What to watch on Netflix: Week of 1/6

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.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” (2018)

“Black Mirror” has already managed to redefine television, with many of its creative and shocking series twists resembling “The Twilight Zone.” It’s newest release, “Bandersnatch,” is no different. “Bandersnatch” is not only a first for the creators of the series, acting as the series’ first film, but it’s a first for Netflix and film as well due to its interactive nature. “Bandersnatch” works as a choose your own adventure story, allowing viewers to make decisions for the main character, a young programmer named Stefan Butler, who’s adapting a fantasy novel into a video game in 1984. Like the series before it, the film examines modern society and the unintended consequences of technology. The film also comments on the idea of free will and the boundaries of spectatorship. There are said to be five different possible endings to “Bandersnatch” and over a trillion different fluctuations of the story. Although not all choices carry the same impact, giving viewers the ability to make choices for a film’s main character makes the story feel much more personal. The viewer is no longer just a spectator, they’re an active participant in the story that they are watching. “Bandersnatch” is an entertaining and unique experience that puts its story in the hands of its audience.

“Bodyguard” (2018)

“Bodyguard” is a six-part British television drama series that follows David Burr, a war veteran suffering from PTSD, who works as a protection officer for London’s Metropolitan Police Service. After preventing a major terrorist attack, Burr gets assigned to protect a politician whose politics are the polar opposite of his. “Bodyguard” maintains tension from start to finish, with every episode upping the stakes and adding new danger to the show and its characters. What makes “Bodyguard” stand out from other political and police thrillers is the sense of realism it incorporates in the story. Nothing in the show feels forced, all of the characters are well-acted and the plot points are treated with real consequences. The show makes no attempts to dull itself down for its audience, nor does it try to spell out every detail. The plot itself is not rushed or drawn out, which makes the story feel much more organic. Viewers can take what evidence the show gives them and attempt to build their own predictions instead of having it shown to them all at once. Although there are many drama series that focus on politics and terrorism, “Bodyguard” stands out as a carefully constructed and suspenseful entry into the genre, and it’s a great series to start the new year with.

“Murder Mountain” (2018)

“Murder Mountain” is a true crime documentary series about legal marijuana in Humboldt County, California. The series explores the disappearance of Garrett Rodriguez, a local farmer who grew marijuana on Alderpoint, aka “Murder Mountain.” Humboldt County is often referred to as the “Emerald Triangle,” since it’s where most of the illegal cannabis in the U.S. is grown due to the legalization of marijuana in California. Because of this, there are plenty of dark secrets that the series attempts to explore as the investigation into Rodriguez’s disappearance continues. The series shows Humboldt’s marijuana farms and many of the farmers and dealers associated with the industry. At times, “’Murder Mountain’ resembles the Wild West, portraying a lawless community that’s filled with outlaws and outcasts. The location and subject matter are vastly different than what most true crime documentaries are focused on, allowing for interesting insight into the dark side of a business many people don’t know about. “Murder Mountain” shows the progress that’s being made in the cannabis business as well as some of the many bodies that may have been left behind in its evolution.

Featured photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash.

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