Oldboy’s Netflix Instant Watch Recommendations: June 11
Welcome to week 2 of my Netflix Instant Watch Recommendations! Hopefully, my last article gave you some good stuff to watch. This week, we got a whole new crop of movies and shows. As always, I tried to pick movies in different genres and in varying degrees of age appropriateness. Enjoy!
5 Movie Recommendations
Mystery Men
I’ll start off with one that’s arguably the most appropriate for all ages. Mystery Men features a pretty expansive cast including Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria and Greg Kinnear among others. They all play super heroes in Champion City. Overshadowed by Captain Amazing, The Shoveler, Mr. Furious and Blue Raja form a team of crime fighters to help save the city from the evil Casanova Frankenstein, a mad villain who is bent on destroying the city. This probably all sounds ridiculous, and it is. It’s also a fun parody of the superhero genre with a really cool style.
It’s rated PG-13 and is pretty much in the same category as you’re average comic book movie. Fun for most ages but the youngest kids may find it too weird or creepy. Definitely a fun film!
End of Watch
Next up is a pretty recent film. End of Watch features Michael Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal as policemen. They are partners and best friends in real life. A series of intense run ins in South Central LA force the two men into a pretty no-win situation. The movie is heartfelt and often times quite funny. The two lead actors offer up two great performances. Particularly Gyllenhaal, who has been in a bit of a funk recently. This movie is for mature audiences and carries an R rating. It also isn’t you’re typical cop film in terms of style. Most of it is told through events instead of a traditional ongoing narrative. A little hard to explain but works exceptionally well here. Watch it!
Upstream Color
I actually switched out another movie for this one. The other film will appear on my next installment, but I just wanted to put this on here once I saw it was on Instant Watch. Upstream Color is a psychological love story about a girl who, after being drugged, meets the love of her life. The two of them embark upon a mysterious and often disturbing adventure. It’s pretty strange, and definitely recommended for the more art-house crowds, or fans of the director’s first film, Primer. Their isn’t much else to say about this one. It’s not for kids that’s for sure. May be a bit out their for some people so be weary, otherwise it’s a beautiful dreamlike film. We have a full review for this movie here!
Cinema Paradiso
Here’s another film that is pretty great for the whole family, granted you don’t mind subtitles. At my school, I do a sort of film analysis club and Cinema Paradiso was one of the first films I screened. It’s a heartwarming memoir of a director, Salvatore, who returns to his small home town in Italy after word reaches him that a dear old friend has passed away. Most of the film features young Salvatore living in his small village and falling in love with film at the local cinema.
This is a movie I have loved for many years and one I expect to love for the rest of my life. It’s just a very universal type of story and is recommended to all audiences. There really is something here for everyone!
Rosemary’s Baby
Alright, to top the list off it’s time for a good horror film. They don’t come much better than Rosemary’s Baby. Rosemary is pregnant, and when things start to get strange, she believes that her husband and baby are involved. The movie involves satanic cults and a slow burning narrative. It is everything a horror movie needs to be and more. Any horror fan should feel right at home here, and fans of family style dramas would also feel welcomed. It’s one of the best horror films in history so it is sort of a no brainer recommendation. Not really for kids though.
TV Recommendations
Regular Show
This week I thought I would start off with a great, newer kids show. Regular Show is about a Blue Jay named Mordecai and his best friend, a raccoon named Rigby. The two work as park groundskeepers and often times get into strange, surreal adventures. On the other hand, it is often times a fan comment on friendship and feels almost like a Community or Parks and Recs just in animated form. It airs on Cartoon Network currently and is now available on Netflix. This one is good for both kids and adults. Give it a chance, it’s pretty funny!
Mad Men
The final recommendation is one of the best ones. Mad Men is a great series about advertising men and women in the 1960’s. Don Draper is the main character but, at this point, every character has a fully fledged back story and current plot lines. Mad Men is all about language and character. A few people who are used to action packed television may find themselves a bit bored here, but anyone who is a sucker for delicious dialogue will love this show. The show is currently ending it’s 6th season and is as strong as ever. Mad Men is as much about a time and place as it is about its characters. I really have nothing bad to say about it, especially from a personal stand point.
Not really for kids. I don’t imagine many kids would be interested in something like this. Great for upper teens and older.
See Oldboy’s Previous Netflix Instant Watch Recommendations:
