‘It’ might startle

A superior adaptation of a Stephen King novel, “It” offers up plenty of scares as well as a nifty message about what can be achieved when outcasts stick together.

The seven members of the self-described Losers’ Club already have a tough time growing up in Derry, Maine thanks to the town bullies but when a supernatural force that calls itself Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) comes along, they must suddenly face up to their most horrific fears.

Argentine director Andy Muschietti is a real find. He unleashes scenes that make your skin crawl and then startles you with unexpected feeling. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu

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I, Daniel Blake: Movies don’t come any more timely than this lacerating drama from Britain’s Ken Loach about a carpenter (Dave Johns) whose disability benefits are inexplicably suspended while he recovers from a heart attack. During a visit to the benefits office, Daniel meets a single mom (Hayley Squires) in a similar predicament and they form a touching friendship. Loach gets all of the dehumanizing details of Blake’s plight just right. And, in addition to being a riveting portrait of a man down on his luck, “I, Daniel Blake” offers a sobering snapshot of a world in which there isn’t enough kindness – or jobs - to go around. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu Crooked House: If you enjoyed “Murder on the Orient Express,” expect to get a big kick out of this similarly star-studded Agatha Christie adaption. After a wealthy patriarch has been killed, a detective (Max Irons) is called in to investigate and discovers plenty of potential suspects including the dead man’s decades younger wife (Christina Hendricks), his sister-in-law (Glenn Close) and his daughterin-law (Gillian Anderson). It’s a bit slow to get going but when it does, it provides plenty of dark secrets, red herrings and a terrific surprise ending. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu 100 Men: New Zealand director Paul Oremland hit upon a novel idea for chronicling forty years of changing attitudes toward homosexuality: he tracked down 100 of his lovers to ask them about their experiences as gay men. Oremland seems to have parted on good terms with every single one of his former sexual partners so there’s not much drama. Still, “100 Men” works as both a sexual autobiography and a history lesson. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu The Tiger Hunter: “Community’s” Danny Pudi makes a charming leading man in this likeable saga of an Indian man’s journey to the United States. When his job as an engineer falls through, he must struggle to land a position before his visa expires. In addition to being a funny workplace comedy, “The Tiger Hunter” doubles as a rom com, with Pudi pretending to be a rich man in order to impress a woman from back home. Low-key performances and a timely message about acceptance keep this one on the prowl. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu Human Flow: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei takes on the refugee crisis in this acclaimed documentary which captures human migration over the course of a year in 23 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Turkey. Whether fleeing famine, climate change or war, over 65 million people around the globe have been forced to leave their homes. The movie witnesses displaced men, women and children as they attempt ocean crossings, struggle to survive in teeming refugee camps and face barbed-wire borders. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu Grace and Frankie Season 4: What would make watching two acting titans even more fun? The addition of Lisa Kudrow, of course. The former “Friends” star plays a manicurist who, at least for a little while, drives a wedge between best pals Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin). Grace and Frankie also soldier on with their vibrator business even as they seem to be experiencing some agerelated health issues. Ernie Hudson returns as Frankie’s boyfriend while Grace finds a new beau in Peter Gallagher. On Netflix.

Teen Titles

November Criminals: Based on the novel by Sam Munson, this murder mystery centers on a collegebound high-schooler (Ansel Elgort) who becomes obsessed with solving his friend’s slaying. At the same time, he finds himself falling in love with his best pal (Chloe Grace Moretz.) While “November Criminals” is solidly acted by the first-rate cast, including Catherine Keener and David Strathairn, the stakes aren’t nearly high enough. “November Criminals” isn’t bad, just curiously mild. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu The Open House: In what looks like a terrific oldschool horror outing, a teenager (Dylan Minnette) and his mother (Piercey Dalton) decide to get away from their troubles by decamping to a vacation home in the middle of nowhere. The pair are trying to put a tragedy behind them but they quickly find themselves besieged by threatening forces which seem to be coming at them from inside and outside the house. On Netflx.