Kick-Ass Action Movies To Watch On Netflix
Plus: Ozark season 3 and links to get you through your quarantine days
We’ve been doing this for over a year now and somehow haven’t done an action movie-themed newsletter. This week we are fixing that by recommending two kick-ass action flicks on Netflix right now. If you need an evening of escapist entertainment right now (don’t we all), these will do the job just fine.
Also, in case you missed it, on Monday we reviewed a smaller streaming service called Shudder. We’re going to keep doing these streaming service reviews, so let us know which one we should do next.
Billy recommends…
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (streaming on Netflix)
I mentioned this in my best of the decade list, but it is time for an in-depth look at this visual masterpiece. There is an uncanny valley to animated movies these days. So much time has been invested into the mastery of the art that a change in styles is needed to make these movies feel fresh again. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took the biggest swing with their style in a genre that allowed them to go all in on that concept. Bringing the comic book style to life is an attempt that had been made before, but not every aspect of a movie had that feeling like Spider-Verse did. And for that effort a more emotional tale was able to be told that hooked audiences.
This movie decides to focus on a different Spider-Man character, Miles Morales. If you are not familiar with comic books at all then you might be a little bit confused about how often different characters take up the mantle of our favorite superheroes. The most famous person to be Spider-Man is of course Peter Parker, but we have seen his story told over and over again. It is a nice change to see a familiar character from a different point of view, while getting a commentary on the ridiculousness of comic books and comic book movies.
In this movie we get three different Peter Parker Spider-Man (Men?), Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Penni Parker and her sidekick Sp//dr, Spider-Ham, and Spider-Man 2099 (in the post-credits scene). Why have so many of the same characters in the same movie? The reason being that each of these iterations of character are mentors to the young Miles Morales because a portal has been opened up by our big bad Wilson Fisk. They are forced into a world that is familiar to Morales, but foreign to the rest of them, leading to surprising interactions that are equally hilarious as they are emotional.
There is not a more entertaining movie for the whole family on Netflix right now. It is perfect for the kids you are home with and better than most things you are putting on to distract them. Plus, it is a perfect and relaxing watch that can help any boredom, anxiety, and/or worry you may have. This is a time of uncertainty, but there is at least one certain thing and that is that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an action movie that will brighten anyone's spirits.
Drew recommends…
Haywire (streaming on Netflix)
If watching movie stars get their heads beat in by a former women’s MMA star sounds like a good time to you, Haywire is a terrific little action flick.
Mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano hadn’t acted much before this movie, but director Steven Soderbergh tapped her to star in his action thriller. Carano is actually pretty decent in the role for a novice actor, but what she brings to Haywire is authenticity, because she could do all of her own stunts. You’ve seen Haywire’s formulaic story before (Carano plays a black ops operative betrayed by her employers, who send expert assassins to take her out), but the fight scenes take on a thrilling visceral realism.
This is another Soderbergh film stacked with A-listers (along with the Ocean’s movies, Contagion, and more). Carano gets into intense scraps with Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, and Ewan McGregor, which are easily the best sequences in the movie. Rounding out the famous cast is Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton. The accomplished acting around Carano elevates what could’ve been a more disposable movie.
Haywire didn’t have a huge budget or make that much money in theaters, but if you keep your expectations mild, it’s a fun and fleet action movie at only 90 minutes. With Carano’s impressive stunts and Soderbergh’s sleek and stylish direction, Haywire is an underrated gem.
Streaming TV Corner
What we’re watching this week
Drew: Ozark (streaming on Netflix)
I just finished Ozark’s third season, which dropped two weeks ago on Netflix. For the third straight season, I’m not sure if this is a “great” show or not, but it remains one of the most addictive. In some ways, it’s a poor man’s Breaking Bad. The writing can be confusing or ridiculous at times and the overall story arc feels a bit familiar. However, Ozark is a perfect Netflix drama, because the pace and tension of the show leaves you powerless to stop watching once that next episode starts up.
Links to get you through your quarantine
A new streaming service launched this week called Quibi. The idea is mobile-only TV content in “bite size” episodes of 10 minutes or less. Right now on Quibi you can find shows starring Chrissy Teigen, Reese Witherspoon, LeBron James, Liam Hemsworth, and more notable names. See all of the new shows here. If anything, it’s a good time-killer for your endless hours at home these days.
Only two weeks until Chris Hemsworth comes to Netflix as a “fearless black market mercenary” in the upcoming Netflix movie Extraction. I don’t know if it will be good, but, listen, we’ll take any new movie we can get right now.
The delightful Kristen Bell breaks down her career for Vanity Fair, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall to Frozen to The Good Place.