Netflix Picks, 32 of Them!

 

Do you ever have difficulty finding a satisfactory movie or series on Netflix? Those gems do exist. The problem is that you may have to preview five or six horrible films before finding something that doesn’t beg you to dump it after torturing you for five minutes. That’s how much time my wife and I allow most programs we find on Netflix. Some folks have the five second rule for eating food that drops on the floor. We have the five minute rule for determining if we will continue with a Netflix selection.

So, assuming that you might be in a similar situation, I have compiled this short list of items that we have recently watched all the way to the end. They are not all terrific but most of them will catch your interest. I’m sure you don’t want to spend 90 minutes watching something only to remark during the closing credits “That was an incredible waste of my time!” Trailer links to You Tube are provided for most items. The trailers will open in a separate tab/window so you can easily navigate back here to continue down the list. And after you watch a movie please post your own review here in the comments section.


Travelers (Netflix Original series)
2016
Science fiction series with plenty of twists. Very well acted and worth your time. Hopefully additional seasons will be coming to Netflix. Trailer Link

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix Original series)
2017
Neil Patrick Harris is the strange and mean uncle who inherits three orphan children. The series is done in a strange surreal intense color. It also has a narrator who appears in the foreground of most scenes. I’ve only watched a few episodes and the jury is still out on this one. I think it is going to be a winner, though. Trailer Link

Harry and the Hendersons (movie)
1987
What a great film for the entire family! John Lithgow is his usual wonderful self. Let this film bring you right back for an authentic ‘80’s experience. It’s way better than the TV series was. Trailer Link

Midsomer Murders (British series)
Great British murder / mystery series. John Nettles is the star for most of the seasons. He leaves the show late in the series. His replacement is unfortunately not up to the task.
Trailer Link

The Crown (Netflix Original Series)
2016
My wife loves this one. It you enjoy stories of royalty and the attendant intrigue, this is for you. Especially well done and accurate.  Trailer Link

King Arthur (movie)
2004
Mostly well done adventure story that delivers on action and keeps the gore down to a reasonable level.  Trailer Link

Agatha Christie’s Poirot (British series)
2013
David Suchet does a wonderful job of bringing Hercule Poirot to life. The series does a very good job of delivering a period piece that is true to Christie’s novels. The episodes usually proceed at a relaxed pace; but, that is exactly what you should expect. Enjoy.  Trailer Link

Burn After Reading (movie)
2008
1h 35m, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt. Dark Comedy.
Mostly well acted comedy that turns quite dark.  Trailer Link

Asperger’s Are Us (documentary)
2016
31 years as a science teacher cured me of documentaries. There are exceptions of course. This is one. Follow the lives of four young men who live in the Boston area. They all have been diagnosed as having a level of autism that clearly indicates that they were born with Asperger’s. Watch the video to understand and be entertained.  Trailer Link

Always (movie 2h 2m)
1989
A great Steven Spielberg film that features Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfuss, and John Goodman. Adventure, romance, and ghosts all wrapped up in one.  Trailer Link

Fireplace and Melodies for the Holidays (Mood, 2h)
2011
Watch a fireplace crackle for two hours. Put it on as a joke or to make for a romantic environment to read in. Holiday tunes included at no extra cost.  Trailer Link

Heartland (Series)
2013
Seven seasons of a popular current Western. Good clean fun and family values are the emphasis. My wife loves this. I leave the room when it is playing. Recent episodes are currently running on live TV.  Trailer Link

Canada’s Worst Driver (Reality TV)
2005
Friends and family nominate folks to attend a driving school for the clueless. These people are unbelievable! I only watched the first show in the series. That was enough for me; although, it did hold my interest. You may want to become a regular.  Trailer Link

Keeping Up Appearances (British Comedy Series)
1990
Hyacinth is hilarious. She keeps poor husband Richard in tow and her neighbors in fear. Watch it while you still can. The word is that Netflix will pull it on Feb. 1, 2017.
Trailer Link

The OA (Netflix Original Series)
2016
Science fiction, drama, and horror at its best. This is something that Stephen King wishes he wrote! Only one season. I hope they bring this one back.  Trailer Link

Stranger Things (Netflix Original Series)
2016
This is chilling science fiction at its best. At times a bit gory. Only one season here. It is rumored that another season in on the way. Don’t miss it. Definitely in the ‘binge watch’ category.  Trailer Link

Hugo (Family Movie)
2011
Martin Scorsese did a great job on this one. Comedy, drama, and heat, it is all here. Wonderful photography too. It is listed as a kid’s movie but adults will enjoy it too.
Trailer Link

The Good Neighbor (TV Movie, Drama)
2016
Plenty of suspense in this one. It does not top my charts but I think that most folks will enjoy seeing it. Just don’t watch any copycat movies (they exist) because a new story line can get old fast.
Trailer Link

Sing Street (Movie, Irish)
2016
1980’s kids who are beset by bullies rise above it all. Pretty good. Give it a chance.
Trailer Link

Nanny McFee (Movie, Children)
2005
Watch this with your kids and you will all love it.  Trailer Link

The Little Prince (Netflix Original Movie)
2015
Children (maybe 8 and up) and their parents will enjoy this. Great graphics. It’s the same story you once read in French when you took French back in the ‘60’s.  Trailer Link

Henning Mankell’s Wallander (Mystery, Detective, Foreign Series)
2013
One of the best detective series ever. Very melancholy. The subtitles are done well and you quickly forget you are using them. There is also a BBC version of this same Swedish show and it is done equally well. When you are done with all that you can read the novels that the story is based upon.  Trailer Link

Department Q (Foreign Miniseries, Mystery, Detective)
2014
The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One, and A Conspiracy of Faith.
Don’t mind the captions. You will watch these quickly one night after the other. Brooding and difficult detective is demoted to the ‘lost cases’ department. To the dismay of his boss he begins to solve decades old crimes and demands a big budget. Intense!  Trailer Link

I.T. (Movie, Suspense)
2016
Pierce Brosnan is the wealthy businessman who unknowingly unleashes a maniac on his family. Watch him overcome all odds! Not his best, but pretty good.  Trailer Link

J. Edgar (Movie, Dark, Historical)
2011
Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his best performances as J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the F.B.I. Very well done!  Trailer Link

Fannie’s Last Supper (Documentary)
2010
Folks in Boston prepare a supper exactly the way it might have been done in 1896. A supper for the rich. This was so historically correct that it took over a year of planning to pull it off. A rewarding film that we enjoyed. Fannie Farmer was real!  Trailer Link

Ghost Team (Movie, Comedy)
2016
This is a sort of stupid nerd comedy that is filmed somewhat like a documentary. Well, let’s just say I got a kick out of it. I hope you will too. Give it a chance.  Trailer Link

Spectral (Movie, Adventure)
2016
Engineer helps the military defeat an invading force of aliens. Old story. Heavily dependent on special effects (not the best); but, it was pretty good. You may like it.
Trailer Link

A Christmas Horror Story (Movie, Horror)
2015
Get to see this one while it is still around. Ridiculous premises, nasty gore, and just plain fun. I hope you never meet a Santa like the one in this film.  Trailer Link

Bad Ass (Movie, Crime)
2012
A fun revenge flick.  Trailer Link

Compulsion (Movie, Drama)
1959
Wealthy kids decide to pull of the perfect murder. You will be pulled in.  Trailer Link

Snow Day (Comedy)
2000
The kids rule when school is out due to a snow storm that closes the entire town. Chevy Chase and Chris Elliott star. Fun!  Trailer Link

This entry was posted in Occasional Commentary and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Netflix Picks, 32 of Them!

  1. Cynthia says:

    Thanks for the great list. It’s not a series, but check out a Japanese film called Departures ( 2008) …… so touching.

    • Kenneth Carr says:

      Thanks for the recommendation, Cynthia. We will check it out.
      We saw another good one tonight … The Fundamentals of Caring … My wife thought it
      was ‘good’ and I thought it was great.

  2. Cynthia says:

    Thanks…. will add it to the list!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.