This May, Netflix wants you to laugh, cry and maybe battle some futuristic pirates in a post-apocalyptic world.
All this month, Netflix is adding a slew of new movies from virtually every known genre and featuring some of Hollywood’s most famous actors.
Watch With Us has compiled a brief weekend streaming guide for any Netflix subscriber looking to be entertained.
From the Robert De Niro comedy Meet the Parents to the Kevin Costner action picture Waterworld, there’s plenty to watch over these next three days.
‘Meet the Parents’ (2000)
Who would’ve thought a sweet — if not derivative — comedy about a man meeting his in-laws would become a blockbuster comedy franchise? Whatever you think of the sequels, you have to give the original Meet the Parents its due — the film is often very funny, and it still elicits laughs today.
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Ben Stiller stars as Greg, a humble nurse who wants to marry his longtime girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo). He needs her father Jack’s (De Niro) permission and approval, and he’s not so willing to give his daughter away to just anyone. To make matters worse for Greg, Jack used to be a CIA agent and uses all of his government training to find out if Greg is the right man to marry his daughter. All Greg wants is to live happily ever after with Pam, but Jack has other plans for her — and they don’t involve Greg.
What makes Meet the Parents work is the odd-couple chemistry between Stiller and De Niro. Stiller’s nervous energies complement De Niro’s laid-back menace, which sets the stage for several comical situations that keep getting more absurd — and hysterical. Another sequel, Focker-in-Law, is slated for release later this year and brings back the OG cast plus Ariana Grande as Greg’s would-be daughter-in-law.
Meet the Parents is streaming on Netflix.
‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ (1991)
What becomes of the brokenhearted? That’s the central question Fried Green Tomatoes aims to answer, and it’s also the title of the song that pops up throughout the film. Based on the hit Fannie Flagg novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, this excellent 1991 film chronicles two friendships in two different periods: Evelyn (Kathy Bates) and Ninny’s (Jessica Tandy) in the ‘80s, and Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker) in the ‘30s. All four women endure the highs and lows of life, including abusive husbands, ungrateful family members and brushes with the law, but the one that they can rely on is each other.
I’m aware that what I just described sounds like a Hallmark Channel movie, but Fried Green Tomatoes is better and richer than your run-of-the-mill female-bonding “chick flick.” That’s due largely to the fantastic performances by the four leading actresses, specifically Tandy, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Masterson, who should’ve been nominated that year for Best Actress. Together, they create a rich tapestry of 20th-century Southern life that was fraught with economic instability, inequality between men and women and racial segregation. The film’s ending is surprising in its refusal to be downbeat for the sake of a cheap cry.
Fried Green Tomatoes is streaming on Netflix.
‘Waterworld’ (1995)
In 1995, all people could talk about was Waterworld — and for all the wrong reasons. The Kevin Costner-led film underwent a troubled production, which included numerous reshoots, the original director on the outs and the budget ballooning to a then-astronomical $175 million (now the average cost of a Marvel superhero film). The end result was a surprisingly ordinary sci-fi flick that wasn’t as bad as everyone thought it would be. That’s faint praise, but it’s still praise.
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In 2500, the polar ice caps have completely melted, resulting in the sea level rising and rendering almost the entire world underwater. The remnants of humanity survive on boats and makeshift islands, which is where the villainous pirate Deacon (Dennis Hooper) frequently operates. He’s looking for a little girl, Enola (Tina Majorino), who holds the key to finding the mythical Dryland, but she’s under the guardianship of The Mariner (Costner), a mutant loner who just wants to be left alone. Deacon always gets what he wants, though, and he’ll kill anyone, including The Mariner, to claim the Dryland as his own.
While Waterworld doesn’t look like the most expensive movie ever made, it’s still impressive. The action sequences, particularly the opening battle between The Mariner and Deacon’s pirates, are impressive, and the special effects are convincing enough to make you believe Earth has been submerged. Costner is miscast and seems a little lost at times, but Hopper’s over-the-top villains make up for his costar’s dim-bulb energy.
Waterworld is streaming on Netflix.
