News about Netflix exclusive films and content

[Rumpy]

FWIW, the Mr Rogers documentary (Won't You Be My Neighbor?) is available on the Canadian Netflix. We just watched it. I assume it will be available more widely soon.

[Z-Corn]

FWIW, the Mr Rogers documentary (Won't You Be My Neighbor?) is available on the Canadian Netflix. We just watched it. I assume it will be available more widely soon.

It's premiering on HBO this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it. I need something to help me not hate other humans.

[Malificent]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

There aren't enough thumbs up for this show. The lead actress/character is ridiculously good. And at 8 episodes, 30 mins (or less) an episode, it can be binged in a couple nights (or less).

[LawBeefaroni]

Polar.
Graphic Novel adaptation.
Mads Mikkelsen.
Nuff said.

I just saw this. It was a silly over the top movie but I enjoyed watching Mads employ his special skill set. Him and Liam should make a buddy movie.

Spoiler:

And a sequel opening big enough to drive a truck through.

A lot of the humor fell flat or felt out of place but I enjoyed it. Which isn't necessarily saying much since I love bad movies. And while I can suspend a lot of disbelief I did find myself WTFing a lot.

[hepcat]

Polar worked for me primarily because of Mads. His ability to portray emotion without actually looking like he's doing so helped his character avoid become too silly. It's hard to explain, but in everything I've seen him in, he can make you understand what he's going through/feeling without altering even one facial expression. Even describing it makes it sound like he's an awful actor, but it's the...wait for it...POLAR opposite of that.

And yeah, the movie is way too WFT based. And the A team of assassins are just written horribly. Well, the whole film isn't exactly top shelf writing. But if you just turn off your frontal lobe for a bit, it's fun.

Also, Richard Dreyfuss!

[stimpy]

I watched The Salvation last night.
Mads is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.
I'm hunting down The Pusher series to see how he started.

[hepcat]

Pusher is what started me down the Mads path. It also made me a fan of director Nicolas Winding Refn. But Pusher 2 turned the focus of the series to Mikkelsen's supporting character from the first film, Tonny. He really impressed the hell out of a lot of people with that one.

As I said, it's hard to explain why he's such a good actor because almost everything he does is steeped in stoicism. He doesn't even seem to show any emotion in most of his roles, but somehow you're always aware of what he's feeling. Plus, his Hannibal Lecter is an amazing creation. Completely different than Hopkins, but he manages to out creep that venerable actor in the role, while still maintaining a sympathetic veneer that he can rip away in a heart beat.

[stimpy]

The guy who plays Mads brother in The Salvation is also in Sex Education, which I'm finishing up tonight.
Seems like he has the acting range of a tree stump, but somehow he pulls off being interesting.
May have to dig deeper into his past too.

[hepcat]

Fun fact: Mads real life brother is the actor who played the Russian president in the Netflix series House of Cards.

[Alefroth]

Just finished Sex Education, fantastic show. The entire cast is excellent (with Gillian Anderson being the highlight), it strikes a perfect balance of raunch and sentiment, and it’s funny as hell. There was only one relationship that didn’t work for me because it felt way too forced, and that was

MAJOR SPOILER

Spoiler:

Adam and Eric

Other than that, 7/8 tentacles and I really hope it gets another season.

Regarding your last comment:

Spoiler:

While I agree it could have been portrayed better, the writers seeded/hinted the plotline from pretty much their very first scene in the show.
From Adam not being able to get it up properly except from behind, to his obsession with Eric's trombone, and the way they scuffle, it's set up from Ep 1. I turned to my partner and said "oh they are so gonna do it." For a couple of episodes I thought they might drop it so I was disappointed I had guessed wrong, but they did throw a few more hints in here and there. I guess it's tough to not be able to decide whether you want something like that to be obvious or a surprise.

I sorta saw it coming too, but was just hoping they wouldn't go that route. Mainly because:

Spoiler:

I really liked Eric, and severely disliked Adam. Adam didn't have a single redeeming factor, and I thought Eric deserved better.

Such are the perils of stupid teenage lust though, I suppose.

Same.

Spoiler:

Eric was cool and Adam was the worst, so it's disappointing they went that route.

Spoiler:

I think we are meant to have some sympathy for Adam given his dad is such an asshole and basically created a monster. I don't remember the exact scenes but I felt like there were glimmers of hope for him. If there's a second season it would be nice to see him try to redeem himself. Since it seems like they are following the plotline straight from Glee, this would likely be the direction lol.

I really liked it too, despite it sticking pretty close to several tropes. Great acting and full of heart.

Spoiler:

I was pretty disappointed in Adam and Eric's romp as well. It really cheapened a character they'd done a great job of building up. I agree with your take on Adam, rittchard. As big of a dick (pun intended) as he was, he was still a somewhat sympathetic character due to being a victim himself

[MHS]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

She's who I want to play me if there's ever a movie made about my life.

[Holman]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

She's who I want to play me if there's ever a movie made about my life.

OMG I can see it.

[MonkeyFinger]

In yet another "superhero" comic book turned into a series, The Umbrella Academy drops on the 15th.

[hepcat]

I came across the trailer for that last week and was pleasantly surprised. I had no idea it was being made into a series for Netflix. I hope it's good.

I also found out that Garth Ennis' The Boys is coming to Amazon this summer as a series. The great Karl Urban is playing Billy Butcher in it. If you're not familiar with the source material, it's an ultra violent look at a world in which superheroes have become decadent assholes, and the CIA puts together a team of regular dudes who'll do whatever it takes to keep them under control...and I do mean whatever it takes. Ennis created Preacher, so you can only imagine what happens when I say The Boys is even more violent and outrageous than Preacher.

[Smoove_B]

For those that missed it, the Valentine's Day episode of Big Mouth was available as of yesterday, and I enjoyed it. I blasted through both seasons over the last week and enjoyed the hell out of it. Very well written. Would recommend. New episodes allegedly coming Fall 2019.

[RuperT]

The Bodyguard is fantastic. I started it around 8pm and ended up bingeing it until 2am to finish it. That is possibly the highest compliment I can give.

I liked it too. We’re vacationing in Montreal, and I watched much later than I should’ve considering we were waking up early (I didn’t check to see how many episodes remained before recklessly letting the next one begin). Luckily the next day was a 3 hour train ride to Quebec City.
The very last twist was very much a bridge too far IMO, and it played a bit loose with what Fox calls “process crimes” these days, but very compelling.

Spoiler:

Help me with the conspiracies a bit? Montague’s aide and the bald guy conspired to embarrass her onstage with the briefcase of wrong facts, but did not have knowledge of the stage boobytrap, correct? Which is to say Aiken the criminal intended Montague herself to trigger it after the speech or something?

[hepcat]

Kingdom season 1 is pretty cool. I’m only one episode in but it’s already a winner for me. South Korea a few hundred or so years ago is experiencing a strange contagion that’s sickened the emperor, leaving the crown prince having to deal with his stepmother and her duplicitous family.

But that contagion isn’t really small pox. It tends to reanimate its victims, turning them into...well, watch it and find out.

I also binge watched The Magnificent Medici, season 2 of the historical drama on Netflix concerning the famous bankers of Florence.

Hopefully I’ll shake this cold before I’ve finished everything Netflix.

[Holman]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

She's who I want to play me if there's ever a movie made about my life.

OMG I can see it.

I'm six episodes in, and I love this show!

My only complaints are the expected ones:

1) Hip semi-young NY artsy types haven't had such apartments since about 1985.
2) Nobody takes that many drugs on Sunday night.

[stessier]

The Bodyguard is fantastic. I started it around 8pm and ended up bingeing it until 2am to finish it. That is possibly the highest compliment I can give.

I liked it too. We’re vacationing in Montreal, and I watched much later than I should’ve considering we were waking up early (I didn’t check to see how many episodes remained before recklessly letting the next one begin). Luckily the next day was a 3 hour train ride to Quebec City.
The very last twist was very much a bridge too far IMO, and it played a bit loose with what Fox calls “process crimes” these days, but very compelling.

Spoiler:

Help me with the conspiracies a bit? Montague’s aide and the bald guy conspired to embarrass her onstage with the briefcase of wrong facts, but did not have knowledge of the stage boobytrap, correct? Which is to say Aiken the criminal intended Montague herself to trigger it after the speech or something?

Spoiler:

So the way I saw it, all the political people were simply out to embarrass each other. They never intended to do actual violence.

The mob and Nadia were the ones conspiring to do all the violence. I don't think it ever really clear if the stage bomb was remotely triggered or done with a pressure sensor. I thought they said they found advanced electronics that could point to a pressure sensor, but they couldn't be sure.

I thought the Nadia twist was really spooky and well done. I also thought it was amazing that with the exception of the stage bomb, there were no shots fired or other explosions in the whole thing. All of the tension came from the threat of violence rather than actual violence. Pretty impressive.

[Paingod]

Polar worked for me primarily because of Mads. His ability to portray emotion without actually looking like he's doing so helped his character avoid become too silly. It's hard to explain, but in everything I've seen him in, he can make you understand what he's going through/feeling without altering even one facial expression. Even describing it makes it sound like he's an awful actor, but it's the...wait for it...POLAR opposite of that.

And yeah, the movie is way too WFT based. And the A team of assassins are just written horribly. Well, the whole film isn't exactly top shelf writing. But if you just turn off your frontal lobe for a bit, it's fun.

Also, Richard Dreyfuss!

Based on your comments, I started watching this over the weekend and thought it was horrible, but amusing. My wife wandered into the room just as someone was getting a drill to the head. She didn't want to hang out and watch it with me. I haven't finished it, but plan to.

[Jaymann]

About Dreyfuss:

Spoiler:

There was no explanation on how he lasted past retirement age.

[RuperT]

The Bodyguard is fantastic. I started it around 8pm and ended up bingeing it until 2am to finish it. That is possibly the highest compliment I can give.

I liked it too. We’re vacationing in Montreal, and I watched much later than I should’ve considering we were waking up early (I didn’t check to see how many episodes remained before recklessly letting the next one begin). Luckily the next day was a 3 hour train ride to Quebec City.
The very last twist was very much a bridge too far IMO, and it played a bit loose with what Fox calls “process crimes” these days, but very compelling.

Spoiler:

Help me with the conspiracies a bit? Montague’s aide and the bald guy conspired to embarrass her onstage with the briefcase of wrong facts, but did not have knowledge of the stage boobytrap, correct? Which is to say Aiken the criminal intended Montague herself to trigger it after the speech or something?

Spoiler:

So the way I saw it, all the political people were simply out to embarrass each other. They never intended to do actual violence.

The mob and Nadia were the ones conspiring to do all the violence. I don't think it ever really clear if the stage bomb was remotely triggered or done with a pressure sensor. I thought they said they found advanced electronics that could point to a pressure sensor, but they couldn't be sure.

I thought the Nadia twist was really spooky and well done. I also thought it was amazing that with the exception of the stage bomb, there were no shots fired or other explosions in the whole thing. All of the tension came from the threat of violence rather than actual violence. Pretty impressive.

Spoiler:

Well, actually he did fire his gun once.
I just didn’t see why Nadia would admit to anything, having avoided charges altogether IIRC. Knowing his children’s names and ages didn’t seem the major implication that was portrayed. I did appreciate the full circle nature of the revelation thematically, just found it a tad corny.
I totally agree about the tightrope of tension, and the whole thing was a cut above the norm.

[MHS]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

She's who I want to play me if there's ever a movie made about my life.

OMG I can see it.

I'm six episodes in, and I love this show!

My only complaints are the expected ones:

1) Hip semi-young NY artsy types haven't had such apartments since about 1985.
2) Nobody takes that many drugs on Sunday night.

I always find the drug use in almost every show to be unrealistic but then I assume I’m just naive.

We watched the first 2 episodes, I’m hoping the third episode is the one that sheds some light on where things are going.

[stessier]

The Bodyguard is fantastic. I started it around 8pm and ended up bingeing it until 2am to finish it. That is possibly the highest compliment I can give.

I liked it too. We’re vacationing in Montreal, and I watched much later than I should’ve considering we were waking up early (I didn’t check to see how many episodes remained before recklessly letting the next one begin). Luckily the next day was a 3 hour train ride to Quebec City.
The very last twist was very much a bridge too far IMO, and it played a bit loose with what Fox calls “process crimes” these days, but very compelling.

Spoiler:

Help me with the conspiracies a bit? Montague’s aide and the bald guy conspired to embarrass her onstage with the briefcase of wrong facts, but did not have knowledge of the stage boobytrap, correct? Which is to say Aiken the criminal intended Montague herself to trigger it after the speech or something?

Spoiler:

So the way I saw it, all the political people were simply out to embarrass each other. They never intended to do actual violence.

The mob and Nadia were the ones conspiring to do all the violence. I don't think it ever really clear if the stage bomb was remotely triggered or done with a pressure sensor. I thought they said they found advanced electronics that could point to a pressure sensor, but they couldn't be sure.

I thought the Nadia twist was really spooky and well done. I also thought it was amazing that with the exception of the stage bomb, there were no shots fired or other explosions in the whole thing. All of the tension came from the threat of violence rather than actual violence. Pretty impressive.

Spoiler:

Well, actually he did fire his gun once.
I just didn’t see why Nadia would admit to anything, having avoided charges altogether IIRC. Knowing his children’s names and ages didn’t seem the major implication that was portrayed. I did appreciate the full circle nature of the revelation thematically, just found it a tad corny.
I totally agree about the tightrope of tension, and the whole thing was a cut above the norm.

Spoiler:

Yeah, but it was blanks so all good, right?

I think she admitted it because she knew it was over and she wanted to show that she had outwitted them and used their own softness against them. Also, I thought they told her they knew it was her, so she wasn't going to be avoiding charges much longer.

For the tension tightrope, when he was defusing the bomb I was on the edge of my seat and get thinking to myself - "Surely they're not really going to show me this guy blowing up, are they?" - and I'd relax only to remember the other bomb that went off totally unexpectedly and go back on the edge of my seat. I can't imagine trying to watch it as one episode a week, though. It would lose a lot of it's punch.

[Holman]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

She's who I want to play me if there's ever a movie made about my life.

OMG I can see it.

I'm six episodes in, and I love this show!

My only complaints are the expected ones:

1) Hip semi-young NY artsy types haven't had such apartments since about 1985.
2) Nobody takes that many drugs on Sunday night.

I always find the drug use in almost every show to be unrealistic but then I assume I’m just naive.

We watched the first 2 episodes, I’m hoping the third episode is the one that sheds some light on where things are going.

Probably every NYC kid aspiring to Coolness dreams of some version of that party. At some point they bump up against a taste of it and realize how toxic it is.

On the show's party:

Spoiler:

(Really this is just speculation, not spoiler.)

Given the show's sense of unreality, I'm not entirely sure we're supposed to judge the party as a realistic event anyway.

Do keep watching! I'm at the start of the final episode, and I do believe we'll have a resolution that works.

[TheMix]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord. I think someone got some Smokin' Aces mixed in with my Polar. And speaking of the former, I'm pretty sure that Ryan Reynolds has more dialogue in any given 10 minutes of his movies (where he's in the scene, obviously) than Mads had in the entire movie.

About Dreyfuss:

Spoiler:

There was no explanation on how he lasted past retirement age.

Spoiler:

I believe that the policy of "retiring" the soon to be retired was only a recent policy. The boss was trying to get rid of some red in his books by taking back the pensions. I didn't get the impression that it had always been a thing. Presumablly Dreyfuss retired when there was still a normal/legit policy in place.

[hepcat]

Yup, that was my take on it as well. It was only recently that the owner of the "corporation" had to turn to such nefarious deeds for money. And it was due to a lot of folks planning to retire at once.

[Paingod]

About Dreyfuss:

Spoiler:

There was no explanation on how he lasted past retirement age.

Spoiler:

I believe that the policy of "retiring" the soon to be retired was only a recent policy. The boss was trying to get rid of some red in his books by taking back the pensions. I didn't get the impression that it had always been a thing. Presumablly Dreyfuss retired when there was still a normal/legit policy in place.

That's exactly what they outlined. A sale is being planned, and $29 million will clear the books. They also mention that

Spoiler:

the contract that transfers money back to the business expires on the 50th birthday when retirement begins. The older characters are clearly much older.

[MonkeyFinger]

Watched 2036: Unknown Origin last weekend, which is pretty much a solo vehicle for Katie Sackhoff. I agree with the review at the link - it's not bad but it's not great either and feels like a SyFy movie of the week sort of film. Mars, AI, aliens, FTL and a "monolith" all get mashed together and it goes pretty much where you think it will... until the little twisty bit at the end. For me, it evoked memories of movies like:

Spoiler:

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Spoilered because it may give away too much about where the story goes. Still, an okay waste of 94 minutes, me thinks.

[stimpy]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

There aren't enough thumbs up for this show. The lead actress/character is ridiculously good. And at 8 episodes, 30 mins (or less) an episode, it can be binged in a couple nights (or less).

Thought it was decent.
Unclear about why it's Season 1. Don't think they can or should continue the current plot line.

[Holman]

I binged through Russian Doll yesterday. I don’t want to say much since almost anything is a spoiler, but it’s a great mix of comedy, drama, mystery, and hints of sci-fi. The lead actress, Natasha Lyonne, is perfect.

There aren't enough thumbs up for this show. The lead actress/character is ridiculously good. And at 8 episodes, 30 mins (or less) an episode, it can be binged in a couple nights (or less).

Thought it was decent.
Unclear about why it's Season 1. Don't think they can or should continue the current plot line.

Without checking, IIRC Netflix classifies every series as a "Season" even if there is no Season 2 planned.

[Kurth]

Watched 2036: Unknown Origin last weekend, which is pretty much a solo vehicle for Katie Sackhoff. I agree with the review at the link - it's not bad but it's not great either and feels like a SyFy movie of the week sort of film. Mars, AI, aliens, FTL and a "monolith" all get mashed together and it goes pretty much where you think it will... until the little twisty bit at the end. For me, it evoked memories of movies like:

Spoiler:

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Spoilered because it may give away too much about where the story goes. Still, an okay waste of 94 minutes, me thinks.

Watched this a couple weeks ago. I liked her well enough in BSG, but I couldn’t deal with her in this one. Just too much constant over acting. I found it distractingly grating. But YMMV.

[Moliere]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord.

Two questions about the A-team vs. Mads...

Spoiler:

Are we supposed to believe this highly trained assassin fell for the stranded hot chick whose car broke down and now wants to fuck him all the sudden?

Does Mads avoid the first shot to the back purely back accident when he leaned back and pulled the woman upright? I didn't see any indication that he knew the shot was coming.

[TheMix]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord.

Two questions about the A-team vs. Mads...

Spoiler:

Are we supposed to believe this highly trained assassin fell for the stranded hot chick whose car broke down and now wants to fuck him all the sudden?

Does Mads avoid the first shot to the back purely back accident when he leaned back and pulled the woman upright? I didn't see any indication that he knew the shot was coming.

I think that...

Spoiler:

We are supposed to believe he was onto them from the beginning. And his "6th sense" or something told him when to move so that the shot would hit her. i.e. I took it as completely intentional.

[McNutt]

I fifnt finish Polar and don't plan to. One thing I couldn't get over, other than the overall style, is that the boss decides to kill his employees who retire AND MAKES NO SECRET OF THIS!

Why would he tell other employees that he's okay killing loyal employees?

[TheMix]

Because it's only a temporary plan. And he's only telling his "inner circle" of young-uns. They won't be affected since the plan will be done long before they are going to retire.

[Freyland]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord.

Two questions about the A-team vs. Mads...

Spoiler:

Are we supposed to believe this highly trained assassin fell for the stranded hot chick whose car broke down and now wants to fuck him all the sudden?

Does Mads avoid the first shot to the back purely back accident when he leaned back and pulled the woman upright? I didn't see any indication that he knew the shot was coming.

I think that...

Spoiler:

We are supposed to believe he was onto them from the beginning. And his "6th sense" or something told him when to move so that the shot would hit her. i.e. I took it as completely intentional.

Spoiler:

Where I'm doubting this is because he never should have picked up the girl in the first place. The neighbor girl even says that everybody here looks down and poor, and yet here is a chick on the side of the road with a nice car and obviously an expensive outfit. Doesn't fit in at all.

[Jaymann]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord.

Two questions about the A-team vs. Mads...

Spoiler:

Are we supposed to believe this highly trained assassin fell for the stranded hot chick whose car broke down and now wants to fuck him all the sudden?

Does Mads avoid the first shot to the back purely back accident when he leaned back and pulled the woman upright? I didn't see any indication that he knew the shot was coming.

I think that...

Spoiler:

We are supposed to believe he was onto them from the beginning. And his "6th sense" or something told him when to move so that the shot would hit her. i.e. I took it as completely intentional.

Spoiler:

Where I'm doubting this is because he never should have picked up the girl in the first place. The neighbor girl even says that everybody here looks down and poor, and yet here is a chick on the side of the road with a nice car and obviously an expensive outfit. Doesn't fit in at all.

Spoiler:

It only makes sense in a divide and conquer sort of way. And he did get some benefits.

[hepcat]

Also, they establish pretty early on that Mads loves the ladies. A lot.

[TheMix]

Finally got around to watching Polar. I thought Mads and Vanessa were solid. As for the "A-Team"... good lord.

Two questions about the A-team vs. Mads...

Spoiler:

Are we supposed to believe this highly trained assassin fell for the stranded hot chick whose car broke down and now wants to fuck him all the sudden?

Does Mads avoid the first shot to the back purely back accident when he leaned back and pulled the woman upright? I didn't see any indication that he knew the shot was coming.

I think that...

Spoiler:

We are supposed to believe he was onto them from the beginning. And his "6th sense" or something told him when to move so that the shot would hit her. i.e. I took it as completely intentional.

Spoiler:

Where I'm doubting this is because he never should have picked up the girl in the first place. The neighbor girl even says that everybody here looks down and poor, and yet here is a chick on the side of the road with a nice car and obviously an expensive outfit. Doesn't fit in at all.

Spoiler:

It only makes sense in a divide and conquer sort of way. And he did get some benefits.

Spoiler:

Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer? Or something like that. I think we have to assume that he knew that she was a plant. There's no way that he could be as talented as they suggest throughout the movie, but fall for something as blatantly obvious as that. So he chose to play the mark... better to have an idea of where they were coming from and how, than have no leads. Plus as hep pointed out, he got some enjoyment out of it...