Halloween is coming up, but you're not a big fan of horror films. It's a good thing, then, that the almost-expired pile of titles at Netflix is more than enough to get you through the slasher-flick marathons plaguing so many cable networks: casually entertaining action films; family-friendly sci-fi; even a contemporary cartoon classic. So whether you're sitting at home waiting for trick-or-treaters to ring that doorbell or just want to make sure you catch up on something before it departs Netflix for good, here's your must-watch list for the five days.
Few films were more prescient about the future of media consumption than The Truman Show. Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is the first baby legally adopted by a corporation, for the purposes of living his entire life on a television show where he has no idea he’s the star. Every aspect of his life has been carefully determined by a godlike showrunner Christof (Ed Harris), and every minute broadcast around the world. As Truman yearns to explore the world, he’s blocked by the production around him, forcing him to take larger and larger risks to reveal exactly what kind of prison he’s trapped in. It’s riveting television for those viewers inside the film, but once the show is over, what remains is a commentary on the fickle memories of consumers.
William Miller (Patrick Fugit), a 15-year-old music obsessive and aspiring journalist, stumbles his way into writing a feature on an up-and-coming rock band for Rolling Stone—and his rock-skeptic mother (Frances McDormand) somehow allows him to go on tour with the debauched group. Writer/director Cameron Crowe based the script on his own experiences as a teenage rock journalist, particularly some possibly apocryphal stories about drug-fueled confrontations with the Allman Brothers Band. It’s his most personal film, and arguably his best, with one of the best rock soundtracks ever assembled for a film.
Everyone needs a boneheaded action film, sometimes; consider this one before it leaves Netflix. After a secret government project to use earthquakes as weapons stops the rotation of Earth's molten core, a team of scientists led by Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) must take a newly-designed ship through the planet's crust to "restart" the planet. Yes, it's ridiculous. Yes, it has a terrible grasp of earth science, not to mention the internet. But with a cast ranging from Stanley Tucci and Hilary Swank to Richard Jenkins and DJ Qualls, it's as entertaining as it is nonsensical.
An alien ship accidentally leaves one of its own stranded on Earth, and the lone creature meets young siblings Elliot (Henry Thomas), Michael (Robert McNaughton), and Gertie (Drew Barrymore). After forming an emotional bond with the alien, Elliott must help E.T. rejoin his kind when they return to rescue him. When E.T. came out in 1982, it was an even bigger hit than Star Wars, but it feels like a bit of a relic in the current blockbuster era. So take a trip back to when a movie about a weird looking alien hanging out with a bunch of suburban kids could rule the box office. Plus, the climactic bicycle chase sequence takes place on Halloween, so it’s perfect for the fall holiday season.
Reese Witherspoon received Oscar nominations for Walk The Line and Wild, but no film in her career has endured in popular culture more prominently than Legally Blonde. As sorority girl-turned-Harvard Law standout Elle Woods, Witherspoon is empowering, hilarious, and incisive. It’s also low-key one of Luke Wilson’s best movies.
The World Series started this week, with the Cleveland Indians appearing for a chance to win its first championship since 1948. (Unfortunately for the Cubs, Rookie of the Year isn’t currently on Netflix.) In Major League, the owner of the Indians—a former showgirl who inherited ownership from her deceased husband—endeavors to put together the worst team in the history of baseball. (She has her reasons.) It’s an unexpectedly prescient premise, but the real reason to watch this is the ridiculous team, including an unpredictable relief pitcher (Charlie Sheen), an overconfident speedster (Wesley Snipes), and a one-last-chance-for-a-title veteran (Tom Berenger). Extra credit to real-life Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker for playing the best sports commentator in a film this side of Fred Willard from Best In Show.
A billionaire media mogul (Anthony Hopkins) on the verge of his 65th birthday and a major corporate merger sees his youngest daughter (Claire Forlani) struggling with a passionless relationship. When he’s visited by Death (Brad Pitt), he’s given a chance to extend is own life—which involves Death becoming a handsome stranger who ingratiates himself to the daughter. The original cut is nearly three hours, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that’s way too long. But Meet Joe Black is mesmerizing in its tedious examination of regret, love, and humanity. It’s nothing that Hopkins or Pitt would single out as their best performances, but it’s a compelling modern spin on Death Takes A Holiday.
The rise of poker as a pop culture phenomenon is partly attributable to this late-’90s sleeper. A law student (Matt Damon) gets sucked back into the world of high-stakes hold ’em after his ex-con friend (Ed Norton) runs into some financial trouble. Damon is effortlessly charming, Norton exudes slimy suspicion, and John Turturro and John Malkovich turn in memorable supporting performances. You may not be able to eat an Oreo for a while, though.
Friday Night Lights may be the more dramatic story of small-town Texas high school football, but this one still wrings some entertainment out of similar material. James Van Der Beek plays the backup quarterback who dreams of attending Brown; when his best friend and starting quarterback (Paul Walker) gets injured, though, he's thrust into the spotlight. It’s a melodramatic take, but as a football movie it's a damn sight better than The Program.
A mild-mannered guy working as a computer service expert at a big box store in Burbank (Zachary Levi) gets a top-secret CIA-NSA database embedded in his brain. (Don't ask.) This, as you might imagine, makes him useful to both agencies. With five seasons and 91 episodes, Chuck managed to endure much longer than its ratings suggested it would. Think of it like a lower-budget Alias with a lot more jokes.
The series has since been rebooted, but the original incarnation remains one of the best ideas Cartoon Network ever greenlit during the early days of its original series. Professor Utonium mixes sugar, spice, and everything nice in order to make the “perfect little girls.” But after accidentally adding Chemical X, the Powerpuff Girls—Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup—are born, becoming the pint-size heroes needed to save the day around Townsville. Watch the team battle the evil Mojo Jojo, Him, Fuzzy Lumpkins, the Ganggreen Gang, and more.
