You can still explore your community from the comfort of your own home. From hard-hitting documentaries to laugh-out-loud, feel-good comedies, there are Cleveland actors, settings and subjects all over your favorite streaming services. Here, we collected a few you should know about. Click the link to read more to dig even deeper into their stories.
American Relapse
This tragic documentary looks at a different American crisis, the heroin epidemic. Premiering last year at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the movie was shot over a 72-hour period in Delray Beach, Florida. Watch the movie, which follows two recovering addicts as they attempt to place other addicts in treatment, on Hulu.
Creed II
After directing the Cleveland-based coming-of-age film The Land, Ohio City-native Steven Caple Jr. climbed Hollywood’s stairs by taking the reins on Rocky reboot Creed II. We talked to Caple Jr. about his first feature film, working with Sylvester Stallone and how Cleveland influenced his work, which you can watch free with a Hulu subscription.
First Man
Ryan Gosling stars as Neil Armstrong in this outer space drama dealing with the family fallout from the Ohio astronaut’s space travels and quest to walk on the moon. We sat down next to the Apollo module to discuss the movie with Armstrong’s son, Mark, who is featured in the movie, and director Damien Chazelle, who also made La La Land and Whiplash. You can watch the movie on Hulu.
Galveston
This Southern thriller stars Bay Village-native Lili Reinhart of Riverdale and is produced by Chagrin Falls-native Tyler Davidson. It follows a dying hit man’s redemptive road trip, as he flees New Orleans with a teenage call girl. You can stream it on Hulu and read our interview with the cast and crew here.
I Am Human
This documentary explores the world of brain-computer interfaces, which may help humans regain sight, movement and control over Parkinson’s disease. The film, which is available for purchase on Amazon for $4.99, heavily features the Cleveland FES Center and Case Western Reserve, where Bill Kovechar became the first man to regain arm and hand movement after being paralyzed in an accident.
I See You
Starring Helen Hunt, this creepy horror flick was made by Bainbridge-native and St. Ignatius-grad Matt Waldeck, who largely shot the film in Lakewood and Chagrin Falls. The movie, which takes a different approach to horror by omitting most of the blood and gore, premiered at Cleveland International Film Festival. You can buy it on Amazon for $4.99.
Isn’t It Romantic
If you’re looking for a good laugh, look no further than Isn’t It Romantic, starring Rebel Wilson as she lives inside her ideal romantic comedy. While this isn’t set in Cleveland and doesn’t star any Cleveland natives, we caught a local premiere and gave you the scoop on three love lessons from the film. You can have your own premiere on Hulu or HBO Now.
Knife Skills
This Oscar-nominated documentary follows the story of Brandon Chrostowski starting his non-profit Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute. The 40-minute film shows how the educational fine-dining restaurant in Shaker Square trains formerly incarcerated adults for food industry jobs. You can stream the documentary on YouTube below, and read our Q&A with Chrostowski here.
Little Fires Everywhere
You might have to wait a few more days for this to come out on Hulu on March 18, but this show starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington was inspired by the Shaker Heights-set novel of the same name. We spoke to author Celeste Ng about making her book into a TV show.
My Friend Dahmer
This unsettling drama details the prolific murderer’s younger years through the eyes of his classmate and friend at Bath’s Revere High School. That friend is local graphic novelist Derf Backderf, whose 2012 book of the same name is a chilling firsthand account of Dahmer’s dark childhood behaviors. You can buy the movie, starring Ross Lynch, on Amazon.
The Politician
Payton has trained his entire life to become president of the United States, but can he win his high school election first? Starring Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow, this smart, dark comedy series features a supporting role from Parma native Ryan J. Haddad, who we spoke to about his identity as a gay man with cerebral palsy. The show is streaming on Netflix now.
Roll Red Roll
A dark secret comes to light in the football-obsessed town of Steubenville when a local true crime blogger obtains conversations, video and photos relating to the rape of a 16-year-old girl by players on the high school teams. This gut-wrenching documentary is streaming on Netflix.
Scream Queen
Premiering last year at the Cleveland International Film Festival, the star of Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge recounts his journey through the homophobia of Hollywood in the 1980s and his creative rebirth in this documentary. You can buy it for $3.99 on Amazon.
White Boy Rick
Starring Matthew McConaughey, this gritty crime drama is set in 1980s Detroit but was filmed on Cleveland’s East Side. Based on a true story, the film stars Richie Merritt as Richard Wershe Jr., who became the FBI’s youngest informant ever at age 14. Stream the movie free on Hulu, and go behind the scenes of the set here.
