When you’re tired of watching The Office for the tenth time, these are some movies that might be worth checking out.  As you know, Netflix regularly updates its selections.  Many of these are also available on On Demand and other outlets. These movies are listed in no particular order.

! Please note: A number of these films are rated R and therefore contain sensitive material. !

Shawshank Redemption:  You haven’t seen this?!?  It’s one of the most beloved American movies of the past thirty years.  It’s about a guy wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his wife and how he has to learn to accept life on different terms.  There isn’t a person in the world who, after seeing this movie, doesn’t count it as one of his/her favorites. (R – Language, Violence, Sexuality)

Raiders of the Lost Ark:  This is the first Indiana Jones movie and not only is it the best of the bunch, it’s one of the most enjoyable movies you’ll ever see. And let’s be honest… if you haven’t seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, your parents might need to go to jail for denying you popular culture! (PG)

Molly’s Game:  This is a great true story about a woman who ran a high stakes poker game for celebrities, athletes, tycoons, and mobsters.  She ends up getting investigated by the FBI when things get crazy in the end.  The film stars acclaimed actress Jessica Chastain and the screenplay, from tv legend Aaron Sorkin, was nominated for many awards. (R-Language)

Hostiles:  This is a GREAT modern western with Christian Bale in it.  He plays a soldier given the task of returning an indian prisoner to his native lands.  It becomes a very dark road trip movie and has some pretty intense violence in it, but I really liked it.  Definitely worth a watch. (R-Language, Violence, Sexuality)

The Social Network:  This is the story of Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook when he was a student at Harvard.  It’s directed by David Fincher, one of the great visual filmmakers in the business.  It stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, but it also stars Armie Hammer in the dual role of the Winklevoss twins, the brothers who sued Zuckerberg for stealing their idea.  Check out the cool use of CGI to have two of one actor on screen all the time.  The soundtrack for the movie is really great and won an Oscar for Trent Reznor, former leader of the band Nine Inch Nails.  A good movie about how a social misfit created a social networking empire. (PG-13)

Mystic River:  This is a Clint Eastwood-directed drama about a man, played by Sean Penn, whose daughter is kidnapped and murdered.  Like any father, Penn is consumed and nearly destroyed by his grief but is determined to find the murderer, even after the police cannot manage to do so themselves.  The movie ends up becoming a real moral dilemma, which is my favorite kind of story. (R-Language, Violence)

Okja:  If you watched Parasite and are curious about other Bong Joon-ho movies, then check out Okja.  Most of his movies have social commentary woven into the plot.  This film, about a young farm girl and her bio-engineered cow-like pet, has a lot to say about genetic testing, animal rights, and the slaughterhouse industry.  I enjoyed it. (unrated)

My Girl:  OMG… what a sweet little movie.  This movie is so cute.  I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s a great coming-of-age movie about this young girl being raised by a single father.  Macauley Culkin (around the time of Home Alone) has a great role as her best friend. (PG-13)

Drive:  This is a cool heist/crime sort of film with Ryan Gosling in it.  It has this great 80’s influenced soundtrack.  I remember choosing between seeing it and something else and was so glad I chose Drive.  It’s just kind of stylish and different.  My 19 year old son loves it, if that means anything to you! (R-Language, Intense Violence)

Groundhog Day:  Hey… a comedy!!!  Most of the movies on this list are dramas, but Groundhog Day is one of the most revered comedies ever to grace the silver screen in recent years.  Starring Bill Murray as a newsman who suddenly finds himself reliving the same day over and over again, it becomes a touching story about the things you should value in life.  I didn’t love it as much as some people, but the end message is really good. (PG)

The King’s Speech:  This is a GREAT movie.  It won four of the major Oscars in its day and is the story of the former King of England who suffered from a terrible stutter.  He gets a speech therapist, played wonderfully by Geoffrey Rush, and learns self-confidence along the way.  Some very cool photography in this movie in addition to the great acting. (R-Language)

Scott Pilgrim vs the World:  I almost showed this movie in class because of its fantastic edits and transitions.  It’s about this boy who has to fight his girlfriend’s many ex-boyfriends. It stars Michael Cera, who’s always kind of the same dorky endearing character.  It’s a great mix of visuals and comic book action.  Probably longer than it needs to be, but a fun movie for sure. (PG-13)

Solo:  A Star Wars spin-off about the formative years of Han Solo, the character Harrison Ford made iconic in the 70s and 80s.  Though this movie had to stand up to a lot of criticism and is criminally underappreciated, I really enjoyed it.  It’s not bogged down by all of the empire/rebellion and jedi/sith lord stuff that hurts some of the other movies.  It’s just really fun.  A great sci-fi version of a cowboy movie. (PG-13)

Taxi Driver:  A legendary film from acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, Taxi Driver stars Robert DeNiro as a deranged NYC cab driver whose obsession with a few local girls sends him over the edge.  It was nominated for all kinds of awards and is considered one of the greatest and most influential movies ever made.  And if you liked Joker, that movie is clearly inspired by this one.  It’s certainly dark and disturbing but is also a very iconic film. (R- Language, Intense violence)