What I’ve Watched on Netflix so you don’t have to, but you might want to

I’m a person that absolutely loves movies. I enjoy the occasional TV show here and there, but I’m definitely more of a movie person. It doesn’t matter if the movie is good, bad, or unbearable; I will always finish it. I don’t think you can have an opinion unless you’ve watched a film in its entirety. 

 

I hate that all streaming services have become so money hungry that they have decided to become little Netflixes. It’s unfortunate because now the audience is missing out on amazing movies and TV shows. This is just a tangent I wanted to mention. I think they should come up with some kind of bundle deal between them so that everyone can afford to pay one set rate and have access to whichever streaming services they want instead of having to pay separately for each. Why give people a break during this time? It’s not like movie theaters aren’t open… Oh, wait. It’s not like people are struggling with money and can’t even enjoy traveling….Oh wait.  

 

Anyway, back to the films and TV shows I’ve recently watched on Netflix, and what I thought about them. I’ll be going genre by genre to make for an easier read, in case you’re only interested in certain genres. Here we go!

 

I have watched and finished two shows on Netflix recently; Friends from College and Virgin River. Two very different shows. 

 

Friends from College 7/10

 

I definitely enjoyed watching Friends from College more and would recommend that show over Virgin River. The humor was more my taste. I really liked the casting and soundtrack. It has since been canceled from Netflix after two seasons. That’s kind of Netflix’s M.O., cancelling a show after 2-3 seasons. I know this show wasn’t critically well received, but I liked it. I think the characters are so deeply flawed, that it’s really endearing. The show is about relationships. I really appreciate that it’s not just about romantic relationships but also about complex friendships. I think we, as a whole have run out of patience for shows that don’t slap us with mystery or vampires. Fred Savage was my favorite character on the show. I love seeing him onscreen again. 

 

Virgin River 5/10

 

Virgin River got much better reviews which actually surprised me so much because it’s a mediocre show. It wasn’t terrible but in no way did it enrich my life. Virgin River is a drama and all of the scenarios are so out of touch with actual human responses. I will quote a review I read from user Bill W. because he said it perfectly, “If you like Hallmark movies you will love this show.” I think for me, I disliked the characters on this show and thought things were a little unrealistic. I think that the upside of this show is that you can watch it with your family.

 

 

The Keepers 9.5/10

I recently saw The Keepers. It is a docu-series which is seven episodes long. It is absolutely amazing! It starts off with students who are now adults, investigating the unsolved murder of a beloved nun, who taught at their Catholic school in the late 60s. When you continue watching the episodes, you realize there is much much more to this story. I went to Catholic school as a child, so I found the docu-series relatable in some ways. It was very interesting to hear from all the former students and victims. It also explores the power and scratches the surface of corruption in the Catholic Church. There is so much pain and substance to this docu-series, I was moved to tears multiple times. 

 

I saw a few thrillers; Fractured, Dangerous Lies and Rust Creek.

 Fractured 3/10

Fractured follows a man’s quest to find his wife and daughter when he brings his daughter to the ER after an accident, and they go missing. This movie was so outrageous, it made me laugh. I found myself focusing on weird parts of the movie rather than the plot and that’s usually how I know something is going left. I think the premise of the movie was good but the execution, not so much. 

 

Dangerous Lies 4/10

This movie follows a couple who have bad luck and are surrounded by strange circumstances. I love Camila Mendes and Sasha Alexander. However, this is one of those movies where you find yourself trying to reason with the characters through the screen. It’s one bad decision after another. It’s frustrating to watch. When it’s over, you’re completely relieved. 

 

 Rust Creek 5/10

In Rust Creek a young woman gets lost on her way to a job interview. She stops in a small town where two men attack her. She flees into the woods and tries to survive while the two men hunt her down to cover their tracks. I love survival stories involving the woods. I loved Hermione Corfield in this, she plays the lead. I think this movie has a lot of good things about it, every question is answered and most of the acting is good. Still, it is a little predictable and kind of the same old story. 

 

The Autopsy of Jane Doe 6/10

A mysterious corpse is brought to a father and son coroner team. The crime scene is strange and there are little clues as to Jane Doe’s cause of death. Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox are always great to watch. They have a sweet and believable chemistry as father and son that holds the movie together. As with most horror movies, I wasn’t really scared. It was interesting to watch. The beginning started off very promising but I wish it could’ve had a stronger ending. 

 

Holidate 4.5/10

Two people agree to be each other’s date during different holidays to avoid the pressure and drama of an actual relationship. I saw that this was number 1 on Netflix at the time I watched it, so I wanted to give it a whirl. I was underwhelmed. It may have been the casting. I think separately the acting was fine but the two lead characters didn’t have enough chemistry. This movie is cute but that’s all it is really. I did love Kristin Chenoweth. 

 

The Wrong Missy 5/10

A man has a nightmare date and then shortly after has an amazing one. The women both have the same name and he accidentally via text, invites the nightmare to a work trip on a tropical island. I personally love David Spade. For this movie to work for you, you have to love David Spade. I also loved, Lauren Lapkus as the lead. I did love the casting. It is silly, stupid, predictable humor but honestly, sometimes I’m in the mood for that. This isn’t the best comedy I’ve ever seen but it isn’t the worst.

 

Hillbilly Elegy 8.5/10

This follows a Yale law student who through an emergency, must return to his humble beginnings and reunite with his dysfunctional family after a few years away. Casting was spot on! Glenn Close, Amy Adams, Gabriel Basso and Freida Pinto, deliver amazing performances. It’s heartbreaking and very moving. It explores a complex family dynamic that examines what makes a “good” son and a “good” mother, and whether loyalty has a breaking point. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it!

 

I am Mother 8/10

In, I am Mother, a human is raised by a robot after a mass extinction of the human race. The robot called Mother must repopulate Earth. I'm not that into Sci-fi. However, this movie was recommended to me so after dragging my feet a bit, I decided to watch it. I loved Clara Rugaard- Larsen who plays daughter. She played the role perfectly. It was a really interesting premise and posed a lot of questions about loyalty, truth and who is qualified to determine what's the best path for humanity.  

 

I hope you enjoyed this honest TV and movie review. I realize now that I watch a lot of mediocre films on Netflix but it’s nice to explore and I can derive happiness out of good and bad movies. It also makes the gems stand out more when you have things to compare them to.