Your Netflix Picks of the Week

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Searching for a good movie on Netflix Instant is like looking for top shelf liquor at a frat party. You search and search and ask around for way too long and when you finally find a little bit hidden somewhere, you’re ready to ditch the party.

We’ve all been there, and we agree that ain’t nobody got time for all that browsing. So to spare you some time and a lot of agony, we will do the sifting for you and, each week, provide a fresh list of cinematic masterpieces you can find right in your friend’s your Netflix account and watch at a moment’s notice.

Our Netflix Picks of the Week will be the product of eclectic minds coming together to give you the créme de la créme (or what’s made available by the powers that be over at Netflix) of comedies, dramas, independents, documentaries and thinkers. Sometimes we’ll even throw in a good television show.

You’re welcome.

Comedy

“Zoolander” (2001)

If you love tearing apart the vapid, vacuous fashion industry and its glorification of the dimwitted beauty, or you’ve just heard your friends joke one too many times about orange mocha frappuccinos, “Zoolander” is the ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek comedy for you. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson play rival male models (an irony in itself since they’re pretty average looking guys) caught up in a conspiracy by evil fashion moguls to assassinate the progressive Minister of Malaysia so that the industry can continue to take advantage of child labor in the country. If you can handle that absurd premise, this movie will deliver with plenty of hilarious celebrity cameos, unnecessary explosions, runway battles, orgies and mindfuckingly powerful duckfaces. This is early 00s humor at its best, and a quotable goldmine.

Drama

“Flight” (2012)

There are few actors that are still around in which you can be fully confident that whatever film they choose to be in will actually be good. These aren’t actors, these are artists. When that dumb ass movie “Doubt” came out in 2008, I was like, “Wow, this shit looks so bad,” but then I was like, wait a minute, Seymour Phillip Hoffman and Meryl Streep teaming up? This movie could be about a village whose inhabitants live in fear of creatures inhabiting the woods beyond it and while seeming to have been set in the 19^th century is actually set in modern times, which we found out at the end. Yes, I just described the 2004 idiotic film “The Village.” I promise you don’t have to see it. Anyway, Denzel Washington’s life is dope, and he does dope shit, and “Flight” fulfills the dopeness I described earlier.

His name is Whip Whitaker. He does cocaine. He is an alcoholic. He flies planes and is an absolute fucking sweetheart. Watch it.

Action

“Reservoir Dogs” (1992)

Probably my favorite genre in movies, witty crime thrillers simply just make you smarter. These movies provide a book’s worth of knowledge without, well, reading. “Lucky number Slevin,” “Snatch” and “Shutter Island” (for you less sophisticated folks) pale in comparison to the mystery and the cleverness that (with help of Quentin Tarantino) “Reservoir Dogs” succeeds in providing.

“Reservoir Dogs” was made before “Pulp Fiction” and is worth taking a look at if not just to enjoy an awesome soundtrack but to watch the evolution of one of the greatest film makers over the last 25 years.

There is blood and violence and cruel language and also this happened at the film festival where it debuted:

“During a screening at a film festival in Barcelona, 15 people walked out, including horror film director Wes Craven and special effects artist Rick Baker Baker later told Tarantino to take the walkout as a ‘compliment’ and explained that he found the violence unnerving because of its heightened sense of realism.”

That’s pretty dope that even that sick fuck Wes Craven was like, “Daaamn, this shit is crazy.”

Independent

“Boys Don’t Cry” (1999)

I have a lot of emotions about this film, most of which end with me sobbing uncontrollably for the rest of the night. “Boys Don’t Cry” is a tragic, heart-wrenching film made all the more poignant by its biographical nature. It follows the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a trans man in Nebraska whose newfound male friends beat, gang rape, and murder him when they realize he is anatomically female. A stunningly made film in its own right, “Boys Don’t Cry” is also responsible for launching Hilary Swank into stardom and much deserved critical acclaim for her portrayal of Brandon—earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress. There is so much in this film to learn from, and to be soul-shatteringly moved by. Believe me when I say this: You cannot watch it and be the same afterwards.

Documentary

“Nowhere Boy” (2009)

Everyone loves a good biopic, especially when it’s about the Beatles. “Nowhere Boy” tells the story of John Lennon’s troubled adolescence before he created the most popular rock band in the world.

While growing up in post-WWII era northern England, Lennon finds solace in rock ‘n roll music. He meets up with Paul McCartney, who joins Lennon’s first band The Quarrymen along with George Harrison. The film doesn’t go into detail with the Beatles and their effects on the music industry. Instead, the film focuses on Lennon’s life and his struggles during his youth.

We all know the story of the Beatles as a band, but Nowhere Boy tells the story of one of the band’s most famous members before all the music and before all the fame. It’s a moving story of one of rock ‘n roll’s most beloved icons.

“Nowhere Boy” stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, as if you needed any more reason to fall in love with this movie.

Thinker

“The Master” (2012)

Paul Thomas Anderson. Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Joaquin Phoenix. There really isn’t much more that needs to be said. This film is an exploration into the cult mentality, a performance by amazing actors, along with Amy Adams, and a masterful interpretation of an engaging storyline by one of the best in the business. “The Master” will leave you mindfucked and keep you thoroughly entertained.

Classic

“Monkey Business” (1952)

Dreams come true when Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe play in the same movie. The cast alone makes this screwball comedy a classic.

Cary Grant plays a chemist trying to find a formula for eternal youth. He ends up discovering a solution. though he unknowingly received help– this is where the (literal) monkey enters the equation.

Monkey Business is complete with Ginger Rogers’ iconic dancing, Cary Grant doing an Indian dance, Marilyn Monroe’s legs and characters by the names of Barnaby and Edwina. Nothing adds a more human element to history than an outrageous comedy. Although it was released in 1952, the humor is just as rich today.

It’s hilarious and only a little over an hour and a half, so it’s the perfect movie to unwind with. At the very least, you will have your #mcm, #wcw and #tbt covered for the week.

Featured photo courtesy of: Kickseat