June has officially ushered in some of the most fantastic titles on free streaming, even though many have flown under the radar. Among these overlooked titles is Christian Bale's cult sci-fi thriller, a film that portrays the later years of the 21st century, in which society is willing to sacrifice humanity itself to prevent future wars. Leading man Bale, well known for his versatility, didn't receive universal praise for his role in this cult movie, as critics were divided: some found him stiff or self-conscious, while others commended his physical commitment and the way he conveyed hidden feelings behind a restrained facade.

Perhaps no other director working today has done more to keep the Western alive than James Mangold. Although he's hopped from genre to genre throughout his career, the spirit of the Western is present in films as varied as Cop Land,Walk the Line, and Logan. So it's surprising that he's only directed one proper cowboy movie: 2007's 3:10 to Yuma, a remake of a 1957 adventure yarn adapted from a short story by Elmore Leonard. It seems appropriate that Mangold would remake a movie from the '50s, considering his life's mission seems to be infusing Old Hollywood classicism with New Hollywood sensibilities. And with 3:10 to Yuma, he found the perfect vehicle to express the themes that have been ever-present in his work. The film recently left Peacock, and is now streaming once again on Plex and Philo.

Who says that action films can’t have excitement as well as emotional storytelling? Not Christopher Nolan, that’s for sure. After making a splash with Memento and Insomnia, the visionary director took on one of the most famous action vigilantes of all time. While not an obvious choice to lead a new era of Batman, Nolan was one of the pioneers of the gritty superhero genre. Christian Bale stars as the Caped Crusader in a trilogy that defied all tropes of the genre up until that point.

Christian Bale has long been a powerhouse in entertainment, from his unnerving role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho to the Caped Crusader himself in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. Batman hung up his cowl in 2012 after The Dark Knight Rises, but that wasn’t the end for Bale. Pretty soon after, the performer delivered a gripping performance in a forgotten thriller that deserves a second chance.