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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New on Netflix May 31-June 6: 7 new TV shows and movies to stream this week, picked by our editor
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Want to find yourself something new on Netflix this week, for a binge-watch or just an evening's entertainment? I'm on the case. As part of my job as What to Watch's streaming editor, compile weekly lists of the best new additions that Netflix releases. This week, I'm looking at new shows, movies and specials that'll release on Netflix between Saturday, May 31 and Friday, June 6. Many of the Netflix Originals I pick end up on our list of the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies. Not all of them but I want to give you multiple options depending on your taste. Netflix's overall list this week had quite a few returning shows but I wanted a balance of original and popular ones, so there's a fair blend here. There's lots of crime, but that's Netflix for you. So let's find you something to watch on Netflix this week: We begin the week in Spain, for a six-part crime drama about a former spy called Sara. Woman in the Shadows is about this woman who forces herself to return to the intelligence game because she wants to get revenge for the death of her son. However her task sees her having to confront some uncomfortable facts about who her son really was. Releases on Tuesday, June 3 Shaquille O'Neal probably needs no introduction, but the famous basketball player has since his sporting days proven just as successful in business. And his new docuseries coming mid-week explores that side of him. Power Moves is a part-sport, part-business docuseries about Shaq's time leading the Reebok Basketball brand. He tries to revitalize it using his knowledge and passion for the game as well as his financial and branding acumen. Releases on Wednesday, June 4 A beloved though also divisive drama series returns to Netflix this week with Ginny & Georgia season 3, which gets all ten episodes of its new run at the same time. The show is about a mother and daughter (and the mother's other child) who try to find a way to settle down after being on the run for many years. In the season 2 finale, Georgia was arrested for murder, so season 3 will show Ginny trying to free her. Releases on Thursday, June 5 Shane Gillis' home-made workplace comedy Tires returns this week. The first season was made and funded by the divisive comedian and it was successful enough to get Netflix to create a second. Tires is about the workers of an auto shop who struggle to keep in business despite the incompetent and nervous owner, and the slacking attitude of everyone else. Season 2 follows them struggling to come to terms with unexpected new success. Releases on Thursday, June 5 Another Korean action series lands on Friday, June 6 with Mercy for None, which is set among Seoul's seedy criminal underbelly. Mercy for None tells the story of Gi-jun, who was a mob enforcer but left his brother and that life (and the city) behind over a decade ago. However when his brother is killed, Gi-jun returns to the city to find the murderer, a journey which involves fighting lots of the gang members. Releases on Friday, June 6 His partnership with Netflix mostly focuses on TV shows, but prolific creator Tyler Perry has a new movie arriving on Friday, June 6 which he wrote and directed. Straw is about a single mother called Janiyah whose daughter is sick. Janiyah is struggling to keep caring for the child and something happens which pushes her to the edge. Releases on Friday, June 6 We travel to Australia for our final series of the week, which is based on a book by Jane Harper. The Survivors stars Charlie Vickers and Yerin Ha and it's set in a fictional town in Tasmania. The Survivors is about a young boy who leaves said town after the mysterious death of two children and the disappearance of a third. Fifteen years later he returns to the town, this time with a wife and young baby in tow. However another murder takes place, and it sparks off an investigation which seems linked to the last crime. Secrets are revealed which affect the man and his family. Releases on Friday, June 6
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Everything Coming To Netflix In June: New Releases And What To Watch
What to watch on Netflix in June. Credit: Paramount / Netflix The summer is nearly upon us. School is out, the sun is shining and people are dragging themselves outdoors to enjoy the nice weather. But when you're done with all that nature and barbeque and galivanting around outside, there are plenty of shows and movies to watch in the great indoors. As always, Netflix has a brand new slate of shows, movies and Netflix Originals streaming this coming month. First we'll go over some highlights, and then we'll get to the big list. Of course, Netflix is known to drop some late arrivals and surprises so it's entirely possible more will come down the pipeline after this post is published. For weekly releases, be sure to check out my weekend streaming guide which comes out every Friday here on this blog (be sure to subscribe!) The biggest release of the month is, without a doubt, the third season of Korean survival-thriller Squid Game, just months after the release of Season 2. One of the biggest hits ever for Netflix, this rapid turnaround should keep fans happy and will undoubtedly score huge viewing numbers. Season 3 drops on June 27th. This should give me time to catch up. I still haven't watched the second season, partly because I was frustrated with the end of Season 1 and partly because I was just incredibly busy when Season 2 landed. As exciting – for fans of classic movies, anyways – is the release of a the Alfred Hitchcock Collection. This includes Vertigo (1958), Rear Window (1954), Frenzy (1972), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Family Plot (1976) and The Birds (1963). The biographical romance movie, Hitchcock (2012), starring Anthony Hopkins is also coming to Netflix in June. All of these land on June 1st. Netflix Original Series The Survivors comes to Netflix on June 6th. The Australian drama follows a man and his family returning to their old community which was destroyed by a terrible storm fifteen years earlier. The show stars Rings Of Power's very own Sauron, Charlie Vickers. It should be interesting to see him in a different role. Netflix Original Series The Waterfront bills itself as a cross between Outer Banks, Ozark and Succession, though that might be setting itself up for an overly high bar as far as comparisons go. The show was created by Scream screenwriter and Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson. It follows the Buckley family as they 'fight to retain control of their crumbling North Carolina fishing empire.' It stars Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Jake Weary (Animal Kingdom), Maria Bello (A History Of Violence) and Holt McCallany (who also starred in the excellent Netflix serial killer drama Mindhunter). Those are the highlights for the month. If you're looking forward to something I haven't included, feel free to send me a tip on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Here's everything coming to Netflix in June. Arriving on June 1 The American (movie)Barbarian (movie)Bee Movie (movie)The Birds (movie)The Blues Brothers (movie)The Devil's Own (movie)Dune (1984) (movie)The Equalizer (movie)Family Plot (movie)Focus (movie)Frenzy (movie)The Great Outdoors (movie)Hitchcock (movie)Hop (movie)The Legend of Zorro (movie)The Man Who Knew Too Much (movie)Neighbors (movie)Now You See Me (movie)Now You See Me 2 (movie)The Nutty Professor (movie)Pokémon The Series: XY (TV show)Pokémon The Series: XY: XY: Kalos Quest (TV show)Pokémon The Series: XY: XYZ (TV show)Rear Window (movie)The Theory of Everything (movie)The Town (movie)U-571 (movie)Us (movie)Vertigo (movie)Arriving on June 3 Sara - Woman in the Shadows (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 4 Criminal Code season 2 (Netflix original series)Eva Lasting season 3 (Netflix original series)Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 5 Barracuda Queens season 2 (Netflix original series)Ginny & Georgia season 3 (Netflix original series)Tires season 2 (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 6 K.O. (Netflix original movie)Mercy For None (Netflix original series)TYLER PERRY'S STRAW (Netflix original movie)The Survivors (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 7 Boys on the Side (movie)Piece by Piece (movie)Arriving on June 9 The Creature Cases chapter 5 (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 10 Families Like Ours (Netflix original series)Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy (Netflix original documentary)Arriving on June 11 Aniela (Netflix original series)Cheers to Life (Netflix original movie)Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. (Netflix original documentary)Our Times (Netflix original movie)Titan: The OceanGate Disaster (Netflix original documentary)Arriving on June 12 The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish season 2 (TV show)FUBAR season 2 (Netflix original series)Plane (movie)Arriving on June 13 Kings of Jo'Burg season 3 (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 14 Grey's Anatomy season 21 (TV show)Arriving on June 16 The Last Witch Hunter (movie)Arriving in June 17 Justin Willman: Magic Lover (Netflix original comedy)Kaulitz & Kaulitz season 2 (Netflix original series)Scandal seasons 1-7 (TV show)Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem (Netflix original documentary)Arriving on June 18 AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders season 2 (Netflix original series)Rosario Tijeras (Mexico) season 4 (Netflix original series)Somebody Feed Phil season 8 (Netflix original series)YOLANTHE (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 19 The Waterfront (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 20 KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix original series)Olympo (Netflix original series)Semi-Soeter (Netflix original movie)Arriving on June 22 The Intern (movie)Arriving on June 24 Steph Tolev: Filth Queen (Netflix original comedy)Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (Netflix original documentary)Arriving on June 25 The Ultimatum: Queer Love season 2 (Netflix original series)Arriving on June 27 Pokémon Horizons season 2 - The Search for Laqua part 3 (Netflix original series)Squid Game season 3 (Netflix original series)
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New on Netflix May 24-30: 6 new shows, movies and specials picked by our expert
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Whether you're looking for drama, documentary or romance, Netflix has got you covered this week with a range of new additions arriving, and we'll help you find the best to watch. As What to Watch's streaming editor, my job is to keep an eye on everything coming to Netflix to see what's worth watching or reporting on, and every week I compile a curated list of the must-watch new additions. This week's list covers new Netflix Originals coming between Saturday, May 24 and Friday, May 30. Some of these shows could end up on our list of the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies, and I've picked a range of options so that you'll find something, whatever you're into. There's the usual mix of content then, with a stand-up show, true crime documentary, sporting docuseries, crime drama, Euro-thriller and animated story. So let's find you something to watch on Netflix this week. First up this week is the three-part true crime docuseries Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders as a spiritual successor to last year's Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey. The new series tells the story of Chicago's 1982 bout of poisonings, which saw seven people die after consuming Tylenol (a US painkiller) that was laced with cyanide. This case sparked a huge investigation to identify the perpetrator, while also affecting people's trust in over-the-counter medication. Will Netflix get to the bottom of the case? You can probably tell based on the name but it'll teach you all about the case at least. Releases on Monday, May 26 American comedian and Orange is the New Black actor Mike Birbiglia gets his fourth Netflix stand-up special with The Good Life, which releases this week. The Good Life will see Birbiglia make jokes and tell stories about how his dad has affected his own parenting, and how his father's health makes him more conscious about his own pancake consumption. Releases on Monday, May 26 A new series for fans of Drive to Survive arrives this week, with all episodes of F1: The Academy streaming at once. F1: The Academy looks at the women learning to be Formula 1 drivers in the same-titled F1 Academy. It'll follow 15 of them as they compete to be crowned the top drivers while the leader of the academy tries to champion the role of women in the motorsport. Releases on Wednesday, May 28 Dept. Q is a new British police series based on a franchise of Danish noir novels (which have already seen numerous movie versions), which transplants the action from Scandinavia to Scotland. The story follows a disgraced Edinburgh detective who's assigned to Department Q, a cold case unit. Instead of seeing it as a career death he turns around the department as it welcomes other new workers, and together they solve the case of a civil servant who disappeared. Releases on Thursday, May 29 Coming from Korea we've got a new romance anime movie, which is apparently the streamer's first "Korean Original Animated Film". Lost in Starlight is set in 25 years time and it follows the blossoming romance between an astronaut who fails her test to go to Mars, and a musician who's unable to make it big. Together they rekindle each other's passion in their dreams, which goes awry when the astronaut is given a second chance to go to Mars. Releases on Friday, May 30 Another international movie to end the week, and this one is a Spanish thriller set in 2017. A Widow's Game is about an investigation into the stabbing of a Valencia man, which quickly seems to have been carried out by his wife. As the picture becomes more clear, it seems that the widow has her own plans which may not involve getting caught. Releases on Friday, May 30
Geek Girl Authority
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Cast Announces Season 3 Is in Production
Production on Season 3 of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has begun. Seven new cast members were also announced for both upcoming seasons. All episodes of Season 1 are now streaming on Netflix. With production on Season 2 of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender almost complete, the streamer announced they're getting to work on Season 3. Read on to see who's joining the world of Avatar. RELATED: 5 Reasons You Should Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender The Story So Far When Avatar: The Last Airbender originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, the animated series was a huge hit. Netflix first announced a live-action adaptation in 2018. Netflix's live-action adaptation premiered in early 2024, and the streamer quickly announced the show's renewal for two more seasons just a month later. Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a world divided into four nations, each ruled by one of the four elements. While benders from each nation can manipulate an element, the Avatar can control all four. The Avatar is meant to balance all four nations, but, as they say in the show, 'when the world needed him most, he vanished.' After 100 years without an Avatar, a 12-year-old Airbender named Aang (Gordon Cormier) appears to take on the role. Together with his new friends, he must defeat the Fire Nation army bent on ruling the world. RELATED: Teas Your Favorite Characters Probably Drink: Avatar: The Last Airbender New Cast Members Netflix dropped a video with the cast announcing that Season 2 had wrapped, and that work was beginning on Season 3. They also told readers on TUDUM about a few new cast members appearing in both seasons. Season 2 will feature appearances by Terry Chen as Jeong Jeong, Dolly De Leon as Lo and Li, Lily Gao as Ursa, Madison Hu as Fei and Dichen Lachman as Avatar Yangchen. As for Season 3, there are a few major roles yet to come. Jon Jon Briones ( Hadestown, The Last Voyage of the Demeter ) will appear as the swordmaster Piando. We'll also get to see Tantoo Cardinal ( Dances With Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon ) as Hama. Both characters appear in the original animated series and serve as influential mentors for Aang and his friends. You can watch the Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3 announcement below, then let us know what you're most excited to see in the upcoming seasons! All episodes of Season 1 are currently streaming on Netflix. Dave Bautista and Eric Nam Cast in AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER Film
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 19 Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in May, from ‘Fair Play' to ‘Emily the Criminal'
Sometimes, when you're looking to be entertained, only a thriller will cut it. Sure, everybody loves a rom-com or an action movie, but If you ever find yourself feeling like life is getting inexplicably dark and morality is becoming more ambiguous, immersing yourself in a tense world of serial killers, terrorists, crooked sleazebags, and jaw-dropping twists of all kinds is a pretty great form of escapism. The genre is broad enough to encompass a wide variety of tropes. So you could probably watch thrillers forever and never get bored. Netflix's thriller offerings are surprisingly well-rounded this month, offering a good mix of undisputed classics from the likes of Steven Spielberg as well as newer indie flicks that you may have missed. This May, top-tier archival titles include 'Oldboy' along with Netflix Originals like 'Fair Play' and 'Run Rabbit Run.' Whether you're looking to revisit an old favorite, fill an embarrassing gap in your movie knowledge, or find something new and cutting-edge that will blow your mind, the thriller genre always has something for you. More from IndieWire Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Will Be the 'Epic of All Epics,' Says Stunt Performer: 'They're Never Going to Make a Movie Like This Again' How One Director's Dream of an Isabelle Huppert Solo Act Became a Nightmare Keep reading for our favorite thrillers streaming on Netflix in May 2025. With editorial contributions from Christian Zilko. Is 'The Snowman' a good movie? Absolutely not. But when Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (the man behind acclaimed films like 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' and 'Let the Right One In,' to give some comparison) made this 2017 thriller, he created such a baffling, ill-conceived misfire that it loops around to become compulsively watchable. Starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Hole (yes, really), a detective searching for an illusive serial killer known for building snowmen at crime scenes, the movie has all the ingredients for a good thriller, from strong source material (it's based on a 2007 Norwegian crime thriller novel) to a good director and a solid cast (supporting actors include Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer, and J. K. Simmons). And yet, quite literally nothing about it works: The plot is incomprehensible, the performances are scattered and uncertain, and the direction is shockingly amateurish. It's a bad film, but one that proves genuinely memorable in a sea of far more anonymous Netflix productions. Watch it on a rainy day, and there's plenty of entertainment value to be found in such an all-time modern failure. —WC A sleazy take on race and the plight of the outsider, 'Ma' is a lewd and ridiculous film that's better known for the memes that came out of it than anything that actually happens in it. But Tate Taylor's re-team with his 'The Help' star Octavia Butler is actually way better than that shallow 'prestige picture,' a film that knows exactly what it is and serves up some elevated exploitation for your viewing pleasure. Butler stars as Ma, a lonely middle-aged woman reeling from high school trauma who attempts to relive her high school days by turning her basement into a high school party zone, only to grow obsessive and eventually murderous towards her young charges. Is it particularly tasteful? No, but Butler gives a genuinely great performance — one that's simultaneously hilarious, touching, and scary — that makes the whole trashy thing worth a late night watch. —WC At first glance, the casting of Zac Efron as Ted Bundy seemed like an indulgence of all of the worst parts of mainstream true crime culture. As America's fascination with serial killers continued to skyrocket, bringing in a former Disney star to play a brutal serial killer could have been a shameless attempt to cash in on the trend. But Efron delivers an excellent performance in a nuanced film that does nothing to glamorize the murderer, choosing instead to break down the cult of personality surrounding Bundy at every turn. —CZ Sarah Snook took on her first post-'Succession' leading role in this Australian thriller about a fertility doctor who begins to suspect that something is very, very wrong with her young daughter. In a performance that wildly diverges from her tightly-wound Waystar Royco heiress persona, Snook goes to great lengths to elevate a conventional thriller premise (complete with familiar tropes like ominous animal iconography) into one of the more entertaining films to hit Netflix in recent memory. Equal parts 'The Babadook' and 'We Need to Talk About Kevin,' it's a film that will push you to your breaking point as quickly as Snook's character reaches hers. —CZ 'A Simple Favor' is not a particularly successful thriller in terms of, er, thrilling you, but it does succeed wildly at entertaining you. Paul Feig's comedic take on the genre is a lightly satirical look at mommy blogging culture and suburban discontent, filtered through the perspective of Anna Kendrick's dissatisfied Stephanie. When her best friend, the highly successful Emily (Blake Lively) mysteriously disappears, Stephanie throws herself into the investigation and digs up dirt on her seemingly perfect counterpart. If 'A Simple Favor' proves a bit wobbly, then Kendrick's go-for-broke performance and the often genuinely funny script just as frequently steadies the ship. It's less 'Psycho' than it is 'Desperate Housewives,' which will be music to anyone who misses 'Desperate Housewives.' —WC Netflix's latest action movie hit, 'Carry-On' is better than the average original from the streamer. It helps that it comes from Jaume Collet-Serra, a journeyman director who nonetheless has all the chops to produce a great action thriller. And he gives the thriller some real panache, with some expertly staged action scenes that liven up the so-so storyline. Taron Egerton stars as Ethan, a TSA officer who gets way in over his head when a ruthless mercenary (Jason Bateman) blackmails him with his pregnant girlfriend's life for access onto a commercial flight while carrying a case of Novichok nerve agent gas. The plot is full of holes, but the tension and action is top-tier, and Egerton and especially Bateman give excellently committed performances that make the lark all the more fun. —WC A silly, instantly dated techno-thriller from the late '90s, 'The Net' feels like a pure period piece today. But it's still a well-made, enjoyable action flick that's the perfect rainy-day watch. A lot of it comes down to Sandra Bullock, who's typically great in the lead role as a systems analyst whose life comes crashing down when she receives a mysterious floppy disk that puts her in the center of a criminal conspiracy. Her identity gets erased completely and she's branded a felon and sent on the run, with a contract killer (Jeremy Northam) hot on her tail. It's a vintage slice of '90s cheese, with crisp direction from Irwin Winkler that helps it go down smoothly. —WC Famously, 'Breaking Bad' was extremely successful on broadcast but truly shot to success via Netflix. So perhaps it's fitting that the show's epilogue film landed on the streamer. Picking up almost immediately where the final 'Breaking Bad' episode left off, 'El Camino' follows Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman as he attempts to flee New Mexico and the authorities for a new life. It's not as good as the all-time show it spun off of, proving more of a treat for the fans than anything essential. But Paul is as good as ever, and Vince Gilligan shows great command of the camera directing the tense thriller. —WC A nasty crime thriller about how economic uncertainty can push people to desperate extremes, 'Emily the Criminal' stars Aubrey Plaza as the titular Emily, a former art student whose college debt and former felony charge prevents her from escaping the drudgeries of service work. When a coworker connects her to a credit card fraud ring, Emily leaps at the opportunity to make some fast cash, and under the tutelage of organizer Youcef (Theo Rossi), she quickly becomes a natural at this very unsavory line of work. The screenplay is occasionally a bit silly, but John Patton Ford's feature directorial debut shows great promise, and Plaza's charismatic performance as an ordinary woman with a surprising capacity for violence and crime is damn near flawless. —WC Stephen King's chilling tale of bondage sex gone wrong was long thought to be unfilmable, due to so much of the novel 'Gerald's Game' taking place inside the mind of a woman who is chained to her bed. But 'The Haunting of Hill House' creator Mike Flanagan found a way, turning the story into a chilling two-hander starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood that remains faithful to the novel while still thrilling viewers. —CZ The buzziest title of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival made its way to Netflix in October 2023 following a $20 million acquisition from the streaming giant. Chloe Domont's take on the sexual power dynamics at the apex of the financial industry stunned Park City audiences by offering an unapologetic throwback to 1990s erotic thrillers like 'Basic Instinct' and 'Fatal Attraction' while still exploring contemporary gender politics. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich star as two corporate climbers at an elite hedge fund whose dueling ambitions and depraved sexual chemistry reach a breaking point when her career begins to surpass his. It's a non-stop thrill ride that never shies away from the ugly side of sex and is one of the most shocking titles to hit Netflix in 2024. —CZ It hews a tad too close to the story of the Danish film it is originally based on, but Jake Gyllenhaal's one-man show 'The Guilty' is still very much a clever, worthy watch. Antoine Fuqua directs the crime thriller, which casts Gyllenhaal as a police detective demoted to 911 phone operator duty who scrambles alone at his desk during the night shift to help save a caller who claims to have been abducted. For nearly the entire film, Gyllenhaal is the only face on screen, communicating with a parade of voices played by actors like Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano, and Peter Sarsgaard. It works because Gyllenhaal, with his famously expressive eyes and hyper-intense performing style, is precisely the type of actor who's capable of carrying a thriller like this, and his growing distress makes 'The Guilty' the most nerve-wracking way to spend 90 minutes watching a man sitting at a desk. —WC David Fincher's latest is one of his slightest works, but the 'Fight Club' director is still in top form with 'The Killer.' Based on a French graphic novel series, the film stars Michael Fassbender as a highly experienced professional hitman who's more than a little burnt out by his profession and ends up flubbing a mission, leading him on an international journey to take out his former employers before they take him out first. The film's dryly funny sense of humor and Fassbender's perfectly stoic performance sometimes make it feel like a lark more than a pulsing thriller, but Fincher's nimble direction and sleekly executed action can still get your heart racing. —WC Probably Quentin Tarantino's most divisive film, 'The Hateful Eight' polarized critics when it premiered in 2015, with audiences alternatively praising or deriding its script and stage-like setup. But even Tarantino's worst films are worth watching, and this one remains a fascinating and ambitious work. Set almost entirely in one cabin, the film focuses on a group of eight strangers stranded with one another during a blizzard in post-Civil War Wyoming. All of the characters have their secrets and agendas that raise suspicions throughout the night, and they're played by a uniformly terrific cast, including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern. If you don't think the original, nearly three-hour cut of the film works, you can check out the extended four-episode limited series version, also available on Netflix. —WC One of the more impressive directorial debuts from an actor in recent memory, 'Woman of the Hour' is an uncommonly smart and empathetic true crime story that's tightly focused on the way institutions ignore and fail women. Heavily fictionalized, Anna Kendrick's thriller nonetheless is based on the real 1978 taping of an episode of the syndicated game show 'The Dating Game,' where serial killer Rodney Alcala (played by a menacing Daniel Zovatto) won a date with bachelorette Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick, whose typical spunky intelligence is used terrifically here). The date didn't happen in real life — Bradshaw found Alcala creepy and canceled — but it does in the film, and 'Woman of the Hour' is consistently suspenseful as it shows all the ways Sheryl and other women are put in danger by a system that doesn't recognize violence until it's too late. —WC 'Rebel Ridge' is the rarest of things: a truly great Netflix Original action thriller. That's not surprising when it's coming from Jeremy Saulnier, who has made some of the best recent films in the genre like 'Blue Ruin' and 'Green Room.' His latest is a tense slow burn set in a small Louisiana town where handsome stranger Terry Richmond (a terrific Aaron Pierre) cycles in one summer day looking to post-bail for his younger cousin. Instead, he's harassed and hounded after by the town's corrupt, racist police force, led by the sniveling Sandy Burne (Don Johnson, having a great time). The film's anti-cop messaging is a refreshing antidote to years of copagada action movies of its ilk, but what makes the movie so good is Saulnier's careful, immaculate pacing, which builds up the characters and their desperation before the situation boils over into immaculately staged fights. —WC Recently, M. Night Shyamalan has had something of a career resurgence via a string of lean, high-concept thrillers with pithy, ridiculous premises like a beach that makes you old. 'Trap' is easily the most successful of this renaissance from the director, with a genius premise — a serial killer brings his daughter to a concert which he learns is a trap to catch him — that the film ingeniously spins out and complicates at every opportunity, as you delight watching a monster find a way to evade the closing walls around him. Shyamalan's direction is slick and crisp, but what really makes the film great is Josh Hartnett, whose reptilian performance of a stilted, awkward dad with a black hole where his heart is proves mesmerizing to watch. —WC A masterpiece of slickly produced Hollywood entertainment, 'Ocean's Eleven' feels like the exact type of witty, entertaining heist movie Steven Soderbergh was put on this Earth to direct. An adaptation of a 1960 thriller most notable as a star vehicle for multiple Rat Pack members, the 2001 version manages to take the creaky parts and turn it into a stylish, fast-paced adrenaline rush. Not that this version is lacking in star power: on the contrary, it has an embarrassment of riches on that front, with George Clooney steering a squad that also consists of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Elliot Gould, and Don Cheadle in a casino heist against Andy Garcia, with Julia Roberts in the middle of it all as Clooney's love interest. Every actor is firing on all cylinders, and Soderbergh keeps the film clipping along at an effortless pace, while still leaving enough room to get the audience emotionally attached to this rag tag crew. Pretty much every heist film ever made pales in comparison to what Soderbergh achieves here. —WC In retrospect, the wild success of 'Parasite' — from its healthy box office run to its history-making Oscar wins — greatly impacted the thriller genre moving forward. Since 'Parasite,' how many films have we seen that have tried to replicate the movie's mix of black humor, tension, and critical eye toward capitalism and class systems? Many, many American movies have tried to match that magic, and all have failed to come within spitting distance of Bong Joon Ho's masterpiece. Ludicrously enjoyable and constantly unpredictable, 'Parasite' and its fable-like tale of a low-class Seoul family that bullshits their way into… well, not wealth but proximity to wealth, came out at the perfect time in late 2019, as criticism of the billionaire class and concern over late-stage capitalism began to rise. Six years later, the film is just as relevant as ever. But even beyond its political relevance and impact, 'Parasite' is just a treat — an immaculately constructed film that's both hilarious and edge-of-your-seat stressful, the work of a director and a cast operating on a frequency few artists can ever reach. —WC Best of IndieWire Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 86 Films the Director Wants You to See Christopher Nolan's Favorite Movies: 44 Films the Director Wants You to See The 25 Saddest TV Character Deaths of This Century
