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December and Netflix just go together. Body of Lies Warner Bros. “Body of Lies” imagines the unthinkable: what if Ridley Scott made a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, with a screenplay by “The Departed” writer William Moynahan and … nobody showed up.
And things get … sticky. With a supporting cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong and Golshifteh Farahani and a terrifically twisty screenplay, it’s the kind of movie you’ll watch and say, “Why does nobody talk about this?” Looper Sony Before Rian Johnson journeyed to a galaxy far, far away and made an unlikely franchise out of a cartoonishly southern-fried detective, he made “Looper,” a small-scale, time-travel thriller.
The Power of the Dog Netflix The considerable might of Netflix’s awards campaign is largely being put behind “The Power of the Dog,” a sobering, nerve-rattling Western from acclaimed director Jane Campion. Based on the 1967 novel of the same name, the new film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a brilliant ranch owner with a cruel streak a mile wide. Jesse Plemons plays his more good-natured brother George, who falls in love with a local restaurant owner named Rose (Plemons’ real life love Kirsten Dunst).
To say any more would be criminal; this is the kind of slow burn drama (heightened by Jonny Greenwood’s jittery score) that is best to get lost in. Watch it now so when it gets nominated for every Oscar you can say, “Oh yeah I saw that weeks ago.” Tremors Is there ever a bad time to watch “Tremors?”
What’s so remarkable about the giant-worm-monsters-under-the-dirt classic is that, more than three decades after it was originally released, everything still works so well – the practical effects (by Stan Winston acolytes Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.) are just as convincing; the uncanny mixture of horror and comedy (based on a script by Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson and refined by director Ron Underwood) still hits both marks beautifully; and the cast, led by the terrific buddy duo of Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, but including supporting performances from Michael Gross and Reba McEntire, are all still so spot-on. (The fact that we were robbed of a Blumhouse-produced “Tremors” TV series starring Bacon and Ward a few years ago when the pilot wasn’t picked up to series is really tragic.) Buckle up.
The Lost Daughter Look for “The Lost Daughter” to be a major awards contender in the coming weeks and for good reason. The directorial debut of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter” is an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, following Leda (Olivia Colman), a divorced professor, on a scenic Greek getaway. What starts out innocently enough soon becomes a fraught tangle – of memories (as we flash back to Leda as a young mother, played now by Jessie Buckley), of interactions (with a group of tourists on the beach, including Dakota Johnson as a young mother), and of emotions (as Leda wrestles with what type of woman she was and who she has become).
What Netflix Movie Is Currently Streaming As Of December 1?
From awards contenders out of Italy to lurid trash in Miami, these seven movies will get you through the next month in the winter of your life. Whether you’re embracing the holidays or ignoring them this December, Netflix has options to keep you engrossed and entertained. As the entertainment giant gets deep into its awards season strategy, a handful of top-tier contenders arrives this month, starting with Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” which is already streaming as of December 1 but still available to catch in select theaters if you prefer that experience.
Perhaps on a quieter path to awards season contention, but still no less deserving of their plaudits, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter” and Paolo Sorrentino’s autobiographical “The Hand of God” (featuring Italy’s answer to Timothee Chalamet, Filippo Scotti, as a Sorrentino stand-in) make their way to the platform. Then there’s Adam McKay’s cosmically budgeted, star-packed end-times comedy “Don’t Look Up,” sure to be popular for families staying home who like a little apocalyptic doom au jus with their Christmas goose. But looking for a throwback favorite?
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What Is The Name Of Netflix’S Big Movie For The Week?
Please note: this list is specifically geared towards Netflix US’s new releases. Movie availability will vary by region. Our best new shows list is, of course, headlined by The Witcher but there are other worthy new releases to tuck into as well.
Puff: Wonders of the Reef (2021) Genre: Documentary Director: Nick Robinson Cast: Rose Byrne Writer: Peta Ayers, Nick Robinson Runtime: 62 min Our documentary pick of the week is Puff, a brand new nature documentary that has seemingly snuck up out of nowhere onto Netflix but is well worth a watch. That goes especially for younger generations. The Hand of God (2021) Genre: Drama Director: Paolo Sorrentino Cast: Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo Writer: Paolo Sorrentino Runtime: 130 min Netflix’s big movie for the week is the Italian movie, The Hand of God.
The movie isn’t going to be for everyone as it’s a slow burn but if you do decide to check it out, let us know what you think in the comments. The military action thriller sees a military officer on a mission to capture terrorists in Kenya but the mission soon gets out of hand. It scooped a number of awards when it was released 6 years ago and most reviews are still glowing.
The Shack (2017) Genre: Drama, Fantasy Director: Stuart Hazeldine Cast: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw Writer: John Fusco, Andrew Lanham, Destin Daniel Cretton Runtime: 132 min Our final pick this week is one that was added to Netflix last week but we haven’t managed to feature it in a top movie list just yet. Despite poor critical reception at the time, we’ve had glowing reviews flood in (particularly on our Facebook page) for this movie. What new movies have you been watching on Netflix this week?