Here are seven movies on Netflix you should check out (along with their scores from Rotten Tomatoes).
Note: Not all of these films are available in countries outside the United States.
“The Dark Knight” (2008)
Warner Bros.
Netflix description: As Batman, Lt. Gordon and the district attorney continue to dismantle Gotham’s criminal underground, a new villain threatens to undo their good work.
Critic score: 94%
Audience score: 94%
Superhero movies have changed a lot since “The Dark Knight” came out ten years ago (yikes!). This movie is the epitome of the dark superhero movie that’s trying to be a prestige drama. You might long for some levity when you rewatch it, but Heath Ledger’s performance and the excellent cinematography will keep you as on the edge of your seat as you were when you saw this in theaters.
“Amy” (2015)
A24
Netflix description: Rare home videos and interviews with Amy Winehouse’s inner circle offer an intimate look at her journey from charismatic teen to troubled star.
Critic score: 94%
Audience score: 87%
“Amy” is a powerful but devastating documentary that shows the rise of Amy Winehouse’s career and her struggles with addiction, especially as it relates to her rise into celebrity. The doc also explores the downsides of celebrity in a new way that will really make you think.
“Her” (2013)
Warner Bros.
Netflix description: Love comes to a lonely writer in the sleekest of packages when he finds himself falling for the advanced operating system he bought to run his life.
Critic score: 94%
Audience score: 82%
This sort-of sci-fi movie is not for people are are feeling super lonely. Joaquin Phoenix makes a ridiculous premise (basically falling in love with Siri) emotional and believable, and Scarlett Johansson does captivating voice work that she didn’t get enough credit for pulling off.
“Guess Who” (2005)
Columbia Pictures
Netflix description: A white man butts heads with his African American fiancée’s father in this adaptation of the 1967 classic.
Critic score: 42%
Audience score: 49%
Its Rotten Tomatoes scores are right: “Guess Who” is not a great movie, but it is mind-blowing to look back at how a major studio movie addressed race in 2005, a time when it sadly wasn’t as big of a national conversation as it is today. Plus, Zoe Saldana and the late Bernie Mac do their best with the safe screenplay.
“Slow West” (2015)
A24
Netflix description: Determined to find the woman he loves, a Scottish teenager braves the Western frontier of 19th-century America, with bounty hunters hot on his trail.
Critic score: 93%
Audience score: 75%
“Slow West” is one of A24’s most underappreciated gems as well as a fresh interpretation of a Western. It stars Michael Fassbender, Rory McCann (The Hound from “Game of Thrones”), and Ben Mendelsohn.
“Blue Crush” (2002)
Universal
Netflix description: When she falls for a pro football player, a tough young woman who lives to surf risks letting love get in the way of her lifelong dreams.
Critic score: 61%
Audience score: 58%
This movie is a classic for many (like me) who were teens when it came out. It’s a fun, silly, and formulaic movie that was basically made to watch over and over again on lazy weekends.
“No Country for Old Men” (2007) arrives on Netflix Saturday, August 11
Paramount Vantage
Netflix description: While hunting, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad and takes off with $2 million in cash, but a psychopathic hit man is hot on his trail.
Critic score: 93%
Audience score: 86%
“No Country for Old Men” is the Coen Brothers at their best: it’s violent, terrifying, but darkly funny. This intense, beautifully shot (by Roger Deakins) and well-cast movie will remind you of 2007, one of the most incredible years in film ever.