By Martyn Mendyuk, Staff Writer
Netflix has an ever changing stock of movie and television shows, with new pieces being added and removed on a monthly basis. Aside from more popular work, such as Quentin Tarantino’s filmography, Netflix has many lesser-known gems available for viewing on nights when there’s no studying to be done.
Primer (Movie)
Primer is a film that would take several engineering professors and a noble prize winner to truly understand. The film, which was created by a math major, is an incredibly complex tale about a group of engineers who discover the secret of time travel. It’s difficult to describe what happens afterwards without spoiling the movie, but the film is worth watching because of its intricate and captivating storyline.
Primer is available on Hulu (for free), Amazon Instant Video, and Youtube.
Mr. Nobody (Movie)
Mr.Nobody is nothing short of a masterpiece. The French Sci-Fi film (all of the characters speak English throughout the movie) explores the nature of choice in our lives. The film alternates between perspectives of the main character throughout his life at the ages of 118, 34, 15, and 9. From the soundtrack, mainly comprised of acoustic guitar, to the set dressing, which features different recurring colors for the various choices, creates great satisfaction for the eyes and ears of the audience. It definitely requires a very careful and philosophical mindset to keep track of the movie, which swaps from one narrative to the other with the blink of an eye and a quick camera pan, but at the end of the movie, all loose ends are tied and the movie finishes rather cleanly.
Mr.Nobody is available on Netflix, Youtube, and Amazon Instant Video.
Firefly (TV Show)
Twelve years ago, Joss Whedon, the creator of the acclaimed “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, released his space western “Firefly.” Although it immediately gained a cult following and critical praise, the show was aired out of order by FOX, and received low ratings. After 14 episodes Firefly came to a premature end, only to be revived as a movie sequel (Serenity) as a result of its growing fan base’s devotion and lobbying.
Firefly was ahead of its time. A space western, it followed a group of renegades travelling through space, in a universe where humanity has spread through the galaxies. China and the U.S.A have merged into the one and only government, and the class gap hasn’t changed at all. The show is an exquisite mix of humor, drama, and action, with an unbelievable amount of character development and quotable moments for the short length of the show.
Firefly is available on Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and Amazon instant video.
