Netflix has quickly become the go-to place to watch anything from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to TLC’s “Hoarding: Buried Alive.” The streaming service has grown in popularity and with it so have the options. While there are dozens of below-average movies available (see: horror genre), there are also a great deal of watchable movies.
Browsing on Netflix has become more efficient, making it easier to search for the perfect movie to watch. Broken up by genres, a selection of movies and shows are featured on the home page. In addition to ‘New Releases’ and ‘Top Picks,’ users can also choose from more esoteric categories like ‘Romantic Comedies Featuring Strong Female Leads.” This can get overwhelming for Netflix members, despite the company’s introduction of movie-choosing aids like Max.
It’s always worth it to check through the newly added items; Netflix has really upped its ante in acquiring the rights to stream movies that aren’t sold only at yard sales. For example, some of the movies added just this week include “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Requiem for a Dream” and “The Kids are All Right.” So Netflix actually isn’t doing too badly.
If you spend a few minutes browsing through what Netflix has to offer – and really, half the fun of the service is looking through the entire available selection – it’s easy to get distracted and pick a movie that is less than desirable. In an effort to avoid potentially terrible choices, here are a few hidden gems buried in the enormous Netflix catalogue.
David Wain’s “Wet Hot American Summer” is packed with a star-studded cast to rival the very best camp-related movies. It takes place on the last day of Camp Firewood in 1981 and all the counselors are looking to make it the best last day ever, be it by falling in love or by making the talent show a huge success. As a satire, “Wet Hot American Summer” does a fantastic job of lampooning the cheesiness of the hundreds of camp movies that exist. It condenses the initial struggles of first coming to camp, the transformation via video montage and eventual triumph of the protagonists perfectly in a 24-hour span. Ridiculous, funny and entirely sincere, this movie is re-watchable not only because of what may be Paul Rudd’s best performance, but because no camp has ever looked so awesome.
Now for something completely different. There is no purer gem than “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.” Teetering on the edge of the ridiculous and the surreal, Monty Python walks the viewer through all the stages of life while trying to bring light to the purpose of human existence. Poking fun at the ridiculous violence of war, class differences and the inanities of middle age life, Monty Python is on top of their comedic game. “The Meaning of Life” is great to watch for quotable quips and for intelligent humor that you can be smug about when your less-cultured friends don’t get it.
Starring Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, “The Truman Show” is about a man whose entire life has been a televised reality show. Though he is unaware of his fabricated universe, he slowly becomes suspicious and tries to figure out why things seem a little off in Seahaven. Truman is discouraged from traveling and is consistently thwarted when he tries to push the boundaries of his tiny world. However, this makes him more wary and feeds his desire to escape his island utopia. It’s a fantastic movie that explores the consequences of God-like control over another human being. It’s a stunningly-shot film from beginning to end set to a beautiful score by Phillip Glass. Bittersweet and triumphant, “The Truman Show” is both a feel-good and a darkly thought-provoking movie.
That goes for all of these movies; it’s impossible to miss with any one of them. It can be hard choosing amongst Netflix’s esoterica, but hopefully this list will help you wade through its more mediocre offerings. And if these don’t do it for you, don’t let Netflix obscure the diamonds in the rough with its wordy category names.
What is a “Cerebral Mind-Bending Romantic Thriller Comedy,” anyway?
Araz Havan can be reached at [email protected].
