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Netflix has just added a heartwarming new drama all about food and family that's based on a true story.
If you needed a break from the streaming service's high-octane releases — the likes of "Exterritorial" or "Havoc" — I'd seriously recommend turning to "Nonnas," a new drama that just arrived on the streamer on May 9.
If you've spotted "Nonnas" on Netflix and are trying to suss out whether it's worth watching, you can find a little more info — and my full take on the movie — below.
What is 'Nonnas' about?
Stephen Chbosky's "Nonnas" revolves around born-and-bred Brooklynite Joe (Vince Vaughn), an affable everyman who turns to his family's generations-old recipes for comfort after losing his mother and grandmother.
In doing so, he hatches a plan to share that feeling with the community. Using the money from his mother's insurance, Joe purchases an old restaurant in Staten Island.
With that money and a little help from his closest friends, Joe reopens the joint as Enoteca Maria, an old-school restaurant with food served up by four grandmothers from different cities in Italy. It's no easy task, but everyone involved stands to be transformed by the restaurant and the comforts it offers.
In addition to Vaughn, "Nonnas" also stars Linda Cardellini, Susan Sarandon, Joe Manganiello, Drea de Matteo, Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vaccaro, and Talia Shire.
Why you should stream 'Nonnas' on Netflix
Going in, I felt like I knew what I was getting with "Nonnas", and my predictions weren't far off.
As a movie, it has all the tried-and-true beats of this kind of feel-good watch: the bills are piling up, the restaurant's future looks uncertain, there are personal challenges and pasts recuperated, and friends that pull together when the goings get tough.
However, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my time with "Nonnas" despite that familiar feel. Sure, this is schmaltzy, saccharine viewing, but the sentimentality still works because it's all earnestly performed and solidly written.
Vaughn is on fine form in the lead role, but the Nonnas themselves are the true stars, each bringing tons of personality to their respective roles and in turn bouncing off and/or supporting one another with ease.
"Nonnas," ultimately, is Netflix in crowd-pleaser mode, but that's no bad thing. If you needed a movie to stream for Mother's Day, "Nonnas" feels practically purpose-built for that exact purpose. If you can forgive the cliches or some questionable New York on-screen geography, you should be in for a good time.
It's not the greatest movie anyone will ever watch, but if you're after some easy viewing that your average viewer will be on board with, "Nonnas" should go down as easy as a nice glass of vino. Just don't watch it on an empty stomach; the food all looks mouth-wateringly good.
It's not just me who enjoyed "Nonnas", either; the movie seems to have struck a chord with critics, too, judging by that 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes it held at the time of writing (aggregated from a total of 15 reviews).
For example, Entertainment Weekly critic Jordan Hoffman summed "Nonnas" up as a "good vibe Netflix comedy" and graded it B+, writing: "Formulaic, dare-I-say-sappy movies, when done right, can be really good, and Nonnas is one such example."
Reviewing for Collider, Nate Richard rated "Nonnas" 7/10, writing: "Nonnas most definitely will not go down as one of the best movies of the year, but it is the kind of movie that is perfect to watch with your loved one over the holiday weekend. It's talented cast and tender heart do a lot of the heavy lifting, but it's the kind of movie the mothers in your family will absolutely love."
If you could use a little uplift or need to fill a lazy Sunday with a comfort watch, you should stream "Nonnas" on Netflix this weekend.
But if you're really not sold on the new movie and still need something to watch, we can help; check out our round-up of all the best movies on Netflix for tons more streaming recommendations for your next movie night.
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