Steamy Streaming: Pining for Chris
Long Live The Outlaw King!
There’s no shortage of Hollywood hunks in today’s climate of big-budget mega blockbusters, but there’s something special about Chris Pine, who effortlessly balances macho charisma with intelligent portrayals of complicated characters. Plus, he has the best eyebrows in the business. In honor of Netflix’s release of The Outlaw King, here are our favorite Chris Pine films you can stream right now.
The Outlaw King
The story of Robert the Bruce is shrouded in myth and legend, the final resting place of history. While this Netflix original is getting more attention for Pine’s brief (but memorable) full frontal nudity than for its unadulterated displays of barbarism than men commit on one another, this historical epic is not to be missed, especially for fans of Hell of High Water, since it reunites Pine with director David Mackenzie.
Hell or High Water
This modern-day Western checks all the boxes: a tale of two brothers (Pine and Ben Foster) committing dangerous crimes for a good cause, being pursued by dogged lawmen (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) through the scenic Texas desert. Nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture, Hell of High Water is one of the great modern Westerns, right up there with the likes of No Country For Old Men.
Wonder Woman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains infamously controversial, but most fans can agree on one thing: Gal Gadot was perfect as Themyscira’s warrior princess, armed with powers and abilities rivaling those of Superman himself. The 2017 Wonder Woman solo film, directed by Patty Jenkins, shattered the superhero glass cieling, grossing significantly more money than the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and, indeed, BvS. The chemistry between Gadot and Chris Pine (playing air force pilot Steve Trevor) is palpable, and the film remains one of the great superhero flicks of the decade.
Star Trek Beyond
The idea of recasting Captain Kirk, a role so irrevocably tied to the magnificent gravitas of William Shatner, seemed like blasphemy to a legion of Star Trek fans, but the prequel/reboot of the franchise, directed by J.J. Abrams managed to turn them all (or at least a great many of them) into genuine believers. The third film in the quasi-reboot series, Star Trek Beyond, was directed by Justin Lin, and is somewhat divisive among the fandom, but features a strong performance from Pine, whose Kirk embodies the optimism and idealism of the future envisioned by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s.
People Like Us
With seemingly every high-profile movie aiming to be the next great action extravaganza, it’s refreshing to see a more intimate film with an all-star cast. There are no bombs in People Like Us, not high-octane car chases, and no talking robots; don’t get us wrong, we love those things, but it’s nice to mix it up every now and then. People Like Us is a domestic drama about perspective and taking stock of what’s truly important. With a different cast and creative team, it would be a real potboiler, but thanks to the debut directorial efforts of co-writer Alex Kurtzman and a cast led by the likes of Pine, with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau, and Elizabeth Banks in supporting roles, People Like Us proves to be a jolly and heartwarming romp, marked with a respectfully earnest sincerity.
The Finest Hours
Based on an incredible true story, The Finest Hours is full of dazzling and harrowing sequences of heroism and peril, all wrapped in a warmly nostalgic 1950s period blanket. The film also sees Pine share the screen with Ben Foster, with whom he would later co-star in Hell or High Water. Casey Affleck, Jon Ortiz, Josh Stewart, and Eric Bana round out the film’s exceptional supporting cast.
