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 Austin Powers, Conan the Barbarian, and Dawn of the Dead, 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: May 8.
Drama: Flight
In almost every movie he’s worked on, Denzel Washington has proven time and time again why he’s one of Hollywood’s foremost leading men. This high status can be seen most clearly on a film like Flight, a harrowing character study and acting foray on Washington’s part.
Making a miraculous landing after his plane malfunctions, a substance-abusing airline pilot (Washington) has his personal habits questioned by federal authorities in spite of his heroic deed.
Raising interesting questions about the public perception of glorified heroes, Flight also contends with some weighty issues related to alcoholism and recovery. Washington is predictably fantastic in the lead role of the airline pilot, believably portraying the crippling effects of alcoholism without overdoing it.
Comedy: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Exiting from SNL in 1995, Mike Myers was on top of the world. With the global sensation that was Wayne’s World at his back, Myers used his forward momentum to take on an entirely new project in 1997: the cult classic satirical spy series, Austin Powers.
Thawed out of cryogenic hibernation, the sweet-talking ‘60s British agent Austin Powers (Mike Myers) adapts to the 1990s, all the while pursuing his arch-enemy, the villainous Dr. Evil (also Myers).
Each installment of the Austin Powers series is worth seeing for some reason or another, but there’s no taking anything away from International Man of Mystery’s importance in setting the tone and standard for each film that came after. Whether it was the hilarious innuendo-laden names or the overly-elaborate death traps orchestrated by Dr. Evil, it’s a thoroughly humorous spoof of the Bond series through and through.
Fantasy: Conan the Barbarian
Two years before he became the unstoppable robotic assassin at the heart of The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger transitioned away from his career as a bodybuilder and took his first tentative steps towards acting… After a middling start, the former Austrian weightlifter received his breakout success with 1982’s Conan the Barbarian – the film that made him an action superstar practically overnight.
With his parents killed by a sadistic warlord (James Earl Jones), a young boy grows up to become a skilled warrior (Schwarzenegger), swearing vengeance against the man responsible for his family’s death.
Adapted from Robert E. Howard’s pulp magazine stories, Conan the Barbarian is a daring sword and sorcery film that flawlessly mixes gritty action with stunning fantasy sequences. Some of the performances are simply meh, but its importance in Schwarzenegger’s career cannot be overstated.
Horror: Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Before he was spearheading DC’s superhero adaptations, Zack Snyder was etching out a name for himself with movies like Dawn of the Dead, Watchmen, and 300. In the case of Snyder’s debut Dawn of the Dead, the director entered the field at a full-speed sprint, demonstrating immense promise for an otherwise untested director.
After a mysterious illness triggers a massive zombie outbreak, a group of survivors defend themselves in a large mall, doing their best to rebuild society in their limited setting.
A reimagining of George Romero’s zombie classic of the same name, Dawn of the Dead helped usher in a resurgence for the long-stagnated zombie genre, clearing the way for a renewed public interest in zombies for the next decade. The same sharp critique of consumerism as the original is absent, but what it lacks in satire, 2004’s Dawn of the Dead more than makes up for in intense scares.
Crime: Smokey and the Bandit
Looking to provide a distraction for his partner (Jerry Reed) to smuggle 400 cases of beer across state lines, the fast-driving Bandit (Burt Reynolds) takes his 1978 Pontiac Trans Am across the Southern U.S. with a relentless sheriff (Jackie Gleason) in close pursuit.
An undeniably iconic addition to 1970s cinema, Smokey and the Bandit finds Burt Reynolds in the most famous role of his career, perfectly cast as the thrill-seeking, cowboy-hat-wearing, mustache-sporting hot rod Bandit.
As with Reynolds’ character, so many aspects of Smokey and the Bandit have entered pop culture in the years since the movie’s release, from the souped-up Pontiac Firebird Bandit uses to tour the South to the “diablo sandwich” Gleason’s sheriff orders in the Arkansas barbeque restaurant.
Thriller: The Diplomat
The most-streamed TV series on Netflix this week, the latest Netflix original series, The Diplomat, seems destined to have a bright future on the streaming platform, having earned rave reviews immediately after its premiere last week.
Serving as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) does her best to navigate the waters of international crises, all the while trying to keep her marriage to a fellow career politician (Rufus Sewell) intact.
Like all the best political series, The Diplomat excels at creating palpable storylines out of dire worldly events and circumstances. At the center of it all is an otherwise fantastic Russell, who manages to maintain a semblance of realism in the high-stakes situations she finds herself immersed in.
History: The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
Following the death of King Edward, the retired warrior Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) returns in an epic quest to unite the warring English kingdoms under one banner.
From 2015 to 2022, The Last Kingdom ran for a total of five seasons. Based on Bernard Cornwell’s critically acclaimed novel series, its television adaptation was among Netflix’s most popular series, characterized by its incredible action, crisp cinematography, and intriguing plot elements.
With the series officially ending just last year, Netflix has since released the conclusive chapter of The Last Kingdom with Seven Kings Must Die. A final farewell to the characters and fascinating world of Early Medieval England, it has predominantly earned even better reviews than the initial TV series.
Miniseries: Beef
The latest series rising to the top of Netflix’s most-watched list this week is Beef, a comedy-drama miniseries produced in a joint collaboration between Netflix and indie powerhouse, A24.
After a minor altercation in a parking lot, two strangers (Steven Yeun and Ali Wong) develop a mutual hatred of one another, pushing them into escalating pranks that get increasingly more serious and disastrous for both.
Taking its imaginative premise and running with it full-speed, Beef is an interesting and often hilarious story of revenge and the deepening relationship that forms between two respective enemies. Yeun and Wong are simply electric in their antagonistic roles, each of them spiraling out of control through their dedication to vengeance.
Action: The Night Agent
Similarly rising the top of this week’s most-streamed list is the Netflix original series, The Night Agent. Arriving to the platform late last March, it has raked in a predominantly warm reception from most viewers, who praised it as an intriguing and exciting action thriller series.
Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) is a low-level FBI agent who is suddenly thrust into the center of a political conspiracy involving the executive branch of the United States.
Already renewed for a second season, the inaugural season of The Night Agent is bound to get most audience members’ pulses pumping. Through Sutherland’s eyes, we’re entreated to a high-level plot beyond our imagination, brilliantly led by Basso and an always great Hong Chau.
Animated: Agent Elvis
A project as distinctly different as Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-nominated biopic as you can imagine, Agent Elvis is a tongue-in-cheek reimagination of the iconic musician, complete with a dazzling color palette and hilarious spoofs of all things ‘70s (government conspiracies, NASA-trained chimps, Richard Nixon, etc.).
In public, Elvis Presley (Matthew McConaughey) is the world’s most famous rock and roll star. In private, the King lives out an ulterior life as a spy for the U.S. government, battling nefarious forces like sinister rival agents and the deranged cult leader Charles Manson (Fred Armisen).
Utilizing an Adult Swim-style humor and artistic style, Agent Elvis is a star-studded action comedy series that coasts on the vocal talents of its cast (McConaughey, Don Cheadle, Kaitlin Olson, and Johnny Knoxville). As with any Adult Swim show, it might not be for everyone, but it’s likely to find a welcome audience for fans of adult animated series like The Venture Bros.
Romance: A Tourist’s Guide to Love
The number two most-watched movie on Netflix (just behind Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody), A Tourist’s Guide to Love is the newest romantic comedy to land on the streamer, having made its debut earlier this week.
Following an abrupt breakup, a travel executive (Rachel Leigh Cook) accepts an assignment touring Vietnam, unexpectedly finding romance along the way in the form of her tour guide (Scott Ly).
Checking off every romantic comedy trope you can think of, A Tourist’s Guide to Love is your boilerplate romcom, as predictable and forgettable as any of the other similarly-styled films on Netflix. As reliant as it is on cliches, the movie also makes for an extremely comforting film to watch, characterized by some decent chemistry between Cook and her on-screen love interest.
Disaster: Airport (1970)
In the 1970s, the disaster film had become one of the most financially viable genres of its era, thanks in large part to the success of 1970’s Airport. Released shortly before that incredibly niche genre became diluted by lesser quality films, Airport was seen as the main inspiration behind virtually every disaster film released afterwards, setting precedents that films like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure liberally borrowed from in the years to come.
As a vicious snow storm makes traveling nearly impossible, the manager of a bustling airport (Burt Lancaster) contends with numerous issues that crop up over 12 hours, from weather delays and malfunctioning machinery to plane stowaways and geriatric pilots.
With a large ensemble cast that includes Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Van Heflin, and Dana Wynter, Airport was a smash hit at the box office, clearing the way for three sequels (two of which are also streaming on Netflix right now).
Sci-Fi: Starship Troopers
In the late 1990s, influential cult director Paul Verhoeven drew his loosely-connected sci-fi trilogy to a close. Beginning with RoboCop, continuing with Total Recall, and ending with Starship Troopers, each film in Verhoeven’s trilogy analyzed humanity’s relationship to technology, militarized regimes in positions of power, and the influence of unscrupulous business and political groups in everyday life.
Two hundred years into the future, humanity has managed to perfect space travel, leading them into conflict with an insect-like species of aliens. As hostilities between humans and these aliens worsen, a teenager (Casper Van Dien) and his friends opt to join Earth’s military force to combat the extraterrestrial threat.
Having gained a significant following over the years, Starship Troopers has been regularly praised for its ahead-of-its-time CGI and visuals, as well as its subtle satirical take-down of fascist governments and totalitarianism.
Documentary: Chimp Empire
Nature documentaries always make for a fascinating watch, especially when they deal with an intricate subject like chimp societies and apes’ social hierarchy. Exploring this topic further is one of Netflix’s newest documentaries, the four-part miniseries Chimp Empire.
Narrated by Academy Award-winner Mahershala Ali, Chimp Empire is an in-depth look at Uganda's largest colony of chimpanzees, as well as the social issues they face on a daily basis (ranging from how parents raise their offspring to the colony’s relationship with other groups of apes).
A deft film that hammers home how complex ape societies are, Chimp Empire also illustrates how similar humanity is to its closest living relative. Watching it, it’s almost like you’re offered a window back in time to mankind’s own initial development, complete with first contact with other groups and, inevitably, war.
Family: How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks has a ton of memorable movies making up its studio output, including recent successes like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and earlier hits like Shrek. As many great movies as the company has produced, among DreamWorks’ finest releases is the popular How to Train Your Dragon series, beginning with 2010’s initial entry in the franchise.
For generations, the Viking residents of Berk have waged war on the local dragon population plaguing their land. When a young Viking (Jay Baruchel) meets one of these dragons, though, he realizes they aren’t nearly as dangerous as everyone believes them to be.
In terms of its gorgeous color scheme and witty humor, How to Train Your Dragon has the ability to delight viewers across a wide age spectrum, be they kids or older adults. But even more than that, the film draws on some time-honored lessons that all of us can learn from, such as not judging a book by its cover and being able to think for yourself.
Underrated: AKA
Rising near the top of this week’s most-watched list on Netflix is the new film, AKA, a stunningly well-done thriller that seems to take heavy inspiration from similarly-veined undercover movies (Reservoir Dogs, The Departed, City on Fire, and so on).
Adam Franco (Alban Lenoir) is an expert special forces operative sent on a deep undercover assignment. Infiltrating a powerful criminal organization, Franco must decide whether to stay loyal to his superiors or protect his newfound employer’s young son.
More than a simple action thriller alone, AKA coasts on its chief cause of suspense. Not only do you spend the whole of the film wondering whether Lenoir’s Franco will be caught by the syndicate he’s spying on, you also avidly wonder whether he’ll remain loyal to the young boy he forms such an emotional attachment towards.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
source https://wealthofgeeks.com/movies-on-netflix-now/
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