Review
Best of Netflix: Edition No. 1
October 1, 2015
Hey readers, this column will be dedicated to the best movies on Netflix. I’ll be doing this column about two or three times a month. My goal is to introduce movies that otherwise go unnoticed on Netflix. Each column, I’ll do four movies and one documentary. So, without further ado, let’s get to my movie recommendations.
“The One I Love” (R) (Netflix rating: 3 ¾ stars) This movie has a typical premise of a married couple whose marriage is heading towards disaster, but this movie is fresh and original. Now, this is a movie where I can’t give away much of the plot, where the less you know about the plot the better, but trust me when I say this movie is worth your time. I only have a few problems with the movie, those being the music, which sometimes doesn’t fit the movie, and a minor plot hole that I cannot explain without giving away the movie. Quite frankly, these are the only bad things I can say about this otherwise wonderful movie. My rating: 8.5/10.
“Rosewater” (R) (Netflix rating: 4 stars) This movie is based on the story of a journalist who was imprisoned on spying allegations while covering the Iran elections, all because he did a Daily Show interview -- I kid you not. Speaking on the Daily Show, Jon Stewart wrote and directed this himself. I’ve got to say, in his debut as a writer/director, he did a pretty good job with everything overall. I do have a problem in that, at certain points, they have subtitles (although sometimes they don’t), but that’s just a minor problem. In all, it’s a solid movie. My rating: 7/10.
“Blue Ruin” (R) (Netflix rating 3 ½ stars) This typical, revenge-for-dead-family plot has nothing new, story-wise. It may not seem like much, but it takes what it has and turns it into a tense, exciting adventure thanks to its great acting, cinematography, atmosphere, and delivery. Do not watch if you’re squeamish, however, because this movie has very graphic violence. In all, if you can stomach that, you’ll receive a very well-done movie. My rating: 7.5/10.
“History of Future Folk” (TV-PG) (Netflix rating: 4 stars) I never thought I’d see the day where sci-fi and bluegrass music are brought together, but it sure does work. This delightful tale of a man who dresses up as an alien from another planet to perform music gigs is all I’m going to give away about this movie, since any more will give away the surprises. This movie is like “The One I Love” in the sense that the less you know, the better experience you’ll have. My only beef is that one character’s actions don’t come off as goofy, but rather as somewhat creepy. I also took a little issue with the ending, but it’s not that big of a deal. In all, this movie is a quirky sci-fi adventure filled with laughs, music, and adventure. My rating: 8/10.
Well there you have it, readers, those are my movie suggestions. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did, and I’ll be back with a whole new list of movies for you to check out.
Connor Allyn Bowe is a student at UW-River Falls.