It is 9 p.m., you’ve just wrapped up for the day and are ready for some downtime with Netflix and some snacks. You open the app and before you know it, it is 12 a.m., you’re half asleep, and you haven’t yet settled on a movie! Happens to the best of us.
When it comes to Netflix, it is like the lost treasure trove of our childhood, one that we would imagine to be overwhelming; and overwhelming it is. With a staggering collection of movies, it can be quite a task to decide on one when you just want to unwind, and might we say, no one wants the added burden of having to wrestle through their indecisiveness when they just want to relax.
For that very reason, we have shortlisted 5 movies, from rom-coms to heart wrenching tales that you can add to your list and watch or re-watch this week whenever you want to unwind!
Carol (2015)
If you’re not particularly sensitive to stories that are not your everyday tale, then this one’s for you. A profound and strange story about two women who meet by chance and are connected by will, Carol manages to be heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time.
Hollywood starlets Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara star as Carol Aird and Therese Belivet respectively; performances that earned them nominations at the Academy Awards.
The movie is directed by Todd Haynes, and the screenplay is based on the 1952 novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith.
Girl, Interrupted (1992)
This is that one movie that should be on your list to watch and re-watch for years! With groundbreaking performances by Angelina Jolie, Winona Ryder and the late Brittany Murphy, this movie remains a masterpiece we go back to often.
Falling in the genre of psychological drama, Girl, Interrupted is the story of young girls residing in a mental facility, many with issues that have been exacerbated by the establishment.
To see them navigating their lives around their mental states is a treat especially because the performances are top notch! Jolie’s performance garnered her an Oscar, a Golden Globe as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Directed by James Mangold and based on Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of her time in a mental institution, this movie has aged into a cult classic.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Based on the 1811 novel by Jane Austen, this movie will evoke all sorts of emotions in you; from deep sympathy to laughter and heartache.
Set in 18th century England, the movie is directed by Ang Lee, and features striking country landscapes coupled with the beautifully timeless story which revolves around the difference between sense and sensibility.
Starring Emma Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation, as the older Elinor Dashwood and Kate Winslet as the younger, more naïve Marianne Dashwood, the movie is a heartwarming tale of family life and the struggles of a destitute family in the early 18th century.
If you’re into period dramas, this one’s for you!
Cake (2018)
An offering from our local cinema, Cake is one movie that you need to have in your must-watch list. Garnering ample critical acclaim on its release, the movie features seasoned actors like Sanam Saeed, Aamina Sheikh and Adnan Malik.
It’s a film that relies heavily on family drama, something that we shy away from discussing but is all too real for a lot of people. A story about love, loss, and the passage of life in amidst all that, the movie touches all the right chords in our hearts.
Directed by Asim Abbasi, and produced by Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, the movie was the first Pakistani film to premiere at Leicester Square Garden with national and international media covering the event.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
An adaptation of the legendary Stephen King’s novel of the same name, this movie is a classic psychological horror/thriller flick for the times. The complexity of the novel made it unthinkable for it be to adaptable on screen however, the task was undertaken by Mike Flanagan and suffice to say, he did it justice. The movie revolves around a couple who are on a getaway and fall straight into a spiral of unsettling events.
If you’re looking for something out of the box and have a penchant of thrillers, you can’t miss this one!
