August 26, 2016
· 5.3k Views
One of the best things about Netflix is the selection of entertainment at your immediate disposal. At the same, the selection can be overwhelming, making it hard to choose which movie to watch. Questions arise. What mood are you in? How much time do you have? Is someone with you? What do they feel like watching?
To save you the time and energy that goes into making the final decision, we scoured the Netflix library to put together a list of the best movies currently streaming online. There’s something for everyone whether you are into drama, romantic comedies, classics, action, or documentaries.
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- Jurassic Park (1993)
Source: digitaltrends.com
This Steven Spielberg-directed masterpiece is a lesson to humans that as cool as it may sound, we should never breed dinosaurs and put them in a theme park together. Packed with tension and stellar performances by Laura Dern, Jeff Golblum, and Sam Neill, Jurassic Park is a classic that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
- In Bruges (2008)
Source: netflixlife.com
The second film by acclaimed English/Irish playwright Martin McDonagh, In Bruges pairs Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson together as hitman sent to Bruges where they are to await details for the next job. Both actors give phenomenal performances in this dark comedy. Hilarious at times, tense, and melancholic, the plot has twists that will keep you enthralled up to the very dramatic end.
- Amélie (2001)
Source: moviemail.com
This beautifully charming film follows Amelie (played brilliantly by French actress Audrey Tautou), a young and innocent woman living in Paris. She is motivated by her own sense of justice to ensure the happiness of those around her. All the while, she endures her own feelings of loneliness and isolation. Whimsical, quirky, and surreal are just some of the adjectives used to describe this tour de force of French cinema.
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
Source: diariodelcineasta.com
Pulp Fiction introduced us to the visionary mind of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Like many of Tarantino’s films, Pulp Fiction has a non-linear storyline and is noted for its eclectic dialogue, mix of violence and humor, and homage to past cinema. A darling of the 1994 Film Awards Season, Tarantino enlisted a brilliant cast for the film – John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, and Harvey Keitel among others.
- Muscle Shoals (2013)
Source: muscleshoalsthemovie.com
Rick Hall founded FAME studios in the small town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This documentary delves into the story behind the legendary recording studio where the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Percy Sledge, and Lynyrd Skynyrd came to make music.
- Spotlight (2015)
Source: scriptmag.com
A heavily nominated film of the 2015 awards season, Spotlight is a biographical drama that follows the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team on its investigation of the systematic child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Boston. Gripping and emotional, the film is marked by a superb ensemble cast that includes Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo.
- The Babadook (2014)
Source: collider.com
While today’s horror films rely on heavy special effects and cheap scares, The Babadook, director Jennifer Kent’s debut, manages to tell a story that is both heartfelt and terrifying. Six years after his father’s death, a troubled young boy named Samuel has dreams about a monster that is coming for him and his mother, Amelia. Thinking her son is just acting out, Amelia eventually realizes that the Babadook, an evil entity is really at play.
- Legally Blonde (2004)
Source: theodysseyonline.com
This film introduced us to Elle Woods, an overly exuberant sorority girl played fabulously by Reese Witherspoon. Ridiculous and heartfelt, Legaly Blonde is one of the few Rom-Coms that is liked by even those who claim to hate romantic comedies.
- Short Term 12 (2013)
Source: candidmagazine.com
This independent drama follows Grace, a social worker who has committed her life to helping kids coming through her foster-care facility outside of San Francisco. Praised for its honest depiction, the movie casts real portraits of these teens and people who want to help them. Oscar Winner Brie Larson gives a standout performance.
- To Catch a Thief (1955)
Source: sf.funcheap.com
Alfred Hitchcock directed this romantic thriller that stars screen legends Cary Grant and Grace Kelly as the leads. Set in the French Riviera, the film follows a retired jewel thief, played suavely by Grant, as he tries to prove his innocence when a string of robberies hit wealthy vacationers.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Source: bustle.com
Romantic and psychologically complex, the film casts Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as the leads. After meeting on a train to Montauk, the characters sense that they share a past, but can’t remember it. Written by Charlie Kaufman and Directed by Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind examines manifestations of love, memory, pain, and hope in a relationship between two people.
- Metropolis (1927)
Source: myfilmviews.com
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is considered a benchmark work in the history of film. Visually compelling and thought provoking, it portrays a futuristic world inhabited by two groups of people – the have and the have-nots. Released in 1927, Metropolis was the first feature length science fiction film and continues to influence people working within the genre today.
- Fantasia (1940)
Source: jollymom.com
For his most daring film to date, Walt Disney set out to actualize his vision of bringing together animation and classical music. Disney’s experiment paid off – Fantasia is a timeless masterpiece that is regarded for its technical innovation and visual spectacle.
- There Will Be Blood (2007)
Source: independent.co.uk
Considered one of the most influential filmmakers working today, Paul Thomas Anderson tackles the American historical epic in There Will Be Blood. The film focuses on Daniel Plainview, a miner looking to strike it rich in the oil business. From the opening scene, we sense that Plainview is a determined man who will stop at nothing to get want he wants. Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano give extraordinary performances.
- Hoop Dreams (1994)
Source: hollywoodreporter.com
This compelling documentary follows two talented high school basketball players from Chicago as they work toward their goals of making it to the professional level. Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert shot the film over the course of five years, capturing the setbacks and struggles that each player encounters on their journey.
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Source: paramount.com
Billy Wilder’s masterpiece Sunset Boulevard is regarded as one of the greatest films about Hollywood ever made. Norma Desmond, an aging silent film queen hires a young screenwriter named Joe Gillis to help with a script for a movie that she believes with rekindle her career. The relationship turns dangerously dependent as Norma insists that Joe move into her mansion and becomes her “kept man.”
- Melancholia (2011)
Source: melancholiathemovie.com
Written and directed by Lars Von Tiers, Melancholia stars Kirsten Dunst as Justine and Charlotte Gainsbourg as Claire, two sisters who are forced to deal with their strained relationship as a mysterious new planet is on path to hit Earth. Von Tier’s was inspired to make the film after suffering a depressive episode. Each sister handles the impending apocalypse differently – Justine is at peace with the inevitable while Claire is hysterical and won’t accept it.
- Back To The Future (1985)
Source: baldmove.com
Robert Zemeckis’ science-fiction classic introduced us to Marty McFly, played charmingly by Michael J. Fox as a teenager who is accidently sent 30 years back in time where he meets his parents. Things take a disastrous turn when Marty’s mom falls in love with him. In an attempt to set the course of events straight again, he enlists the help of Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown, an eccentric scientist played unforgettably by Christopher Lloyd.
- Nightcrawler (2014)
Source: independent.co.uk
Jake Gyllenhall gives a captivating performance as a sociopath named Louis Bloom who starts working as a stringer – a freelance cameraman who shoots footage of accidents and crimes and sells it to news outlets. To make his footage have more effect, Louis begins tampering with crime scenes. Dark and provocative, Nightcrawler is the debut film of writer and director Dan Gilroy.
- Life Itself (2014)
Source: candidmagazine.com
Directed by Steve James, Life Itself is documentary about the influential career of film critic Roger Ebert. Based loosely on Ebert’s memoir of the same name, it chronicles his start in film criticism as writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, engaging relationship with Gene Siskel, issues with alcohol, and health struggles. Capturing Ebert’s passion for film right up to his final days, Life Itself reveals the influence he has had on the industry’s leading figures.
Netflix online streaming service is a treasure trove that holds some of the best films ever made. Now its time to make your movie selection and cozy up on the sofa with a bowl of warm and buttery popcorn.
