For as many streaming services as there is currently are, Netflix remains possibly the premiere platform to watch movies and television shows. The first mainstream streaming service there was, it’s a platform that continues to boast some of the finest and most noteworthy movies you’ll find anywhere.
With a streaming catalog mixed between Netflix original movies and endless amounts of well-known movies like A River Runs Through It, Donnie Brasco, and Don’t Look Up, there’s no shortage of potential viewing options when it comes to Netflix’s impressive lineup of movies.
Here are some of the movies you can currently find streaming on Netflix that we’d recommend checking out.
Updated: November 24.
Drama: A River Runs Through It
One of the earliest movies to star Brad Pitt — one year after his breakout performance in Thelma & Louise — A River Runs Through It was also one of the most important movies of the young actor’s career.
In 1920s Montana, Paul (Pitt) and Norman (Craig Sheffer) are the two sons who live under their domineering reverend father (Tom Skerritt). After leaving Montana to attend college out east, Norman returns home, reuniting with his family as he and his brother ponder their past relationship — with only their shared love of fly-fishing holding them together.
In the lead role of Paul, Pitt demonstrated that he could not only confidently hold his own on a big-budget mainstream film, but that he could actually match (and in some cases surpass) the presence of his co-stars. The success of the film led to him becoming a recognized talent in the film industry, followed by similarly large roles in Interview with the Vampire, Se7en, and most famously Fight Club.
Biopic: Darkest Hour
In 1940, the shadow of the invading Nazi Regime has fallen over most of Europe. Needing a strong leader to oppose the coming threat, England elects the controversial but confident Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) to the position of prime minister, leaving him to decide whether to negotiate with Hitler or oppose the Fuhrer’s encroaching forces.
Gary Oldman is one of the best actors working today. We all know this, just like we know Christmas is in December, George Washington is the first president of the US, and uncomfortably political conversations will come up at Thanksgiving. It’s just a given fact at this point.
In Darkest Hour, Oldman hands in his most impressive performance yet, convincingly transforming himself into the United Kingdom’s most famous historical figure outside of the monarchy. He plays Churchill not as some all-competent British hero, but as a flawed man with some admirable traits, whose political career in the past is mired by controversies and shortcomings. Yet for all that, he still manages to give Churchill enough self-assurety to lead the film, propelling the British war effort at the country’s most desperate hour.
Comedy: Don’t Look Up
A satirical film that handles the subject of global warming and worldwide governments’ complete indifference to the issue, Don’t Look Up is an ambitious ensemble film that has been the subject of praise and scrutiny since its release last year. Despite its divided reviews, it was received positively enough to earn several coveted award nominations, including the Oscar for Best Picture.
After discovering a massive asteroid hurtling towards Earth, two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) try their best to warn humanity about the end of the world — only to be met by disinterest from the political leadership.
The comedy behind Don’t Look Up could definitely be sharper and more subtle, most of the jokes a little too-heavy handed to properly land. However, its ambition and powerful messages make it a movie of all too relevant importance, certainly worth watching as the climate crisis gets worse and worse.
Romance: Blue Jay
Mark Duplass is a gem. He doesn’t get much attention — at least not when compared to most other actors working today — but if you look to the corners of the film industry, you’ll find him there, diligently working on a new script or starring in a touching new indie film. In the case of Blue Jay, it’s both, Duplass starring in a romance film he himself wrote.
Meeting by chance in their former hometown, two former high school lovers (Duplass and Sarah Paulson) begin rekindling their former romance, confronting the reasons why their relationship failed and what life might’ve looked like if they had stayed together.
Like most of Duplass’s previous indie films, he makes his presence known in front of and behind the camera, building a lasting chemistry with Paulson. Their onscreen relationship is filled with such warmth you practically feel it radiating off the screen, hammering home how great an actor each of them is individually.
Horror: Piranha 3D
Piranha isn’t even close to a masterpiece of horror. It’s silly and gross and far too violent to appeal to most — but that’s the whole point. Channeling the sleazy, over-the-top nature of ‘70s exploitation movies, it’s meant to be viewed that way, similar to the style of Grindhouse, Machete, or Spring Breakers.
At a popular spring break resort in Arizona, an earthquake results in hundreds of massive prehistoric piranhas flooding the local teen-populated lake. The resort’s only hope is an intrepid sheriff (Elisabeth Shue) and a seismologist (Adam Scott) investigating ways to combat the piranhas before it’s too late.
A remake of Joe Dante’s cult classic Jaws rip-off of the same name, the main appeal of Piranha 3D is how fully it embraces its distinct genre. Going all in on the sleaziest elements of the exploitation genre, it’s a stomach-churning monster movie that’s perfectly aware of its cheesiness, using it as a primary source of laughs and entertainment.
Crime: Donnie Brasco
It’s exciting to know that Johnny Depp is around a year away from his comeback in the film industry. Just looking back at his past filmography, his career is filled with a number of great movies showcasing his versatility as an actor — none more so than his 1997 crime film, Donnie Brasco.
In the 1970s, FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone goes undercover, using the alias of Donnie Brasco to infiltrate the New York City mafia. As he tries to ingratiate himself into New York’s most notorious criminal families, he also does his best to avoid detection and remain loyal to his superiors at the Bureau.
Loosely based on a true story, Donnie Brasco is a predictably claustrophobic thriller that leaves you chewing your nails and shaking your head throughout. At any moment, you expect the truth to come crashing down on Depp’s undercover agent, for him to get caught in a lie by Al Pacino or Michael Madsen.
Watching him, you can literally see the fear hidden beneath the outward confidence of his character, a quality that makes Depp such a believable and gifted actor who we can’t wait to see more of in the future.
Family: Klaus
Yes, we know it’s a bit early for Christmas movies — Thanksgiving, after all, is barely over. But there are some people that want to get a jump on the holiday season as soon as possible — and for those folks, we recommend checking out the 2019 award-winning animated film, Klaus.
After being banished by his Postmaster General father to an isolated town in northern Norway, the sarcastic postman Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) befriends a kind-natured recluse (JK Simmons) who spends his time making toys.
Klaus probably works better as a meditation on the holiday tradition than it does as an explanation behind Santa Claus’s backstory. But either way, it’s still a fun movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, espousing about how the point of Christmas is to get together and celebrate as one, in spite of our differences or personal animosity. It’s a simple message that goes a long way, a piece of advice that could be followed by kids as well as their parents.
Christmas: White Christmas
As mentioned above, Christmas is right around the corner, and there are a ton of movies to get through by the time the big day actually arrives. With that in mind, there’s no better place to start than this 1954 holiday classic, White Christmas.
Upon leaving the Army after World War 2, Bob (Bing Crosby) and Phil (Danny Kaye) become a hit Broadway duo, eventually meeting and falling for the sister act of Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen). As the four venture to Vermont, Bob and Phil eventually stumble across their former commanding officer, agreeing to help try and save his failing hotel from foreclosure.
White Christmas might’ve been better with Bob Hope instead of Danny Kaye, but the finished film is still decent enough to warrant a watch as you usher in the Yuletide season. At the very least, you’ll be able to hear Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas,” perhaps the biggest reason to see this movie in the first place.
Music: Anima
Thom Yorke and Paul Thomas Anderson — two of the most talented individuals working in their respective fields. With how gifted they are in terms of music (Yorke) and filmmaking (Anderson), a collaboration between the two seems like a match made in heaven. And indeed, it was.
With Anima, Anderson oversees a 15-minute long music video that accompanies Yorke’s 2019 similarly-named rock album. The video presents an avant-garde story of a man (Yorke) living in a dystopian world, apparently trying to break out of the preconceived mold society has imprisoned people within.
Immaculately produced and fitted perfectly with Yorke’s music, Anima is an hallucinatory and ambiguous short film that makes great use of both Yorke and Anderson’s talents. The superior quality of the film led to it earning universal acclaim, and a Grammy nomination for Best Music Film.
Underrated: Goosebumps
Arriving to theaters in 2015, the feature adaptation of Goosebumps was generally well-received by critics, and was promptly forgotten about within the handful of years after its release. With how quickly we all let this movie fade in our collective memories, I’d argue that it’s certainly worth checking out again, especially for its standout humor and many nods to RL Stine’s YA book series.
Moving to the small town of Madison in Delaware, the teenaged Zach (Dylan Minnette) befriends the daughter (Odeya Rush) of RL Stine (Jack Black), helping them protect their town from Stine’s horrifying creations after they somehow get loose.
Containing dozens of references to Stine’s most beloved books, Goosebumps is a lighthearted and fun fantasy film that’s ideal for those new to the Goosebumps series, or for longtime fans of Stine’s horror books. Between its goofy comedy and light scares, it feels akin to a classic Disney Channel film like Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown in the best way imaginable.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
source https://wealthofgeeks.com/movies-on-netflix-now/
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