Netflix has been a godsend during the COVID-19 crisis, allowing us to wile away our isolation hours in cinematic, high definition bliss. And yet, most of us can attest to the paralysing effect of too much choice, with nothing standing out as we scroll through a seemingly endless list of movies.
In this article, we’ve picked five must watch movies on Netflix Australia that offer gorgeous cinematography, sublime soundtracks, and captivating stories that will keep you entertained for hours.
Blade Runner 2049
Image from Architectural Digest
Ridley Scott’s sequel to his 1982 cult classic doesn’t disappoint. The cinematography is gorgeous, running the gamut from stark, sweeping landscapes, to fluorescent, retro-futuristic cities that will look incredible on your home theatre system. In fact, the movie won two of industry’s biggest cinematography awards in 2018: the Academy Award, and the BAFTA.
The soundtrack is dynamite too, with music legend Hans Zimmer composing a haunting collection of tracks that set the perfect tone for the movie, and will sound fantastic on your speaker system.
Saving Private Ryan
Image from Empire
Saving Private Ryan is 22 years old, but you wouldn’t know it when rewatching the movie. Steven Spielberg transports you back to World War II with a skill envied by other directors. Can any other filmmaker match the terror and chaos of the opening scene, as America’s infantry charge down the Nazi machine guns on Omaha Beach? Or the thunderous roar of the panzers as they roll into the levelled French village of Ramelle, waiting to be ambushed?
The movie also took home the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in its year.
Moonlight
Image from Medium
Moonlight is a slow burning drama about a black man’s struggle with homosexuality. It’s a masterpiece that immerses you with its dreamlike cinematic style, bathing the moon-drenched city of Miami in dazzling fluorescence, and giving you little choice but to feel for the movie’s protagonist Chiron. From his heartbreaking experiences as a young boy, to his hard-skinned defenses as an adult, the movie is a rollercoaster of emotions and a cinematic wonder.
It took home the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2018, and rightly so.
Interstellar
Image from Empire
With monumental titles such as The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and Inception under his belt, Christopher Nolan took on his biggest project yet with sci-fi epic Interstellar. Nobody was surprised by the scale of his vision and the magnificence of the movie, and combined with the musical genius of long-term collaborator Hans Zimmer, it proudly sits among the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.
The film is also renowned for its scientific accuracy, with Nolan hiring teams of physicists (including the famous Kip Thorne) to ensure that his visuals were on point. The famous “Gargantua” black hole scenes are celebrated for their visual accuracy, and when projected onto your high-definition home theatre, become even more ominous.
Interstellar won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. A Netflix Australia movie list wouldn’t be complete without it.
A Quiet Place
Image from Esquire
This 2018 horror is about killer creatures with exceptional hearing, who swoop in to claim anyone who speaks above a whisper. The use of sound throughout the movie is incredible, used to skillfully portray the experiences of a young deaf girl navigating the environment, as well as creating a distressing suspense that will make your heart leap when the hideous monsters are finally revealed.
A Quiet Place was the horror movie of 2018.