Movie Night With Kanopy

Published Thursday, March 12, 2026

Did you know that your Edwardsville library card also includes access to an online streaming service? It does!

Meet Kanopy, your new favorite streaming service. Kanopy has 30,000+ movies spanning all genres from independent movies, Oscar winners, documentaries, and education material. And no ads!

To get to know Kanopy I've put together a list of some of my favorite (and often underseen) movies streaming currently on the app.

Thelma

Directed by Josh Margolin

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her

Shot like an action movie the likes of Mission: Impossible, this movie has a lot of laughs and even more heart. It grapples with what it means to grow older and needing to rely on others for things you once did for yourself. June Squibb gives an amazing performance that won her the award for Best Stunt Performance from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists and Best Actress in an Action Movie by The Critics' Choice Super Awards.

Stream on Kanopy

Dinner in America

Directed by Adam Rehmeier

An on-the-lam punk rocker and a young woman obsessed with a local band go on an unexpected and epic journey together through the decaying suburbs of the American Midwest.

Like Romeo and Juliet for the strange and abrasive, this is an unexpectedly sweet romantic comedy. This film initially flew under the radar after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival virtually during 2020, in the years following its been gaining a cult following that has led to a second theatrical release in 2024.

Stream on Kanopy

Your Monster

Directed by Caroline Lindy

After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming, monster living in her closet.

This genre-bending film mixes elements of horror and romance to bring to life a story about female rage and learning to believe in and stand up for yourself.

Stream on Kanopy

La Chimera

Directed by Alice Rohrwacher

Just out of jail, rumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of tombaroli accomplices – a happy-go-lucky collective of itinerant grave-robbers who survive by looting Etruscan tombs and fencing the ancient treasures they dig up.

Fans of Indiana Jones and National Treasure will enjoy the action and ancient artifacts, but they'll stay for the character-driven storylines. Josh O'Connor does an excellent job portraying a character you can't always root for, as one part of a very dysfunctional found family.

Stream on Kanopy

Hundreds of Beavers

Directed by Mike Cheslik

In the 19th century, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.

Shot in black and white and using silent film-esque text cards, you wouldn't expect this to be one of the funniest movies of the last few years, but it is. Utilizing a variety of physical humor and gags, this is like watching a life action looney toons epeisode, only with hundreds of people in beaver mascot costumes.

Stream on Kanopy

Perfect Days

Directed by Wim Wenders

Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.

This is a movie that encapsulates the feeling of being outside on the first warm spring day, when you find yourself noticing how wonderful being alive is.

Stream on Kanopy

The Worst Person in the World

Directed by Joachim Trier

The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.

A great one to watch if you are (or ever were) someone feeling lost in their 20s. A film that covers the good, the bad, and the very messy aspects of trying to figure it all out.

Stream on Kanopy

Logan Lucky

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Who doesn't love a heist film? And this one has everything you could want in one: characters you can root for, a family curse, a jail break, and even a beauty pageant. The director, Soderbergh, also directed Ocean's Eleven.

Stream on Kanopy

About the Author

Jacqueline is a Circulation Clerk in the Adult Library who started in 2024. She enjoys reading epic fantasy books and cozy rom-coms; and believes the best way to read is with the physical book and the audiobook together. When she’s not reading she also loves going to the movies.