7.2
Jamie Rutherford

A dramatic recreation of the last 10 years in the life of famed pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas), told primarily from the perspective of his young lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film follows from naive young Thorson’s early introduction to Liberace through his 6-year romance and live-in relationship with the celebrated luminary. Coming from a broken home and multiple foster families, Thorson finds newfound comfort in the fawning adoration and financial protection that Liberace provides to him, as they quickly become lovers and confidants. Much of the story re-enacts their often stormy, behind-the-scenes affairs in candid fashion—including the lengths to which Thorson alters himself physically to conform to Liberace’s standards. Both Douglas and Damon are excellent in their roles, with Douglas in particular providing a striking recreation of Liberace in both appearance and mannerism. He truly embodies the role, and provides the viewer with a genuine glimpse into the personal life of “Mr. Showmanship”—replete with all of his passions, concerns and insecurities. It’s an intimate depiction of a real-life May-December relationship, told with striking honesty, and ending with a remarkably touching tribute to Liberace in all of his campy yet sincere glory.

1. You can watch
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
MAX

Price:
 $9.99 per month
Device availability:
 Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $10 (with ads) to $15 (no ads) to $20 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available.

When you subscribe, you’ll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you’ll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll.

Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

2. You can watch
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
VUDU

Device availability:
 Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, iOS, LG Smart TV, Playsation, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, TiVo, Vizio, Xbox, Xfinity Flex
Vudu is an on-demand streaming service that allows users to rent or purchase more than 200,000 new releases. Founded in 2007, it's one of the first companies to offer digital films in HD. Vudu's main strength is its ease of access and jam-packed catalog of movies and TV shows, but it also boasts free content, which they run on ads. In 2020, media and ticketing firm Fandango acquired Vudu and merged both companies' streamers into one. They decided to keep the Vudu name because of its vast and loyal customer base.

3. You can rent
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
AMAZON
for $3.99

4. You can watch
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
DIRECTV

5. You can rent
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
ITUNES
for $3.99

6. You can rent
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
MICROSOFT
for $3.99

7. You can rent
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
PLAY
for $3.99

8. You can watch
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
on
YOUTUBE