4 genuinely good Netflix movies to watch this week (November 17

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Click. Click. Click. Nowadays, that’s not the sound of using your remote to change channels, but rather of scrolling through Netflix looking for something decent to watch. Sometimes it feels like you’re being shown the same handful of movies, right?

If you’re on the hunt for some genuinely good films to watch on Netflix, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve watched all of these and give them two thumbs up.

4

Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge! is big, bold, and stylish, but what else do you expect from Baz Luhrmann? Set in 1899 Paris, the film tells the story of Christian (Ewan McGregor), a writer who falls for Satine (Nicole Kidman), the star at the titular cabaret. The two fall in love, but it’s not that simple. The club’s owner, Harold (Jim Broadbent), has promised Satine to the wealthy Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh) in exchange for his financing. What follows is a suitably dramatic and romantic tale.

Moulin Rouge! is a jukebox musical, which means that it features well-known songs. These range from the classic to the modern, all brought to vibrant life. If you’re not typically one for musicals, you may find this more accessible; you’re bound to recognize and appreciate many of the songs. Plus, the film itself is a delight because of how vibrant and excessive it is, with grand sets and energetic performances from the entire cast. It’s one of Luhrmann’s best.

Moulin Rouge!

Release Date: May 18, 2001
Runtime: 128 minutes
Director: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry McDonald, Jacek Koman, Matthew Whittet, Kerry Walker, Caroline O’Connor, Christine Anu, Natalie Mendoza, Lara Mulcahy, David Wenham, Kylie Minogue, Ozzy Osbourne, Deobia Oparei, Linal Haft, Keith Robinson, Peter Whitford, Norman Kaye, Arthur Dignam, Carole Skinner, Jonathan Hardy, Plácido Domingo
Writers: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce
Producers: Fred Baron, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Brown
Main Genre: Musical
Genres: Drama, Romance, Musical
Website: https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/moulin-rouge
Cinematographer: Donald McAlpine
Producer: Fred Baron, Martin Brown, Catherine Knapman, Baz Luhrmann
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox, Bazmark Films
Sfx Supervisor: Brian Cox
Executive Producer(s): Catherine Martin

3

Collateral

Tom Cruise still makes great films, but it’s fair to say his roles used to be more interesting. He’s now the action guy who runs and saves the day, but go back a few decades and you get movies like Collateral. Released in 2004 and directed by Michael Mann, Cruise plays a hitman named Vincent, who forces cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) to drive him to his various targets across Los Angeles. Vincent is cold and calculated, and Cruise is brilliant in the part.

Foxx is on top form too, making Max more than just a one-note character, and he plays perfectly off Cruise. Outside the central pair, the film itself is firing on all cylinders: the screenplay, soundtrack, and cinematography all work together to create a film that grips you from the beginning and doesn’t let up. If you’ve never seen Collateral, I urge you to correct that this week.

Collateral

Release Date: August 6, 2004
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: Michael Mann

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill
Writers: Stuart Beattie
Genres: Crime, Documentary, Drama, Thriller
Budget: $65 million
Studio(s): DreamWorks Distribution
Distributor(s): DreamWorks Distribution

2

Star Trek

The Star Trek franchise is one of the most popular media franchises ever, but it has a lot of history that can feel overwhelming to a newcomer. That’s why director J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie felt refreshing when it was released in 2009. While it featured established characters like James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), it didn’t matter if you weren’t fluent in Klingon. With flashy action, impressive special effects, and a talented young cast, this is Star Trek at its very best—and a far cry from the silly episodes of old.

The film follows the adventures of the crew aboard the USS Enterprise as they encounter an extraterrestrial commander named Nero (Eric Bana), who threatens the existence of humanity. It’s a thrilling watch, with sharp writing and a story that respects canon while forging its own path. The series has two further entries, Into Darkness and Beyond, and they are also worth watching. Unfortunately, work on a fourth has consistently stalled, though I remain hopeful it’ll eventually see the light of day.

Star Trek

Release Date: May 8, 2009
Runtime: 127 Minutes
Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Gene Roddenberry
Sequel(s): Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond
Franchise(s): Star Trek
Main Genre: Sci-Fi
Genres: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Budget: $150 million
Studio(s): Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Where To Stream: Paramount Plus

1

Paddington

Paddington Bear, the anthropomorphized creature with a blue duffle coat and red hat, is a British literary icon. Created by Michael Bond, the little bear from the jungles of Peru has entertained children for decades. Despite his revered status, there was no guarantee that Paddington’s success would translate to the big screen. However, under the assured hand of director Paul King, 2014’s Paddington is an absolute triumph. It was both a critical and commercial success and went on to spawn two follow-ups, with a fourth entry on the way.

The film tells the origin story of Paddington (voiced with warmth by Ben Whishaw) as he comes to London and meets the Brown family (Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, and others). Paddington adapts reasonably well, despite being accident-prone, but a threat comes in the form of taxidermist Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman), who wants Paddington for her museum collection. The movie is colorful, fun, and packed with action and charm; it’s perfect viewing for a rainy day. You’re bound to fall in love with the marmalade-sandwich-loving bear.

Paddington

Release Date: November 28, 2014
Runtime: 95 minutes
Director: Paul King

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters, Nicole Kidman, Imelda Staunton, Peter Capaldi, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Worrall, Tim Downie, Matt King, Simon Farnaby, Kayvan Novak, Matt Lucas, Jonathan Derbyshire, Mary Roscoe, Jude Wright, Lottie Steer, Alice Lowe, Will Smith, Toby Williams, Catherine Shepherd
Writers: Paul King, Hamish McColl, Michael Bond
Producers: David Heyman
Sequel(s): Paddington 2, Paddington in Peru
Main Genre: Comedy
Genres: Comedy, Adventure, Family
Budget: $55 million
Studio(s): StudioCanal
Distributor(s): StudioCanal
Executive Producer(s): Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Clifford, Michael Hirsh, Ron Halpern, Alexandra Ferguson, Olivier Courson, Rosie Alison

Netflix has an abundance of movies and shows, but it’s not all rosy. There are features I wish Netflix would bring back, like the ability to play something semi-random with a single button press. Luckily, you don’t need to rely on anything like that for deciding what to watch—I’m here every week to dish out some golden movie recommendations.