Everyone loves Netflix. The problem is, no one loves spending half an hour searching for a movie or TV show that’s worth your time. Well, look no further, fellow couch potato, because here’s a great movie AND TV show on What to Stream Right Now!
NIGHTCRAWLER – Dir. Dan Gilroy (2014).
Nightcrawler was one of those movies last year that really blew everyone away. No one expected it to be as entertaining as it was, especially from a first time director. That being said, Jake Gyllenhaal steals the show as always. Gyllenhaal plays the disturbingly creepy, Lou Bloom, who’s willing to do whatever it takes to make some money and a name for himself. He finds work roaming the city streets of LA, capturing videos of accidents and crimes to sell to the local news stations. As you would expect, this turns into an odd obsession, leading to Bloom making some rather perturbing decisions in order to further his new career. His chilling character is supported by a great cast including Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, and Riz Ahmed who plays Bloom’s young “assistant”, Rick.
For a film taking place almost entirely at night, Nightcrawler’s cinematographer, Robert Elswit, does an incredible job creating a beautifully eerie image of the Los Angeles landscape that is equally matched by James Newton Howard’s fitting score and Gilroy’s direction of the terrific cast. It might not be the perfect date movie, but if you’re looking for something new and unusual, Nightcrawler might be your best bet. IMDB
DAREDEVIL – Season One (2014)
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past six months, you’ve probably heard how good Netflix’s new original series, Daredevil, is. Well, it doesn’t hurt to reiterate that it is indeed that good. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Marvel fan, a DC fan, or if you hate superheroes all together, Daredevil has a little bit of something for everyone. Charlie Cox gives a believable and even daring performance as the blind, lawyer/vigilante… See what I did there? And the season doesn’t take any time at all getting into the meat of the story. Instead of building up the action through an origin story, as superhero movies are apt to do these days, the team behind Daredevil shows his origin through clever flashbacks and dialogue.
We’ve come to expect quite a lot from Netflix original series and Daredevil easily holds its own. The entire supporting cast is terrific and the season’s villain is not only believable and motivated, but genuinely terrifying. At only thirteen episodes, it’s not unreasonable to knock this show out in a weekend, but take your time because season two isn’t expected until early 2016. That being said, Daredevil is definitely worth your time and may even introduce us to a whole new world of excellent comic book television. IMDB
Now, before you click away, hear me out. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER is a great show. “But it’s for teenage girls!” you might be thinking. True. However, throughout its seven-season run, I can guarantee it’s relatable to any demographic. And it’s just really really fun. Buffy follows the young adulthood of the prophesized “Slayer”, one girl who is given the task of ridding the world of the blood sucking demons for which this show is named. “But I don’t want to watch seven seasons of a girl slaying vampires!” You don’t have to! Buffy faces many more monsters and challenges during her time in Sunnydale, most of which are simply metaphors for real life struggles. That’s what makes this show so relatable. Creator Joss Whedon, now known for directing Marvel’s AVENGERS films, expertly tackled several crises faced by teenagers and young adults, but was capable of putting these crises in demons and other bad guys to not make it seem too preachy. “Well, I tried watching a few episodes and I didn’t like it.” Fair enough. Not everyone will like it, but you should at least try to make it through the first season if it sounds interesting to you.
Everyone seems to love complaining about horror movies these days, and quite frankly, I can’t blame them. There’s no magic or genuinely frightening moments anymore, just loud sound effects and gore. That’s why I’m recommending to you an old, but undated and horrifying film, THE EXORCIST. You’ve probably seen one of the multitudes of sequels/spin-offs inspired by this classic, but if you haven’t seen the original, you’re really missing out. Actually, I should rephrase that: If you’re a fan of horror films and you haven’t seen the original Exorcist, you’re really missing out. This is not a movie for weak stomachs. That’s not to say it’s a gore-fest like you we’re used to now, it’s simply disturbing. It also tells a great story by interweaving characters that we actually care about and want to prevail!