Though religiously controversial at the time of release, there are few novels that gained as much popularity in the 2000s as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. So, it was a no-brainer for Hollywood to hop on the train and make an adaptation, and that’s exactly what happened in 2006 when director Ron Howard teamed up with actor Tom Hanks for the film version, which went on to become one of the highest grossing movies of the year, though it didn’t fare quite as well with critics.
The Da Vinci Code tells the story of Harvard professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) who, after being framed for the murder of Louvre curator Jacques Saunière, must unravel a mystery involving Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper. And though it’s not the best movie he’s ever made, it’s worth a watch for Hanks’ performance and the fantastic lineup of actors that includes such big names as Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany and Audrey Justine Tautou.
If you’ve never seen the film, it’s available to stream on Netflix starting from tomorrow. And even better, it’ll be joined by the follow-up movie Angels & Demons, which catches back up with Langdon for another exciting adventure.
There’s one tidbit of information you should know going into the two flicks, though, and that’s that strangely, while Brown’s novel version of Angels & Demons is actually set before the events of The Da Vinci Code, Howard chose to treat the film version as a sequel. So, while it may seem weird if you’re a fan of the books, you should absolutely watch The Da Vinci Code first, as Angels & Demons serves as Langdon’s second quest in the movie timeline.
If neither Tom Hanks effort is tickling your fancy, though, that’s not a problem, as Netflix has no shortage of incredible films and shows launching over the coming weeks and you can head through here to see the rest of December’s offerings.