BEST MOVIES ON NETFLIX
Six of the best films streaming right now
Stuck staring at the Netflix home page and wondering what to watch next? We’ve all been there. And while the best Netflix TV shows may steal the headlines and dominate office conversations, there are some great movies on Netflix too. So if you’re in the mood for the magic of a full-length film, you’re in luck. We’ve picked out six of the best movies on Netflix right now, which you may or may not have realised are buried in the streaming behemoth’s library.
From slow-burning true stories to fast-paced escapist sci-fi films, there’s guaranteed to be something here to distract you, even as we emerge from the last vestiges of lockdown. So read on, and settle in for some quality viewing like it’s April 2020. (Too soon?)
THE DIG (2021)
If you like the idea of Ralph Fiennes taking up as lead archaeologist in an episode of Britain’s Biggest Dig, this movie is for you. It’s actually based on a true story – the 1939 excavation of Edith Pretty’s rural estate in Sutton Hoo, UK.
Local, self-taught excavator Basil Brown (Fiennes) is given the task of tackling the large burial mounds on Pretty’s grounds. And much to everyone’s surprise, the dig reveals genuine, priceless Anglo-saxon treasures. Annoyingly, World War II is approaching fast, Pretty’s health is declining and, upon seeing what Brown has uncovered, various other noted archaeologists try to intervene and take credit for Brown’s work.
For anyone keen on Anglo-saxon or World War II history, The Dig is an engaging watch, served with a generous dash of English restraint and stunning sweeping landscape scenes.
NEWS OF THE WORLD (2020)
As if any of us can resist a mature, bearded Tom Hanks at his even more principled and paternal best. In this Western drama set in 1870, Hanks plays a Civil War veteran who now earns a crust travelling from town to town, reading newspaper stories to locals for 10 cents a pop. En route to his next gig, he stumbles upon an overturned wagon and a scared, white, blonde little girl called Johanna who can only speak the Native American language, Kiowa. Soon enough, it becomes apparent that the girl needs his help.
If the pace is a tad slow, it only gives Hanks – and Helena Zengel, who won a Golden Globe for her inspired portrayal of Johanna – more room to shine. News Of The World was also nominated for best cinematography and best original score at the 2021 BAFTAS, so expect sound and visuals to put your home cinema set-up through its paces.
EXTRACTION (2020)
Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a Black Ops mercenary who is on a mission to rescue the kidnapped son of an Indian drug lord. It’s a thriller, not to mention a Netflix Original, so you won’t be able to see all the action anywhere else. Because it’s based on a graphic novel, expect a little more in the way of character development than the usual mindless gung-ho heroics (although there’s plenty of this too!). End of lockdown got you down? Crack open the popcorn and enjoy.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)
And there is. Based on Upton Sinclair’s Oil!, Paul Thomas Anderson’s period drama stars Daniel Day-lewis as a silver miner-turned-oilman ruthlessly trying to make his fortune during Southern California’s turn-of-the-century oil boom. Day-lewis was lauded for his role: an Oscar, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe were among the awards he picked up for his efforts.
THE OLD GUARD (2020)
Want to see if your TV can handle fast-paced fight sequences without succumbing to shimmer or jitter? This 2020 film is the one. Charlize Theron stars as Andy, leader of a clandestine group of tight-knit hired guns with the shared super-power of immediate regeneration and the inability to die.
The gang have used this unexplained gift of immortality to protect us muggles for centuries, but when they break their own rule of never working for the same employer twice, they’re rumbled – the job is a ruse and the former CIA operative who re-hired them has this time filmed their regeneration.
Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond The Lights), The Old Guard is refreshingly gritty and grounded for a superhero flick.
DRIVE (2011)
That score. Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 adaptation of James Sallis’ novel of the same name has a pulsing, neon-drenched Cliff Martinez soundtrack that’s worth the Netflix subscription alone. Ryan Gosling puts in a monosyllabic performance as the unnamed getaway driver, while Carey Mulligan plays Irene, his love interest. Turn it up.