These Are the Best Movies Released Since Theaters Closed

Believe it or not, a lot of new films have been released since movie theaters were shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic—and a lot of good films. They have arrived by streaming service, cable television, on-demand, drive-in, and even Instagram. But the movies have kept coming. Here are some of the favorites of AP film writers Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr:

• Driveways: A gracefully understated film about about next-door neighbors—one an 8-year-old boy (Lucas Jaye), the other a retired Korean war veteran (Brian Dennehy, in one of his last performances)—who become unlikely friends, Andrew Ahn's exquisitely gentle little movie has felt blessedly nourishing this spring. (Available for digital rental.) —Coyle
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always: Eliza Hittman’s quiet, sharp, and deeply felt drama about a teenage girl in rural Pennsylvania who must travel to New York to get an abortion is the kind of film that burrows deep into your being and stays with you long after. Newcomers Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder capture the unease of simply existing in their teenage bodies when the world sees them only as objects to be possessed and controlled. (Available for digital rental) —Bahr

• New York, New York: Spike Lee has an ambitious Vietnam War veteran film, Da 5 Bloods, coming to Netflix, but he's already made possibly the most indelible and moving film of the pandemic. Set to Frank Sinatra, the three-minute short New York, New York simply and straightforwardly captures lockdown in Lee's home city. A galvanizing tribute to New York when it needed it most. (Watch on Instagram) —Coyle
• The Half of It: This Netflix sleeper is smarter than your average Cyrano-inspired high school dramedy. From writer-director Alice Wu in her first film in 15 years, The Half of It follows a whip-smart Chinese-American student Ellie (played by the wonderful Leah Lewis) who reluctantly helps a romantically challenged football player woo the beautiful and soulful Aster (the girl of both of their dreams). —Bahr
• The Vast of Night: Andrew Patterson's stunning directorial debut (streaming on Amazon) is a low-budget sci-fi thriller set in a small town in 1950s New Mexico. With sound and shadow it summons a fully realized vision of mid-century paranoia with more contemporary filmmaking flare, including a memorable long-take prowl through town. Rarely do new directorial talents announce themselves this clearly. —Coyle

(Click for the full top 10.)