November's incoming Netflix lineup is another example of just how fine the perks of membership can be. Out of the newcomers, there are some old favorites we can't wait to revisit on the streaming giant in the month ahead. If you want to see this past month's notables, we have you covered, but we're about to dive into the best of what November has to offer.
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Vampire movies aren't what they used to be. It's hard imagining anyone creating a lush, gothic portrait of bloodlust like Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, simply because it's a film that is both flashy and brooding. Starring Gary Oldman as the head bloodsucker in charge, the film further marked director Coppola's walk down the path of the auteur, and considering he was coming off of The Godfather Part III, this is quite the rebound. It's just a shame that we never got that Anthony Hopkins led spinoff about Van Helsing, as this underrated delight could have used some company.
Cape Fear
When a remake works, it's usually because either the folks behind the film knew how to honor the content, or they knew how to put their own spin on it. Cape Fear represents both of those halves, as director Martin Scorsese took the 1962 classic and turned it into a 1991 affair that still holds up. Nick Nolte and Robert De Niro are the men playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse, after a conviction that should have never happened turns into a gruge for the ages. You've probably seen the memes this film has inspired, but you might not be laughing after you've seen their source, as it's quite chilling.
Children of Men
With Alfonso Cuaron's Roma debuting on Netflix in December, it makes sense to bring some of the director's work onto the streaming platform's lineup as an appetizer. Though in terms of food portions, Children of Men is one of those appetizers that feels like a whole meal on its own. Still holding a pretty well-regarded spot in modern film history, Clive Owen's quest to protect the first mother in a post-apocalyptic world is a technical marvel to behold, with some long take sequences that are still talked about to this day. That is, after people stop wiping their tears from recalling some of the movie's extremely powerful moments.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
It's easy to look back at Close Encounters of the Third Kind with a post-modern eye, and pick apart some of the film's questionable choices. In particular, the behavior of Richard Dreyfuss' Roy throughout the film versus his responsibilities as a father stick out in pretty much every conversation that comes up surrounding Steven Spielberg's film. Yet, it's just as easy to focus on the wonder of first contact that the film also paints a compelling picture of. It seems like a good time to re-watch the film, and open that discussion up once more.
Cloverfield
Earlier this year, Netflix released the latest film in the loosely bound Cloverfield series, The Cloverfield Paradox. Without spoiling it too much, there are some references that link the original film back into the third entry in the anthology. Which makes the first film's arrival into the Netflix pool all the more exciting, as those ties will be easier to identify through a double feature of the two films. Now all we need is 10 Cloverfield Lane added to the collection, and we'll be able to complete our flow chart of just how Howard Stambler's mutant worm theory works into the entire franchise.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is one of the best Marvel Studios origin stories, period. It treads familiar ground while nailing a character that we'd come to know and love in a cinematic context, and it's a lot of damned fun to watch. But we're guessing that's not why Benedict Cumberbatch's MCU debut is back on Netflix. Rather, it may have something to do with the good doctor's role in Avengers: Infinity War, which has us thinking that this is an early stage primer to help folks refresh themselves before watching this summer's blockbuster all over again, in preparation for next year's Avengers 4. Just a hunch.
From Dusk Till Dawn
Folks, it's time for more vampires. Don't expect frilly dresses and polite English accents this time out though, as the creatures of From Dusk Till Dawn are rougher and tougher than what you may have seen in that other film. George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino are the infamous Gekko Brothers, who are just trying to make their way to safety after scoring a hell of a payday. Just when they thought that innocent looking strip club / bar was going to provide them safety, some twists turn their night of celebration into one hell of a time.
Good Will Hunting
Every time Good Will Hunting comes up in conversation, it raises the question of why Matt Damon and Ben Affleck haven't written another film together. This touching story of genius untapped, and turning around one's life before it's too late, was an Academy Award winner for Damon and Affleck's script, as well as for Robin Williams' Best Supporting Actor performance as the title character's therapist. More importantly, it's just that damned good of a movie, and it'd be nice to see the two friends reunite for a new writing project down the line. For now though, we'll just revel in this film's return to Netflix streaming.
Julie & Julia
Biopics are hard, as anyone whose seen a handful of them will tell you. Somehow, Julie & Julia not only manages to do a decent job of telling the Hollywood version of two separate women's stories, it's also one of the better food-centric movies that are out there. Splitting focus between Amy Adams' Julie Powell and Meryl Streep's Julia Childs, we learn more about each woman through their routines and their cuisine. The added bonus of Stanley Tucci playing Julia's husband, Paul, is the cherry on top of this feel-good movie.
National Lampoon's Animal House
While it's too late to qualify as a "back to school" addition, it's never too late to enjoy National Lampoon's Animal House again! Delta House's antics have not only surprisingly aged well, but they also seem to get better as time passes, and that's saying a lot when it comes to the field of farcical comedy. The word classic applies to this film in every sense of the word, so feel free to pledge yourself to this fraternity of laughter once again.
Green Room
We close out this month's festivities with director Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room, which arrives not to long after his latest film, Hold The Dark, wowed audiences on Netflix in the closing days of September. Through these two films, you can definitely identify a pattern of what type of story the director likes to tell, but this film might be the better example. Watching Anton Yelchin and his co-stars face off against Patrick Stewart and his goons makes for a terrific thriller, and if you haven't seen it yet, you really need to get onboard.
