Netflix finds for Pete (and everyone else). Part 1: Movies

With the Corona virus unfortunately still a reality and no real signs of a vaccine heading our way anytime soon, most of us are still spending quite an amount of time at home. Luckily there are streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon prime that help us pass the, what otherwise might become pretty boring hours, with an enormous amount of content. However there is so much content one might become overwhelmed or even miss out on some pretty good finds. I was talking to blogger extraordinary Pete the other day, and he told me he was always having trouble to find good things on Netflix. Now for those of you who don’t know Pete, go and check out his amazing blog. He recently passed the 6000 wordpress follower mark (and that’s not even counting his many email and social media subscriptions) which is no surprise. Not only is his blog a lot of fun to read each day, it’s enormously diverse, with a multitude of topics, and let’s not forget he is an absolutely amazingly friendly guy. So I thought I would make a two part series of posts for him (And ofcourse everyone else who is interested) detailing some movies and tv series that I highly enjoyed on Netflix, and might not be very widely known. Well, you already know what part 1 is about (what the big announcement at the top of this post wasn’t enough?), so let’s get started!

1. Overlord, Horror/Action movie (2018)

Overlord is a movie that kind of fell under the radar back in the day it was released, and that’s a real shame. Produced by J.J. Abrams, this film takes place during the second world war. On the eve of D-Day a group of American soldiers fall behind enemy lines. Soon they come across a small village, where disturbing things are taking place. The nazis are working on some horrific experiments that produce inhuman soldiers, and might turn the tides of war. This is one of those guilty pleasure movies that is a fun ride from start to finish. It never loses it’s momentum and has plenty of action, horror and cool characters that make this a highly enjoyable film.

2. Lion, Drama movie (2016)

I already wrote a review for this film back in the day it was released (if you are interested you can read it right here). It has six oscar nominations, including best picture and rightfully so. It’s a very beautiful movie, telling a true story about a young Indian man who was adopted after having been lost from his home at a very young age. Twenty five years later he sets out on a path to find his real family. This movie has absolutely amazing performances, a terrific storyline, and before you think this is one of those tearjerking films: it’s not. It’s simply put a terrific and wonderful human story, and in the times we currently live one needs that right now.

3. When Marnie was there, Anime movie (2014)

Studio Ghibli is well known to fans of animated movies and has made some truly remarkable films over the years. Spirited Away, Howl’s moving castle are just a few examples of these. A film that is probably lesser known, is When Marnie was there. It tells a beautiful story of a young girl named Anna that because of her asthma is sent to live with relatives in the Japanese countryside. Once there she get’s to meet a mysterious girl named Marnie. Just who is Marnie exactly? The story of this film is quite remarkable, especially once you get to the end and all it’s puzzle pieces fall in place. Combined with amazing visuals this movie is an absolute gem.

4. Dragged Across Concrete, Drama/Thriller movie (2018)

The name Mel Gibson is of course known by most people. Sadly enough his name and reputation have become so tarnished that his career suffered because of it. A real shame as I always found him an amazing actor and this film once again proves that. Mel plays a cop who together with his partner Vince Vaughn become suspended from the police force. This causes them to dive into the criminal underworld. This movie is a slowburn thriller film that takes a while to get going. Stick with it though, because once it picks up, it truly delivers. Gibson‘s performance is once again topnotch, and the movie has some very nice twists and turns. Definitely recommend this one.

5. Extinction, Science Fiction/Action movie (2018)

While this is a science fiction film, it doesn’t really feel like one. When a man has a recurring dream of losing his family, it all of a sudden turns into a very real and nightmarish reality where the planet is invaded by an unknown force. Soon he is in the fight for his life, and must pull out out all the stops in order to save his family. There is a twist in this movie that you simply don’t see coming and once you realise what’s really going on, you have one of those moments where your jaw drops on the floor. This is a Netflix original movie, and in my opinion highly underrated. It has great tension, some terrific special effects, and all out great performances.

6. Hush, Thriller movie (2016)

A young woman who is mute and deaf, lives a solitary life in a cabin in a secluded part of the woods. One fateful day a masked sadistic killer makes an appearance at her doorstep, and she is in for the fight of her life. Now I know this is one of those stories you might have heard a thousand times, but the way this film is executed is very well done. It has some very tense and nailbiting scenes, some clever cinematography and a heroine who for a change doesn’t act too stupidly (as is usually the case in films such as these). This is just a fun thriller, which while it might certainly not tread on new ground is still highly enjoyable.

7. 22 July, Drama/Thriller movie (2018)

In Norway, on the 22nd of July 2011, a horrific terrorist attack was made by one deranged individual. It left over 70 people dead, and countless more injured. This movie looks at the events of that day, the survivors, and the people that worked on bringing justice for the victims. The film is directed by Paul Greengrass who was also responsible for the powerful movie United 93, that detailed the events of the doomed airplane that crashed in the events of 9/11. Just like in that movie, it doesn’t sensationalise the events of this horrific act. It’s a very emotional film, and one that shows how there are unfortunately some truly evil beings that walk amongst us on this planet.

8. The Last Castle, Action/Drama movie (2001)

Robert Redford stars in this fun action film. You know those movies that eventually will have you cheering at the end of it? This is one of those. Redford plays a courtmartialed general that gets sent to a prison that is run by a cruel and sadistic warden. Once there he rallies the inmates to rise up against him. The movie has a lot of incredibly fun scenes and memorable moments, and will live you grinning from ear to ear during it’s entire runtime. Redford is superb in his role, but James Gandolfini also has a terrific part as the prison’s warden.

9. Leave no Trace, Drama movie (2018)

Some actors are very underrated. Ben Foster is one of them. In this movie he plays a father who has left behind civilisation, and traded it in for a life in the woods, living there with his thirteen year old daughter. Foster’s powerful performance is at the centre of this film, and one of the main reasons to go and check this one out. It’s not a movie that will be for everyone, as it’s a rather slow film. That said it’s story, combined with some beautiful visuals, and a  very emotional father/daughter relationship is what makes this movie well worth seeing.

10. Into the Storm, Action/Disaster movie (2014)

Sometimes you just need a fun and mindless movie to get you through the day, and this is one of those. Into the storm is a film that will remind you a lot of twister, but it’s very well made and combined with some terrific special effects and great action. As for it’s story, such as it is, it tells the tale of a group of storm chasers and thrill seekers that face storms that have never been seen before. Of course a film such as this one you watch purely for the action and the effects, not for the story, and luckily on that front it never disappoints. This is one of those perfect summer blockbusters, and another movie that didn’t have much exposure at the time of it’s release.

Well, as it says here in the picture above we have pretty much come to the end of this first part. Join me again on Thursday where I will be covering some tv series that are on Netflix right now, and which you may or may not have seen yet. Either way I hope this was helpful Pete (and of course for everyone else who is reading this). Enjoy the rest of your day! See you all soon!