Behold, Steve Newall has crafted the definitive list of the best films currently available to stream on Netflix NZ. We’ll update this post each month as films come and go from the streamer.
Ad Astra
Watch on NetflixA supremely successful man-on-a-mission space pic, Ad Astra thrills in both its truly nerve-wracking action/sci-fi set pieces (in Earth’s orbit, on the Moon and beyond) and in its more down-tempo character moments. Central to this is Brad Pitt’s stupendous performance, laying a foundation with measured minimalism that anchors the film’s echoes of Apocalypse Now and even maybe a little Total Recall—though even when it’s treating us to sights like a sweet lunar buggy duel, it’s with a sombre seriousness.
American Psycho
Watch on NetflixAn unholy trinity comes together to produce filmmaking magnificence—Bret Easton Ellis’s notorious novel, a Christian Bale performance for the ages, and director/co-screenwriter Mary Harron’s take on the source material. The pairing of Harron and Bale is vital to the sublime result, as opposed to the satire-free thriller that Lionsgate tried to make at one point, intended to star Leonardo DiCaprio with Oliver Stone directing. Yikes. While Harron’s film has no shortage of controversial content, her take demonstrates an understanding of Ellis’s novel as comedic social critique, and is an enduringly watchable one.
Athena
Watch on NetflixFurious and frantic, Athena builds on director Romain Gavras’ previous work, most notably his music videos Stress for Justice and Bad Girls and Born Free for M.I.A. As many have noted, the rest of this feature can’t quite live up to its audacious, opening sequence—a spectacular oner moving from French police press conference to violent protest and a housing estate entering a state of siege. Amid the growing chaos and violence as riot squads descend on the estate, three brothers of Algerian descent pursue conflicting, desperate strategies as they’re backed into various corners. Despairing, urgent, tragic, brutal—and a strong showcase of Gavras’ talents.
Atlantics
Watch on NetflixSet in Senegal’s capital Dakar, supernatural romantic drama Atlantics follows interweaving narratives—construction workers rail against not being paid to build a shining corporate tower above the impoverished city, and teenaged Ada prepares for her arranged marriage. Connecting the two is Ada’s romance with Souleiman, one of the aforementioned workers, who’s among a group of them to set sail in the middle of the night for Spain. Things get odd when illness begins to befall those close to these men, and Souleiman’s said to have made a reappearance. A deft blend of various elements, and a super promising first feature from Mati Diop.
Barbarian
Watch on NetflixArriving on a wave of US horror hype in 2022, Barbarian gets underway with a seemingly simple premise—a woman (Georgina Campbell) arrives at her Airbnb in a dilapidated Detroit street one night to find another guest is already inside. She’s unnerved, as are we, especially as the stranger is played by Bill Skarsgård aka Pennywise, but suspicion soon gives way to outright shriek-inducing (that would be me) horror. Swerving in unexpected directions, Barbarian gets structurally, stylistically and thematically ambitious while still proving chillingly watchable.
Boyhood
Watch on NetflixRichard Linklater’s drama, filmed over twelve years, follows a boy from childhood through adolescence. Boyhood doesn’t just capture this young man’s physical and personal growth, but also the key figures that orbit him: separated parents (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke); sister (Lorelei Linklater); and first love (Zoe Graham). While Arquette’s performance is a standout, Linklater conjures emotive, naturalistic performances from all his cast, so as the film works its magic and the years pass by, one can’t help but be captivated by the lives unfolding onscreen.
Captain Phillips
Watch on Netflix“Look at me. I’m the captain now,” declared Barkhad Abdi in his stunning debut role, facing off against all-timer Tom Hanks in this tense real-life tale of a ship hijacking. Hanks plays Richard Phillips, trying desperately to keep everyone alive as the situation off the Somali coast becomes increasingly charged, another nailbiter from director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy).
Cousins
Watch on NetflixA complex tale that spans decades and perspectives as it follows three Māori women through three distinctly different time periods—their childhood, teenage years and during their 60s—each setting boasting a different trio of actors chronicling their lives (standouts including Ana Scotney, Tioreore Melbourne, Tanea Heke and Rachel House). With two of the titular cousins trying to reconnect with the missing third in later years, and the impacts of systemic dislocation and colonisation on Māori evident throughout, Cousins is a deeply moving dramatic triumph.
Dolemite Is My Name
Watch on Netflix“Eddie’s back!” was the exclamation heard when Eddie Murphy showed he’d lost none of his charm. Murphy stepped into the shoes and extended waistline of comedian Rudy Ray Moore, creator of the character Dolemite—a cane-wielding pimp who recited raunchy comedy routines, and sold a ton of profanity-laden records before setting out to make a 70s blaxploitation film. A celebration of one man’s creative tenacity, and his ability to pull a filmmaking family together (experience or no experience), Dolemite Is My Name is a wonderful against-the-odds tale, with the added bonus of Wesley Snipes flamboyantly chewing the scenery in a waaay over-the-top performance.
Dredd
Watch on NetflixJust look at that face (the bit you can see): Karl Urban was made for this shit. Erasing all memory of Stallone, the beloved 2000 AD character comes to life in a compellingly claustrophobic action pic that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. Locked in a towering apartment building, Judge Dredd and his rookie partner (Olivia Thirlby) go up against 200 storeys of drugged-up crims, led by crime lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), and the tight focus works to make this an action thrill. Written and produced by Alex Garland, and more, perhaps—“What a lot of people don’t realize is that Alex Garland actually directed that movie,” says Urban—before making his official debut with Ex Machina.
Edge of Tomorrow
Watch on NetflixSupremely rewatchable, as befits its premise, a stymied release prevented Doug Liman’s sci-fi action pic making the box office impact it really deserved (and has deprived us to date of a much-wanted sequel). A nifty riff on video games, its characters have the ability to “live, die, repeat” while embracing nihilist gaming humour as they kick the bucket—Tom Cruise’s shriek when getting run over hilariously undercuts his movie star persona, as does his initially cowardly, slimeball character. The action rules, the devastated post-invasion world is stylishly depicted, and Emily Blunt proves she can more than hold her own opposite Cruise.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Watch on Netflix2023’s big Oscar winner (Best Picture, Director, Actor(s), Screenplay etc) showed there can be heart in a multiverse tale, and also that a film bursting with creativity can take on lavishly-produced blockbusters on a fraction of their budget. Its blend of complex concepts, examination of family, and strong emotional core should resonate with all viewers, (even if the buttplugs and hot dog fingers might get a bit much for some). The plot? Bit complex to get into here, but there’s a multiverse-destroying bagel, great visual gags and action—perhaps most significant about EEAAO is how huge a reminder of stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan’s enduring awesomeness it was.
The Fall Guy
Watch on NetflixA stuntman returns to the biz (and an ex) in action-rom-com The Fall Guy. Stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is called out of premature retirement after breaking his back (and the heart of camerawoman-turned -blockbuster director Jody Moreno aka Emily Blunt), and heads to Sydney to work on space opera Metalstorm—but finds himself caught up in an increasingly murderous plot. A genuinely touching sense of affection for the stunt double profession is evident, and while it may not challenge its stars (or the audience) too much, their chemistry and comic timing sell every beat for a fun night in.
Get Out
Watch on NetflixThis 2017 hit changed the way we looked at first-time director Jordan Peele, did what most horror pics can’t by getting deserved love from the Oscars, and added new vocab to the modern lexicon with the concept of “the sunken place”. With a great premise bolstered by fantastic performances (particularly Get Out‘s lead Daniel Kaluuya, although we must also praise the not-so-secretly racist family he visits), more than anything else, this is an elegantly effective horror, with all elements operating in unison. Peele hasn’t aimed for the razor-sharpness of this since, which is a bit of a shame—even if you can’t fault the ambition of follow-up Us or the more satisfying Nope.
The Godfather
Watch on NetflixWhat can we say about Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia masterpiece that you don’t already know? Over fifty years old and almost three hours long, Coppola’s film about the Corleone family still looms large over the genre. By now the references and parodies of The Godfather have themselves been referenced and parodied so many times they’re barely connected to the original—not that this dilutes the impact of watching this 1972 classic one iota.
Godzilla Minus One
Watch on NetflixArriving in cinemas late in 2023, the return of Godzilla obliterated all memory of any CGI-powered Hollywood spectacles that year. Set at the closing stages of WWII and into its aftermath, this 37th Godzilla film (the first out of Japan since Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse really got rolling in the US) impressed with both its emotional and bombastic aspects. The long-term consequences of war (ruined cities, damaged guilty psyches) ring true here, and when the kaiju action commences, it’s largely depicted from a human perspective—and therefore both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Nods throughout to the Godzilla legacy, as well as a little Jaws influence creeping in partway, certainly don’t hurt, though this Godzilla can proudly stand tall on its own two, enormous, scaly, feet.
Happy Gilmore
Watch on NetflixIt may be approaching 30, but Happy Gilmore remains as entertainingly juvenile as ever. Along with the previous year’s Billy Madison, this sports comedy helped establish Sandler as a comedy star, especially in countries that didn’t get to see his run on SNL. Sandler’s a delight to watch as the immature, angry hockey player turned golfer, helped along by one-handed mentor Chubbs Peterson (the late, great Carl Weathers) as he tries to best the arrogant Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald in a superb turn as a comedy heel).
In Bruges
Watch on NetflixForget the questionable Three Billboards (and definitely the terrible Seven Psychopaths), playwright turned director Martin McDonagh’s best film by far remains his startling debut—a darkly comic crime pic starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen holed up in the historic town of Bruges after a job gone wrong. The fairytale backdrop is at turns beautiful and claustrophobic, while the writing’s sharp, the performances are outstanding, and the overall vibe is tense, moving and hilarious. “That’s for John Lennon, you Yankee fucking c–t!”
John Wick
Watch on NetflixThings get a bit convoluted in the Wick sequels (not that we’re about to stop watching). But it wasn’t the worldbuilding that made this breakout action pic such a hit—even if we were bizarrely deprived of a proper cinema release here in Aotearoa, crazy days!—but instead the lean, efficient plot, a style of action choreography to match, and of course, Keanu Reeves taking on a new signature role decades into his career. Frowning intensity, long take action, and tragic motivation all land wonderfully in his wheelhouse in this all-time classic.
The Killer
Watch on NetflixDavid Fincher’s latest thriller (#9 in our fave movies of 2023 writers poll) features Michael Fassbender, back from an acting hiatus/motorsport career as the titular killer. Bringing bone-dry humour, droll monologues, a steely presence and precise physicality to the role, he proves a great match for Fincher’s clinical precision, the pair elevating their pic above familiar fare—whether that’s in one of the best onscreen fight scenes of the year, or in more conversationally combative moments. As a bonus, now we know just what sort of person exclusively listens to The Smiths (yeah, a conscience-free psychopath), and corporate product placement has perhaps never been so intriguing.
Late Night With the Devil
Watch on NetflixA lost 1970s talk show broadcast provides the premise of this found footage horror (and 2023 film festival highlight). David Dastmalchian is a revelation here as a 70s talk show host, never feeling anything short of 100% the real deal in this found footage horror. Rarely do movies nail shows-within-films as seen here, his Carson-competing talk show feeling legitimately staged. This helps markedly with the sense of growing dread throughout—as does the time period, which locates this around the religious terror of The Exorcist and The Omen. Yeah, that’s right, there’s some devil shit—but you knew that from the title.
Leave No Trace
Watch on NetflixThis achingly emotional account of parenthood and trauma was Thomasin McKenzie’s breakout film, playing the daughter of a war veteran (Ben Foster), the pair living off the land and off the grid in the forests of Oregon. Director Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone) keeps us spellbound, firmly invested in their tale both as a duo in remote landscapes and interacting with others who don’t fit into traditional modern lifestyles. Exceptional performances and restrained direction make for a compelling, haunting, drama.
The Lobster
Watch on NetflixLooking for a romantic watch on the couch? Depending on the company and desired vibe, this might not be the one… This (typically) black comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos takes place in a world where singles are sent to a “hotel” and given 45 days to find a partner—or be transformed into an animal. Yeah, it’s a little bizarre and a little bleak… Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz et al remain detached from the inherent absurdity in The Lobster as they navigate its world of dog-matically enforced co-dependence, alongside the likes of Olivia Colman, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux and Ben Whishaw.
The Lord of the Rings
Watch on NetflixSome 20-plus years after their release, we’re all due for another trip back to Middle-earth at some stage, perhaps even more so after Prime Video’s comparatively underwhelming Rings of Power. Peter Jackson’s staggering trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King—are all here so you can revisit hours of compelling storytelling and adventure, marvel in Aotearoa’s glory, and perhaps indulge in just a little nostalgia for this turn-of-the-millenium moment in New Zealand history (the making of these films: I know they aren’t historically accurate).
M3GAN
Watch on NetflixAllison Williams (Get Out) and comedian Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians) star in this horror black comedy from Kiwi Gerard Johnstone (director of Housebound!) and Akela Cooper (co-writer of Malignant!). Correct, this is not one for the kids… Williams plays a robotics engineer at a toy company who builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own. Not to mention beginning to take lives… Smart, funny, nasty and a little campy, M3gan has the added bonus for Kiwis of being shot in Aotearoa, allowing a little bit of face and location-spotting.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Watch on NetflixGeorge Miller’s action masterpiece is always deserving of a rewatch (or waiting to be discovered if you somehow haven’t seen it). Since its release in 2015, we can only think of a couple of action films to hold a candle to it, a desert-set spectacle with a tankful of creativity, craziness and car-related carnage. A strong emphasis on practical effects is bolstered, not replaced, by CGI work, with choreography, world-building and tone doing the heavy lifting in place of minimal dialogue (Tom Hardy’s grunts notwithstanding). A masterpiece, and maybe the first and last of its kind to be made for a major studio at this scale and singular vision.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Watch on NetflixA24’s first animated family feature, this adorable faux-documentary surpasses already-high expectations in expanding the world of a little shell called Marcel into a feature-length tale of laughter and loss. Both heart-warming and -rending as Marcel cares for his ageing grandmother and seeks out his vanished family, Jenny Slate’s voice brings the little guy and his unique outlook to life with plenty of heart and a ton of gags that evoke everything from wry smiles to chuckles and well-earned LOLs.
Mister Organ
Watch on NetflixAn investigation into who’s behind a bizarre spate of car clamping outside an Auckland antique shop leads David Farrier on a strange and troubling journey in this doco, one that took a toll on the filmmaker as his subject turned the tables on him. “If I could not have made this, I would not have fucking made it,” Farrier told me at the time of Mister Organ‘s cinema release, and watching this, the idea of being in Organ’s orbit quickly begins to feel terrifying (and exhausting, depressing, boring). Trapped in a relationship with his subject, and documenting a history of similar manipulation, Farrier’s pain is our uncomfortable gain.
My Neighbour Totoro
Watch on NetflixNetflix delighted Studio Ghibli fans with the news that they’d acquired 21 classic films from Oscar-winning Japanese animation team Studio Ghibli (“feel free to cry big, globby tears of joy when you read this”, we said). But how to pick a fave, when the work of these animation masters is brimming with perfection? Even though we have ample love for Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Princess Mononoke, Laputa: Castle in the Sky and others you can see on Netflix, let’s appoint My Neighbour Totoro as Ghibli’s ambassador on this list (he’s their mascot, after all).
The Nest
Watch on NetflixBetween 2011’s superb cult-themed debut Martha Marcy May Marlene and last year’s wrestling true story The Iron Claw, writer-director Sean Durkin helmed this strong, but under-seen, drama starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon. In this 1980s-set pic, a family makes a stressful move from the United States to a large manor in the English countryside (far from the cosy environment of the title). It’s the setup for horror, a vibe Durkin taps into even while most of the film’s stresses and scares are of the domestic or relationship variety, The Nest nevertheless proving an engrossing and disturbing watch, propelled by powerful performances as a family falls into crisis.
The Night Comes For Us
Watch on NetflixSurely the most over-the-top action you’ll find on Netflix, this Indonesian pic shares thrilling choreography and key cast members with The Raid, but gleefully embraces the gory end of the action spectrum. Director Timo Tjahjanto serves up a massive body count, and relishes coming up with as many different ways for a human to kill another human as he can, broken cattle bones in a freezing works being among our favourites (along with plenty of other shooting, breaking, and chopping manoeuvres). There’s probably a story in there somewhere but it escapes us just now—doesn’t stop this slice of splatter action from being incredibly entertaining.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Watch on NetflixTarantino’s second-to-last film ever(?!) continues his run of rewriting history. After killing Hitler and racist plantation owners in prior pics, the Manson Family come under the spotlight here, in a gorgeous recreation of 1969 Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are a great double act, while Margot Robbie captures Sharon Tate’s luminescence, all on a collision course of sorts as Tarantino transcends reality to turn true crime into a alternate reality fairy tale (as the title suggests).
Oppenheimer
Watch on Netflix2024’s big Oscar winner comes to your screen, ready for a rewatch or to explore Christopher Nolan’s portrait of the father of the atomic bomb. As Oppenheimer‘s cinematic accolades suggest, this is a film firing on all cylinders, Nolan harnessing the best from his team of collaborators on each side of the camera in service of his vision. Like its subject, brought to life by a deservingly acclaimed Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer is complex and hard to pin down—but in exploring this cool, calculating, and contradictory figure, Nolan has perhaps shown us more of himself than in his fictional filmic outings.
Paddington 2
Watch on NetflixAfter introducing the CGI Paddington voiced by Ben Whishaw to his live-action family (Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins etc) in 2014, the bear’s origin story—also on Netflix—was out of the way for this 2017 sequel which promptly… threw Paddington in prison? Replacing the excellently OTT Nicole Kidman as the villain here is Hugh Grant, serving up the kind of scenery-chewing comedy we’ve perhaps come to expect of late, but was something of a surprise scene-stealer on release. Framed for stealing a pop-up book, Paddington’s thrown into a jail environment that channels a little of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel aesthetic, but this sequel remains full of its own charm as the lil’ bear goes about clearing his name.
Parasite
Watch on NetflixProving he didn’t need the trappings of a sci-fi future or cartoonish satire to make a point (though “serious” critical attention does seem to come more readily without them), Bong Joon-ho crafted a modern classic (and both a Palme d’Or and Best Picture winner). It’s a gripping, frequently funny and often nerve-wracking film in which one family’s attempt to survive modern capitalism may just show that some of us already live a somewhat dystopian existence. Comedy, drama and thriller elements are deftly balanced by director Bong as, one by one, a down-on-their-luck family infiltrates their wealthy counterpart.
The Piano
Watch on NetflixJane Campion’s history-making directorial accomplishment saw her become the first woman director ever to win the Palme d’Or, her film also earning Oscars for Holly Hunter, an astonishingly young Anna Paquin, and Campion herself. A decade before LOTR, it was also showcasing Aotearoa’s brutal scenery and black sand beaches on screens around the world—but all the above is just icing on the cake of a film that’s a gripping and moving study of power, sex and transaction. Thirty years on, The Piano remains as fascinating and unsettling as ever, observed Rachel Ashby in a recent retrospective for Flicks.
The Power of the Dog
Watch on NetflixJane Campion’s mastery shines through in this Oscar winner, as the director goes about developing strong characters and setting in motion a chain of events that chillingly reveals itself in hindsight. Much less of a revisionist Western than some have billed it as, Campion nevertheless weaves a tale that hinges on performative masculinity, repressed emotion, and the weaponisation of desire. Patiently constructed, but not lagging, this is a period family drama with a sting in its tail that lingers.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Watch on NetflixA lead candidate for best sequel to a film that was a spinoff from another sequel—having made his grand debut in 2004’s Shrek 2 before leading his 2011 standalone feature, Puss in Boots makes a mighty return to the screen with The Last Wish. Voiced once again by the iconic Antonio Banderas, the fearless feline finds himself on his ninth and final life, in what becomes a surprisingly deep meditation on mortality (ok, for a family film). Animated in a gorgeous fairy tale painterly style, The Last Wish follows a Puss desperate to get his other eight lives back, Puss must beat Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears (Ray Winstone, Olivia Colman, Samson Kayo) as well as Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney) to a fallen star that grants a wish.
Rebel Ridge
Watch on NetflixGreen Room director Jeremy Saulnier impresses again here with this First Blood riff, another example of small town police messing with the wrong guy. Terry (a superb Aaron Pierre) is stopped for cycling while Black, and a police search finds him in possession of a wad of cash—swiftly forfeited to the police department headed by a strutting Don Johnson, with little hope of return. Except… Terry needs it to bail his cousin out of jail before harm comes his way, and is himself possessed of a very particular set of skills. Initially reasonable, Terry has to resort to increasingly extreme measures to navigate his predicament—and the thrills keep coming.
RRR
Watch on NetflixThis Indian action sensation may run for just over three hours, but it doesn’t contain any padding. Instead, every minute of RRR is crammed full of creativity, this anti-colonial adventure laying down a huge challenge to bigger-budget, more technically-gifted Hollywood snoozefests. Cheer as the British Raj feels the might of two heroes teaming up (the Brits also having to contend with a literal truckload of wild animals at one point), and dance along to the soundtrack’s many contagious numbers. Truly thrilling, it stands on its own two feet, and is unlike anything Western audiences might have seen before. (It also placed third in our favourite movies of 2022).
The Social Network
Watch on NetflixYes, since 2010 we’ve all gotten to realise that Facebook sucks and Mark Zuckerberg is even more of a dick than seen here, but David Fincher’s recounting of the conflict-generating, fake news-propagating, Nazi-enabling, data-mining machine’s origins still stands as a superb piece of dramatic filmmaking. Corporate true stories don’t come much sharper or slicker than this, thanks in no small part to Aaron Sorkin’s script (and Jesse Eisenberg’s unflattering portrayal of MZ)—even if the true nature of what was being unleashed on us wasn’t clear at the time.
Step Brothers
Watch on NetflixThis comedy highlight soars thanks to its inspired pairing of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as squabbling man-babies forced to get along when their respective parents get together. It’s utterly ridiculous with completely committed performances and comes as significantly lighter viewing than some of the other entries on this list. Ferrell and Reilly are a joy to behold, while Adam Scott is great as an asshole (and shines leading an a cappella rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine). Warriors players Shaun Johnson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s Step Brothers-referencing photo shoot further illustrates its cultural legacy as a piece of high art.
The Stranger
Watch on NetflixMission: Impossible’s Sean Harris has possibly never been more terrifying—which is saying something—than in this utterly bone-chilling Australian thriller. In a departure from typical true-crime narratives, director Thomas M. Wright patiently ensnares us in the psychology, environment and relationships of his characters, before weaving in more expected procedural elements. Harris is paired with an on-form Joel Edgerton, and with their dangerous relationship at its core, The Stranger leaves us as on edge as the two key men on screen. A hard (if tough going) recommend.
Sweet Country
Watch on NetflixAt times exploiting the Western genre’s conventions and at others gently subverting them, Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country sees an Aboriginal stockman and his wife flee across the Outback after committing the cardinal sin of killing a white man in self-defence. Among their pursuers, Bryan Brown is a mean bully, prone to erupting in spittle-flecked fury, while Sam Neill only sporadically emerges from myopic thrall to the Bible. An often searing portrayal of colonial racism and rage at a time when today’s cultural paradigm coalesced—a continent ruled by arrogant invaders, who’ve dispossessed the Indigenous people’s connection to culture and country.
Talk to Me
Watch on NetflixPicked up for distribution by A24, Aussie horror Talk to Me was one of horror’s hottest tickets in 2023. Inspired in part by backyard drug trips (as Steve Newall heard from its directors), the film sees teenagers taking turns to grasp an embalmed, inscribed hand at séances, holding it and saying “talk to me”—whereupon they’re possessed by a random spirit. Of course, that’s just the beginning… A seriously strong horror debut, and a welcomely confident piece of storytelling full of creep-outs.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
James Cameron had already done it to Ridley Scott with Aliens: here he expanded the scope of his own 1984 pic The Terminator to something far beyond what audiences could have expected. Like the films’ Connor-hunting cybernetic organisms, Cameron is relentless as a director here, staging classic set piece after classic set piece and delivering an all-time sci-fi action masterpiece. Always worth a rewatch, just like You Could Be Mine is always worth a listen.
Uncut Gems
Watch on NetflixAdam Sandler is in top form in this anxiety-inducing drama, frantic and self-destructive as he does a high-wire act under the weight of the multiple gambles of his life (literal gambling, high-risk gem deals, debts to unsavoury characters, juggling mistress and family relationships). Filmmakers the Safdie brothers populate their film with a great cast as we follow Sandler’s character through increasingly high stakes, with Uncut Gems also managing to be funny and tender around the pulse-pounding. Maybe the most intense movie you’ll find on Netflix, and yes, THERE IS QUITE A LOT OF SHOUTING.
Under the Skin
Watch on NetflixThe Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer largely stripped Michael Faber’s novel of its Bad Taste-like alien food harvester subplot, and damn near all its narrative as well, in favour of a trippy, mesmerising tale of an alien on the prowl. The look and feel as the film shifts from gritty realism to gorgeous surrealism, accompanied by an ever-unsettling Mica Levi score, combine with Scarlett Johansson’s mix of predatory allure and truly alien affect for a film that leaves its mark—even if it may be hard to pinpoint exactly what that is beyond the hypnotic spell cast in its most enveloping moments.
Wham!
Watch on NetflixDocumentary charting the rise of pop duo Wham! and the strong friendship at its heart is a fun and unexpectedly heartwarming watch. George Michael may sadly no longer be with us, but thanks to previously unheard archival interview audio, alongside recollections from Andrew Ridgeley also unique to this doco, the pair get to tell their own story, a tale of comradeship and loyalty that resulted in a succession of landmark pop music achievements (including hits Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Freedom, and Last Christmas).
The Wolf of Wall Street
Watch on NetflixScorsese’s funniest film is an overlong tale of excess, but with so much to enjoy what would you cut? DiCaprio is ridiculously watchable as financial fraudster Jordan Belfort, sharing extremely memorable screentime with Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie (in her breakout film). Hopped up and energetic, The Wolf of Wall Street is as frantic and excessive as the lifestyle it depicts, trading in the more stylish elements of Scorsese’s gangster pics for a drug-fueled sprint through the excess of the 80s and 90s—even if it might not have a hell of a lot to say.
