Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To GeekNetflix has plenty of new titles competing for attention every week. However, I sometimes prefer to revisit something that has already proven itself. Award-winning movies may not be everyone’s favorite, but they’re great to explore when I want to get out of my Netflix doomscroll.
This weekend, I’ve picked three different award-winning movies currently streaming on Netflix U.S., spanning from a bizarre survival story to a strong historical piece, with my first pick being a top book-to-movie adaptation. Here is all you need to know.
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Swiss Army Man
A dead end with a new beginning
It’s difficult to explain Swiss Army Man without sounding a little ridiculous, but this is a movie worth your time if you’re open to more eccentric stories. The surreal comedy film follows Hank, a man stranded on a deserted island who has almost given up hope of getting home. In a turn of events, he discovers a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) washed ashore. Hank then “befriends” this body, which sets off a bizarre fight for survival.
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe make the odd premise work far better than it appears. There’s plenty of weirdness to navigate here, but it remains a great movie at the intersection of dark humor and emotion.
Swiss Army Man won the Directing Award for U.S. Dramatic at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival for directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaking duo better known as the Daniels. Years later, the pair went on to make Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned them Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.
Cast
Daniel Radcliffe, Paul Dano, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Antonia Ribero, Timothy Eulich, Richard Gross, Marika Casteel, Andy Hull, Aaron Marshall, Shane Carruth, Jessica Harbeck
Runtime
97 minutes
Director
Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan
Writers
Daniel Scheinert, Dan Kwan
Producers
Eyal Rimmon, Miranda Bailey, Lawrence Inglee, Lauren Mann, Jonathan Wang
Main Genre
Adventure
Executive Producer(s)
Gideon Tadmor, William Olsson, Jim Kaufman
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Selma
The march toward change
A heavier watch but an incredible one nonetheless, Selma holds a special place in the hearts of history and film enthusiasts alike.
Ava DuVernay’s historical drama follows Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights activists who fought for voting rights in the 1960s. The movie focuses on the historic marches from Selma to Montgomery. Selma highlights the risks that these activists took, which feel very personal and real instead of painting the film as a documentary-like narrative.
David Oyelowo gives a powerful performance as King, while the film shows how much work, fear, and persistence went into the movement. Selma won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Glory,” performed by John Legend and Common.
Cast
Carmen Ejogo, David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Andre Holland, Colman Domingo, Common, Stephan James, Omar J. Dorsey, LaKeith Stanfield, Oprah Winfrey, Tessa Thompson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Kent Faulcon, Lorraine Toussaint, Alessandro Nivola, David Dwyer, E. Roger Mitchell, Dylan Baker, Ledisi, Niecy Nash-Betts, Corey Reynolds, Wendell Pierce
Runtime
128 minutes
Director
Ava DuVernay
Writers
Paul Webb, Ava DuVernay
Producers
Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey
Main Genre
History
Budget
$20 million
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures, 20th Century
Executive Producer(s)
Ava DuVernay, Brad Pitt, Cameron McCracken, Diarmuid McKeown, Nan Morales, Nik Bower, Paul Goodwin Garnes
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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A mystery that gets under your skin
If I’m in the mood for something darker, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the first movies I’d reach for and is my top pick for the week.
David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy family’s daughter decades earlier. His investigation eventually brings him together with Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant yet troubled hacker who partners up with him to uncover what happened. As they dig deeper, the mystery becomes darker than either of them signed up for.
Rooney Mara’s performance as Lisbeth gives the movie a lot of edge, complemented by Daniel Craig’s grounded acting. Adding to that, Fincher’s cold and unsettling direction makes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo an excellent watch for a gloomy movie night.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing at the 84th Academy Awards. It also received four additional Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Rooney Mara.
Cast
Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Steven Berkoff, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg, Bengt C.W. Carlsson, Tony Way, Per Myrberg, Josefin Asplund, Eva Fritjofson, Moa Garpendal, Maia Hansson Bergqvist, Sarah Appelberg, Julian Sands, Anna Björk, Gustaf Hammarsten, Simon Reithner, David Dencik
Runtime
158 minutes
Director
David Fincher
Writers
Steven Zaillian
Producers
Ceán Chaffin, Ole Søndberg, Scott Rudin, Søren Stærmose
Sequel(s)
The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest
Franchise(s)
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Main Genre
Thriller
Budget
$90 million
Studio(s)
20th Century
Distributor(s)
20th Century
Executive Producer(s)
Mikael Wallen, Steven Zaillian
Explore what’s new
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Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
Live TV
No
Price
Starting at $8/month
