Now that coronavirus cases are spiking thanks to states who thought it necessary to prematurely relax their social distancing guidelines, don’t look surprised if the entirety of America finds itself under a second lockdown pretty soon. If that happens, our faith in humanity may be lost indefinitely, but at least we’ve got Netflix to help us drown our sorrows in a sea of content. And, to that end, here are some of the best originals currently available on the platform that you may want to watch this month.
Let’s start with some topical entries first. In light of the recent civil rights protests following the death of George Floyd and other African American victims of police brutality and systematic racism, the streamer got busy acquiring a ton of content by, for and/or about minority cultures in order to foster better understanding in this highly diverse nation.
Just one film which fits into the newly-created Black Lives Matter category is the Oscar-nominated Strong Island. Directed by Yance Ford and initially released in 2017, this documentary unearths the 1992 killing of none other than the filmmaker’s own brother, William Ford Jr., who was only 24 years old when he died. If you want to see more of these untold stories, you should also check out Malik Vitthal’s Imperial Dreams, which follows the struggle of an incarcerated gangster to escape his past and save his future.
Although it’s somewhat inappropriate for the time, Netflix also has tons of critically-acclaimed movies that do not dabble in social justice. One is Orson Welles’ final film The Other Side of the Wind. Never finished by the time of his death, this partly-autobiographical picture tells the story of an aging filmmaker who tries to stay relevant when he’s being eclipsed by his students.
But these are just the tip of the iceberg. Among others, Netflix is also home to the romcom Our Souls At Night, horror comedy The Babysitter, the pre-Uncut Gems Adam Sandler spoof Murder Mystery and, of course, mega hit Extraction, starring Chris Hemsworth in a wildly entertaining action romp. If none of those appeal to you, though, check out the full list of What’s On Netflix‘s recommendations via the link below and see if you can find something that piques your interest.