Halloween is the last milestone on our calendars before department stores, supermarkets and retail stores invariably start rolling out the Christmas decorations, with Mariah Carey’s Everything I want for Christmas a whole 56 days before the big day. In the meantime, before Christmas is inevitably shoved down our throats until we can only taste turkey and eggnog, it’s important that we get the chance to avoid Elf, Home alone, the Grinch, and the like as long as possible.
As at the beginning of every month, we are treated to a renewed selection of films on Netflix, and with early October just around the corner, here are some of the best older and more recent movies to be added. All movies, except the last two, will be added on October 1, 2022.
call me by your name
call me by your name, Starring Timothee Chalamet alongside Armie Hammer in the lead roles of the film, the film is the final installment in director Luca Guadagnio’s “Desire” trilogy. The Academy Award-winning screenplay documents Elio Perlman’s friendship and subsequent romantic relationship with Oliver, an American college student, during the summer of 1983 in rural northern Italy.
call me by your name is a 2010 LGBTQ+ historical film a coming-of-age lesson in self-discovery, struggle with identity, and coming to terms with one’s sexuality. With recent events in Italy ringing alarm bells with far-right Giorgia Melona set to win the election, call me by your name deals with an important topic in a staunchly Catholic, historical right country.
Robin Hood
Russell Crowe stars as the shaggy Robin of Locksley, also known as Robin Hood, in this historic action drama. With England under attack from the invading French, Robin must try to unite a broken country under one banner and defend their home from King Philip and the traitor, Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong).
Gladiator – October 1
bring gladiator back to the streaming platform is really Netflix’s way of asking “Are you not entertained?!” If you find yourself at a certain loose end point and can’t make the effort to furiously press your right arrow to find something that piques your interest, gladiator is a surefire choice. But for a world obsessed with swiping left and right, that’s a pretty lame excuse to explore this iconic film with a great script from John Logan. Ridley Scott’s epic really needs no introduction or breakdown, and if you haven’t seen it yet, stop swiping and check it out.
The color purple
Based on Alice Walker’s bestseller of the same name, Steven Spielberg’s The color purple is a poignant story about a young girl, Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), and her upbringing plagued by physical, emotional and sexual abuse by her father. As a result of being raped by her father, Celie has two of his children and is forced into an arranged marriage to an equally nasty man. With incredible performances (including a great Oprah Winfrey) and wonderful direction from Spielberg, the 1985 film remains a powerful classic to this day.
Mr and Mrs Smith
This romantic action comedy had hearts racing both on and off screen, famously igniting the spark of love between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Mr and Mrs Smith follows the story of John and Jane Smith, hitmen locked in a seemingly passionless marriage, until their secret double lives are revealed. Themes of domestic violence, petty fights, and cheating are prominent throughout… a bit like their actual relationship.
Wedding Crashers
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson team up for this upbeat and funny tale of two best friends, Jeremy (Vaughn) and John (Wilson), who regularly turn weddings upside down to fulfill their womanizing ways. After John finds himself falling in love with a bridesmaid, the couple is left with the lies they initially used to charm women much more than they initially planned. Wedding Crashers is still as endearing and delightful as it was when it was released, and remains a comedic staple.
Elysium
In Neil Blomkamp’s sci-fi drama Elysium, we get a glimpse into the future and what the world could look like if the climate crisis and massive income inequality continue to solidify. The year is 2154 and the Earth is a shell of its former self, a dusty, dilapidated and untidy place, reduced to rubble and controlled by totalitarian bots sent to keep the peace of those rich enough to survive. and fleeing a dying planet, moving to Elysium, an idyllic, man-made world built in space.
Matt Damon stars as Max, a man left to inhabit the remnants of Earth, who is exposed to radiation and then given only five days to live. In a race against time to save himself, as well as those left behind on Earth, Max must take the daring, often dangerous step to fly to Elysium. Elysium coming to Netflix on October 4.
Nairobi Half Life
David Tosh Gitonga’s Nairobi Half Life is a 2012 drama (and Kenya’s first film submitted for an Oscar) that follows the story of Mwas, a Kenyan actor who sells fake western action movies and dreams of making it as an actor in the big city. It’s a charming and sometimes sad reminder that while dreams are there to be chased, they don’t always get caught. Nairobi Half Life will be available on Netflix from October 21.