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Netflix is the home to blockbuster films like Gone Girl with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, as well as original movies like Heartstopper Forever, starring Kit Connor and Joe Locke.
But the streamer also has a lot of under-the-radar flicks you’ve either never seen or have forgotten about.
Watch With Us is highlighting those movies in our Netflix weekend watch guide, with Anya Taylor-Joy’s breakout horror flick, The Witch, at the top of the list.
If you don’t want to be scared, stream Zola, a wild indie comedy starring Taylour Paige and Riley Keough.
The obscure 2021 film Old Henry recently topped Netflix’s most popular movie chart, so check out what made so many subscribers so curious about the little-known Western.
‘The Witch’ (2015)
Are you ready to live deliciously? Then tune into The Witch and be prepared to be a little spooked – and tempted. In director Robert Eggers’ folk horror film, an English family is banished from their Puritan settlement and forced to live on an isolated farm. They think they’re all alone until their youngest, Samuel, disappears and is soon found dead. The father, William (Ralph Inseon), believes a local witch (Bathsheba Garnett) is to blame, which makes his oldest daughter, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), curious about the woman – and what she can do. As more strange things occur, Thomasin not only believes her father but is convinced they’re all doomed to fall prey to the Witch’s black magic.
The Witch is a great example of elevated horror done right. Those expecting generic scares or gross-out possession scenes will be disappointed. Instead, The Witch is an atmospheric horror film that conjures a mood of mounting dread as it crawls to its jaw-dropping conclusion. If you liked what Eggers did with vampire lore in Nosferatu, you’ll like what he does with witchcraft and the Devil in The Witch.
‘Zola’ (2020)
Have you heard A’Ziah “Zola” King’s insane road trip story? Chances are you have if you were an active Twitter user around 2015. Her epic 148-tweet thread detailing her wild trip serves as the basis for Zola, an exhilarating film that’s part crime caper, part road movie and all chaotic fun.
It’s just another day at work for Detroit waitress Zola (Taylour Paige) until career stripper Stefani (Riley Keough) walks in. The two women instantly bond and, along with Stefani’s dim-bulb bf, Derrek (Nicholas Braun), soon drive down to Florida together for a wild weekend of sex, drugs and all-night partying. But Zola gets more than she bargains for when she discovers Stefani and her pimp, Abegunde “X” Olawale (Colman Domingo), are involved in sex trafficking. Zola is no angel, but she doesn’t want to break the law. When Stefani gets into trouble, and X threatens them both, she may not have a choice.
Zola is exactly what you’d expect from a movie based on a Twitter thread. It’s overly dramatic, addictively episodic and makes you question the veracity of its narrator. (Did all of this really happen?) Whether it’s true or not is beside the point; what’s more important is if Zola is as fun as it sounds. The answer is a resounding yes. If you’re a fan of films like Go with Katie Holmes and Spring Breakers with Selena Gomez, give Zola a spin.
Zola is streaming on Netflix.
‘Old Henry’ (2021)
Every once in a while, an obscure film no one’s ever heard of is added to Netflix and instantly becomes the streamer’s most popular movie – at least for a day or two. That happened earlier this month to Old Henry, a 2021 Western starring some of the finest character actors working in Hollywood. At the turn of the 20th century, Oklahoma farmer Henry McCarty (Tim Blake Nelson) and his teenage son, Wyatt (Gavin Lewis), live simple, uncomplicated lives. That quickly changes when they find a wounded man, Curry (Scott Haze), near their property. Curry claims to be a sheriff on the run from an outlaw posse who are out to kill him. Henry reluctantly takes him, but he soon regrets it when Curry’s enemies find him and demand he come with them.
It’s a classic Western setup, and Old Henry more or less follows the traditional narrative structure that dominates the genre. But the film also contains several surprises that make it stand out. The seemingly average Henry is stronger than he appears, and there’s a third-act reveal that will make you rethink who he is – and what he’s capable of. Old Henry doesn’t reach the heights of classics like Clint Eastwood‘s Unforgiven, but it’s a solid Western with good performances and a memorable finale.
Old Henry is streaming on Netflix.
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