With the continued rise of the streaming giants we’re seeing such an extraordinary influx of new films and TV series that it can be hard to keep on top of things. This new era may mean that you could miss something special on your epic trawl through the many options. However, there is also a new urgency for a little curation – so you don’t miss the diamonds in the digital rough. Here’s a few recent arrivals on Netflix, so you can catch up on some great entertainment.
The Gambler
This remake of a 1974 film stars Mark Wahlberg and was directed by Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt. It explores the story of an exclusive, very high-stakes gambling ring and how a professor secretly selects the top minds in his literature class to learn the intricacies of gambling. Of course he could have just gone to legalonlinecasino.org and saved a lot of time.
Wahlberg puts in another workmanlike performance, and there is excellent support from the likes of John Goodman, Captain Marvel Brie Larson, Michael K. Williams and Jessica Lange. It starts at quite a pace, and draws you in very quickly, in fact – audiences can end up learning as much as gambling as the characters in the film!
Rim of the World
Yes – it’s a McG film, and the director has been at the helm of some pretty bad films over the years (with Terminator: Salvation and This Means War under-performing spectacularly) but hold on – this one is pretty great! It’s the story of an alien invasion, told from the point of view of a disparate group of kids away at summer camp.
Their quest for survival, showing how they bond with their friends along the way, is extremely engaging. Playing host to some great dialogue from the, sometimes too smart, kids it also benefits from some amazing CG. It’s Stranger Things meets Independence Day with a little help from The Goonies. Give it a go!
Point Blank
One of the great things to happen with the rise of Netflix is the greenlight bonanza given to many directors who work best in the mid-budget range and benefit from a blank slate. In remaking 2010’s À bout portant (which we reviewed right here) Joe Lynch continues a strong sequence of films, which includes 2014’s Everly and the phenomenal Mayhem, released in 2017.
MCU veterans Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo are plunged into a seedy world of violence, corruption and vengeance, which doesn’t exactly break new ground. However the action is visceral, the soundtrack pumping and there are moments of genuine emotion in here. A proper Saturday night actioner in the tradition of the old school.
The Discovery
This film is a little older than the other entries on this list, but it’s precisely the sort of film that is publicised for a week and then lost in the vaults of the stream. Charlie McDowell (son of Malcolm and Mary Steenburgen)’s film posits a simple premise: what would happen on Earth if proof of an afterlife was discovered? It explores how the religious and philosophical spheres would be unalterably dented, how the suicide rate would skyrocket, but it cleverly focuses on a family and a stranger at the heart of the mystery of what really happens after we die.
McDowell’s previous film, the wonderful The One I Love (also on Netflix and could have easily made its way onto this list), creates its own world, very much as The Discovery does. It runs parallel to our own world, and places ordinary people in these brave new worlds. The cast is pretty impressive too, with Robert Redford putting in a very strong performance alongside Jason Segel and the always watchable Rooney Mara.
These are just a few of the amazing films waiting for you – just a click away.
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