Alfonso Cuaron. Coen Bros. Orson Welles. Alice Rohrwacher. Susanne Bier. Paul Greengrass. David MacKenzie. Andy Serkis. Lukas Dhont. Sara Colangelo.
1. 22 July
Based on the real life incident of July 22, 2011, it tells the true story of the aftermath of Norway’s biggest trauma since World War 2… where 69 students perished in the mass shooting is a summer camp on Utøya island, and 8 in the bombing of a Government building in Oslo at the hands of an armed, right-wing extremist.
Directed by Paul Greengrass, The Academy Award nominee (Captain Phillips, United 93), it was a winner at the Berlin Film Festival 2018.
It has been on Netflix since October 10.
2. The Kindergarten Teacher
A preschool teacher is obsessed with her discovery of a young poet in her classroom. The problem is that no one else seems interested.
The American remake of an Israeli original was the Sundance Film Festival 2018 winning adaptation by Sara Colangelo, with the magical Maggie Gyllenhaal in it. Israeli director Nadav Lapid’s original Hebrew film Naganenet premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2014.It has been on Netflix since October 12.
3. The Other Side of the Wind
Orson Welles’ final film, it has been finished and released posthumously. More than 1,000 reels of film negatives sat in a vault in Paris until March 2017, when Netflix acquired the footage and handed it over to a team of editors led by Frank Marshall, the production manager at the original shoot in 1970-76!, to restore the film.
Shot in black and white, the narrative is split between a comeback-obsessed director Jack Hannaford (John Huston)’s 70th birthday party, and the namesake film that will be his last.
It has been on Netflix since November 2.
4. Outlaw King
A true David vs. Goliath story of how the 14th century Scottish ‘Outlaw King’ Robert the Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat the much larger and better equipped occupying English army.
Directed by David MacKenzie (Hell or High Water), with Chris Pine in the lead, it had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2018.
It has been on Netflix since November 9.
Watch its latest trailer.
5. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
is an upcoming Coen Brothers six-part Western anthology film set in the Wild West. While it was originally envisioned as a TV series, they decided to instead make it a film due to better portray the interconnection.
The film stars Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, and Bill Heck.
It released in theaters November 8 and has been on Netflix on November 16. Watch the new trailer.
6. Girl
It tells the story of 15-year-old Lara who wants to become a ballerina, with a classical training for female dancers. Lara is accepted in a ballet school and her dream seems closer than ever. But there is one problem: Lara was born into the body of a boy. A body that she will push to its limits in order for her to succeed.
The film by Lukas Dhont has been a revelation this year since its debut at Cannes Film Festival. The lauded coming-of-age film about the transgender ballerina was the big winner with 4 awards – Camera d’Or, Queer Palm, FIPRESCI Prize and Best Performance for cisgender actor Victor Polster!
It has been on Netflix since November 16.
7. Happy as Lazzaro
This film by Alice Rohrwacher was 1 of 3 films in competition at Cannes Film Festival this year by a female director.
The Italian magical realism film follows the tale of Lazzaro (meaning extraordinary discovery), a peasant who serves an affluent family in the countryside. The life of Lazzaro and his peers seemingly exists out of time, until sudden events send him traveling into a future state where he doesn’t quite belong.
The film stars Adriano Tardiolo, Agnese Graziani and Alba Rohrwacher.
It will be on Netflix on November 30.
8. Roma
Alfonso Cuaron says it’s the most “essential” movie he’s ever made.
Mexico City, 1970’s. A life-changing year for worker, Cleo, and the family’s matriarch, Sofia (Marina de Tavira), who wrestle with changes in the family home while Mexico braces for a confrontation between the government-backed militia and student demonstrators.
Based on the director’s own memories of growing up in Mexico City in the 1960s and ’70s, it found the director back in his home country to make a movie for the first time since cult movie “Y Tu Mamá También.”
It releases in theaters November 21 and on Netflix on December 7.
Watch the new trailer.
9. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Director Andy Serkis explores what happened when Mowgli returned to mankind and the choice he had to make thereon.
Created by Warner Bros. and Serkis’ Imaginarium for Netflix, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle features the incredible child artist Rohan Chand in the titular role, Freida Pinto as the human guardian Messua, Christian Bale as the panther Bagheera, Benedict Cumberbatch as the tiger Sher Khan, director Andy Serkis as the fun-loving bear Baloo, Naomie Harris as wolf mother Nisha, and Cate Blanchett as the hypnotic python Kaa.
Netflix will release it in select theaters on November 29, before making its worldwide debut on the streaming platform on December 7.
10. Bird Box
When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life. Malorie must flee with her two children down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary. But to survive, they’ll have to undertake the perilous two-day journey blindfolded.
The film by Susanne Bier premiered at AFI Fest this month. It stars Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Colson Baker, BD Wong, and John Malkovich.
It releases in theaters on December 13 and on Netflix on December 21.