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.
“Carol” (2015)
Set in New York City during the early 1950s, “Carol” follows a young department store clerk who bonds with an older woman navigating through her miserable marriage. Subtlety is a big theme throughout the majority of this film. Much of the relationship between Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) is portrayed with looks, innuendos and tension rather than forced actions and dialogue. These subtleties reflect the time period that this movie took place in, and they help the audience contextualize the intricacies and dangers of the main characters’ relationship. Mara and Blanchett’s performances also add to this, bringing realism to the story. Both are confident yet unsure of themselves, afraid to reveal their true feelings to one another. The growth of their relationship is handled with such grace and charm, setting it apart from many other romances that take place during the same time period. Nothing is overt or flashy, and everything is portrayed with a sense of beauty and elegance. “Carol” tells a tale of the undying strength of love, and it’s an experience that can’t be forgotten.
“The Punisher” (2018-2019)
Marvel recently released the second season of “The Punisher.” This comes at an ominous time for Marvel, as all of its previous Netflix shows have been cancelled. But the second season of “The Punisher” is as big a sign as any that Marvel’s shows can still bring plenty of life to Netflix. In this season, Frank Castle finds himself involved with a conspiracy that takes him deeper and deeper into the underground crime world of New York. Unlike many of his superhero counterparts, Frank Castle has no special abilities. He’s just a former marine who’s trying to come to terms with the loss of his family and enact justice every chance he can get. That enacting of justice usually comes in the form of brutality and rage, the only type of justice that Castle knows. The action in the show is bloody and at times may feel a bit overdone, but it’s definitely unlike any of the usual action that’s shown in superhero shows. Much of this is due to an outstanding performance from Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle), who brings a level of intensity to the character that few can do. Through grunts and punches alone, Bernthal perfectly encapsulates who Frank Castle is and why he does what he does. Besides violence, the show vividly depicts the issues veterans face when returning from war such as the discomfort of integrating with civilian life or coming to terms with injuries and loss. Although the future of the series looks bleak, “The Punisher” is a great reminder of what Marvel has to offer.
“FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” (2019)
It’s been two years since the Fyre Festival catastrophe, but details about the event have remained scarce. There were initial horror stories about people being served cheese sandwiches, having to stay in FEMA tents and being trapped in airports, but there was no other information about what went wrong. Now, thanks to “FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened,” we finally have an inside look at what actually happened. Of course, that includes footage of the wealthy social media influencers who could afford the trip as they suffer through the false promise they bought into. But Netflix take its documentary one step further by focusing part of it on the creator of the event, Billy McFarland. McFarland is featured in a lot of the footage, and rarely is it ever in a flattering light. Netflix decided to use footage from Jerry Media, the marketing team behind Fyre, but felt that it was wrong to pay McFarland for any sort of interview. The documentary briefly describes McFarland’s business background but allows the footage from the festival to speak for its creator. There are interviews with numerous people who were involved with Fyre Festival, whether it be on the business side or the consumer side, and they shed some light on how the festival was organized and promoted. Some of the most effective moments in the documentary come when it focuses on how the event was promoted. Social media played a big role in how the festival gained such a large audience as numerous celebrities and online personalities were promoting the event and the documentary emphasizes the importance of that effect. Overall, the documentary is a fascinating example of deception and a reminder of how much power social media can carry.
Photo by Kilyan Sockalingum on Unsplash.
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