By Ryan Keating-Lambert

Although Netflix has been around for a while, it’s still reasonably new in the land of Czechia. Ever see articles recommending new titles that don’t seem to exist? Majority of articles that you see online are about U.S. or U.K. releases. The Czech Netflix has never offered a huge selection when compared with the latter, but it’s getting better, and I’d actually recommend paying the money and subscribing now. I think it’s only going to go up from here.

And this weekend, the weather will be sh-t. Totally sh-t. So stay in, order pizza and watch some of these recently added gems.

 

1. Whiplash

The Oscar winning film by Director Damian Chazelle (La La Land) sees a young drummer (Miles Teller) deal with his strict and sometimes out of control music teacher (J.K. Simmons) who pushes him to extremes to realise his full potential.

 

2. Under the Shadow

One of the stand outs at the Iranian Film Festival in Prague this year, Under the Shadow is a terrifying tale of a spirit haunting a mother and daughter in Tehran during the peak of the Iran-Iraq war. Extremely unnerving, this film is a fright fest that relies more on atmosphere than repetitive jump scares. Probably my favourite horror of 2016.

 

3. Santa Clarita Diet

Superstar Drew Barrymore makes a landmark return as mum Sheila in this zombie reinvention series. She’s your regular Californian mum that happens to eat people. Santa Clarita is hilarious and deserves a go. The episodes are only half an hour long so it’s never too much of a commitment. There’s a lot of vomit though. A LOT of vomit.

 

4. Watchmen

One of the few superhero movies that doesn’t conform to the typical formula. It’s dark, it’s political, it’s extremely violent, and it’s based on one of the best selling graphic novels of all time by the acclaimed Alan Moore (V for Vendetta). If you haven’t seen this, you’re not a decent human being.

 

 

5. Paris is Burning

A cult documentary that focuses on the New York City drag scene in the 1980s. A detailed look into the fashion, the voguing, the balls, and the love and camaraderie that kept it all afloat. Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race, also on Netflix, will love this.

 

6. No Country For Old Men

A drug bust gone wrong. The Coen Brothers’ western / thriller turned a lot of heads and won a lot of awards. It also cemented talented Spanish actor Javier Bardem’s place in Hollywood. Bardem plays psychopath Anton Chigurh, probably one of the most interesting villains in modern cinema. An all star cast including Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee-Jones and Woody Harrelson make this a thrilling watch.

 

7. Foxcatcher

Based on the true story of U.S. Olympic wrestling champions Mark and Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo) and their lead-up to the 1988 games in Seoul funded by the emotionally unstable millionaire John du Pont – a noteworthy performance by Steve Carell.

 

8. Pretty in Pink

80s romantic teen comedy by cult director John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). Molly Ringwald plays Andie, a poor girl forced to choose between her childhood sweetheart and a rich playboy. An essential watch for anyone with 80s fashion nostalgia.

 

9. The Kite Runner

Based on the book by Khaled Hosseini, husband and father Amir (Khalid Abdalla) returns to his home country of Afghanistan to rescue the son of an old friend, after the country is plunged into an era of war and turmoil at the hands of the Taliban. A chilling tale, but with genuine heart.

 

10. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Classic and so so camp. This is the cartoon that most children of the 80s and 90s grew up watching before they went to school in the mornings. The psychedelic animation and uber cheesy one liners make this the perfect drinking partner. She-Ra: Princess of Power, is the kick-ass female hero in the same universe whose series is also available on Netflix.

Feature photo: Paramount