If you’re anything like me, you might just be spending your Spring break doing nothing but watching Netflix. Sometimes there’s good stuff on Netflix, other times it takes an hour and a half just to find something that you’d maybe watch. If you ever run into that problem, here’s a list of ten great movies you can stream on Netflix. Pick and choose whatever suits your mood, or make it a goal to watch all ten! Either way, you’ll be entertained.
The Mob Movie: Pulp Fiction
One of Tarantino’s greatest films, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would make the top of this list. Pulp Fiction is a collection of intertwining stories about two hitmen, their boss, his wife, and a boxer. This movie has just about everything: guns, blood, cocaine, dancing, John Travolta with a mullet, a classic Samuel L. Jackson monologue/rant, a guy in a gimp suit, and Steve Buscemi makes an appearance as Buddy Holly. What more could you ask for? So If you’re looking for a little action in your life, watch Pulp Fiction and finally understand what “she wants to dance like Uma Thurman” means.
The War Movie: Beasts of No Nation
Beasts of No Nation is Netflix’s first original movie, and hopefully they keep ‘em coming. It’s about a young boy living in an unnamed African country in the midst of a civil war whose torn from his family and becomes a child soldier. No it’s not your traditional “war movie”; there are no white guys defending the great USA from terrorists. If that turns you off from this movie, then I’m sorry to hear that. This beautifully shot film is about more than just war. It’s about family, brotherhood, the loss of childhood innocence, and the search for a home in this world. It’s haunting. It’s gripping. It’s breathtaking. It’s more than just war. It’s a fight for survival.
The Romantic Drama: Silver Linings Playbook
What do you get when you mix a guy with bipolar disorder, his OCD father, a woman with depression, and everybody and their brother in each other’s business? Romance, apparently. Bradley Cooper plays Pat, a man working on managing his bipolar disorder while coping with his recent divorce, who gets swept up in the drama of his Philadelphia Eagles loving OCD father, played by Robert De Niro, and practicing for a dance competition with his friend’s “crazy” sister-in-law Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence. If you’re thinking that this movie sounds too serious for you, don’t worry there is a bit of dark humor in there if you pay attention to it. The complexity of each character is why this movie made the list. They are each so dynamic and the actors playing them definitely do them justice, I mean Jennifer Lawrence did win an Oscar for her performance in this film. This movie is more than just a bunch of nutcases hanging out and falling in love. They’re real people with real mental disorders, living life in a very real, but chaotic, way.
The Romcom: Leap Year
For those of you who are looking for a little more humor with your romance, Leap Year is your movie. A woman waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question travels to Ireland to take the situation into her own hands on the premise of an old family tradition where the woman can propose to the man on February 29th. On the way she meets a cynical Irish barkeeper who helps her on her journey. At this point it should be obvious what happens next, if it isn’t, sorry to spoil it for you, but they fall in love. But I mean if you didn’t see that coming that’s your own fault. This is the perfect movie to force your significant other to watch with you. It’s got heart, comedy, a handsome Irishman (who doesn’t swoon at an Irish accent?), and cows. So take a chance on love and celebrate the leap year with Leap Year.
The Drama: Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon. Amazing. Robin Williams. Incredible. Put them together and you get an Oscar winning picture. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay for this moving film. A young math prodigy stuck in his janitorial position at MIT considers taking a new lease on life when a professor takes him under his wing. The only problem is this young man has a serious anger problem, which gets him into some legal trouble. In order to continue with his education, he must see a counselor for his anger issues. This coming of age tale reflects the typical college student’s struggle of what direction to take our lives. Insightful and compelling, this movie will have you really make you reflect on what’s important. You’ll like these apples, I guarantee it.
The Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Informative and edgy, Exit Through the Gift Shop takes you to the underground world of graffiti art. Maybe you’ve heard of a guy named Banksy? If you haven’t, you will after you’ve watched this documentary. Graffiti is much more than hooligans spray painting the sides of buildings, it’s a form of art that goes highly unappreciated by society. A lot more goes into the art than people realize, and this film does an excellent job of entertaining and informing its audience. Add a little color to your day and watch Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Psychological Thriller: Silence of the Lambs
While I do pride myself on being a movie enthusiast, I just can’t bring myself to watch any horror movies, so a thriller is just about as close to horror as you’re gonna find on this list. But like any good horror movie, Silence of the Lambs will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole hour and 58 minutes. An FBI agent tasked with catching a serial killer, turns to a captured serial killer for some insight, but that doesn’t go without its own problems. She must confide in Hannibal the cannibal without letting him get into her head, which sounds easier than it is. You want guts and blood? Don’t worry, this movie’s got it. One serial killer skins his victims to make a body suit, and the other one eats his victims (both are shown graphically). Stay in for a night of fright and watch Silence of the Lambs.
The Western: Django Unchained
Okay honestly, this list was just going to be just Tarantino movies, but I figured people would want a variety so I decided to settle for two. Django Unchained follows a freed slave, with the help of a bounty hunter, on a quest to save his wife from a horrible plantation owner. In typical Tarantino fashion, there is plenty of gun slinging and blood in Django’s quest. Christoph Waltz is a delight as the quick witted bounty hunter. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the villain in this picture, and be warned, he is nasty! If you choose to watch Django Unchained, saddle up for the story that will rock your socks right off.
The Family Adventure: Chicken Run
I know there’s a lot of negative feelings surrounding Mel Gibson, but if you’re willing to forget the controversy for an hour and 24 minutes, Chicken Run is an absolute delight. Not only is the plot endearing, but the Claymation is outstanding. Chickens in danger of becoming the main ingredient in chicken pot pie fearfully await their impending doom until a cocky rooster presents a plan to fly the coop. Its quick wit is why it made this list. This flick is a great one to watch if there are little ones about, and you’ll actually enjoy it too!
The Musical: Across the Universe
The great thing about Across the Universe is that it is done with only Beatles songs, so you can sing along to all your favorites while still enjoying a sweet storyline. It’s the tale of young man from Liverpool who goes to America, in the midst of the Vietnam war, in search of his father but finds love instead. The actors who lend their talents to this film do a great job performing the songs. The trippy, psychedelic esthetic that accompanies the film gives it a hippy vibe in the best kind of way. If nothing in this description sold you on this movie, you should consider the fact that Bono is in this movie and he does sing I Am The Walrus.