What are you doing this weekend? Resting up to get ready for Suicide Squad?
That makes sense.
Well, save your brain cells from making any decisions and let us do the work, nerd.
Take a look at our picks and let us know what you’ll be watching!
5. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Horror
Christmas is only 5 months away, folks, so why not warm your cockles and watch this absolute beauty. So bad, it’s simply brilliant, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a fantastic slasher that is bizarre, bloody and batshit insane. I mean, just check this as a synopsis:
Set during Christmas, the story centres around young man, who after witnessing his parents’ murder, is raised tumultuously in an abusive Catholic orphanage. Years have since passed and he now finds himself plagued with traumatic visions and begins to go on a killing spree whilst donning a Santa suit.
Now come on … has that not even peaked your interest in the slightest? A must watch for any slasher fan and to be enjoyed with a group of friends. Well worth the 81 minute running time. A true gem. Who knew Christmas themed slasher could be so warped …
Available to stream on Showtime. Available to rent through iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, the Playstation Store, and the Microsoft Store. Recommended by Jonathan Edwards
4. Interstellar (2014)
Sci-Fi / Drama
The earth is dying. We already know this. We damage it a little more every day. We still have the opportunity to change things for the better, but in the very near future, it may be too late.
According to Christopher Nolan, we will have passed the point of no return by 2065. By then, it doesn’t really rain anymore. The world is a dust bowl, and growing crops is difficult and expensive. Many people are encouraged from a young age to become farmers, despite having talents in other areas, because farmers are so necessary to the survival of the human race.
But, it’s a last gasp for us as a species. We’re hanging on to something that is already gone. So, there is only one option left, and it’s an extremely long shot: explore space to find another habitable planet. No mission has been successful so far, but we can’t give up.
This leads us to Cooper, a scientist turned farmer who is asked by NASA to take part in the next exploratory mission. A single father of two children, he is especially determined to find a place for his kids to grow up, because the earth might not make it that long.
Here’s where an already good movie becomes truly great. The planets our team explores are breathtaking in their beauty, but also in their frigid hostility. Our universe is a truly extraordinary thing, and this film shows it in ways you never imagined.
Much like Nolan’s previous opus, Inception, Interstellar is a movie you must pay attention to. And I mean every last frame. Everything you see and hear matters in the grand scheme of the story. And Nolan has a unique talent: despite the heavy use of futuristic sci-fi ideals, such as cryostasis, wormholes, and the bending of space-time, the movie is still firmly grounded in realism. Everything that happens seems so very plausible. This film is science fiction in its purest form, and yet it feels as if we could see these events happen in our lifetime.
I’ve said little about specific events and plot points on purpose. I don’t want to spoil one second of this movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Simply put, it’s one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen, and this is coming from a lifelong sci-fi addict. It’s nothing short of extraordinary, so do yourself a favor and watch it.
3. Ranma 1/2 (1989)
Anime/Comedy
Ranma 1/2 is the tale of Ranma Saotome, martial arts genius and everyday idiot, who is forced to juggle a gaggle of fiancees along with a constant stream of people who want to defeat him in battle. The major twist? Every time he is doused in cold water, he turns into a girl.
As with most old school anime, it is much better than it sounds. Unendingly hilarious, with a fine balance between wit and slapstick, Ranma 1/2 has aged impeccably well. If you are a fan of comedy anime, you owe it to the genre to give this show its due; it paved the way for newer shows to market to Americans, so show respect.
Plus, I’m not kidding, it’s so freaking funny.
Available to stream through Hulu.
Recommended by Sylvia Maixner
2. Dark Skies (2013)
Horror
Most horror films go to great lengths to hide their antagonists until at least the third act, trying to build up the tension and preserve the shock at finally seeing the evil force that’s terrorising the cast. Only a few movies have been brave enough to slap the monster in plain sight of the audience from the get-go: Woman In Black, being the first that springs to mind, and this is another.
But don’t be put off by that, because this alien abduction horror is far and away better than 99% of its peers. Capturing the essence of what made The X-Files so great, the movie finds itself living with a relatively normal and unfortunate family of suburbanites, who suddenly find that ET has taken an unhealthy interest in their kids. With sinister ‘greys’ cropping up onscreen within minutes of the start, it’s the lengths the aliens go to and tricks they’ll deploy that bring the shocks, not who/what they are.
Following a series of increasingly hostile encounters, the family turn to a wonderfully demented JK Simmons for guidance, which leads to an overwhelmingly tense final act, as the parents do whatever they can to try and save their sons from the alien invaders. You’ll definitely be leaving the lights on when you go to bed after watching this.
Available to stream on Netflix. Available to rent through Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and the Microsoft Store.
1. Stranger Things
Horror
You’re a child of the 80s, right? Sure you are. You probably loved The Goonies, E.T, Stephen King and everything John Carpenter. Well my friend, we got all that and a bag of chips with Netflix’s Stranger Things.
The story follows the disappearance of a young boy, shadowy government experimentation, coming of age, monsters, and that’s just the first episode. By the time the title of the show appears with a haunting 80s synthesizer sound, you’re almost hooked. By the end of episode one, you’ll want to watch the whole season in one sitting with every episode leaving you wanting more.
Give it a try and find out what everyone is talking about.
Netflix Original
Recommended by Mark Salcido