I wouldn't be surprised if most of you reading this have seen these famous movies; but if you haven't, these are my top five must see movies that are currently on Netflix. I am not the biggest fan of comedies, so I apologize if I didn't fulfill your personal needs. Enjoy.
"Pulp Fiction" (1994).
Possibly Quentin Tarantino's most well known piece. With an amazing cast of John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman; Tarantino brilliantly weaves together the two stories of hit men, Jules and Vincent (Samuel and John), and Butch (Bruce Willis). The hit men work for a mob boss who goes by Marsellus, while Butch is an aging boxer bribed by Marsellus. Tarantino does a great job of making the stories seem completely separate while keeping them tied together as well. Some bad reviews come from its heavy violence and rather raunchy comedy, but if you are a fan of any Tarantino film this is a must watch.
"Full Metal Jacket" (1987).
Follow Stanley Kubrick's tale of the Vietnam war starting in boot camp for a group of draftees with the biggest hard-ass of a drill sergeant. As this movie seems to take part in two acts -- act one at boot camp and act two in Vietnam -- the first half of the film will give you a laugh from the raunchy drill sergeant until the day before graduation when one of the cadets goes berserk. Kubrick does a fantastic job of portraying what the Vietnam War was actually like for an American soldier. This film way be too heavy for some as it carries a heavy load of violence, racism and misogyny. But if you're looking for a movie to make you think about what our soldiers go through, Kubrick gives you everything you need.
"American Beauty" (1999).
My personal favorite, featuring Kevin Spacey, which won five Oscars including Best Actor. Sam Mendes introduces us into the failing middle class family: Lester Burnham, the man with a midlife crisis that quits his job in order to enjoy life, Carolyn Burnham the materialistic wife detached from her family, and Jane Burnham the introverted daughter who happens to be best friends with the most popular girl in school and has a thing for her art enthusiast neighbor. Follow Lester as he turns into a pot smoking father with a crush on his daughters best friend. His life seems not too bad until the neighbor's father gets involved. Overall, a great film that really makes you think about adulthood, with some very uncomfortable plot points.
"Wet Hot American Summer" (2001).
If you were to watch this movie when it first came out, very few cast members would be well known; now, almost the entire cast has quite the reputation in comedy. Experience the last week of summer camp for a group of counselors each with a crazy agenda. I rarely find a comedy that I enjoy but something about the crass, dry humor in this movie makes me laugh. Follow the counselors as they try to save the world from NASA, rescue kids they sent off a waterfall, and try to get lucky all before they go home for the rest of the year.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968).
The absolute most influential piece of science fiction in the film industry -- even
Star Wars" had to mimic some of the scenery this movie used. Stanley Kubrick begins with the dawn of man, as a group of ape men invent the use of tools for food and for war after a mysterious monolith shows up out of nowhere. Then it jumps straight to what Kubrick imagined the year 2001 to be like, easy transportation to the moon for anyone who can afford it, and the possibility of aliens. I won't give away anymore plot, because everyone should experience it on their own and use their own theory for the ending of the movie. Take fair warning as the movie goes incredibly slow, but Kubrick has a meaning behind every second of this film. It's also rather surprising to see how much about the future was correctly predicted from this movie. And if you feel lost at the end, google some theories and have your mind blown.
Honorable mentions
"Pumping Iron" (1977).
"Short Term Twelve" (2013).
Everyone should seriously watch this.
