Michael J. Fox didn’t spend a lot of his life in Edmonton, but he was born here. That’s gotta be worth something. Back to the Future was a massive smash in 1985 and continues on as a sci-fi/comedy hybrid classic. I mean, the premise is simple — a tricked-out Delorean goes back in time, you see your mom as a teenager, she develops a crush on you. All-time classic themes, right there.
See it on Netflix
It feels like pretty well every person in Edmonton is just one handshake away from Nathan Fillion. You loved him in Castle, Firefly and The Rookie. But he’s at his dorky best in Waitress, directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Fillion plays a philandering doctor, and he and Keri Russell develop a quirky chemistry in front of the lens.
See it on Disney+
This 2021 film stars Sandra Bullock, but also features Edmonton child actor Neli Kastrinos. This film made a big splash on Netflix when it was first released, and is based on a British miniseries. How many American shows began as British shows? We’ve lost count.
See it on Netflix
Comedian Tommy Chong was born in Edmonton back in 1938. And, he made himself famous as part of Cheech and Chong, the comedy duo that made dope smoking mainstream on the big screen throughout the 1970s. If you hear the term “Dave’s not here,” and it brings a smile to your face, then you know Tommy Chong. Up in Smoke, made in 1978, is a funny movie about… weed. (Sometimes, the title of the movie says it all.) It’s legal nowadays, so, if you’re of age, load up on the salty snacks and giggle all the way through this exceptionally silly romp of a film.
Rent it on YouTube, Apple
Shot entirely in Edmonton, Anthony Scott Burns’s film transforms the city into a cold, stark, hellish place. He transforms the brutalist building at the University of Alberta into cold chambers where science fiction and horror meet. This isn’t a jump-scare film, but the kind of movie that has you feeling unsettled while you watch, and after it ends.
Rent it on Apple
Look, we know that the DC Universe hasn’t been nearly as good as the Marvel Universe when it comes to putting the comic-book heroes on the silver screen. But maybe the best movie in the DC lot was Wonder Woman, which featured Eugene Brave Rock as “Chief,” part of a First World War group of soldier who aid the Greek goddess in her quest for justice. We profiled Brave Rock back in 2017.
Rent it on Apple
Local filmmaker Chris Bolan’s documentary is a labour of love, telling the story of his great aunt, Terry Donahue, and her partner, Pat Henschel. It’s the story of how a same-sex couple endured through a time of great prejudice. And, Donahue played in the All-American Girls Baseball League that was immortalized in the Tom Hanks/Madonna film, A League of Their Own.
See it on Netflix
Edmonton screenwriter Kurt McLeod hit the Hollywood heights with his screenplay. This action-packed romp stars Gerard Butler. We profiled McLeod back in 2021.
See it on Amazon Prime Video
