What to watch on Netflix: Week of 11/18

Matthew Ellmore/Staff Writer

Netflix offers a wide array of content for its viewers to watch, and it can be daunting to skim through its large collection to try and find something that interests you. However, there are some documentaries, series, and movies that are available on Netflix and that stand out from the rest. Some of them may be well-known, others may not. Hopefully, you can find something that interests you.

“Outlaw King” (2018)

Medieval history dramas are slowly beginning to become more popular, and Netflix picks up on that with their latest exclusive, “Outlaw King.” The film tells the story of Robert the Bruce, the 14th century Scottish king who waged a war against the much larger English army. Although it tends to fall on overdone cliches, “Outlaw King” gives life to the historical drama genre. Backed by spectacular performances from Chris Pine and Aaron Taylor Johnson, the film does a great job of depicting the chaos and savagery of war. It also includes some great cinematography with beautiful shots of Scotland and an outstanding opening with a nine-minute tracking shot. The film does take some liberties with its history, altering timelines and characters involved within those timelines, but these changes work with the film instead of working against it. If you’re a big history buff, “Outlaw King” should do a great job of fulfilling your viewing needs.

“Being Human” (2011-2014)

Although it aired in 2011, “Being Human” still holds up as a fun supernatural comedy series. The show is based on the BBC series of the same name and follows a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost who live together and navigate through each other’s issues. There are only four seasons, but the show maintains its quirky and unique atmosphere through each and its individuality shines through. The show takes the usual monster cliques and turns them into something new, following each of our main characters as they attempt to balance normal lives with their absurd lives as monsters. Although it’s mainly a comedic series, “Being Human” manages to bring a lot of emotional depth to some of the situations that it presents. The pain and hardships that these characters suffer through to be human are extreme but also relatable, a reminder that “being normal” is something that can be hard for anyone whether they’re some supernatural monster or not.

“Look of Silence” (2014)

“Look of Silence” is a documentary that focuses on the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966. It follows a man whose brother was murdered during these killings as he confronts the men who carried out the killings. Using the false pretense of an eye exam, the man visits some of the killers and their collaborators. The events that this documentary are focusing on are shocking, but the reactions of the men involved are what really makes it horrifying. The contrast between the pain of the subject this film follows and the coldness of the men that he’s speaking to is extremely evident and unsettling at times. What’s even more terrifying is when the final credits come on and the audience sees that the majority of the crew is credited as “anonymous,” an ominous indication of how many people these killings have affected and how much power the men who orchestrated them have.

Photo by Marcos Ramírez on Unsplash.