The 84 Best Movies on Netflix: Every week, we add fresh recommendations to our handy, comprehensive guide.
Finding the greatest movie to watch on Netflix can be a difficult task. We’ve all been in that situation. You’ve made the decision to watch something. You have access to the complete Netflix library, including a trimmed-down selection of films you’ve already marked to watch at a later time.
Then there’s the decision to make. You’ll need to select something that matches your mood or something you and your friend/significant other/couch companion can agree on. You browse for hours, and by the time you come across anything you think might be the one, it’s too late, you’re too weary, and indecision has triumphed.
But don’t worry: we’ve put up a guide to help you uncover the best Netflix movies accessible in the United States. From classics to hidden gems to new releases and beyond, we’ve combed through the library and compiled a list of some of the best films now accessible for streaming.
This list of the top Netflix movies is updated weekly with fresh selections, so check back the next time you’re looking for something to watch.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
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Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, and Beck Bennett star as Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, and Beck Bennett.
You’ve probably seen a lot of animated family comedy films, but The Mitchells vs. the Machines is without a doubt one of the greatest. Produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the studio that brought us Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
The film follows a father and daughter who are struggling to connect, as the father decides to take the family on a road trip to send her off to college to study to be a filmmaker. The robot apocalypse occurs along the road, forcing them to work together to survive. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is shocking at every step.
It works hard to make the emotional scenes hit home, but it’s also crazily vibrant and highly artistic, as Mike Rianda pushes the limits of visual expression. Furthermore, the film is amusing, evoking the vivid comedy of Lord and Miller’s previous films, particularly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.This movie will have you cackling and crying in equal measure, and it’s one of the best films of 2021 full stop. – Adam Chitwood
Crimson Peak
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam
Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro’s misunderstood 2015 film, is first and foremost a Gothic romance, not a horror picture. To be sure, there are ghosts and eerie scenes, but the picture is more akin to Jane Eyre or Rebecca than The Conjuring. That is why it is so fantastic.
The plot follows an aspiring author (Mia Wasikowska) who meets and falls in love with a handsome English gentleman (Tom Hiddleston) in 1901. They marry swiftly, and she relocates to a secluded section of England to live with her new husband and his cold sister in an ancient estate (Jessica Chastain).
The estate turns out to be haunted, and there are plenty of twists and turns as our young protagonist finds herself in over her head. It’s a frightening, romantic, and scary ghost storey expertly crafted by one of today’s most talented directors. Adam Chitwood (Adam Chitwood).
Back to the Future
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Crispin Glover
Back to the Future is a comedy, a science fiction film, a teen film, and a heartwarming family drama all rolled into one. The fact that it still feels relevant to what it’s like to be a teenager 25 years after it was released is a credit to Robert Zemeckis’ brilliance as a storyteller, as is the fact that it works on so many levels.
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is sent back in time to avoid a disastrous disaster, only to run into his parents at their high school. It’s one of the most enjoyable and enjoyable flicks ever filmed.
The Pelican Brief
Director/Writer: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow
Julia Roberts plays a law student who produces a court brief outlining a theory on why two Supreme Court justices were just assassinated, putting her in grave risk. She teams up with a reporter while in hiding to uncover the truth before it’s too late.The film is a nail-biting thriller starring two of their generation’s top actors, and it completely satisfies aficionados of this particularly superb subgenre’s “90s thriller” itch.
Rush
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Peter Morgan
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Pierfrancesco Favino
Once upon a time, The Crown author Mark Gatiss teamed up with iconic director Ron Howard and two Marvel actors to produce an exhilarating racing drama — and no one saw it.Rush, released in 2013, is an unjustly underappreciated film that includes one of Chris Hemsworth’s best dramatic performances as James Hunt, a dangerous Formula One racer. Hunt’s battle with Austrian racer Nikki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) is chronicled in the film, with Howard crafting a storey about two very different guys who were motivated to be the best at what they do.Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle successfully recreates the 1970s style, and the racing sequences are thrilling.
Notting Hill
Director: Roger Michell
Writer: Richard Curtis
Cast: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, and Tim McInnerny
One of the quintessential romantic comedies of the 1990s is Notting Black holes the edge of all we know watch online- Black holes netflixHill, which took audiences by storm in 1999. The movie was a tremendous box office success, buoyed by the star power of Julia Roberts.
Notting Hill’s ingenuity was in casting Roberts as a famous Hollywood actress who falls in love with Hugh Grant’s newly single book shop owner. The chemistry between Roberts’ calm confidence and Grant’s timid charm is off the charts, and the movie manages to strike a wonderful balance between humorous and romantic without getting excessively sentimental.What do you expect from the author of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love, Actually, though?
Brokeback Mountain
Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway
Brokeback Mountain is a soaring, sad love film that won three Oscars, including Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score (and should have won Best Picture).
The film stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two strangers who meet in 1963 when they are hired to herd sheep for the summer, based on Annie Proulx’s novel of the same name. They have an intense sexual relationship that turns romantic during their time there, only for the complexity of their sentiments – towards each other and towards themselves – to haunt them as time passes.
It’s a very sensitive and emotional drama, with Ledger and Gyllenhaal giving tremendous performances that will remain long after the credits have rolled.
Training Day
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: David Ayer
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Denzel Washington, Scott Glenn, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eva Mendes
The picture that earned Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Actor also works nicely as a suspenseful crime thriller.Training Day depicts an LAPD officer named Jake (Ethan Hawke) on his first day as part of an examination by a respected narcotics officer named Alonzo (Denzel Washington). As the day progresses, Jake learns that not only is Alonzo dishonest, but the entire day is a set-up for which he might be held responsible.
Washington gives an outstanding performance as an enemy who is both charming and menacing, and Hawke holds his own against the experienced actor. The third act is still a little unbelievable, but the movie is worth seeing only for Washington’s performance.
Batman Begins
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David S. GoyerCast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, and Ken Watanabe
Christopher Nolan had to recreate the Batman franchise from the bottom up with the “gritty reboot” Batman Begins before he could build the magnificent sequel The Dark Knight.This film had to prove to fans that a grounded, realistic Batman storey was worth seeing after the exceedingly ridiculous Batman & Robin. The fact that Christian Bale was cast in the lead role helped, but Nolan’s expansive, Gotham-centric plot feels more like a gripping human drama than a superhero film—which was on purpose.
Batman Begins produced not only two straight sequels, but also a Hollywood practise of reviving franchises with the “gritty reboot” treatment, and this hugely important remake is still a fantastic Batman origin storey over a decade later.
The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine
The Dark Knight is a masterpiece and one of the best superhero films ever made. With Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan successfully established the concept of a “grim reboot,” but for the sequel, he built an enormous, shocking, and downright exhilarating plot of escalation.
Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker is legendary, providing an enigmatic antagonist that continuously throws Christian Bale’s Batman off. Then there’s Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, who gets a rich, satisfying, and devastating narrative in The Dark Knight as Bruce Wayne’s counterpoint.
On top of that, Nolan is essentially crafting a film about the world after September 11th, one in which combating “the bad guys” simply leads to more and more catastrophe. How do you deal with an adversary who simply wants to see the world burn? The Dark Knight has stayed in the public imagination for a decade for a reason.
Bad Trip
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Writers: Dan Curry, Eric Andre, and Kitao Sakurai
Cast: Eric Andre, Lil Rel Howery, and Tiffany Haddish
Bad Trip is a ridiculously infantile comedy that will make you laugh out loud. Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery play a couple of pals who journey from Florida to New York in order for Andre’s character to chase down the girl of his dreams. The film is a mixture between Jackass and a typical road trip comedy.
Tiffany Haddish, who plays Howery’s character’s sister and is coming off a prison break, is hot on their trail. However, every scene in the movie is staged as a joke, with naïve individuals serving as the film’s background and supporting characters.
It’s amusing and humiliating, but it also highlights how ludicrous some of the conventions in classic romcoms are, such as when Andre breaks out into song in the middle of a mall, surrounded by bystanders who look at him with “WTF?” expressions on their faces. Also, be aware that this is extremely R-rated.
Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Max von Sydow
What happens when a renowned director, such as Martin Scorsese, decides to make a suspenseful thriller? You get Shutter Island, one of Scorsese’s best and underappreciated films.The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as two US Marshals who arrive to the titular island to investigate a disappearance at an enigmatic psychiatric facility, based on the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name.
Something is amiss right away, and Scorsese revels in following DiCaprio’s character around this island in the dark, revealing twists and turns along the way. It’s the kind of emotional thriller that you’ll want to watch again once it’s finished, and DiCaprio is fantastic as a man who appears to be falling apart.
ParaNorman
Directors: Sam Fell and Chris Butler
Writer: Chris Butler
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Alex Borstein, Leslie Man, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, and Tucker Albrizzi
I strongly advise you to see ParaNorman if you’re seeking for a fun family film that’s also legitimately creepy and has a surprise message. LAIKA, the studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, created the stop-motion animated picture, and it’s easily one of their best.
I strongly advise you to see ParaNorman if you’re seeking for a fun family film that’s also legitimately creepy and has a surprise message. LAIKA, the studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, created the stop-motion animated picture, and it’s easily one of their best.
Enola Holmes
Director: Harry Bradbeer
Writer: Jack Thorne
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter
Enola Holmes is one of the most pleasant and well-made Netflix original films to date. The historical mystery follows Millie Bobby Brown’s titular character, who is the youngest Holmes sibling and has been raised almost alone by her single mother, based on Nancy Springer’s novel series of the same name.
When she discovers her mother has gone missing one day, she takes matters into her own hands and travels to London to solve the crime. The film is a lot of fun, with Enola following leads and hunting for clues with abandon, but it’s also a beautiful mother-daughter narrative with legitimately feminist themes.
In an organic (and crucial) approach, the script considers what it means to be a woman in a man’s world. Brown gives one of his best performances, but Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes is also a joy. After watching the film, you’ll be urging Netflix to make more sequels.
The Conjuring
Director: James Wan
Writers: Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Mackenzie Foy, Joey King, Hayley McFarland
With mega-franchise starters SAW in 2004 and Insidious in 2010, James Wan had already built a reputation for himself in the horror genre, and he pulled off the unimaginable once more with The Conjuring in 2013. Despite the fact that there was no blood, gore, extreme violence, or language, Warner Bros. gave it a R rating at the time because it was “that scary and intense.”
As the “clapping game” scene played out to gasps and huge applause, I recall a convention hall full of people whispering to themselves and shifting anxiously. In the comfort of your own home, you can recreate the same scary experience. Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga), based on real-life paranormal investigators, are introduced in The Conjuring.
They try to assist the bereaved Perron family, whose farmhouse is haunted by a dark and deadly force. The Warrens quickly realise that this isn’t a simple hoax, but something far more dangerous. The Conjuring is an excellent addition to the horror genre and the beginning of a promising franchise.
Rain Man
Director: Barry Levinson
Writers: Barry Levinson and Donald Bass
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, and Valeria Golino
Oscars Won: Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Supporting Actor (Hoffman)
Rain Man was anticipated to be the film that finally got Tom Cruise his Oscar, but he didn’t even get nominated. The picture was a box office hit, with Dustin Hoffman winning Best Picture, Director, and Best Supporting Actor, but in retrospect, while Hoffman’s character is more showy, what Cruise is accomplishing here is quite brilliant.
Cruise plays an entitled and aggressive younger brother who discovers that his estranged father has died and left everything to his elder, mentally challenged sibling in this picture, which takes a new approach to yuppie greed in the 1980s (Hoffman). Cruise’s character breaks Hoffman out of a mental institution and plans to use him to get the money, but things go wrong along the way.
Hook
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Jim V. Hart and Malia Scotch Marmo
Cast: Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, and Charlie Korsmo
While Hook was widely panned when it was released in 1991, with criticisms of the film’s bland tone prompting Steven Spielberg to go all-in on terror with 1993’s Jurassic Park, the film was a big success… for kids.Spielberg taps into something special in his adaptation of the Peter Pan storey, and while it’s tough to pinpoint—many still consider it one of Spielberg’s worst films—the impact it had on a whole generation of youngsters is undeniable.
Robin Williams portrays an adult Peter Pan who has forgotten all about his childhood in Neverland until Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children and forces him to return. It’s a struggle, as Peter tries to dismiss any hint of enchantment, and this is ultimately a narrative about reuniting with your inner kid. Perhaps this is why it is so successful with children.
This is in addition to the outstanding production design, which truly brings Neverland to life. If you watch this with your kids, you will not be disappointed. It’s also one of John Williams’ best pieces of music.
Superbad
Director: Greg Mottola
Writers: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
Cast: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Seth Rogen, and Bill Hader
As soon as it hit theatres in 2007, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, director Greg Mottola, and producer Judd Apatow fashioned a high school comedy that was equal parts heart and funny, Superbad became a coming-of-age classic.While the comedy is R-rated, the camaraderie between Michael Cera and Jonah Hill’s characters has a warmth to it that raises it above your ordinary filthy comedy.
It’s as much about a youngster worried about losing his friend at college as it is about attempting to get alcohol for a high school party, and the unexpected twists and turns make it all the more unforgettable.
Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis
Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Tobias Menzies
Casino Royale, often regarded as the best Bond film of all time, introduced the world to Daniel Craig’s 007, a gritty, swaggering post-Bourne Bond who can rough it with the best of them.Martin Campbell, the director of GoldenEye, returns to the renowned spy franchise, bringing a little of old school to the new generation, expertly balancing the classic must-have Bond moments (speed cars, shaken martinis, gorgeous women, etc.) while tastefully updating the material at the same time.
Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green, is arguably one of the most memorable Bond women, having been given a compelling and intimate relationship with the superspy beyond the conventional seduction, while Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is similarly unforgettable (pretty sure some men are still wincing from that torture scene.)
Sherlock Holmes
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan
Following the box office success of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. doubled down by starring in a totally different kind of legendary role: Sherlock Holmes.Man Ritchie’s tough guy tendencies are on display in this 2009 rendition of Sherlock Holmes, which uses slow-motion camera techniques and a punishing sound mix to let you feel every punch struck by this surprisingly buff detective.
The premise follows Holmes (Downey) and Watson (Jude Law) as they investigate a scheme to use supernatural means to gain control of Britain, with Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler proving to be a bright spot. This one is a lot of fun.
Mank
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Jack Fincher
Cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Tuppence Middleton, Charles Dance, and Tom Burke
The genuine tale behind the inspiration and composition of Citizen Kane’s screenplay is the subject of acclaimed filmmaker David Fincher’s first Netflix feature, which is catnip for cinephiles.The film follows Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), a charming and in-demand Hollywood screenwriter, through his difficulties and tribulations as a charming and in-demand script doctor, as well as a few years later as he creates and writes the first draught of what would become Citizen Kane.
Oldman gives a towering performance as a besieged man who sees a shot at glory and takes it. Mank examines the true-life inspirations for the characters and tale of Kane, with Oldman giving a towering performance as a beleaguered man who sees an opportunity at glory and takes it. Fincher constructs a sumptuous black-and-white picture that looks (and sounds) like it was released in 1941, and the execution is superb.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Director/Writer: Taika Waititi
Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, and Rachel House
Taika Waititi made a fun New Zealand adventure film in which a grumpy Sam Neill is forced to team up with a foul-mouthed toddler when the two are the focus of a manhunt in the New Zealand bush before making one of the best MCU movies to yet and winning an Oscar for Jojo Rabbit.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is based on a book, but in tone and execution, it feels like an adaptation of a Roald Dahl book we’ve never heard of. It’s charming, quirky, and a touch frightening, with Waititi’s lighthearted anarchy thrown in for good measure. This film will undoubtedly put you in a good mood.
The Master
Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, and Rami Malek
The Master is not for everyone, but if you want sophisticated, precisely made dramas that are conceptually driven and provide a lot of room for interpretation, you should give it a shot. Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic drama can be read as a thinly veiled history of Scientology and its creator L. Ron Hubbard, a treatise on man’s base nature, or a World War II storey.
Alternatively, you can do none of the above. In general, Joaquin Phoenix portrays a wiry, untamed WWII warrior who falls in love with a charismatic man named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the founder of a philosophical movement in its infancy.
The film follows their tumultuous relationship, which is aided by evocative cinematography, compelling performances, and an unnerving score by Johnny Greenwood.
The Departed
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Nicholson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, and James Badge Dale
Martin Scorsese’s criminal drama The Departed got him the Best Director Oscar in 2006, although he was just trying to have a good time at the time. Scorsese claimed that after serious epics like The Aviator and Gangs of New York, he chose to produce a commercial film, remaking the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs with an all-star cast.
The outcome is a highly entertaining criminal drama featuring outstanding performances, including one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best roles to date. Not only did the picture win Best Director, but also Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards.
Lady Bird
Director/Writer: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Odeya Rush
I’m delighted Lady Bird exists, and that it serves as a reminder that Greta Gerwig is not only a big artist, but also one who has the ability to transcend herself. My biggest concern going into Lady Bird was that it would be very autobiographical, and Gerwig would unwittingly create a caricature of her mumblecore characters. Instead, she gave us a video that was both personal and unique.
It’s a film that celebrates real-life relationships while never being exclusive.
On first viewing, I thought the film was a great example of a coming-of-age dramedy. After a second watching, I believe it is one of the great instances of the genre.
Lady Bird’s problematic senior year of high school, complete with all the honest blunders a teenager makes, turns Gerwig’s debut into an unforgettable feature. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf are both great as they embrace both the highs and lows of their mother-daughter connection, and seeing Lady Bird’s rough senior year of high school, complete with all the honest blunders a teenager makes, turns Gerwig’s debut into an unforgettable feature.
13th
Director: Ava DuVernay
Writers: Spencer Averick and Ava DuVernayAva DuVernay
The film Selma is accompanied by a harrowing documentary that examines the mass incarceration of minorities in the aftermath of the 13th Amendment’s passage. As the video points out, frequent incarceration of African-Americans and other minorities is caused by more than just persistent cultural bigotry. There’s also a monetary motive, and it’s excellent business to imprison people.
13th meticulously works through the decades following the 13th amendment’s passage to show how the media, the government, and companies targeted black people to create a new type of slavery. It’s a film that will enrage, depress, and hopefully motivate you to take action against a system that has caused grave harm to our fellow citizens.
Rango
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: John Logan
Cast: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone, and Timothy Olyphant
Gore Verbinski tried his hand at animation after wonderfully bringing the Pirates of the Caribbean series to life — and won an Oscar in the process. Rango ostensibly pursues a lost pet chameleon to a down-on-its-luck Western town inhabited by other talking animals, where he poses himself as a rough traveller.
Rango is persuaded by the desperate townspeople to become their new sheriff, and hilarity ensues. The animated picture contains breathtaking visuals and excellent photography by veteran Roger Deakins, with a strong Western theme.
Midnight Special
Director/Writer: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard, and Jaeden Martell
Midnight Special is a grounded, indie sci-fi film that you should see if you like grounded, indie sci-fi films. This underappreciated 2016 film is set in Texas and follows a father (Michael Shannon) who is compelled to flee with his son (Jaeden Martell) after discovering his son possesses unique abilities.
The bond between father and son is put to the test as they are pursued by both the government and a cult. While this sounds like the storey of a superhero movie, Nichols approaches the material in a very realistic and grounded manner. Adam Driver portrays an NSA communications analyst who has his own vested interest in the youngster, and while this seems like the narrative of a superhero movie, Nichols treats the topic in an extremely realistic and grounded manner.
It’s a Sundance film with superb performances and minimal visual effects, with a strong emphasis on character development rather than plot twists or big set pieces. Shannon also provides a heartfelt performance as the boy’s father.
Wildlife
Director: Paul Dano
Writers: Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, and Bill Camp
The elegantly made and emotionally overwhelming chronicle of a marriage falling apart, as seen through the eyes of the couple’s young son, is Paul Dano’s directorial debut from 2018. Wildlife, based on Richard Ford’s book of the same name, is set in 1960 and follows a couple (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal) and their teenage son as they relocate to Montana.
Shortly after arriving, the father loses his job and is compelled to take the only available employment – fighting wildfires, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Mulligan provides a softly devastating performance as a single mother doing her best, and Gyllenhaal plays a guy trying to cover his shame with a visceral intensity.
Dano directs the film with the care and assurance of a seasoned auteur (his shot composition is genuinely superb), and Dano and Kazan’s screenplay is assured and beautiful. This is a genuinely emotional and mature family drama that confirms Dano is the genuine deal behind the camera, and it’s also one of the year’s best pictures.