Netflix recommendations

[kittyP]

Also I thought Maniac was a revelation. Just brilliantly quirky, funny, odd and thought provoking stuff

 

[Spymaster]

Watched that on Sunday night. Brutal as fuck.

Finished it last night. It doesn’t pull any punches does it.

 

[dervish]

Just started with Maniac, liking it so far.

 

[DexterTCN]

For those who've seen The Haunting of Hill House.

The Ghosts You Missed In The Haunting Of Hill House

 

[Mordi]

The Free State of Jones is pretty good.

 

[keybored]

Halfway through 22 July at the moment. It's pretty fucking brutal.

Watched that on Sunday night. Brutal as fuck.

Which one did you two watch?
U: July 22 (Utøya 22. Juli)
22 July
Edit: Sorry, just realised this is the Netflix thread

 

[Reno]

Which one did you two watch?
U: July 22 (Utøya 22. Juli)
22 July
Edit: Sorry, just realised this is the Netflix thread

I saw Utøya 22. Juli at this years Berlin film festival and I thought it was shit. It felt they thought they had to make a film about the case but it had nothing to say, apart from that the whole thing was just awful. It felt exploitative, more like a cheap horror film based around the gimmick of all being done in one shot. From what I’ve read the Paul Greengrass film on Netflix has more context than just watching as kids are getting shot. I’ll watch it eventually but I‘m in no rush.

 

[Mordi]

I saw Utøya 22. Juli at this years Berlin film festival and I thought it was shit. It felt they thought they had to make a film about the case but it had nothing to say, apart from that the whole thing was just awful. It felt exploitative, more like a cheap horror film based around the gimmick of all being done in one shot. From what I’ve read the Paul Greengrass film on Netflix has more context than just watching as kids are getting shot. I’ll watch it eventually but I‘m in no rush.

Out of interest, have you seen either of the versions of Elephant? 'Cos that's literally all it is. The original was definitely effective, the Gus van Sant version I'm not convinced about and a repeat of the experience tied to yet another incidence of mass murder sounds even more depressing.
Not that I'm saying you should watch more films about this sort of thing.

 

[Reno]

Out of interest, have you seen either of the versions of Elephant? 'Cos that's literally all it is. The original was definitely effective, the Gus van Sant version I'm not convinced about and a repeat of the experience tied to yet another incidence of mass murder sounds even more depressing.
Not that I'm saying you should watch more films about this sort of thing.

I’m not sure which film you are referring to. There are several films inspired by the Colombine massacre and/or other school shootings, but there isn‘t another version of Elephant. I thought Elephant was a good film, it took an unusual approach and it was very concerned with not being exploitative. I can see how it may be too academic or experimental for some.

The best film about a school shooting which I’ve seen is Denis Villeneuve‘s Polytechnique, which was about the 1989 Montreal École Polytechnique massacre.

 

[Mordi]

I’m not sure which film you are referring to. There are several films inspired by the Colombine massacre and/or other school shootings, but there isn‘t another version of Elephant. I thought Elephant was a good film, it took an unusual approach and it was very concerned with not being exploitative. I can see how it may be too academic or experimental for some.

The best film about a school shooting which I’ve seen is Denis Villeneuve‘s Polytechnique, which was about the 1989 Montreal École Polytechnique massacre.

This is the one I meant. I found it profoundly upsetting and disorienting because of the refusal of narrative. It's literally just a sequence of people preparing to, and then killing other people, with almost no dialogue.

It's been a long time since I've seen Van Sant film, but I thought it was attempting a similar trick but because it was all one single incident and with different narrative paths following characters it lacked the same impact.

I thought your description of the U22 film as simply portraying the murders one after another might be trying something similar, but with the same problems.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Clarkie's film is superb, proper gut punch stuff. His other ‘war films’ (Psy Warriors and Contact) are both very good in different ways too.

Elephant in four chunks:

Elephant by Alan Clarke - Partie 1 - Vidéo dailymotion

Elephant by Alan Clarke - Partie 2 - Vidéo dailymotion

Elephant by Alan Clarke - Partie 3 - Vidéo dailymotion

Elephant by Alan Clarke - Partie 4 - Vidéo dailymotion

 

[Sweet FA]

I’m not sure which film you are referring to. There are several films inspired by the Colombine massacre and/or other school shootings, but there isn‘t another version of Elephant. I thought Elephant was a good film, it took an unusual approach and it was very concerned with not being exploitative. I can see how it may be too academic or experimental for some.

The best film about a school shooting which I’ve seen is Denis Villeneuve‘s Polytechnique, which was about the 1989 Montreal École Polytechnique massacre.

The first one: BFI Screenonline: Elephant (1989)

 

[Reno]

I’ve never seen the Alan Clarke film. I’ve read that Gus Van Sant was inspired to take the title Elephant because he liked the metaphor of the “elephant in the living room” Clarke referenced. It’s not like the two films I’ve compared, which are two films based on the same case. Only talking about the Gus Van Sant film, I think he went to great lengths to avoid the exploitative aspects of Utøya 22. Juli. I’ve only seen the Van Sant Elephant when it came out and I respected what it did but didn’t love it. Utøya 22. Juli I thought was offensive.

 

[sojourner]

We watched the last 2 eps of Hill House last night. Was gripped all the way through, thought it a beautiful unfurling, but yeh - that ending was fucking wank What a let down. It felt like a last minute re-write tbh, just wasn't consistent with the rest of the writing.

 

[girasol]

Randomly watched a couple of episodes of The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell | Netflix Official Site and I'm still a bit wtf? about it. I reckon only about 5 human beings on this planet would have the patience, skills and time to do the stuff she's done so far - so that's probably why she explains how she does them very briefly - that's clearly not what the show is about... I still don't know what the show is about. It could have been a kids show but it's a tad too dark (2nd episode there's talk of murder and torture), it's definitely not a cookery show. I will watch more though, it's sort of intriguing, can be amusing and the things she makes are very impressive. Also there are puppets and they are sort of evil.

Here's the review I read after watching first two episodes Netflix's 'The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell' Is a Perfectly Creepy Cooking Show

I did wonder what sort of fridge she has when she said she was going to pop this humongous cake back in it (there were a few moments like that in the show, where you think 'wait, what?')

 

[T & P]

Randomly watched a couple of episodes of The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell | Netflix Official Site and I'm still a bit wtf? about it. I reckon only about 5 human beings on this planet would have the patience, skills and time to do the stuff she's done so far - so that's probably why she explains how she does them very briefly - that's clearly not what the show is about... I still don't know what the show is about. It could have been a kids show but it's a tad too dark (2nd episode there's talk of murder and torture), it's definitely not a cookery show. I will watch more though, it's sort of intriguing, can be amusing and the things she makes are very impressive. Also there are puppets and they are sort of evil.

Here's the review I read after watching first two episodes Netflix's 'The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell' Is a Perfectly Creepy Cooking Show

I did wonder what sort of fridge she has when she said she was going to pop this humongous cake back in it (there were a few moments like that in the show, where you think 'wait, what?')

We had exactly the same thoughts as you, but ended up watching all six episodes. And I'm still not sure what this show was about or who the target audience might have been

She does make an incredible chocolate spooky mansion towards the end though- even more so than the house in your image.

 

[girasol]

We had exactly the same thoughts as you, but ended up watching all six episodes. And I'm still not sure what this show was about or who the target audience might have been

She does make an incredible chocolate spooky mansion towards the end though- even more so than the house in your image.

Now she's making a dress! There's no end to her skills! That's Dita Von Teese in the mirror!!

 

[T & P]

Now she's making a dress! There's no end to her skills! That's Dita Von Teese in the mirror!!

I know . Clearly they are mates. And without spoiling anything for you, there's more stuff that happens that renders the programme a bit unsuitable for younger audiences.

I'm sure the weird ambiguity of the show is quite deliberate; it almost seeks to confound audiences and annoy critics. When the main character acts in the bits that are storytelling rather than cookery advice, her acting is decisively wooden/ disinterested. But it all works somehow.

Very talented craftswoman anyway. Those spiders (don't know if you've seen them yet) she creates were incredibly realistic.

 

[BoxRoom]

Apostle

I'm just going to leave that there...

Nuts, innit!

For a while after we were all "wait... what about that bit... and was that...?? WTF generally, mate"

 

[kittyP]

Now she's making a dress! There's no end to her skills! That's Dita Von Teese in the mirror!!

I watched all of them and I have no idea why I liked it but I did.

It also has elements of those ASMR videos that people watch.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Nuts, innit!

For a while after we were all "wait... what about that bit... and was that...?? WTF generally, mate"

Absolutely nuts! I loved it

The Purification

 

[danny la rouge]

We watched Ozark episode one. Not sure if I’ll watch another. The scenario is fine. But I don’t find anything interesting about the main characters. I don’t mind immoral and unlikeable lead characters. But I do require something interesting, whether that’s charisma, or personality, or even just that their actions may have an impact on children who have those things. (In Breaking Bad, Walt Jnr had terrific charisma, for example. Walt Snr, while a complete cunt, was at least interesting to watch).

In Ozark, it actually took me three quarters of the episode for me to work out who the leading man was. There was nothing remarkable about him.

Spoiler

After I’d worked out the episode was about him, I assumed he’d be killed and his wife would be left having to repay the money*. I wouldn’t have missed him. Not even in a “I hope he dies” sort of way. Just literally no investment in him one way or the other. Personality vacuum. Same for the kids. His wife (where do I recognise her from?), although not a nice person, at least made an impact.

*If I do watch episode two, it will purely be to find out if this happens in episode two to set up the rest of the season.

The lake looks pretty though.

 

[passenger]

Watched all of Haunting this weekend. I really enjoyed it esp how they dealt with trauma and the how much of this is in their heads type think. Absolutely loved Luke and Nell, proper heartbroken for the pair of them. I had hopes for a different ending though.

Looks brilliant but might not be a good idea, I live on my own
not sure what to do

 

[passenger]

Not sure if I’ll watch another. danny la rouge i have watched both seasons worth watching its really good.

 

[passenger]

[..

 

[danny la rouge]

[..

If you’re hinting I was right about what’s in the spoiler tag, then I’m heartened and will watch on.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Making A Murderer Part 2 is available from today...

 

[Nanker Phelge]

If you’re hinting I was right about what’s in the spoiler tag, then I’m heartened and will watch on.

You are not, but you should.

Season one has issues, characters don't develop as quickly, but they do develop, and new and interesting characters are added that make it much better. Julia Garner as Ruth goes on to be fantastic, and owns the screen whenever she is in a scene.

Season 2 has some outstanding performances and great story lines.

I've really enjoyed it after initially thinking it was a Breaking Bad rip off....it's not.

 

[passenger]

If you’re hinting I was right about what’s in the spoiler tag, then I’m heartened and will watch on.

not sure about spoliler tag thing .... watch it really has something going for it,roles at its own pace , let us know mate how you get on.

 

[danny la rouge]

not sure about spoliler tag thing .... watch it really has something going for it,roles at its own pace , let us know mate how you get on.

We’ve just watched episode 2 and 3. Episode two was much better than episode one. The characters were far more interesting. New, interesting, characters arrived, bringing more interesting dynamics.

My advice to anyone starting the series: skip episode one. There’s nothing in it that isn’t explained in episode two. And episode one’s a dud. The actors aren’t yet in their swing, it’s an hour of redundancy, plot-wise, and the vibe that starts to grow in episode two hasn’t arrived yet.