Check Out a Few of Our Favorite Netflix Original Movies
Featuring a heist thriller, a gambling comedy, and two lovable rom-coms
Do you remember those red DVD rental envelopes that used to appear in your mailbox, circa 2007? Netflix has come a long way since then. Over the last several years Netflix has released over 200 Original Movies. That number truly shocked me. How did a streaming service go from debuting House of Cards in 2013 to unloading hours and hours of original content every week?
You’ve probably seen a few Netflix Original Movies, but with over 200 to choose from, there’s likely quite a few you don’t know about. With that in mind, this week Do You Like Apples is your guide to Netflix Originals. We’ll give you our personal favorites so you can continue to fill up your Netflix queue.
(We have already recommended Roma, Okja, and Gerald’s Game, so those won’t appear below.)
Drew recommends...
Triple Frontier
There’s nothing groundbreaking about Triple Frontier. It’s a heist movie you’ve probably seen a dozen times. And yet, I’d watch it over and over again. This Netflix Original film released just a few weeks ago tells a tense, muscular, and entertaining story of greed and survival. A stellar cast headlined by Ben Affleck and Oscar Isaac lead a group of former Special Forces operatives into South America to rob a drug lord. This mission isn’t for country though; no, this time they are doing it their way and taking the profits for themselves. You’re not going to believe this, but things spiral out of control. ‘
Director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, All Is Lost) knows how to successfully build tension and shoot a great action scene. The first half of this movie just goes. Triple Frontier is the kind of action thriller that you don’t have to ponder too much about. You’ll have a good time if you just go along with it.
While Triple Frontier is a very masculine movie (I think Metallica plays TWO different times in the background), the cast is, um, ridiculously attractive, which will endear it to women as well. So I decided to bring in my wife Emily to get her thoughts on the stars of Triple Frontier:
(I’m sorry about this Dad)
Hi, I’m Drew’s wife Emily and I have some thoughts about Triple Frontier. I could easily start my own weekly newsletter about those thoughts but I was told to keep it brief.
Guys.
This. Cast.
Ben Affleck. Not really my type but a true movie star and those tabloid pics of him on a beach with his massive, hideous dragon back tattoo came out during the filming of this movie, which I would consider a gift to us all.
Charlie Hunnam. Great beard, better biceps. He looks like a rugged, brooding Ken Doll, and it works.
Oscar Isaac. His performance in Star Wars is truly nothing compared to him in this movie. I was unexpectedly delighted at how attractive he looks in a T-shirt and I think you will be too.
Garrett Hedlund. To be honest, I wasn’t super familiar with Mr. Hedlund’s work or face before watching Triple Frontier but that is certainly no longer the case and I’m not upset about it. Looks really really really nice in a backwards hat.
Finally, my angel, PEDRO PASCAL. The level of attraction I feel for him defies logical explanation but if you watched Narcos (another incredible product of the Netflix machine), you probably get it. Doesn’t hurt that he really knows how to wear a pair of aviators.
Also, as Drew said, this is a good movie and you should watch it.
Win It All
Win It All is premised on a couple of simple, yet enduring genres: the poker movie and the “bag of money” movie. The film follows Eddie (Jake Johnson, aka Nick from New Girl) as he is given a duffel bag of cash to store away for an incarcerated friend. The problem is Eddie is a compulsive gambler. Thanks to Johnson’s likable performance, I really felt for Eddie, despite his patently awful decision-making. You’re living and dying with him throughout his arc as he loses obscene amounts of money gambling, tries to get his life in order, and then has to go back to the poker table in order to win it all back.
The indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) has always made small, low-budget fare that usually turns into enjoyable, improv-heavy dramedies. His movies aren’t for everyone, but you have to respect his proficiency (he typically releases one movie a year and has a Netflix show called Easy) and his ability to pull real emotion from small “low stakes” settings. As he’s worked with higher profile actors (Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom), his movies have become a great opportunity to see some of Hollywood’s biggest names work in intimate spaces.
Like all Swanberg films, Win It All is funny but not hysterically so, dramatic but not self-serious. The star Jake Johnson is also a co-writer and this story, while very straightforward, is a delight to watch unfold, even as you just wish Eddie would get it together. Swanberg and Johnson didn’t overthink the formula here, and Win It All clicks because of that.
Billy recommends…
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Most my life has been recommending movies and getting two reactions. The first being, “I didn’t like this, but I see why you did!” The second would be after recommending a romantic comedy to a friend and getting a blank stare, followed by a quick reminder by me that Michael Bay’s The Rock is one of my favorite 90’s action movies, and “chicks man, AMIRIGHT?”
Those insecurities have left and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is one of the more charming romantic comedies I have seen in a long time. The theme of being too afraid to approach crushes throughout my life is incredibly relatable. The girl next door (literally). The high school girl that got away. The girl I can’t seem to escape.
To All the Boys follows around Lara Jean who has written five letters to five boys she has been in love with that were 100% secret. Thanks to her annoying little sister all the notes are given to the boys she currently or at once loved. Once the letters are let out she begins to fake date a boy she liked in middle school to hide that she is currently in love with another guy her sister is dating. Believe me, everything in this movie is cliche as fudge. We have the nerdy lead that no one knows is attractive yet. The quirky best friend. The nice boy that dates the meanest girl in school. Despite all of that, it works. Cliches work when a movie does them better than other movies, and To All the Boys does them brilliantly. To wrap up this recommendation I am going to write a quick “letter” to all three girls I’ve loved before. For time’s sake it will be a one sentence letter.
To the girl next door… could I have been more obvious walking my dogs up the street hoping that you would see me?
To the high school girl that got away… I should have asked you.
To the girl that I can’t seem to escape… see you next season.
Set It Up
As a St. Louisan I feel like I need to remind you all that as I write this it is OPENING DAY! What a truly great time of year and Set It Up is a perfect movie to keep you excited for baseball season. Set It Up stars my two favorite up-and-comers in the film industry: Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch. Deutch being my current celebrity crush and her being a big baseball fan in this movie makes my crush grow even more.
My first exposure to them was in a much more baseball-centered movie, and Dazed and Confused spiritual sequel, Everybody Wants Some. Each, while playing a supporting character, completely steal every scene they are in. Set It Up gives them the opportunity to be the stars they were born to be and they… knock it out of the park. I am sorry for that unfortunate pun.
Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell) are assistants to high-powered executives that never let them take a break. Their bosses work in the same building and after an especially late night Harper and Charlie end up meeting. Harper works for a sports columnist and Charlie works for a business executive. In order to create some free time for themselves they decide to set up their bosses. Director Claire Scanlon smartly switches around the personalities of each character. Making Harper have some typically masculine qualities and Charlie having some typically feminine qualities. Because of this we see a relationship that is not common to see in a film and creates a strong chemistry between the two lead characters.
Their chemistry is the reason this film works. Honestly, this rivals Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone’s chemistry in La La Land. It is rare to see such a connection on screen and that only comes from two truly great performers. You need to watch Set It Up if you want to get ready for baseball season and if you want an experience that makes you think of old Julia Roberts movies.
Streaming TV Corner
What we’re watching this week…
Drew: Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid (streaming on Netflix)
After a brief set on Netflix’s The Standups in 2017, comic Nate Bargatze is back with a one-hour Netflix special that had me rolling. Bargatze’s hilariously deadpan style leads to some sidesplitting bits about dead horses, The Sixth Sense, and redneck weddings. I already can’t wait to see more from him.
Billy: Barry (streaming on HBO Now)
Thank you to my roommate Ryan who lets me use his HBO Now account. Shows like Barry need to be more accessible. Bill Hader stars as a hitman in this show and it is not a straight comedy. In an interview Bill Hader tells a story about how he pitched this idea and got feedback saying hitman shows have been seen many times before. Then he made it clear that he is playing the hitman and instantly everyone saw the potential. Hader is funny in this show, but everyone knows he has that talent. He takes the dramatic acting to the next level in Barry. I have binged season 1 twice and season 2 comes out this weekend. I am confident that you will enjoy this one.
The Office Episode of the Week
Drew: “Safety Training” (S3 E19)
This season three episode is when Michael gets up on the roof to try to prove the dangers of working in an office environment because Daryl tells him he lives “a sweet, little Nerf-y life.” The sight of Dwight dropping that test watermelon onto the trampoline will never get old. This is also the episode where Kevin gives us some brilliant advice: “If someone gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on ANYTHING, you take it.”
Links to get you hyped
It looks like Avengers: Endgame (in theaters April 26) is going to be over three hours long. I’m going to miss a good portion of this movie due to bathroom breaks.
Jordan Peele (director of Get Out and Us) is rebooting The Twilight Zone for CBS All Access on April 1st. These new trailers are very promising, so now I just need to figure out how to get CBS All Access.
There’s a zombie movie coming this summer from idiosyncratic director Jim Jarmusch, and the cast is… fascinating. Bill Murray is the star, joined by Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Iggy Pop, RZA, and Selena Gomez. This should be something else.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to a friend, share it on social, or shout it from the nearest mountaintop. We’d appreciate it.
If you’d like to read past newsletters, hit up our archive.