Awards don’t always mean a great movie or a streaming session worth sitting through, but they do make narrowing down Netflix’s extensive catalog a little easier, especially when you are getting overwhelmed by new releases that flood your home page recommendations.
This month, a few acclaimed movies spanning genres are available to stream on Netflix U.S. If you’re only picking three, these are the ones I’d add to my watch list, especially my top recommendation, a gripping true story that captures one of the greatest space survival stories.
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Talk to Me (2007)
A legend who changed the conversation
Biographical dramas make for strong award (and My List) contenders, and Talk to Me is definitely one such movie. Not to be confused with the A24 horror movie of the same name, 2007’s Talk to Me is based on the true story of radio personality and civil activist Ralph “Petey” Greene. The film follows his rise from an ex-con to one of Washington D.C.’s most influential radio hosts during the 1960s.
As Greene’s outspoken voice reaches a wide range of listeners, he finds himself at the center of conversations about race, politics, and social change. The ups and downs of his personal life and career are explored, showing how he navigated fame while remaining unapologetically himself in a rapidly changing America.
QuizAward-winning movies on Netflix
Trivia challenge
From Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece to a K-pop demon slayer — how well do you know Netflix’s finest award-winning films?
DramaOscarsDirectorsStorylinesWorld Cinema
In which language is Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-winning film Roma primarily spoken?
Correct! Roma is spoken primarily in Spanish and Mixtec, honoring the indigenous heritage of Cleo, the film’s central character. Cuarón deliberately cast Yalitza Aparicio, a non-professional actress of Mixtec descent, to authentically portray the role.
Not quite. While Spanish is heavily featured, Roma is also spoken in Mixtec, reflecting the indigenous background of the housekeeper Cleo. This bilingual choice was a deliberate artistic and cultural decision by director Alfonso Cuarón.
How many Academy Awards did Roma win at the 2019 Oscars?
Correct! Roma won three Oscars: Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón, Best Cinematography (also for Cuarón, who shot the film himself), and Best Foreign Language Film. It was the first Netflix film ever to win Best Director.
Not quite — Roma took home three Academy Awards. These were Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film, making it a landmark night for both Alfonso Cuarón and Netflix as a studio.
In Marriage Story, which two cities represent the geographical and emotional divide between the main characters Charlie and Nicole?
Correct! Charlie is a New York theater director and Nicole is drawn back to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, and this coast-to-coast divide perfectly mirrors their emotional and professional separation throughout the film.
Not quite. The emotional geography of Marriage Story is split between New York and Los Angeles. Charlie’s theater world roots him in New York while Nicole’s Hollywood ambitions pull her to LA, making the two cities powerful symbols of their growing distance.
All Quiet on the Western Front, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film in 2023, is an adaptation of a novel by which author?
Correct! Erich Maria Remarque wrote the seminal anti-war novel Im Westen nichts Neues in 1929, drawing on his own experiences as a German soldier in World War I. The 2022 Netflix adaptation became the most decorated German film in Oscar history.
Not quite. The novel was written by Erich Maria Remarque and published in 1929. It remains one of the most powerful anti-war novels ever written, and the 2022 Netflix adaptation brought it back to global attention with its stunning Oscar wins.
Which director helmed The Power of the Dog, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director in 2022?
Correct! Jane Campion won Best Director for The Power of the Dog, making her only the third woman ever to win in that category at the Oscars. The film is set in 1920s Montana and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a brooding, intimidating rancher.
Not quite. Jane Campion directed The Power of the Dog and won the Oscar for Best Director, making history as only the third woman to receive that honor. She had previously been nominated for The Piano back in 1994.
My Octopus Teacher, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2021, follows filmmaker Craig Foster building a relationship with an octopus in which location?
Correct! Craig Foster spent a year free-diving daily in a cold kelp forest off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, forming an extraordinary bond with a wild octopus. The film became a surprise Oscar winner and introduced millions to the remarkable intelligence of cephalopods.
Not quite. The film was shot in a kelp forest near Cape Town, South Africa, where filmmaker Craig Foster free-dived every day for a year to observe and bond with the same wild octopus. The remote, haunting underwater landscape became almost a character in itself.
Emilia Pérez, which won multiple awards at Cannes 2024 and received numerous Oscar nominations, was directed by which filmmaker?
Correct! French director Jacques Audiard wrote and directed Emilia Pérez, a bold Spanish-language musical crime film about a cartel boss who transitions and seeks a new identity. The film won the Jury Prize at Cannes and made awards history with its massive Oscar nomination haul.
Not quite. Emilia Pérez was directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, who made the bold choice to craft an entirely Spanish-language film despite not being a native speaker. It became one of the most talked-about films of 2024, earning a record-breaking number of Oscar nominations.
In the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, what is the primary role of the main characters within the K-pop world?
Correct! In KPop Demon Hunters, the protagonists are members of a K-pop girl group who live double lives as demon slayers, blending the glitzy world of idol culture with supernatural action. The film leans into the contrast between polished pop performances and intense monster-fighting sequences.
Not quite. The central characters in KPop Demon Hunters are K-pop girl group members who secretly serve as demon hunters, living dual lives on and off the stage. The film cleverly uses the disciplined, high-pressure world of K-pop as a backdrop for its supernatural storyline.
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Don Cheadle delivers a strong lead performance as Petey, capturing his wit and larger-than-life personality. Supported by performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, and Taraji P. Henson, Talk to Me takes a look at the influence of radio beyond entertainment. It won two NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture (Kasi Lemmons) and Outstanding Writing for a Motion Picture (Michael Genet & Rick Famuyiwa).
2
Gone Girl
There are two sides to every story
If you love psychological thrillers, Gone Girl is a great movie—and one of my top book-to-movie adaptations ever—to check out on Netflix this month. Based on the bestselling thriller by Gillian Flynn, the plot centers on the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), who goes missing on the morning of her fifth wedding anniversary, placing her husband Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) under an intense media spotlight as suspicion surrounding the case grows. Slowly, the movie peels back the layers of their relationship and who they are as people, revealing ugly scars beneath the facade of a seemingly perfect marriage.
Gone Girl stays fiercely loyal to the book, with Pike bringing Amy’s character to life in bone-chilling ways. The movie nails the thrilling second act that had my jaw on the floor when I first read Flynn’s thriller masterpiece. Pike’s and Affleck’s intense performances (supported by Neil Patrick Harris) and David Fincher’s masterful direction earned the film several award nominations.
At the 87th Academy Awards, Pike received a nomination for Best Actress. Gone Girl won a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Flynn), and an Empire Award for Best Actress (Pike).
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Apollo 13
A mission that changed space history
My top pick from this week’s award-winning additions is also one of the greatest space dramas ever made. Based on the real-life 1970 lunar mission, Apollo 13 follows astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise after an explosion aboard their spacecraft turns what should have been a routine journey into a fight for survival. With limited resources and a ticking clock, the crew must work together while, back on Earth, NASA engineers scramble to bring them home with a refusal to abandon them.
Directed by Ron Howard, Apollo 13 balances a visual spectacle with the real emotions behind one of NASA’s most famous missions. Anchored by excellent lead performances from Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton, it keeps the tension high, even if you already know how the story ends.
Apollo 13 won two Academy Awards (Best Film Editing and Best Sound) and two BAFTA Film Awards (Best Production Design and Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects), among many other awards.
Don’t ignore the monthly release slate
Netflix is constantly releasing new movies and shows, but it also refreshes its collection of older and classic titles at the start of every month through licensed additions. They’re easy to miss among the hot new releases, but some of the most celebrated films and shows are on the service.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
