IMDb presents Editor’s Picks: Streaming on Netflix

MUMBAI: A lot of people who are working from home, thanks to social distancing, definitely have a lot more time on their hands. And what better way to spend this time than catching up on the movies and web series that you have missed?

So, while you decide what to watch next, IMDb presents Editor’s Picks for some of the classic movies and web series currently streaming on the OTT platform Netflix.

 Tiger King (2020)

"Tiger King" proves the age-old saying: Truth is stranger than fiction. The irreverent and controversial true-crime docu-series takes a closer look at the underbelly of big cat ownership in the US, and it's filled with betrayal, drugs, and a need for domination. Watching the 7-episode series, we understand why the show's narrative has generated so many extreme reactions, splitting people into Team Joe Exotic vs. Team Carol Baskin. To further complicate the phenomenon, many individuals are suing the directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin for their portrayal in the docu-series since the show's launch on Netflix. So we recommend you watch and form your own judgement of "Tiger King."

 Altered Carbon (2018) 

Based on the novel series by Richard K. Morgan, "Altered Carbon" is a hardboiled-cyberpunk detective series set in a future where humans have taken to the stars, consciousness can be transferred from body to body, and the 1% lives forever. In the center of everything is Takeshi Kovacs — who is played by Joel Kinnaman, Will Yun Lee, and Anthony Mackie. Kovacs is a soldier put on ice for 180 years and thawed out to solve an intricate and twisty murder mystery that expands into something much bigger. A must see for fans of sci-fi, cyberpunk, futuristic dystopias, intricate mysteries, slick fight scenes, and surprisingly even Edgar Allen Poe. (You’ll have to check it out to see how that reference fits into the story.)

 Ozark 2017 

Season three of this crime-ridden series finally dropped on Netflix, and despite various attempts to duck out of the money laundering game, Marty and Wendy Byrde are in deeper than ever, with plans to open a riverboat casino in the Missouri Ozarks. The marital quarrels of Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) lend believability to an otherwise absurd family dynamic, and Julia Garner continues to steal the show as Ruth Langmore, Marty’s right-hand businesswoman. 

He's Just Not That Into You (2009) 

Based on the popular self help book, He's Just Not That Into You sets new dating norms and attempts to simplify the classic question: Why didn't he call me back? This classic 2000s romcom, starring A-list Hollywood celebrities, is a fun movie to watch with friends, your partner, or by yourself to learn more about love and how it surrounds us. This rom-com is a lighthearted conversation starter about through interwoven stories with by A-list actors like Jennifer Aniston.

The Social Network (2010) 

Jesse Eisenberg plays a convincing Mark Zuckerberg in the supposed origin story of Facebook, peppered with Aaron Sorkin's signature intellect and drama. The Oscar-winning film begins with the network’s creation during Zuck’s Harvard days, and follows the young entrepreneur's path to running one of the world’s most powerful companies, with plenty of betrayal, big egos, and bigger lawsuits along the way.

 Sex Education (2019) 

Take a bunch of sexually hyperactive secondary school students, place them on a picturesque campus in the idyllic English countryside, and the result is surprisingly irresistible. The second season of this joyful series brings even more depth to its cast of multi-dimensional characters, with teenaged Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother (Gillian Anderson) at the center of it all. 

Night On Earth (2020) 

With an abundance of nature docs available, it's refreshing to see a unique take on such a familiar genre. Using technology such as moonlight-sensitive cameras and thermal imaging, the six-part docuseries "Night on Earth" captures the colors of the night in a way that makes the familiar feel alien, from the texture of an elephant's skin to the glowing colors of scorpions under ultraviolet light. 

Bloodsport (1988) 

Fun fact: According to IMDb trivia, Jean-Claude Van Damme does the splits SEVEN times in 1988's Bloodsport. To the uninitiated, that must sound completely gratuitous, but in the context of Van Damme's hilariously entertaining breakout film, it's perfect. Toss in some memorably ridiculous fight scenes and a young Forest Whitaker, and you've got yourself a good pick for your next watch party. 

Beyond the Mat (1999) 

The series "Dark Side of the Ring" is generating a lot of heat right now with its "Unsolved Mysteries"-like investigation of professional wrestling's underbelly, so Netflix of course pulls out a finishing move by making the seminal late '90s documentary Beyond the Mat available to stream. Jake "The Snake" Roberts and other wrestling giants are featured, and their stories are frightening and kinda heartbreaking. 

Burning (2018)

This mystery could take place in the same neighborhood where the Park family lives in Parasite — at least the scenes inside Steven Yeun's super-sketchy flat. "Walking Dead" fans should enjoy watching Yeun in a radically different sort of role, but the focus is on star Ah-In Yoo, who puts his all into a character who is pulled deep into morally ambiguous territory.