980s franchise, was a surprise smash hit, garnering rave reviews for its highly kinetic action and uncompromising vision of dystopia. Set in Australia years after a nuclear war has scorched the Earth, the film follows series protagonist Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he joins a band of women fleeing a brutal warlord. The ensuing chase sets the ugliness of machinery against the beauty of the natural world, as ramshackle vehicles hound each other across the red wastes.

As metal clashes and flames erupt, the sound is as important as the explosive visuals, surrounding the audience with a symphony of warfare. Fury Road is an intense two-hour chase sequence underscored by a muscular soundtrack from Junkie XL. It’s a celebration of everything action movies should aspire to be, and one of the best Dolby Atmos demonstrations available today.

Hacksaw Ridge

In Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield plays Desmond Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist and conscientious objector who nonetheless enlists in the military to serve during World War II. Despite refusing to touch a gun, Doss becomes a critical contributor, working as a combat medic during the Battle of Okinawa to save the lives of many American soldiers. Hacksaw Ridge doesn’t break much new ground — in fact, it falls victim to many of the same tropes that have always plagued war movies — but its battle scenes, based on a true story, are frantic, kinetic affairs with believable anguish and choreographed chaos. Few genres can get as much mileage out of a surround sound system (or an Atmos one). If only Dunkirk was on the list of supported titles.

Our full review

Logan

As brutal as it is heartbreaking, Logan takes Wolverine — and the superhero genre as a whole — into unfamiliar territory. The film serves as the perfect swan song for the titular character who’s been clawing up bad guys and evil mutants for nearly two decades. Wolverine’s “softer side” is on full display in Logan, but that doesn’t mean our favorite killer mutant (sorry, Deadpool) doesn’t show his animal side, too. Hearing the sounds of Wolverine’s claws unfurl and slice through a horde of evildoers is as stirring as it is frightening, especially when it’s magnified through a Dolby Atmos system that makes you feel like you’re right beside the lone mutant.

Our full review

Sicario

It may be hard to imagine that mere miles from the border of Texas are cities that resemble war zones. Such is the case with Juarez, Mexico, a city with one of the highest murder rates in the world. It is in this borderland that Sicario sets its story as FBI agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) joins a covert operation to hunt down a cartel leader responsible for a series of killings in America. As the strike team moves closer to its goal, Kate experiences firsthand the horror of the war on drugs, a conflict that corrupts both sides of the border.

Heavy subject matter aside, Sicario is a relentless thriller, with a cloud of dread hanging above even the most sunlit scenes. When the tension snaps and the bullets start flying, viewers may feel as if they have been sucked into the vicious quagmire themselves.

Baby Driver

Director Edgar Wright is known for straying off the cinematic beaten path — like in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the hilarious Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy — and Baby Driver is no exception. The film follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), an ace driver who finds himself simultaneously courting a beautiful waitress (Lily James) and trying to extricate himself from a dangerous gang of criminals led by Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Doc (Kevin Spacey). Wright creatively blends the film’s sound effects into Baby’s music choices — he’s always got his earbuds going, thanks to some nasty tinnitus — turning a slick heist setup into something entirely different. You’ll want to hear it on Dolby Atmos.

Our full review

Dramas

First Man

Everyone knows about the Apollo 11’s mission, but what about the man behind that famous one small step? First Man, which was directed by Damien Chazelle, the man behind La La Land and Whiplash, stars Ryan Gosling and tracks Neil Armstrong’s career from 1961, when Armstrong served as a NASA test pilot all the way through the climactic 1969 moon landing, detailing all of the disappointments, tragedies, and near-death experiences Armstrong suffered along the way.

First Man is a great story about a fascinating historical figure. It also comes with a sound mix that’s just as epic as its source material, thanks to Dolby Atmos.

Our full review

Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron’s 2013 masterpiece drew praise for its sound design and cinematography, which combined to give viewers the sensation of being in space. Following a pair of astronauts adrift in space after their Space Shuttle is destroyed by debris, Gravity explores their personalities and relationship against the backdrop of the cold, all-encompassing void. Dolby Atmos is a great format for the film, where the position and movement of sounds are key to immersing viewers in the physics of space.

The chirping of machines, headset chatter bouncing around in the astronauts’ helmets, and of course, Steven Price’s stirring, layered score all mesh together to create soundscapes unlike anything else in Hollywood cinema. If you have an Atmos setup and want to show it off to friends, Gravity is easily one of the most impressive experiences available.

Our full review

La La Land

La La Land is a unique throwback and a stylish ode to classic Hollywood cinema. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play a pair of young Angelenos — a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress, naturally — who come together following a series of coincidental meetings. In classic fashion, the film establishes musical themes with regular reprises, as scenes suddenly become massive musical numbers and then morph back into regular, everyday life. Critics gushed over Damien Chazelle’s use of contemporary tech to produce an old-school story, and there’s nothing quite like hearing chorus voices from every direction.

The Martian: Extended Edition

After he’s abandoned on Mars, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) uses his NASA training and wits to help him stay alive and send signals back to Earth. Director Ridley Scott’s sense of magnitude and scope makes Damon’s odyssey on Mars equal parts beautiful and desolate. Projecting the film’s excellent soundtrack through an Atmos system gives you a better sense of suspense as the film leads to its adventurous climax, which puts Damon’s character in a life-or-death situation as he’s making split-second decisions and attempting to make a harrowing escape back to Earth. The extended edition of The Martian adds 10 more minutes to the film, as well as a plethora of special features.

Our full review

Comedies

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

A buddy comedy lives and dies on the chemistry of its leads. Thankfully, The Hitman‘s Bodyguard has two good ones: Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, who plays a disgraced bodyguard with one last shot at redemption, and Samuel L. Jackson, who appears as a hitman who’s agreed to testify against his former boss, putting a target on his back. The Hitman’s Bodyguard is full of cliches and doesn’t have much in the way of surprises, but the banter between Reynolds and Jackson makes the entire thing worth a shot. At the very least, the Atmos soundtrack ensures that the comedic action scenes really sing.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Is there anything The Rock can’t do? Before you answer, consider the fact that the former-wrestler-turned-actor is the keystone of an all-star cast that resurrected a 22-year-old movie about Robin Williams getting stuck inside a board game. And the crazy part? Jumanji’s sequel, this time putting the cast inside a video game, is actually a pretty awesome action/comedy. Powerful scenes like the rhino chase will show off your system in style, with pounding feet and death-defying stunts against the helicopter rotors that sound so realistic you’ll be ducking your head.

Our full review

Deadpool

Watching the Merc With a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) kill a bunch of bad guys while making cringe-worthy jokes was a treat in theaters, but it’s an even better time when you’re laughing along with your friends and family at home. Every bullet, stab, and terrible pun is amplified for the better with Dolby Atmos sound. Composer Junkie XL’s distinct ear for grandiose electronic music makes for a soundtrack that sets the stage perfectly for the wisecracking antihero to make his way through bad guys like hot knives through butter. Plus, few comedy movies feature enough action sequences to justify Atmos. Deadpool is one.

Our full review

Ghostbusters (1984)

When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, what ya gonna watch? Whether you’ve seen the movie hundreds of times or haven’t watched it since it came out on VHS, Ghostbusters is still worth it just to see the entire cast, from Bill Murray to Sigourney Weaver, at the top of their game. Watching the film in high definition with Atmos sound will have you smiling just as wide as when you first watched the classic as a kid, and seeing the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man take on New York has never looked so good. As a bonus, Ghostbusters 2 and the reboot are also available in Dolby Atmos.

Swiss Army Man

Your Dolby Atmos system can handle any explosion, gunshot, and punch you throw its way, but what about flatulence? When Swiss Army Man premiered at Sundance in 2016, people walked out of the theater due to its dumb and excessive fart jokes (and missed out as a result), but behind this setup — in which a suicidal man on a desert island finds a farting corpse — lies a thoughtful, funny story about human connections and expressing who you are. The film might not be for everyone, but it caught the attention of NPR, which interviewed the director and went into great detail over the metaphor hiding behind a farting corpse. More importantly for our purposes, the movie uses its effects cleverly to create a dense and immersive aural environment that will pull you into its strange story.

Sci-fi/Horror

Us

Jordan Peele’s sophomore feature isn’t quite as elegant or focused as his debut, Get Out, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t scare your pants off. A fable starring Black Panther‘s Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, Us tells the story of a normal suburban family that visits their vacation home, only to run into their murderous doppelgangers who’re just dying to take their place. Us‘ soundtrack is just as creepy as its visuals — remember to breathe when one of the kids’ young doubles starts skittering around the house — and Dolby Atmos makes it all the more frightening. Trust us: You’ll never look at a pair of scissors the same way again.

Our full review

Blade Runner 2049

We chose Blade Runner 2049 as our top movie of 2017. Set some 28 years after the events of Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic, the movie follows Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant — the movie’s term for android — who is tasked with hunting down and “retiring” older replicant models. In the course of his work, he stumbles across a conspiracy, which in turn begins to unlock memories that — by all accounts — he shouldn’t have. The film is striking and visually lush, packed with gorgeous details that flesh out K’s futuristic Los Angeles and the locales he visits in his investigation. Director Denis Villeneuve somehow manages to pay tribute to the original film while telling a wholly new story that ties into the events of the first Blade Runner. Excellent support is provided by the likes of Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, and Jared Leto.

Our full review

Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg’s thrilling take on the sci-fi adventure that blew up the internet is nearly as beautiful to listen to as it is to look at. With barreling action both inside and outside the virtual world known as OASIS, your ears will thank you as you’re completely engulfed in sound, from the stylish ’80s soundtrack to the industrial wasteland of the Stacks, to the buzzing and immersive interactive world in which hero Wade Wilson (Tye Sheridan) fights for control of the world’s most important virtual universe. Get ready to plug in.

Our full review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Few films are as expensive and extravagantly produced as those in the Star Wars franchise, so it should come as no surprise to see The Last Jedi — nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing — appear on this list. While fan reaction was mixed for director Rian Johnson’s first foray into the Force, few would dare to argue that Episode VIII is a sumptuous buffet of blaster bolts, explosions, crackling lightsaber blades, and weird alien noises. If there’s any movie you’d want to watch in its full, Dolby Atmos glory, it’s this one.

Our full review

The Fifth Element

Summer blockbusters have become so rote that it’s hard to remember a time when big-budget action films dared to be a little mad. Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element, set in the 23rd century, involves a New York taxi driver/special forces soldier (Bruce Willis) helping an ancient woman (Milla Jovovich) locate a superweapon capable of destroying a planet-obliterating evil. And that’s just the setup. Depicting a grotesque future where consumerism and industry have ruined the Earth, The Fifth Element is a gutsy sci-fi adventure with an imaginative setting and over-the-top action set pieces. The film’s sound design is also key, immersing the viewer in bizarre machinery and the alien music of Besson’s futurescape.

Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is the latest iteration of a story that began as a manga (graphic novel) series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow in 1989 and subsequently made into anime movies, TV series, and video games. In this live-action version, a cyborg who goes by Major (Scarlett Johansson) works for the secretive Section 9 to thwart cyberterrorism in a dystopian megalopolis. As she pursues the bad guys, Major struggles to remember her past and come to grips with the nature of her organic consciousness (her “ghost”) in a cybernetic body (her “shell”). When it was released, the movie was somewhat controversial — for example, casting Johansson in a role that has always been Japanese up to now — but the visuals and Atmos soundtrack are stunning.

Our full review

Mother!

Mother! is one of the most controversial films in recent memory, causing some critics to gush and some to walk out of the theater in abject misery. Darren Aronofsky’s metaphorical tale follows Mother (Jennifer Lawrence), who lives with her husband (Javier Bardem) in an isolated house. Suddenly, two visitors show up (Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer), quickly followed by their sons, who turn Mother’s paradise into a kind of living hell. The movie progresses from an idyllic beginning into a frenzied, sin-soaked nightmare party, with particular detail paid to cinematography and sound design. You may not like watching this movie with your Atmos setup, but you will appreciate the effort put in.

It

It — adapted from the first half of Stephen King’s iconic novel — received universal acclaim for its deft blend of storytelling with graphic horror. By now, you probably know the story: Some kids in a podunk town discover a disturbing trend of child disappearances, and soon find themselves face to face with Pennywise, a killer clown capable of transforming into your biggest fear. If you like scary movies, this should be on your shortlist, not only due to the unnerving performance of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, but also for its creative, varied horror scenes, capable of causing tremors in even the most hardened viewers. It is as atmospheric as they come, making it a perfect pick for Atmos.

Our full review

Documentaries

Roger Waters: The Wall

Pink Floyd’s The Wall is a legendary album, made famous by hits like Comfortably Numb and Another Brick in the Wall, and it marked the start of the band’s decline due to internal conflicts. Bassist Roger Waters was largely responsible for the direction and songwriting of the album, and his solo tour from 2010-13 probably represents the last time it will be performed in its entirety. Roger Waters: The Wall captures the grandiose performances from that tour, where Waters traded the psychedelic imagery from the original performances of The Wall for striking visuals that evoke contemporary political issues, such as financial corruption and terrorism, and the sound is a fantastic source for Dolby Atmos.

Journey to Space

When NASA closed its doors on the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, hope for exploring new worlds and witnessing life beyond ours started to dissipate. Journey to Space brings hope back by showcasing NASA’s audacious plans for landing on Mars in the distant (but not too distant) future. You’re given just a glimpse — the documentary is a lean 45 minutes — but it’s packed with beautiful footage from space that was originally featured in the IMAX film Space Station 3D.

If you missed that movie when it was released in theaters, Journey to Space is the only way to see that footage in the comfort of your home and surrounded in Atmos sound. The doc is also narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, who knows a thing or two about the deep realms of space from his old Starfleet days.

Rocky Mountain Express

Compared to self-automated semi-trucks and Amazon package drones, railroads seem like a minuscule accomplishment from more than a century ago. Rocky Mountain Express puts into perspective just how amazing a feat it was to build railroads. Originally an IMAX release, the documentary follows a restored 1930s steam engine as it travels railroads throughout rural Canada. As the train goes on its journey, we’re treated to aerial footage of breathtaking landscapes and once-in-a-lifetime views. The thunderous roar of a steam engine echoing throughout your home gives you the sensation of a train traveling just outside your front door. Admittedly, a documentary about trains doesn’t sound too enthralling, but you’re quickly captivated by the train’s remarkable power and ingenuity. The feeling is how you imagine people felt in the late 1800s when film was first introduced and audiences were enthralled with the Lumière brothers’ 50-second film, The Arrival of a Train.

Family

Detective Pikachu

The first live-action Pokémon film isn’t quite what anyone expected. It’s not the story of a young kid competing against rivals and trying to catch ’em all. Instead, it’s a noir-ish mystery tale involving a talking Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) and a former Pokémon trainer who just wants to find his lost father. It’s also, in a word, hilarious. Ryme City, where Pokémon and humans live side-by-side, provides ample room for imaginative jokes and sight gags, the live-action Pokémon are charming and fun, and Bill Nighy turns in one of his best-ever performances as visionary Ryme City founder Howard Clifford. Detective Pikachu is a kids’ film through and through, but there’s a lot here for adults to enjoy as well. As brought to life by Dolby Atmos, Ryme City is a place well worth exploring.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Sony’s stylish, Oscar-winning, dimension-hopping animated adventure is more than just another origin story. By focusing on Miles Morales, a freshly minted teen Spider-Man who struggles to live up to Peter Parker’s lofty reputation, Into the Spider-Verse celebrates everything that makes Spidey — and superheroes in general — great. It’s funny, largely thanks to John Mulaney’s Spider-Ham and Nic Cage’s scene-stealing Spider-Man Noir. Spider-Gwen brings the attitude, Jake Johnson’s middle-aged Peter Parker brings the pathos, but it’s Miles and his extended family who provide Into the Spider-Verse its real heart by proving that anyone can be a hero as long as they’re willing to get up and try. Most importantly, thanks to its Dolby Atmos mix, Into the Spider-Verse sounds just as good as it looks — and it looks good. Step aside, Mr. Parker. It’s Miles’ time to shine.

Our full review

Coco

Music is definitely an influence with a lot of Pixar films, but Coco has more than just musical numbers—it’s actually about music. Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) loves to play the guitar, but his great-great-grandmother Imelda (Alanna Ubach) forbade his family from playing music after her husband Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) — a guitarist — disappeared. When Miguel accidentally transports himself to the land of the dead on El Día de los Muertos, he must seek out his great-great-grandfather to return home and rekindle his family’s love for music. Coco is visually astonishing, a color-crammed feast for the eyes, but it’s also got an incredible soundtrack, putting a spotlight on traditional Mexican music for kids to learn and appreciate.

The Kid Who Would Be King

The Kid Who Would Be King is director Joe Cornish’s second film, after making Attack the Block—a story of typical kids in England versus a paranormal threat. The Kid Who Would Be King follows a similar concept, this time around beginning with 12-year-old Alex escaping bullies to find the legendary sword of King Arthur, Excalibur.

When Alex gets his hand on Excalibur, he finds himself facing more than just school bullies. Alex ends up in conflict with Merlin, King Arthur’s former advisor, and the witch Morgana. The twist continues, as Merlin is a teenager thanks to aging backward. While this film wasn’t a massive box office success, it gets a 6/10 from IMDB and has a solid nostalgic feel. You get a dash of humor, a sprinkling of scary moments, and an endearing story arc. The Kid Who Would Be King also delivers a solid sound mix that medieval fans will enjoy.

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