Universal Pictures
May is finally here. The weather is warming up, and some highly anticipated movies are finally releasing. “Mortal Kombat II” will punch its way into theaters in a few days (and early reactions say it is a “flawless victory”), and “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is bound to be a must-watch at the tail end of the month. But if you want to watch movies without spending money on ticket prices and popcorn, Netflix has a new batch of films.
Admittedly, April was a bit of a tough month for Netflix subscribers. The streaming service lost its entire “James Bond” collection and “Train to Busan” (a action movie about a zombie outbreak on a train you need to watch). Plus, subscription plans saw increased fees. However, Netflix is still worth every penny, as multiple must-watch movies and shows are now (or soon will be) available through its website and app. Here are our top five recommendations for your viewing pleasure. Of course, these aren’t the only movies you should watch through Netflix, just the ones that you should binge first.
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Universal Pictures
In 1982, the world lost one of the best comedians of the century: John Belushi. The man got his big break in comedy clubs and “Saturday Night Live,” and he eventually went on to star in several movies. While “The Blues Brothers” is probably his most iconic role, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” is one of his earliest and funniest. “Animal House” is the quintessential film about a college fraternity and the shenanigans they get up to, much to the chagrin of the college’s dean.
The movie stars Thomas Hulce and Stephen Furst as Lawrence “Pinto” Kroger and Kent “Flounder” Dorfman, two freshmen at the fictional Faber College who join Delta House. They, along with the rest of the fraternity (including Belushi as John “Bluto” Blutarsky), get into all sorts of trouble as they party and heavily drink, all while Dean Vernon Wormer (played by John Vernon) schemes to have them all expelled and Delta House dismantled. Hijinks ensue.
The legacy of “Animal House” cannot be understated. Countless organizations consider the film one of the funniest movies of all time, including Esquire, Bravo, and the BBC. Plus, the movie launched many of its younger stars into long and successful careers. Not John Belushi, though. He was already famous and got the role because the writers, including Harold Ramis (one of the minds behind “Ghostbusters” and its sequel), wrote the role specifically for Belushi. The movie is currently available on Netflix.
Schindler’s List
Universal Pictures
Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi Party conducted the Holocaust, a state-funded program to mass murder all “undesirables.” While the Nazis slaughtered many groups, including homosexuals and the Roma people, Jews were their primary targets. However, some brave souls fought against the Nazi regime in secret to save as many lives as possible, including British stockbroker Nicholas Winton and German industrialist Oskar Schindler. “Schindler’s List” is a 1993 biographical drama directed by Steven Spielberg.
The movie follows Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson) as he begins his career running an enamelware factory … and a card-carrying member of the Nazi party. He uses his status to “hire” as many Jewish workers as possible, thus keeping them out of concentration camps. As the war continues, Schindler eventually shifts to building weapons, but more importantly, he empathizes with the plight of the Jews under his employ. Thanks to his efforts and kindness, Schindler ends up saving the lives of over 1,000 people.
It probably goes without saying that “Schindler’s List” is a critically acclaimed film. Not only do critics and audiences alike hail “Shindler’s List” for its acting, writing, and cinematography, they also praise the movie for its uncompromising depiction of the barbarity that was the Holocaust and the Nazi party. “Schindler’s List” is widely considered one of the greatest U.S. movies of all time, and you can watch it now on Netflix.
The Land Before Time
Universal Pictures
Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is one of the few animators and animated movie directors who receive the recognition they deserve. One of the only other exceptions to this disappointing rule is Don Bluth, best known for movies such as “The Secret of NIMH,” “An American Tail,” and “The Land Before Time.” This animated film is, if you’ll pardon the pun, a timeless story about young dinosaurs trying to find a mythical location that could potentially provide a source of sustenance during a famine. All the while, the plot explores themes of prejudice and found family.
Despite being an animated movie aimed towards children, “The Land Before Time” isn’t afraid to show character deaths that, while not explicit, stick with you for years. Unlike many modern animated films, “The Land Before Time” stars a cast of voice actors who aren’t super famous, but that isn’t a knock against their performances. These include Gabriel Damon as the main character, Littlefoot, and Candace Hutson as Littlefoot’s best friend, Cera.
While “The Land Before Time” isn’t the best movie on Netflix, it is a beloved childhood classic of many adult audiences and, therefore, a must-watch for a family movie night — assuming some audience members are younger children. It is worth noting that while “The Land Before Time” is currently available through Netflix, the movie is the first entry in what became a long-running franchise of direct-to-video films, none of which are on Netflix. Or worth watching, depending on who you ask.
Starship Troopers
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Many movies based on a novel or comic book (let’s not talk about video game adaptations) aren’t wholly faithful to the source material. Usually audiences see that as a flaw, but sometimes it works in the film’s favor. Just look at “Starship Troopers.” On the surface, “Starship Troopers” comes across as your standard sci-fi flick about humans vs. aliens. The film stars actors such as Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, and Jake Busey as infantry in the United Citizen Federation as they try to stop a potential invasion by insectoid aliens, colloquially known as “bugs.”
In some ways, the movie follows the path of a coming-of-age story from the lens of soldiers who have to come into their own on the battlefield. And if they don’t, they’ll die a horrible death ripped apart by extraterrestrial arthropods. While both the original novel and the movie portray the UCF as an authoritarian, militaristic government, the book is generally viewed as approving of such ideas almost to the point of propaganda. The movie, meanwhile, satirizes such concepts — a fact that went over the heads of critics at the time of release.
The “Starship Troopers” film pokes fun at philosophies such as jingoism and colonialism, and now that people see the movie for what it is, they welcome it with open arms. You cannot help but appreciate a movie with satire so over the top it circles back into subtlety and fools audiences into thinking it’s completely serious. While “Starship Troopers” is the beginning of a sci-fi franchise, only the first film is available on Netflix.
Nope
Universal Pictures
Jordan Peele was once an accomplished actor. Most knew him from his work with Keegan-Michael Key in the sketch show “Key & Peele,” but he quit acting after starring and writing the film “Keanu.” Why? Because he was asked to play the Poop emoji in the film “Emoji.” This insulting offer convinced him to become a full-time producer, director, and writer. With two successful horror movies under his belt, Peele went on to make what many consider a must-watch alien invasion film.
The movie “Nope” revolves around Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya, who previously starred as Chris Washington in Key’s first horror movie “Get Out”) and his sister Emerald “Em” Haywood (Keke Palmer), and their attempts to save their late father’s horse ranch — both from insolvency and from a UFO that is abducting their horses. Like many of Peele’s films, themes of racism and profiteering (especially against black people) sit just below the surface of the plot.
Since “Nope” was released in 2022, it is the most recent film on this list of recommendations. However, that does not take away from its status as a must-watch movie, especially for fans of Peele’s filmography. Unlike the other entries in this article, “Nope” isn’t available to watch just yet; you will have to wait until May 18 before you can stream this movie on Netflix.
