“Netflix and No Chill: The Original Programming That You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX”

“Netflix and No Chill: The Original Programming That You Might Be Missing on NETFLIX”

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my single homies out there! This review is all for you; while certain members of the population (see: those in a relationship) will be all about “Netflix and chilling” this week, I got your backs! (Just, probably not in the way you want me to…)(wait…did that just get weird?...) A lot of “original programming” has been released by Netflix in the last few months, and this review is all about the ones you should not be distracted from viewing. So enjoy your alone time with these gems!

Drama

IMPERIAL DREAMS

(2014, TV-MA, 87 minutes, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/SUPER CRIPSY)

This lyrically poignant film about a reformed gangster/single father trying to do right by his son is like a slow boil that nearly explodes. Which is one of the wonders of this rise-above-your-environment tale; it promises you violence, dictates how you will experience this film, and then gives you a dose of reality at the end instead. John Boyega (ATTACK THE BLOCK, STAR WARS) plays aspiring writer “Bambi”, a young man who just wants better for his son. While there are a couple of actors here that do not seem up to the task, the relationship between Bambi and his boy (played by twins Ethan and Justin Coach) is what will keep you enthralled. That, and the soundtrack, and the cinematographic eye of Monika Lenczewska, lift this film above your standard “escape the hood” fare in which it’s all about looking cool and sounding cooler. The writing adds a certain artistry to this already compelling drama. And keep an eye on veteran actor Glenn Plummer’s role of “Uncle Shrimp”—intensely unpredictable, he is the embodiment of everything Bambi needs to escape from, and at times has a message that is all too clear: “there’s a reason we are what we are” never sounded so damning.

Science Fiction/Action

iBOY

(2017, TV-MA, 90 minutes, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/WIGWAM FILMS)

Being a teenage boy sucks; there’s the girl you can never work up the nerve to ask out, the bullies and gangs running the school hallways and the streets, the bits of phone stuck in your head that give you the ability to control every electronic device around you… What could have been a campy super-hero origin story is given a huge boost by every actor in this production that takes the material seriously—which is all of them. Yes, there are a few stereotypes (the bullies, the wannabe gangsters, geeky high school kid getting super powers), but the film rolls out smoothly enough. One of the upsides is the smart writing of Joe Barton, who has our hero Tom (played by the quietly effective Bill Milner—LOCKE and SON OF RAMBOW) does what every teenager with the ability to control electronics would do: screw with people. “Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams plays Tom’s love interest, and she is just as confident and strong here as she ever was as “Arya Stark”. This one is a quick hour and a half, and will keep you entertained, if not wanting more.

Horror/Comedy/TV

SANTA CLARITA DIET

(2017, TV-MA, 300 minutes—ten episodes, approx. 30 min. each, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/KAPITAL ENTERTAINMENT)

Drew Barrymore is a California mom turned functioning zombie, and Timothy Olyphant plays her husband, who does his best to be her meat pimp. At first, this may seem like your typical sitcom with added swearing and a whole lotta blood. But as you continue watching, you’ll see that there is a (still beating) heart to this nasty little slice of suburbia. The varied situations this family finds itself in may tend to get a tad predictable, but it is how this once normal unit reacts to every disastrous turn that will keep you watching. I would be remiss for not also mentioning the performance of Liv Hewson, who plays daughter to the panicking parents; she has a genuine honesty that plays well against the life-changing events occurring around her. And guest-starring turns by Nathan Fillion, Patton Oswalt, and Portia de Rossi don’t hurt, either. Probably not binge worthy, as some of the gags (PUN ALERT!) can get a bit redundant, but there is a biting (really, I’m not even going to apologize for that one) humor here that your regular sitcoms just don’t have.

Drama/International TV

GLITCH

(2015, TV-MA, Approx. 6 hrs—6 episodes, 55 min. each, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMPANY)

Damn those Australians and their awesome accents! This compelling and horribly engrossing Aussie TV show has been given the Netflix green-light for a second season, thank the Sweet Baby Hey-Zeus. Patrick Brammall stars as small town sheriff James Hayes, a widower who stumbles upon six people crawling from their graves late one night. Sounds like a zombie fest, eh? WRONG. There is a deep, dark mystery here, and if these are zombies, they aren’t your typical “hungry for brains” variety. The acting is superb, the writing smart, and the cast gets on well together. The second season will be available later in the year, and this series is totally binge worthy, so dig in! Or, dig out, as some of the main characters had to do…

BLACK MIRROR

(2011-, TV-MA, Approx. 60 minutes per episode, NETFLIX ORIGINALS/CHANNEL FOUR)

This modern “Twilight Zone” meets The Virtual World is in its third season, and there is good reason for that: each episode is a stand-alone jab at our dependence on the electronic devices that help us through our daily lives. Each season has gotten longer, but with writing as good as this, that’s a plus. Some of the tales are rife with a biting, satirical view of our reluctance to give up our phones, our Internet, and our swipe left or right mentality. The third season kicks off with an obvious kick to the mummy & daddy bits of Tinder, and turns into a strong case against cyber bullying and just plain setting yourself free. The strongest episode could have been the third, but the ninety-minute final episode that plays like a wide release film has some of the strongest acting and tightest writing. Really not a bad episode in the lot, and totally worth bingeing. Although you may never look at your cell phone the same way again…

Previously reviewed and not to be missed:

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (1 Season)

STRANGER THINGS (1 Season)

THE FALL (3 Seasons)

Skip:

Everything with Adam Sandler. Seriously.

--T.S. Kummelman