We Got Netflix Covered: Sherlock, Robert Redford And Superheroes!

Welcome back to our recurring recommendation article, We Got Netflix Covered, a place where numerous writers will be discussing their specific genre-based favorites that you can stream on Netflix Watch Instantly this very second. To prove that we certainly do have this covered, we’ve developed a list of genres that we’ll be providing recommendations for every other week – 11 total genres – and the writers responsible for each section have been established. While these might change week to week, here’s today’s roster: Independent: Sarah Myles Classics: Lauren Humphries-Brooks Television: Eric Hall (no entry this time) Action & Adventure: James Garcia (no entry this time) Foreign: Paulo Lazo (no entry this time) Documentaries: Adam Donaldson Dramas: Isaac Feldberg Horror: Matt Donato (no entry this time) Family/Children’s Movies: Christian Law (no entry this time) Comedies: Gem Seddon (no entry this time) Sci-Fi: Al Lowe Look at those names – a real “almost” Dirty Dozen if I do say so myself. Enough chatting though, let’s see which Netflix movies you should be streaming this week! United Kingdom Region Pick: Primer (2004) To describe the film Primer as ‘mind-bending’ could be construed as something of an understatement. Essentially a time travel movie, this is a film that makes no concessions for its audience – it takes off running from the first reel and does not stop until the end credits roll. It’s on you to keep up. But, that’s not to say that it’s a difficult film. On the contrary, it is highly enjoyable – despite having a first act filled, almost exclusively, with technical jargon. Thanks to the skill of the filmmaker and lead actor Shane Carruth (Upstream Color) however, we feel engaged with this story – even though the initial dialogue seems almost nonsensical to the layman. It is a tale of friends, tinkering in the garage. Outside their regular day jobs, they run a side business manufacturing error-checking devices for computers. They use the profits to fund exploration of different inventions in their extremely limited spare time. Disagreeing on which path they should pursue next, two of the friends – Aaron and Abe – decide to branch out on their own and build a device designed to reduce the weight of an object. Successful in this endeavor, they accidentally discover that the objects they use to test the device experience 1,300 times the length of time that passes while the device is active. Abe theorizes that the objects continually travel from the time the device is activated, to the time it is switched off, and back again. Some testing later, they decide to enlarge and duplicate the device to use themselves – but events take an unexpected turn when Abe reveals the presence of another Abe, moving through the other side of the time loop they have created. What follows is both a fascinating and effective time travel film, and a study in friendships and partnerships disintegrating under high stress. Without pandering to the audience in any way, Primer keeps us guessing as to actions, motivations and consequences throughout, and stays in the mind for some time after. Made for just $7,000 with a crew of five people, Primer is an example of independent filmmaking at its finest. Taking an intriguing and original idea, Shane Carruth wrote, directed, produced, edited and scored the film, as well as acting as cinematographer and performing the lead role. It took him almost two years of post-production to achieve the final cut, which went on to take the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. If it is independent filmmaking you seek, then Primer is as sound an investment of time for you as it was for Shane Carruth. Classic Pick: Sherlock Jr. (1924) The pleasures of silent film are multitudinous and varied. Unfortunately, many contemporary viewers decline to even give something in black and white and with no spoken dialogue a fighting chance. If you are one such viewer, I have a recommendation: watch Buster Keaton. Better yet: watch Sherlock Jr. Sherlock Jr. is one of the two Buster Keaton films often referenced as his greatest works (the other is The General, which has more plot but less comedy). At a spare 44 minutes, it is accessible to those who resist silent films, and still hugely entertaining for those of us who can’t get enough of Old Stoneface. Sherlock Jr. tells the story of a movie-theater projectionist who is accused of a theft by his rival in love. Unable to prove his innocence to his sweetheart, the projectionist falls asleep during a film and dreams his way into the movie, eventually “becoming” Sherlock Jr. in a detective story. The point of any Buster Keaton film are the stunts, and Sherlock Jr. does not shirk its duty in that regard. There are damsels in distress, death-defying chase scenes, a hilarious billiard game, and numerous pratfalls. These are made all the funnier (and more daring) when you realize that it’s Keaton doing all the acrobatics, with limited camera tricks and no wires. But Sherlock Jr. is also a story about movies, the fantasies that they invoke, and their complex relationship to reality. The projectionist initially dreams about jumping onto the screen, but as scenes shift he falls down holes, stands on moving trains, and does swan dives into the snow. These scenes are sources of humor, yes, but also betray far deeper understanding (and love) of the complexity of the cinematic experience. Sherlock Jr. is a window into a time when films were made by the seat of the pants, on real streets with real people and real dangers. Keaton and his fellow silent clowns were pioneers in the industry, and films like this still stand up, almost a hundred years after they were made. Drama Pick: All Is Lost (2013) Robert Redford delivers one of the finest performances of his career in this riveting one-man-show. Playing a sailor who battles the elements after his vessel is damaged in a collision, Redford says little but communicates much in each expression and movement. The story, which is almost entirely wordless, simply would not work without an actor of Redford's caliber, but because he is so magnetic, the movie works on every level. In the hands of writer-director J.C. Chandor, All Is Lost is also a gripping visual voyage. The helmer stages the storm around Redford's boat with dizzying force, never straying from a furious, tense pace, and despite its lack of wordiness, All Is Lost is never less than captivating as a result. Don't miss it - after watching All Is Lost, you'll find yourself with a heightened appreciation for those actors and filmmakers willing to take leaps of faith in the pursuit of cinematic excellence. Documentary Pick: The First World War From Above (2010) Last month, people around the world marked the centenary of the start of World War I, a four year long battle across Europe that changed the face of warfare for ever. Primary among those changes were two inventions that came to prominence in the years just before the start of the war: film and airplanes. On film, the horrors of modern warfare were captured and returned home giving those far away from the frontlines a sense of the insanity. Contributing to that insanity were the first generation of fighter planes, flight itself barely invented a decade earlier. Both inventions came together in what was, at the time, a unique and interesting way when a pair of French veterans got into an air ship and filmed the frontlines of the war, from Belgium to Switzerland, in 1919. That footage was rediscovered in the BBC documentary The First World War from Above. Fergal Keane revisits some of the places captured by the French airmen, as well as examines with historians the visible signs of the First World War that remain across what was once the Western Front. Craters from landmines that once killed dozens of enemy soldiers are now picturesque ponds for farms, and water hazards for golf courses. More than a history lesson and a travelogue, the doc builds up to Keane’s meeting with the daughter of the airship pilot, whose name was Jacques Yung-de-Prevaux. Not only was Yung-de-Prevaux a World Ward I vet and one of the men responsible for what a century later is an important historical resource, but he was also involved in the French resistance in World War II. Executed by the Germans before France’s liberation for helping the Allied war effort, the occasional image of her father piloting an aircraft over devastated post-war Europe was a wonderful gift for Aude Yung-de Prevaux, who was still a child when she lost her parents to the Nazis. It’s a poignant reminder that as we remember the history, we remember the people that lived it, and in some cases, survived it. Sci-Fi Pick: The Avengers (2012) Most recent comic book films have some sci-fi elements to them. Even the gritty Dark Knight trilogy involved atomic bombs, super-advanced weaponry and the ability to track everyone through their cell phones. And it seems the less gritty things get, the more sci-fi those comic book heroes become. That's why the sci-fi pick this week is The Avengers. At this point, it's fairly safe to assume that just about every living human has seen the Marvel blockbuster, but what I did recently was go back through the film looking at it through a sci-fi lens. Obviously anything involving Thor is going to have more sci-fi elements than your average superhero film, but this is also the first look at the new Hulk as played by Marc Ruffalo. Bruce Banner is a doctor and scientist in a way that does not jive with the science of the modern world, but that's part of what makes his character so interesting. While we don't really see too much of his origin, it's still great to finally have him on screen with the other heroes. Then there's the whole "giant aliens descending on New York through a wormhole" and destroying the city. That conjures up images of iconic science fiction where aliens attack earth. The great movies involving that are too numerous to count, and The Avengers is just another solid title that can be added to the list. For me, The Avengers didn't quite live up to the hype that a $1 billion plus movie earns, but it's still an excellent addition to the Marvel canon - and you can't go wrong with giving it another viewing on instant watch.