Your Netflix Picks of the Week

• Tweet

• Tweet

Searching for a good movie on Netflix Instant is like looking for top-shelf liquor at a frat party. You look and look 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 searching. 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

“Hitch” (2005)

If you follow Aziz Ansari on social media, you know “Hitch” is an American treasure. The comedian vehemently praises it whenever possible, and it’s not for nothing.

This is the Will Smith I wish he could always be, and his persona as Alex Hitchens, NYC-based “love doctor,” can be described in the same way as the movie itself: lighthearted, charming and amusing.

It won’t change your life, but it will keep you laughing, smiling and engaged for its entire duration. If you’re feelin’ down, “Hitch” would be a good first step to changing that.

Trailer

Drama

“Traffic” (2000)

“Traffic” is an immersive viewing experience that will have you rooting for its ensemble cast with the utmost empathy and concern. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film seamlessly intertwines the lives of various characters, played by the likes of Benecio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglass. It revolves around the nitty gritty world of making, selling and eliminating drug trafficking. It’s a cinematic depiction of the complex totem pole of that parallel universe, which exists below most people’s radars. “Traffic” is an impactful eye-opener, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s shot amazingly. Kudos, Soderbergh, and thank you.

Trailer

Action

“Skyfall” (2012)

Okay, so Daniel Craig is no Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan, but he’ll do. He’ll do more than just do, in fact, as one can attest after watching “Skyfall.” It’s Craig’s third appearance as James Bond and he acts opposite Javier Bardem, this installment’s antagonist. Sam Mendes directed this movie, and if you’ve seen “American Beauty,” you know what to expect: straight up beauty. “Skyfall,” considered by film critic Pete Travers to be one of the best Bond movies, will give you a nice little adrenaline boost.

Trailer

Independent

“It’s A Disaster” (2012)

“It’s A Disaster” is very aptly titled. The situation it depicts truly is a disaster. Four couples, one of which is a budding relationship entering its third official date, come together for a brunch and are forced to mingle beyond scrambled eggs and English muffins when it’s revealed that bombs were set off in major cities in the U.S. and noxious gases traveling in the air are sure to do them all in. Trapped inside of a house with a medley of deep-seated issues, these eight people must make decisions about how to spend their last hours of life while wading through the rubble of emotional explosions. “It’s A Disaster” is one of the darker black comedies you’ll ever come across, but it also certainly delivers on the comedy front. A must-see if only for David Cross (Tobias Funke of “Arrested Development”) quirky performance as Glen.

Trailer

Documentary

“Food Inc.” (2008)

Wanna stop eating shit food from Taco Bell at 2 a.m.? “Food Inc.” should do the trick. It goes behind the scene and reveals the horrors of the American food industry, and holy shit, will it turn your stomach. It boldly shows viewers where their last burger came from. And if that isn’t enough to make you quit McDonald’s, then nothing else will, you sick fuck.

Trailer

Thinker

“Blink” (1994)

A neo-noir thriller brought to you by Michael Apted, “Blink” is not what you want to watch before going to bed. In it, a blind woman named Emma has her sight restored by new surgical techniques. That’s all well and good until Emma begins having “vision flashes,” which make her unsure of whether she was accosted by a murderer. What ensues is terrifying. Watch with a friend. Trust me.

Trailer

Classic

“Thelma & Louise” (1991)

“Thelma & Louise” is the mother of all female friendship movies. Geena Davis (the mom from “Stuart Little,” hello) and Susan Sarandon (Dammit Janet!) play Thelma and Louise, two friends who embark on a roadtrip to escape their mundane lives. What ensues, however, is anything but mundane. I don’t want to give anything away, but everyone pretty much knows that famous last scene with the car. What? You don’t know what I’m talking about? Just watch this damn movie, alright?

Trailer

Featured photo courtesy of: Blogspot