Netflix subscribers in the U.S. have been busy lately, what with new originals like Office Romance and The Boroughs (if you haven’t watched it yet, what are you waiting for?), and the buzziest documentaries streaming right now with Michael Jackson: The Verdict and The Crash. It’s nice to be spoiled for choice, isn’t it?
If you’re looking for a good movie to get you through this week, I’ve got a few suggestions for you. This first is a new Netflix animated release that retells one of history’s most famous underdog stories, the second is a classic thriller from the ’90s that made everyone suspicious of nannies, and the last pick is one of the most dramatic sports movies of all time.
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David
An animated shepherd boy faces down a giant
If you’re looking for a wholesome animated feature to watch with the kids, David is a fun musical bible story with a positive message that still rings true today. In ancient Bethlehem, David (voiced by Phil Wickham and Brandon Engman as the younger David), is a young shepherd loving life, tending to his father’s flock while singing away in the fields. But when the prophet Samuel (Brian Stivale) secretly proclaims that David is to be the future king, it puts him on a path destined to come face to face with a seemingly unbeatable foe—the giant Philistine champion warrior, Goliath (Kamran Nikhad).
It’s the epic underdog story of the ages, as David not only has to prove his bravery and faith by defeating Goliath, but he also has to contend with the paranoid and jealous King Saul (Adam Michael Gold), who learns of the prophet’s proclamation and doesn’t want to give it up without a fight.
The music-filled animated film retells the Old Testament tale with sweeping action and loads of original songs. It currently has an 80% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
The ’90s nanny thriller that defined a subgenre
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, there was a breakout genre of thriller movies that some critics dubbed the “blank from hell” or “perfect life under siege”-style of movies that often centered around an unhinged antagonist, like a roommate (Single White Female) or a weekend fling (Fatal Attraction) that goes off the rails. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle helped cement the genre in 1992, while making parents everywhere just a little jumpy about their nannies.
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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Seattle housewife Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra) and her husband Michael (Matt McCoy) have it all—a loving marriage and two beautiful children. When Claire and Michael hire the warm and loving Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay) to be their nanny, she’s a godsend. The children love her, and everything is peachy. But Peyton’s got a dark secret and isn’t there by chance. Unbeknownst to Claire, Peyton has a score to settle, and she systematically starts to dismantle their perfect lives, which includes destroying Claire’s bond with her children and stealing her husband.
As the saying goes: “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world,” and Peyton is the nanny from hell. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a chilling thriller that also stars a young Julianne Moore as Claire’s suspicious best friend.
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Rudy
Want to see a grown man cry? Just put on Rudy. Based on the true story of University of Notre Dame student Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger (Lord of the Rings‘ Sean Astin), Rudy dazzled critics when it came out in the mid-’90s, and the film has become beloved as a symbol of triumph over adversity and how heart and perseverance can trump all odds. OK, that’s laying it on pretty thick, but tears don’t lie.
After his best friend is killed in a steel mill explosion, Rudy is inspired to chase his dream of playing football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, but his grades aren’t good enough to enroll at the college, and his five-foot-nothin stature puts him at a significant disadvantage on the team. Nonetheless, Rudy enrolls at the nearby Holy Cross College with the hopes of transferring, gets a job as a groundskeeper at Notre Dame, and, with the help of a teacher’s aid, D-Bob (Jon Favreau), he fights through dyslexia to get his grades up to get in.
Spoiler alert, he does. But that’s just the beginning of Rudy’s inspiring journey to becoming a uniformed player of the Fighting Irish. Will Rudy ever step foot on the field? Have your tissues at the ready and find out.
Mix it up this week
Faith, fear, and a whole lot of heart—this week’s pick offers a nice range that you’ll hopefully enjoy. If your queue’s still hungry once the credits roll, howtogeek.com/streaming has plenty more where these came from.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
- Live TV
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No
- Price
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Starting at $8/month
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
