Club Benefits
Netflix subscribers looking for thrilling watches this week are in luck, because there are plenty of worthwhile options. While the next seven days lack any new original picks, the streaming service’s vast library of familiar (and often overlooked) favorites has been restocked.
I’ve combed through the latest additions to Netflix and found a trio of worthwhile thrillers that each offer something different. There’s a darkly comedic espionage-themed thriller, a modern feminist classic with a horror edge, and a ‘90s sci-fi blockbuster that has become quite infamous over the years. Whatever type of thriller you’re looking for, at least one of these should appeal to you.
Best Netflix thriller movies to watch this week
‘Burn After Reading’ (2008)
Ask a film fan to name a Coen brothers movie, and I suspect you’d get answers like “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” and “No Country for Old Men.” Don’t get me wrong, those are all excellent watches, but for me, “Burn After Reading” might stand as the directing duo’s most overlooked movie. This farcical comedy with an espionage twist packs the Coen brothers’ trademark, sharp-edged humor. Plus, it’s all brought to life by an all-star cast, including George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt.
“Burn After Reading” opens with a CIA analyst (Malkovich) quitting his job and opting to write a memoir. Meanwhile, his wife (Tilda Swinton) is having an affair with a paranoid U.S. Marshal (Clooney). When the first draft of the memoir falls into the hands of two bumbling gym employees (McDormand and Pitt), they mistakenly believe they’ve stumbled upon classified government secrets and attempt to extort the analyst for money. An ill-conceived plan that backfires in quite spectacular fashion.
Watch "Burn After Reading" on Netflix now
‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
“Jennifer’s Body” is a perfect example of a cult classic. When it was released in 2009, it failed to garner much traction at the box office (the male-focused marketing is often cited as the reason), and the reviews were decidedly mixed. However, over the last 15+ years, it’s developed a growing army of fans who really appreciate this horror-thriller. It’s another pick on this list with an A-list cast, including Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, J. K. Simmons and Adam Brody.
Jennifer (Fox) is the most popular girl in her high school and best friends with the dorky, bookish Antia “Needy” Lesnicki (Seyfried). Okay, so subtlety isn’t one of “Jennifer’s Body’s” strengths. When Jennifer becomes possessed following a Satanic ritual, she begins attacking the male students of her school, and it’s up to Needy to stop Jennifer’s reign of terror before she can devour her boyfriend, Chip (Johnny Simmons).
Watch "Jennifer's Body" on Netflix now
‘Waterworld’ (1995)
For a while, “Waterworld” was the butt of Hollywood jokes. The most expensive movie ever made at the time of its production in the 1990s, it faced an uphill climb to recoup the huge investment. And while it reportedly did eventually become profitable due to home video sales, it is often cited as the poster child for a movie with an inflated budget. But looking beyond the behind-the-scenes story, “Waterworld” is a fun sci-fi blockbuster with Kevin Costner.
Set in the year 2500, the polar ice caps have completely melted, leaving Earth a planet almost entirely underwater. What remains of humanity lives on floating colonies made of scavenged material. It’s a pretty cool concept for a sci-fi action movie (with some light thriller elements). Our protagonist is the Coster’s unnamed protagonist, a drifter travelling the sea by boat. Meeting a woman (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and her daughter, the drifter agrees to help them to safety, a mission that could prove vital to mankind’s continued survival.
Watch "Waterworld" on Netflix now
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