The best three movies streamed over quarantine.
By Luke Eriksen, ’22.
Nobody can understand boredom until they have been locked inside their house with only their family members for weeks. Quarantine is the absolute epitome of boredom, and COVID-19 brought this experience upon us in March. During the numerous days quarantined, I spent hours desperately trying to find entertainment. Most times, I turned to Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video or another streaming service I haven’t completed yet. Here are my three favorite films (in no particular order) that you can stream right now.
Inglourious Basterds (2007)
This Quentin Tarantino film is rated R and can be streamed on YouTube TV.
Quite possibly Quentin Tarantino’s best film yet, there isn’t a dull scene in this two-and-a-half hour World War II action film. The film opens with Hans Landa, an evil SS officer played by Christoph Waltz, visiting a home in France suspected of hiding enemy’s of the Nazi party. In this tense opening scene, Christoph Waltz makes it clear the spotlight in this film belongs to him. Other noteworthy performances include Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, leader of the Bastards—a Jewish-American Guerilla force—and Emmanuelle Mimieux as Shosanna Dreyfus, the owner of a theatre venue in Paris. The film follows these three main characters on their separate journeys which overlap in the final act of the film. The dialogue in the film is spoken in English, German, French and a particularly hilarious scene with some Italian. The change in language causes the viewer to read subtitles for extended periods of time, which could cause issues for viewers who lose focus, but the quadrilingual dialogue provides necessary authenticity for the time period.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
A Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz film rated PG-13 that can be found on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming friendship story with inspiration from Mark Twain’s novels. Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) is a local fisherman on the run after committing a crime, and Zach (Zach Gottsagen) is a boy who has down syndrome who escapes from a nursing home with hopes of becoming a pro-wrestler. The film takes place in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The breathtaking scenery in the Outer Banks and the memorable soundtrack enhance every shot in this film. Gottsagen’s performance is inspirational and LaBeouf gives one his best and most emotional performances. LaBeouf and Gottsagen’s chemistry is the undeniable highlight of this film. The best scenes in this movie include the two of them playing around and having the time of their lives. This uplifting story will leave you with a smile.
Zodiac (2007)
This R-rated David Fincher film can be streamed on Netflix.
Zodiac is a thriller based on the infamous Zodiac Killer in California during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The film revolves around the anonymous killer who taunts the police and the media with coded letters that are seemingly impossible to solve. For the most part, the film is historically accurate. Many of the letters seen in the film were replicated. The two-hour and 37 minute film is a slow burn and maybe even drags in the second act at times, but it ends with a bone-chilling final act. There is no shortage of stars in this film with Mark Ruffalo playing a detective and Robert Downey, Jr. alongside Jake Gyllenhaal playing reporters. It’s refreshing to see Marvel stars Ruffalo and Downey, Jr. playing different roles. Despite the change, they are still fantastic. Gylenhaal, the main protagonist, starts off as a curious, yet innocent reporter who slowly is consumed by his obsession to find the killer. This leads him to dark and grim places—without any spoilers. On a final note: don’t watch this film before bed!