Based on the bestselling book by Andy Weir, the Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi flick Project Hail Mary has been the dominant force on the box office charts for two weekends in a row. Boasting over $300 million in global revenue despite still being in the early stages of its theatrical run, Project Hail Mary is already the year’s biggest box office winner. However, another sci-fi film is about to challenge for the throne as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie makes its long-awaited theatrical debut this weekend. If neither is to your taste or you’d just rather stay at home, here’s a look at three movies you should stream this weekend on Netflix.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
1
‘American Gangster’ (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 7.8/10
As the first days of April arrive, this weekend brings with it a smorgasbord of new and returning titles to the Netflix catalog. Among them is American Gangster, a 2007 docudrama starring Denzel Washington as the titular gangster, Frank Lucas. As he rises through the ranks of the 1960s drug trade, Lucas quickly comes under the radar of Newark Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe).
A gangster biopic as fascinating as it is gripping, Washington and Crowe are at their very best in this gem of a thriller. Directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by Steven Zaillian, the film earned a pair of Academy Award nominations, including a nomination for Ruby Dee in the Best Supporting Actress category. The film also features performances from Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
2
‘Mission: Impossible’ (1996)
Rotten Tomatoes: 67% | IMDb: 7.2/10
If you’re looking for tense thrills this weekend, then you simply can’t go wrong with the movie that kicked off one of the best modern franchises. Released in 1996, Mission: Impossible was a global audience’s introduction to Tom Cruise‘s Ethan Hunt, as, whilst under suspicion of disloyalty, he fights to clear his name by discovering who the real traitor is.
A pulse-racing classic that has only got better with age, Mission: Impossible might not be the best in the franchise, but as the first, it deserves even more credit. Directed by Brian De Palma, the movie is best known for Cruise’s lead performance, but it also features a stellar ensemble, including Jon Voight as Jim Phelps, Emmanuelle Béart as Claire Phelps, Jean Reno as Franz Krieger, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Kristin Scott Thomas as Sarah Davies, Vanessa Redgrave as Max, and Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge.
3
‘Atonement’ (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Another new arrival to the Netflix catalog at the start of this month,Joe Wright‘s visuallystunningAtonement, adapted from Ian McEwan‘s 2001 novel, follows a 13-year-old girl’s (Saoirse Ronan) false accusation of her older sister’s lover and the many lives that are altered forever as a consequence.
One of the finest period dramas you can find on Netflix right now, Atonement is as narratively indulgent as it is a treat for the eyes. Featuring many great performances from some of the finest British actors, it is a young Ronan who steals the show in a turn that would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, making her the seventh youngest ever to do so.
- Release Date
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September 7, 2007
- Runtime
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123 Minutes
- Director
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Joe Wright