What to Watch on Netflix: The Indies You Missed but Will Love
Small films sometimes fly under the radar and are overshadowed by those big budget films, but often are worth your time and give a greater payoff. These are some of those films that are on Netflix now.
Dope
Stars: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and Kiersey Clemons.
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Dope tells the story of three friends living in a rough area of L.A., who get roped into dealing drugs to escape their crazy lives and better themselves. While the story sounds rather depressing, it is quite the opposite. It is a story filled with heart, humor, and great music. Click here for an extended review.
Don’t Think Twice
Stars: Keegan-Michael Keye, Mike Birbiglia, Gillian Jacobs.
Director: Mike Birbiglia
Mike Birbiglia has created such a wonderfully hilarious film about the lives of friends who are in the same improv group in New York. The film chronicles their struggle to make it to the big time, as well as dealing with others successes and failures in the group once the improv theater is set to close for good. Click here for an extended review;
Win It All
Stars: Jake Johnson, Rony Shemon, Morgan Ng
Director: Joe Swanberg
While a lot of the film was funny, it certainly had its dark moments. It showed the disturbing reality of addiction and how you can truly lose it all at any point. The drama and comedy were perfectly balanced and incredibly entertaining. Joe Swanberg is at his finest with Win It All. Click here for an extended review.
Begin Again
Stars: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine
Director: John Carney
A smaller film that celebrates the joy of music and the love between two people, Begin Again is a film not to be missed. Click here for an extended review.
Nightcrawler
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Director: Dan Gilroy
Nightcrawler tells the story of a desperate L.A. journalist and the length to which he will go to be the first to get the story. Click here for an extended review.
St Vincent
Stars: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts
Director: Theodore Melfi
A grumpy, miserable old man and young, lonely boy team up and tell quite the heartwarming and hilarious tale. Click here for an extended review.
Catfight
Stars: Sandra Oh, Anne Heche
Director: Onur Tukel
Veronica (Sandra Oh) and Ashley (Anne Heche) end up in and seemingly endless feud where they beat each other senseless and into comas. When they wake up, their lives have changed drastically, and it reignites the cycle again. The film is unapologetically critical of society in almost any way you could imagine. Click here for an extended review.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Stars: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Melanie Lynskey
Director: Lorene Scafaria
With nothing left in him but regret, Dodge (Carell) befriends his neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) as they take a road trip through New Jersey and seek out something to remember before the end of the world. Click here for an extended review.
In Your Eyes
Stars: Zoe Kazan, Michael Stahl-David
Director: Brin Hill
In Your Eyes follows Rebecca (Zoe Kazan), a lonely housewife married to a successful doctor and Dylan (Michael Stahl-David), an ex-convict trying to get his shit together. The two live completely different lives in different parts of the country yet somehow they share a special connection unlike any other. Click here for an extended review.
Operator
Stars: Mae Whitman, Martin Starr
Director: Logan Kibens
Emily (Mae Whitman) and Joe (Martin Starr) are a young married couple who are different people in many ways. Emily is very emotionally invested in everything and has an innate empathetic nature, while Joe is extremely analytic and data-centric. They contrast each other in a very natural way, but we begin to see the tension that creates as the film develops. Click here for an extended review.
Night Owls
Stars: Adam Pally, Rosa Salazar, Rob Huebel
Director: Charles Hood
Kevin spends a drunken night with a one night stand only to realize that she is the ex-lover of his boss.
Blue Jay
Stars: Mark Duplass, Sarah Paulson
Director: Alex Lehmann
One of the simple two people stories that focus on the relationship and conversations between those two characters. A beautiful film from top to bottom. Click here for an extended review.
War on Everyone
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, Theo James
Director: John Michael McDonagh
This is not your typical buddy cop comedy, but rather a dark and intellectually hilarious film. With references to philosophy, mythology, and pop culture, this film is such a blast to watch. Bob and Terry are sneaky cops, navigating the underground of Albuquerque to get money to retire and live happily with their families. Click here for an extended review.
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