There’s obviously a reason that the question “What do you want to watch tonight?” has become one of the conundrums of our time. The libraries of streaming services have gotten so huge and ever-changing, it’s hard to keep up—and Netflix is the biggest of them all. But, sadly, more choice doesn’t translate to an easier choice.
That’s where we come in. If you’re looking for a good movie to watch on Netflix in the United States this week (April 20-26), the picks below are all highly rated and are currently on Netflix’s Top 10 movies list. Let’s roll!
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Jumanji
Get sucked into the game with The Rock and Jack Black
I have to admit I never saw the original 1995 Robin Williams version of Jumanji in theaters (I was 21 and probably into other films of the time, like Se7en, Batman Forever, or Get Shorty). But when the 2017 reboot, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, came out, it looked fun and had a cast that drew me to check it out. It still holds up today and has since spawned a new franchise with a third film coming at the end of this year.
When four teenagers (the geeky Spencer, awkward Martha, popular girl Bethany, and the Jock, Fridge) are stuck in detention at their New Hampshire high school, they find an old video game called Jumanji and decide to play. They each select their avatars and start, only to get mysteriously sucked into the game’s vast, jungle world, where they must complete perilous challenges and beat the game to get out. The fun (and the comedy) of the movie comes with each character’s in-game avatars—Spencer becomes the hulking hero Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone (played by Dwayne Johnson), Martha is transformed into the sexy, Laura-Croft-like character Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), football star Fridge is shrunk into the frame of Franklin “Mouse” FInbar (Kavin Hart), and best of all, Bethany becomes Jack Black. Well, Black as a fashion-obsessed teenage girl inside the character of Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon.
A huge box office hit, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was loved for its humor and wit, fast pace, and the obvious chemistry between the cast. Flight of the Conchords’ Rhys Darby is one of my favorite parts of the film, as the in-game NPC Nigel, who guides the team through. It’s an easy and light weekday watch.
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The Fifth Element
A sci-fi cult classic starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich
Because of the 1997 sci-fi classic The Fifth Element, every time I check in at an airport or have to flash my passport at security, in my mind I’m saying “Leeloo Dallas Multipass.” I would never actually say that, but I’m sure as hell thinking it. Why did Luc Besson’s sci-fi spectacle hit with audiences (albeit years after its theatrical release)? Because it was funny, super stylish, weird, and featured iconic performances from its ensemble cast.
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tvOS
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4K
Set in a sort-of Blade Runner-style future (but with way more neon), The Fifth Element follows special-forces operative-turned- cab driver, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), who haphazardly stumbles upon Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a mysterious and powerful ancient being who may be the key to saving Earth from destruction. Together with priest and scholar Cornelius (The Hobbit’s Ian Holm) and flamboyant radio host Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker in one of his pest performances), they must find a series of world-saving elemental stones before the movie’s villain, Zorg (Gary Oldman) does.
It was the most expensive European production ever made at the time, with costumes by legendary designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, and while critics didn’t care for it, The Fifth Element was wild and intriguing enough that it got new life when it was released on DVD years later—numbers reflected on Rotten Tomatoes, which have it a 71% from critics, and 87% from fans.
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How to Train Your Dragon
The animated DreamWorks classic leaves Netflix soon
I’ll give you two good reasons to watch 2010’s masterpiece of an animated fantasy movie How to Train Your Dragon, over the unnecessary live-action redo that DreamWorks made last year—One, it’s just way better. And two, it’s leaving Netflix in 10 days. A rare animated film that is just as good for adults as it is for kids, How to Train Your Dragon is a beautifully animated and surprisingly touching story of acceptance and resilience during times of change.
On the Viking island of Berk, their warrior society has been built on their ages-long war against dragons. But young Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) would rather be working on his inventions instead of training to kill dragons, much to the disappointment of his father, Berk’s fierce leader Stoick (Gerard Butler). When Hiccup helps an injured dragon he names Toothless, the pair become best friends, and Hiccup learns that dragons aren’t the monsters everyone thinks they are.
A critical and commercial hit, How to Train Your Dragon spawned several sequels (and the live-action, which is on Netflix as well), and features the voice talents of some big-name stars, including Kristen Wiig, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, and Craif Ferguson. It has a formidable 99% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes.
Whether you’re in the mood for jungle laughs with The Rock and Jack Black, a sci-fi cult-classic with Bruce Willis, or a gorgeous animated hit with dragons all around that you can watch with the kids, this week’s Netflix lineup has you covered.
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Yes, $8/month
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Two or four
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