This is to serve as your guide to the movies streaming on Netflix this month that you should watch before November ends.
1. Superbad (2007) A Teenager’s Dream
The film, Superbad, you may notice, seems like it often captures the awkward spasms of teen don, and there’s good reason, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the script when they were 13. It, of course, was given a bit of a polish when Judd Apatow came on as a producer, with Greg Mottola taking on director duties of the film that’s the love child of Revenge of the Nerds and a John Hughes’ film. The film is swear filled in the extreme, and if that’s not for you, you should know that the F-word has been calculated in at 1.6 times a minute. But if you are not thrown by that, you are in for an enjoyable experience, as high-school seniors Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) spend a wild night trying to get the party of cool chick Jules (a then, relatively unknown Emma Stone) with the help of their friend Fogell, aka McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and his fake I.D.
2. Sixteen Candles (1984) It’s not her dream birthday, but it’s the ‘80s teen comedy dream classic…
Star and ‘80s dream girl Molly Ringwald is perfect here as the girl whose “sweet” sixteenth birthday is anything but special, her family forgets about it, and she suffers from every embarrassment possible. Sixteen Candles does have a couple of problems on rewatch, Long Duk Dong, though hilarious enough does seem to come across as an outrageous racist caricature and yes, there is an implied date rape that’s played for laughs. But the film elsewhere demonstrates John Hughes’s immense empathy for the teenage condition. Sam Baker (Ringwald) is a privileged white girl whose deepest miseries extend to her benign but neglectful parents forgetting her birthday and a worry that the boy she’s crushing on (played by Michael Schoeffling) may not feel the same way. One of the reasons this film is still so good even today, is that it is not patronizing in the least. In Sixteen Candles, Hughes explores a teenager’s fitful search for acceptance and a sense of belonging.
3. Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) A story about a hyper-intelligent dog, an orphan and a Time Machine…
2014’s film adaptation of the classic cartoon is a fun watch. Young Sherman (Max Charles) destabilizes time itself, forcing his canine father Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) to set things right. Yes, that’s really just a hook on which to hang historical cameos, silly puns, and a heartfelt father and son bonding story. It’s true, the zany action sequences still have a whiff of small-screen cartoon, but the gags are extremely witty, like da Vinci’s “creepy” attempts to invent his own child. Altogether, there is enough story here to keep parents entertained and younger viewers will be wishing a brilliant dog would adopt them as well.
4. Focus (2015) A conman and his student equals maximum-gloss entertainment…
It’s Hitch meets The Sting as veteran conman Nicky (Will Smith) takes rookie pickpocket Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wings, training her in the ways of larceny. While the route Focus takes is one that has been well traveled by many a caper movies, the movie does dazzle along the way and makes itself a fun and engaging watch. Smith and Robbie slip easily into their roles. Smith is the super-slick hustler and Robbie gives as good as she gets as the marvelously gutsy pickpocket. Focus is part romantic comedy, part drama that showcases great chemistry between its leads.
5. Just Go With It (2011) This is an Adam Sandler film…
Just Go With It is an Adam Sandler movie. I say that for those of you that hate Adam Sandler movies. For you, just move on down the list, there will be something for you later. I’m not going to defend the film being here because I happen to like Sandler movies and also think this is one of his better comedies. Adam Sandler plays a good-hearted plastic surgeon who for some reason likes to pretend he is married to get women. And things go hilariously awry when he learns that in order to land the 23-year-old blonde of his dreams (Brooklyn Decker) he needs to fabricate an entire family and an impending divorce. This, he is able to do thanks to the help of his assistant (Jennifer Aniston) and her delightfully nutty kids. Full of surprises, the film also features a hilarious scene-stealing Nicole Kidman flexing comedy muscles you may be surprised she had.
6. Goosebumps (2015) R. L. Stine’s monstrous creations are on the loose…
The premise of Goosebumps has author R. L. Stine’s monstrous creations escaping the confines of the magic books that act as their prisons, and only Stine (Jack Black) and a motley crew of teenagers can stop the madness. The film is a supernatural comedy that nails both of those categories, both funny and terrifying enough to make an impact. While the scares won’t wake you up at three in the morning drenched in sweat, there are just the right amount of smartly manufactured jumps to keep things interesting. Relying on the solid source material of R. L. Stine’s collection of spooky tales for teens and tweens, the supernatural smorgasbord offers up killer gnomes, hungry yeti, and a malevolent ventriloquist’s dummy just to name a few things that constantly give the film’s heroes new challenges and crucially, supply a fresh stream of gags. And with all of this, the real delight is the winning Dylan Minnette as Zach Cooper, Minnette wells up fond remembrances of a young Tom Hanks, playing the kid who has just moved to the area with his mother (excellently portrayed by Amy Ryan) and is recovering from the loss of his father. And this is certainly the film’s best and most surprising element; it tackles death, loss and the nature of grieving with a deft hand, while never forgetting the pleasures to be had from a creepy puppet with a Napoleon complex.
7. The Lost City (2022) Romance She Wrote…
The Lost City, 2022’s crowd-pleasing, star-led romance throwback to 1980’s Romancing the Stone, has wheels and humor all its own. When grieving romance novelist Loretta (Sandra Bullock is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe), her cover model Alan (Channing Tatum) takes off after her in an attempt to prove he’s more than just a pretty face. Truth be told, you would have to search to find deeper meanings in this story. The movie, like its star’s jumpsuit is a sparkly, entirely frivolous good time of a likable caper. It thrives on charisma and comedic talent, on dancing and daring, on its stunning locale (the Dominican jungle) and stakes that are high enough to hold your attention and not a millimeter higher. All in all, you will thank yourself for the good time you’re about to have.
There you have it, your guide to the best movies streaming on Netflix this month. Enjoy the rest of your movie watching month!
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