With winter break approaching, it’s the perfect time to check out movies and TV shows on Netflix’s streaming library.
For $7.99 a month, unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows are at your fingertips through Netflix’s streaming platform. But with such a large selection, finding a good movie to watch is nearly impossible.
To find the hidden gems worth watching, there are several steps that can be taken to help find the best movie to fit viewing preferences and to make sure the movie you select will actually be worth two hours of your time.
First, rate the movies and shows you have watched. Take the three seconds and by clicking the appropriate number of stars, Netflix will start to create accurate preferences that fit your viewing habits. After a couple of weeks their suggestions will make it much easier to find movies.
Second, watch the trailer of the movie you are interested in on YouTube or read the summary on Wikipedia, or a least a site different from Netflix. They give a different perspective and by watching the trailer, you will be able to tell the quality of the film and dialogue, plus the overall feel of the movie.
Lastly, look at the actors and director, search them on Google, and check out what other movies or TV shows they have been in. Seeing a film they have been in might jog your memory as to whether they are a good actor or not.
Even after taking these steps you still might find a lemon, a movie or show that just didn’t live up to your expectations, but that’s the joy of trying out new and unknown movies — sometimes you hit it big and sometimes come up with nothing.
Recently I have been on a hunt for good movies and here are two movies that I have found recently searching through Netflix’s archives.
Restrepo is a gritty military documentary filmed in the Korangal Valley in Afghanistan. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010 for Best Documentary and as much as it focuses on the tough and brutal fighting, the movie focuses more on the men deployed and the bonds between them. Restrepo is graphic and not an easy watch. But while the movie is heavy and predominantly depressing, it’s an eye-opener about the realities of fighting in Afghanistan.
Waiting for Forever is the opposite of Restrepo. It’s a romantic chick flick staring Rachel Bilson and Tom Sturridge about a grown man who follows his childhood love around the country, unbeknownst to her. When she returns to visit her sick father, they finally talk again, but when she finds out about the following she becomes understandably disturbed. The movie then follows the story of his endeavor to reclaim his past love. The story is charming, but predictable. It’s not for a viewer looking for a serious drama, yet a good watch none the less.
