Hi All,

I hope everyone is staying safe and well during this hectic time. Since it looks like a fair number of us are due for some extended time inside, I thought I might poke around Netflix and see what was available that I might recommend. I think this would be a great place to talk about films, especially our favorites to watch when home sick or our go-to rewatchables. The ones below are all available on Australian Netflix as of the time of posting. I did my best to avoid anything too heavy/serious/related to sickness!

Action & Adventure:


Princess Mononoke (1997): Gorgeously animated environmentalist fairytale with great English-language voice acting
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019): incredibly stylish, hyper-violent third entry in the hitman series starring Keanu Reeves
The Matrix (1999): mind-bending story about a society run as a computer simulation
Jurassic Park (1993): Feel-good but thrilling classic about a theme park where dinosaurs are brought back to life
Baby Driver (2017): heist movie about a getaway driver with a great soundtrack


Kids & Family


Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade (1989): Excellent adventure about the search for the Holy Grail with Harrison Ford and Sean Connery
The Iron Giant (1999): Touching animated movie about a boy’s relationship with a robot
Shrek/Shrek 2 (2001/2004): Funny animated send-up of fairytales enjoyable for adults as well
Matilda (1996): Danny DeVito’s adaptation of the Roald Dahl story of a precocious girl and the unimpressive adults in her life
Hairspray (2007): campy adaptation of the John Waters original about an aspiring singer in 1960s Baltimore

 

Comedy:

Logan Lucky (2017): underrated heist film with Adam Driver and Channing Tatum about two poor brothers who plan to rob a NASCAR event
I, Tonya (2017): Dark comedy biopic about the career of figure skater Tonya Harding, played by Margot Robbie
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018): Heartwarming teen rom-com with great writing and acting
Clueless (1995): Modern-day high school adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma
Pineapple Express (2008): stoner action comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco


Sci-Fi/Thriller


Mullholland Drive (2001): Surreal and bizarre David Lynch movie about a young woman moving to Hollywood to pursue stardom
Uncut Gems (2019): tense movie about a diamond dealer and gambler in NYC played by Adam Sandler
Gone Girl (2014): David Fincher adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel about a man who appears to have something to do with his wife’s disappearance
Event Horizon (1997): eerie cult classic sci-fi horror about a space ship that attempts a rescue mission
Jaws (1975): indisputable classic about a quiet beach town haunted by a bloodthirsty shark

Feel free to respond with your own recommendations, or any comments on mine!

Hi uncut_gems, thanks for this thread, how interesting!

I love Matilda, that's one of my favourite movies. I've never watched any of the other ones you suggested but I don't watch movies and TV much and read.

My favourite movie that I've watched a few times is The Departed.

I also like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

Tayla

I love the Departed! One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been on my list for ages– maybe this is the time to finally get around to it. What are you reading at the moment?

That's great that you love it! One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is amazing I think.

I'm not reading anything at the moment, last book I read is the first autobiography of a singer I like, how about you?

Tayla

found all the old Sherlock Holmes films (from 1939-45) on Youtube!

Smallwolf,

I absolutely LOVE the Sherlock Holmes stories and have only seen some of the more recent TV/movie adaptations and have been meaning to catch up on the classics (Basel Rathbone I think?).

I think I'll watch one today :)

Quick udpate on what I've been watching so far during quarantine:

- Infernal Affairs (2002}

- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

- Our Kind of Traitor (2016)

- Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)

- John Wick Chapter 3– Parabellum (2019)

- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

- The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

- Strictly Ballroom (1992)

- Inherent Vice (2014)

Hope everyone is staying safe!

Warmly,

Gems

many years ago when i was a teen they showed Sherlock Holmes with Basel Rathbone on TV late at night - I think he was the best.

[throws a rock at you] psst where did you watch spideyverse. i missed it in theatres all the way back in 2018 and i've been trying to find somewhere to watch it for so long except most places are so desolate. it hit netflix last year but only for north america and europe i think and i was very upset. usually im far too morally bankrupt to do anything but yar har fiddle dee dee but i really. really want to make sure the money goes back to them this time but if you're also morally bankrupt i wont snitch

hahaha I have VPN which doesn't normally work on Netflix but does now for some reason (maybe something to do with the new NBN restrictions). I'm American so I have a North American Netflix account but I don't think that should make a difference.

Hello, thanks for the recs, I might check out Logan Lucky, I have not heard of it!

I saw Uncut Gems recently and it was well worth a watch.It was really immersing.

Also love inherent vice, what did you think?

Hi everyone!

Uncut Gems, I saw you watched Unfriended: Dark Web. I've just watched that myself. What did you think of the film? I've seen the Spiderman movie too, so awesome.

I would highly recommend Logan Lucky, Sleepy21! Immersive is exactly the right word for Uncut Gems. You can tell what I had just watched when it was time to pick my username lol...

I read the book Inherent Vice a few years ago and loved it, found it totally confusing and wild and enjoyable (which I think is the point), and I think the movie does a great job of adapting that to the screen. It was my second time watching it but I have to say I still don't think I understood too much more of the plot this time around, but the acting and the general vibe of the movie are more important I think. What did you think?

Oops, forgot to respond to Jemma!

I have to say I wasn't too impressed with Unfriended: Dark Web, but I admire the inventiveness and the risk of making a movie that just shows one screen the whole time. Unfortunately I just don't think it's terribly cinematic. But these days, cooped up at home, I would take a kind of silly horror movie over a really serious and scary one every time.

What did you think? My girlfriend and her friend who I watched it with (remotely) enjoyed it much more.

Best,

Gems

@uncut_gems I looked at reviews online and many people agreed with the cinematic side of things. I'm a sucker for movies filmed on computers or handheld video cameras, I really enjoy them. I liked Unfriended, it was quite unexpected at the end.

Does anyone have any horror movie recommendations?

Hi Gems,

That's amazing that the book has the same hectic vibe as the Inherent Vice movie. It was really fun to watch but I also didn't understand it at all or put the pieces together into any real whole.I liked how you got a real sense of the time and place it was set in, from the colourful characters, they way they spoke, some of the minor interactions and cameos... it was really fun to watch.

Interested to check out Logan Lucky... i'm just recommending Uncut Gems to everyone at the moment, I think it's a really good, distracting, whole experience for these times. I hoped your user name was a reference to it!!

:(( australian netflix is a wasteland compared to american netflix. spiderverse went to netflix in the us back in june but not australia which is very inconvenient for me. my search continues then

@jemma09,

I have loads of horror recommendations! What subgenres are you into/what are some of your favorites? I made a list of some of my favorites of the decade:

Get Out (2017)
The Witch (2015)
It Follows (2014)
The Descent (2005)
Let the Right One In (2008)
The Host (2006)
Hereditary (2018)
28 Days Later (2002)
The Others (2001)
The Babadook (2014)
Martyrs (2008)
Antichrist (2009)
Green Room (2015)
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
The Orphanage (2007)
Cloverfield (2008)
The Invitation (2015)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2007)
Saw (2004)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Conjuring (2013)
Insidious (2010)
Raw (2016)
Trick r’ Treat (2007)
Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Recs for good tv series?

What sort of TV do you like? If you can handle it (it's a bit of a wild ride), I just finished the docu-series on Netflix called Tiger King.

Hi gems,

I like quirky shows - parcs and rec, arrested development, and also the fargo serieses, and some hbo stuff like girls.

In that case I would recommend Peep Show and Curb Your Enthusiasm, two of my all-time favorites.

Bumping this again with a quick update on some recent watches:

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)

War of the Worlds (2005)

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Total Recall (1990)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

An Inspector Calls (2015)

Has anyone seen any of these? Would love to hear your thoughts as well as what you've all been watching :)

Hey Gems
I also recently watched clouds of Sils Maria (very interesting!)

and also "The Square" - both on SBS Demand. I liked both of them but didn't love. The Square was thought provoking, though.

That's a nice list there... which ones did you enjoy?

I recently watched a movie from about 1984 I think - Stranger Than Paradise, dir Jim Jarmusch. Loved it...

Also not sure if you've seen "Good Time" with Robert Pattinson? It is directed by the same team as "Uncut Gems" - it has the same wild energy. It's very engaging. Maybe a little more depressing, depending on your mood.

Hi Gems, got around to watching Logan Lucky - I loved it! Amazing cast!!!! I read the director said it was like Ocean's Eleven but intentionally not as slick - with characters who are poor, bumbling, and don't dress well. I really loved that element of it, the characters were so lovable.

Hi Sleepy,

I'm so glad you liked Logan Lucky! I think it's a real hidden gem; Soderbergh has so many of them. I actually saw Good Time recently (only got into the Safdies after UG) and really liked it a lot. I'll definitely watch whatever they come out with from now on.

The Square was very strange and intense, but above all, as you said, thought-provoking. I think Dolemite is My Name (Netflix original with Eddie Murphy about a blaxploitation icon) and Total Recall (Arnold action movie about mutants on Mars) were my two favorites on the list :)

Yes, loved Logan Lucky - would not have watched it without your rec - thanks!!
you've got great movie recs!! Would like to hear your next batch.
I can't believe I'd never heard of Logan Lucky, you're right, sorely underrated.

That's good to know about Dolemite is My Name, also. Lots of good stuff to check out

Please let me know if you can recommend any other Logan Lucky-esque movies.

Even though the question was directed at uncut_gems, I've been trying to think of movies like Logan Lucky. I keep coming back to Burn After Reading. An under-rated Coen brothers film. Might be worth a look if you haven't seen it.