Awards don’t always mean a great movie or a streaming session worth sitting through, but they do make narrowing down Netflix’s extensive catalog a little easier, especially when you are getting overwhelmed by new releases that flood your home page recommendations.
This month, a few acclaimed movies spanning genres are available to stream on Netflix U.S. If you’re only picking three, these are the ones I’d add to my watch list, especially my top recommendation, a gripping true story that captures one of the greatest space survival stories.
Talk to Me (2007)A legend who changed the conversation
Biographical dramas make for strong award (and My List) contenders, and Talk to Me is definitely one such movie. Not to be confused with the A24 horror movie of the same name, 2007’s Talk to Meis based on the true story of radio personality and civil activist Ralph “Petey” Greene. The film follows his rise from an ex-con to one of Washington D.C.’s most influential radio hosts during the 1960s.
As Greene’s outspoken voice reaches a wide range of listeners, he finds himself at the center of conversations about race, politics, and social change. The ups and downs of his personal life and career are explored, showing how he navigated fame while remaining unapologetically himself in a rapidly changing America.
Don Cheadle delivers a strong lead performance as Petey, capturing his wit and larger-than-life personality. Supported by performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, and Taraji P. Henson, Talk to Me takes a look at the influence of radio beyond entertainment. It won two NAACPImage Awards, including Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture (Kasi Lemmons) and Outstanding Writing for a Motion Picture (Michael Genet & Rick Famuyiwa).
Gone GirlThere are two sides to every story
If you love psychological thrillers, Gone Girlis a great movie—and one of my top book-to-movie adaptations ever—to check out on Netflix this month. Based on the bestselling thriller by Gillian Flynn, the plot centers on the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), who goes missing on the morning of her fifth wedding anniversary, placing her husband Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) under an intense media spotlight as suspicion surrounding the case grows. Slowly, the movie peels back the layers of their relationship and who they are as people, revealing ugly scars beneath the facade of a seemingly perfect marriage.
Gone Girl stays fiercely loyal to the book, with Pike bringing Amy’s character to life in bone-chilling ways. The movie nails the thrilling second act that had my jaw on the floor when I first read Flynn’s thriller masterpiece. Pike’s and Affleck’s intense performances (supported by Neil Patrick Harris) and David Fincher’s masterful direction earned the film several award nominations.
At the 87th Academy Awards, Pike received a nomination for Best Actress. Gone Girl won a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Flynn), and an Empire Award for Best Actress (Pike).
Apollo 13A mission that changed space history
My top pick from this week’s award-winning additions is also one of the greatest space dramas ever made. Based on the real-life 1970 lunar mission, Apollo 13 follows astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise after an explosion aboard their spacecraft turns what should have been a routine journey into a fight for survival. With limited resources and a ticking clock, the crew must work together while, back on Earth, NASA engineers scramble to bring them home with a refusal to abandon them.
Directed by Ron Howard, Apollo 13 balances a visual spectacle with the real emotions behind one of NASA’s most famous missions. Anchored by excellent lead performances from Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton, it keeps the tension high, even if you already know how the story ends.
Apollo 13 won two Academy Awards (Best Film Editing and Best Sound) and two BAFTA Film Awards (Best Production Design and Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects), among many other awards.
Don’t ignore the monthly release slate
Netflix is constantly releasing new movies and shows, but it also refreshes its collection of older and classic titles at the start of every month through licensed additions. They’re easy to miss among the hot new releases, but some of the most celebrated films and shows are on the service.