Movies come and go pretty quickly these days. If you don’t slow down, you might miss a neglected gem. Here are a few enjoyable flicks to get you through the holiday season and beyond.

All the Old Knives (SBS On Demand)
Based on a book of the same name by Olen Steinhauer, the set-up for this classy and compelling espionage thriller is a reunion dinner between former colleagues and lovers, CIA agents Henry (Chris Pine) and Celia (Thandiwe Newton). Henry has been dispatched to find out exactly what happened when both he and Celia were stationed in Vienna in 2012, when a terrorist aeroplane hijacking went tragically wrong. Considerable intrigue, a stellar cast and plenty of cloak-and-dagger shenanigans combine in this complex espionage tale.

Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar (Various platforms)
What did scriptwriters and actors Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo do as a follow-up to Bridesmaids? Would you believe a kooky but sweet and funny – the word “zany” may well apply – spy spoof comedy/musical that has the clueless titular characters attempting to foil an evil genius’ (also played by Wiig) fiendish plot to destroy a seaside Miami holiday community?

Columbus (SBS On Demand)
Sometimes a town can be a character in a film, and one that is as important as its human counterparts. In this case, the eponymous Indiana city is home to some architectural gems, a collection of mid-century marvels that draws visitors from all over the world. Jin (John Cho) is stuck there while he waits to see whether his father, a renowned Korean architect, emerges from a coma. Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), who is passionate about design, but whose life is on hold while she supports her drug-addicted mother. In his directorial debut, (he also wrote the script) Kanogoda delivers a film that is quietly absorbing, intelligent and moving.

Downsizing (Various platforms)
Set in the near future, this dramedy starring Matt Damon depicts a time when some people – either through concern for the planet or to embrace a higher standard of living – take the option to shrink down to the size of dolls and move to smaller (of course) communities purpose-built for the new little strata of society. I misjudged this Oscar-winning film when it first came out, or perhaps it was confusingly marketed. Either way, I thought it was going to be an Innerspace-like broad comedy. Gulliver in the world of the giants, perhaps. There is, however, a lot more going on in this moving, nuanced and thought-provoking film.

Haywire (SBS On Demand)
This slick espionage actioner has all the hallmarks of a successful Steven Soderbergh outing: clever editing, rat-a-tat dialogue, cool David Holmes soundtrack and some nifty action scenes. At the centre of the story is the take-no-BS black ops agent Mallory Kane (Gina Carano), who works out when an operation goes awry that her boss and former boyfriend Kenneth (Ewan MacGregor) may not have her best interest at heart. Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender and the late, great Bill Paxton feature in the cast.

How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? (Kanopy)
Made at a time (2010) when the green building movement was just beginning to get a foothold, this documentary explores the incredible life and extraordinary achievements of architect Norman Foster. Though born, literally, on the wrong side of the tracks, through talent and will (and the encouragement of those who recognised his gift and determination), Foster went from a dead-end Manchester job to the prestigious Yale Architecture School, and then on to design some of the world’s most striking structures, including London’s Gherkin building and Millenium Bridge.

The Lake House (SBS On Demand)
In the 1990s Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves starred in a fantastically visceral action movie called Speed. Then in the early 2000s they reunited for this, a whimsical fantasy romance set in Chicago whose elements include a magic letterbox. She’s a doctor, he’s an architect, but a gap in the space-time continuum is keeping them apart.

Set it Up (Netflix)
Glenn Powell, he of Hangman (Top Gun Maverick) renown, has carved quite a niche of late in romantic comedies, which may or may not be experiencing some sort of revival. In this one from 2018, Charlie (Powell) and Harper (Zoey Deutch) are assistants to horrendously demanding bosses. After meeting one evening during a food delivery snafu, they hatch a plan to play matchmaker to their superiors and thus free up their own professional and personal lives.

3 Days to Kill (YouTube Movies)
Talk about “high concept”. In this action/thriller directed by McG (Charlies Angels) and scripted by the legendary Luc Besson (Leon the Professional, The Fifth Element), Kevin Costner plays a dying ex-CIA agent, who is given access to experimental treatment for his illness in exchange for the use of his particular set of skills. So, it’s Crank meets Taken, with a bit of The Da Vinci Code (there’s a creepy albino henchman) thrown in too. Thoroughly derivative, but also rather enjoyable when undemanding action is called for.

Under the Silver Lake (SBS On Demand)
Can a film be at once meandering and compelling, gripping and baffling, wondered film critics about this 2018 cult sleeper. It sure can. The plot: Sam (Andrew Garfield) becomes besotted with his neighbour Sarah (Riley Keogh) who disappears overnight, almost without a trace. Sam follows a down-the-rabbit-hole/through-the-looking-glass path of conspiracy theories, backwards-played records, concealed maps, hobo-coded messages, obscure hidden signs and underground “vibes” to … well, to all sorts of odd goings-on in a usually unseen LA. One description of this movie has it as a “surrealist neo-noir black comedy thriller”. That just about nails it. There is also a menacing undertone.