Movie Recommendations: Finding a great movie on Netflix might be challenging due to the site’s massive library and less-than-ideal design. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best movies you can watch on the US service; we update it periodically as new releases and classics become available. Furthermore, many articles below provide in-text links to other fantastic Netflix films. Our top picks across all of Hulu and Disney Plus, as well as the finest of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, are below.
Clueless (1995)
Amy Heckerling’s subversive retelling of Jane Austen’s “Emma” is one of the most seminal films of the 1990s, having launched the careers of several of its actresses and inspiring a wave of similarly clever reworkings of classic literature for a modern teen audience (including Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, and Paul Rudd).
Its ingenuity lies in its ambivalence; Heckerling’s witty screenplay stays true to Austen’s ideas and structure while adding enough of her voice and style to make it her own unique, quotable comedy. One of our critics described it as a “candy-colored, highly sarcastic showcase” for Silverstone’s attractiveness. movie recommendations
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Directed by Barry Jenkins, who won an Oscar for his “Moonlight” work, this film is an “anguished and sorrowful” take on James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name. Jenkins brilliantly catches and expresses the incredible warmth and chemistry between stars KiKi Layne and Stephan James, making it clear that this is, first and foremost, a love story.
But it’s also a love tale set in 1960s Harlem between two African-Americans. The sensitivity with which the director weaves in the difficulties of the era and the unfairness that ultimately drives a wedge between his protagonists is painful.
There are several outstanding performances, but the Oscar went to Regina King for her nuanced and multifaceted portrayal of a mother on a mission. (Check out “The Bridges of Madison County” and “The Notebook” for further examples of literary adaptations that lean toward the sentimental.)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Stanley Kubrick’s most controversial picture, and perhaps his most terrifying (neither a modest claim), was this 1971 adaptation of the cult novel by Anthony Burgess. This is Kubrick at his most stylish, following the transgressions and attempts at the redemption of a proven sociopath (Malcolm McDowell, at his most charismatically frightening), with the narrative’s hyperviolence cushioned by spectacular cinematography, futuristic production design, and jet-black humor. An expert on our work said it “dazzles the senses and mind.” (Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” can be found there, too.)
Scarface (1983)
Explosions ensued once the volatile ingredients of actor Al Pacino, director Brian De Palma, and author Oliver Stone came together. The film “Scarface” features some of Al Pacino’s most operatic overacting (and that’s saying something), Brian De Palma’s wildest filmmaking (and that’s saying something), and Oliver Stone’s most memorable dialogue, all while freely updating Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson’s 1932 bootleg-gangster classic to the coke-fueled era of early ’80s Miami.
The phrase “Say hello to my little pal!” Michelle Pfeiffer shines as the sexiest mob moll since Virginia Mayo, ensuring the film’s status as an ’80s classic. Fans of gangster films (like “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Donnie Brasco,” both starring Al Pacino) will also love these films.
8 Mile (2002)
The musician Eminem didn’t squander his chance to become a Hollywood star by releasing a mindless jukebox flick. Instead, he teamed up with Oscar-winning director Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential”) and super-producer Brian Grazer (“The Hangover”) to create a film based on the broad strokes of Eminem’s own coming-of-age experience. movie recommendations
He plays the lead role of Jimmy Smith, aka B-Rabbit, a youth from a rough neighborhood of Detroit who finds his voice (and an outlet for his wrath) in the city’s impromptu, take-no-prisoners hip-hop “battles.” Hanson cleverly surrounds him with an ace supporting cast including Mekhi Phifer as his best friend, Brittany Murphy as his best lady, and Kim Basinger as his mom, with whom he has, to put it bluntly, a complex relationship. (‘The Two Popes’ and ‘High Flying Bird’ for more character-based drama.)
Men in Black (1997)
This “dryly witty” sci-fi/comedy hybrid plays, in many respects, like a subtle spoof of its protagonist Will Smith’s “Independence Day” from the previous summer, portraying an extraterrestrial invasion not as a doomsday catastrophe but as a fact of life — mainly burdened by the hassles of bureaucracy. Smith plays the fresh recruit, “Jay,” who must learn the ropes from Tommy Lee Jones’ “Kay,” a veteran member of the organization tasked with tracking and regulating extraterrestrial arrivals.
The screenplay (co-written by Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’s Ed Solomon) appropriately mocks the same old pro-meets-young-hotshot premise. The absurdity of each situation is amplified beautifully by Barry Sonnenfeld’s creative direction. The end product is a rarity: a high-budget tentpole with impressive special effects and a humorous tone.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
This fast-paced comedy from writer-director John Hughes has one of his most recognizable characters. It fits neatly into a remarkable sequence of teen-oriented flicks, including “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club.”
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick, winkingly great in the role) is a swaggering, self-assured, and fast-talking high school senior who devises a plan to skip class for the last time with his closest friend (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend (Rachel McAdams) (Mia Sara). Hughes deftly guides his story to an unexpectedly beautiful and poignant ending by mixing broad slapstick humor with sly character moments. (Try “Yes, God, Yes” for a more up-to-date teen comedy.)
The Town (2010)
Directed by Ben Affleck and based on the Chuck Hogan novel of the same name, “Prince of Thieves” is a crisp and compelling crime film. Doug MacRay, played by Affleck, is the leader of a crew of hardened Boston thieves who plan a conspiracy to steal millions in cash from Fenway Park. The heist is complicated by shifting allegiances, a persistent F.B.I. agent (Jon Hamm), and Doug’s budding romance with a potential witness (Rebecca Hall).
Affleck’s assured direction of the cast (which also includes Chris Cooper, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, and Jeremy Renner) and his firmly established sense of time and place more than makeup for the film’s formulaic plot. (You can also watch “Argo” and “State of Play,” both of which include Casey Affleck, on Netflix.)
I Am Legend (2007)
Francis Lawrence (who went on to helm three of the four “Hunger Games” films) gives Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel the third go-around on the big screen, following previous adaptations as “The Last Man on Earth” and “The Omega Man.” Will Smith acts as a scientist who looks to be the last man in Manhattan after a virus wipes most of the human species but leaves behind dangerous mutant animals that attack at night.
Both the horror and post-apocalyptic science fiction elements are as effective as ever. Still, what sets “Legend” apart are the prescient visions of a deserted New York City and the technical proficiency with which the city was emptied. Aside from his work in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” in which Smith also excels,
Mean Girls (2004)
Mark Waters directs this witty teen comedy from a script by Tina Fey from Rosalind Wiseman’s book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” Fey adapted Wiseman’s youth-focused self-help book into the hilarious tale of a new girl (Lindsay Lohan) who must fast learn to negotiate new and complex social strata. movie recommendations
As the school’s most famous (and hence most potent) female, Rachel McAdams is delightfully villainous, and “Saturday Night Live” alums Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, and Fey herself give excellent supporting performances. (If you want more crazy comedy, watch “Old School” on Netflix.) Please tell your friends about this if you think it’s interesting. Go to Newswatchlist.com for the latest updates and news about celebrities.
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