By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former Sony employee and editor of 4 TV magazines.

Netflix on Monday (January 1) added 30 new movies to its streaming lineup. Here’s the three best, in my humble opinion:

Training Day (2001)
Denzel Washington is a force of nature in this Antoine Fuqua-directed movie about a young cop (Ethan Hawke) partnered with a corrupt veteran detective (Washington) on the seedy side of Los Angeles. Washington’s magnetism dominates the screen playing the detective who believes the ends justify the means (particularly when the ends include some grafted cash). Hawke is also effective as the newbie looking to climb the ladder without losing his soul in the process. A powerful film from beginning to end.

The Equalizer 3 (2023) 
We’re back with Denzel and Antoine for this likely final installment in The Equalizer series. Washington plays Robert McCall, a former CIA agent who strives to shed a life of guilty feelings by doing good for strangers. Of course, the good includes killing every bad guy in sight, but hey, as Training Day’s Denzel taught us, the ends can justify the means. The third in the Equalizer trilogy touches heartstrings, too, with Dakota Fanning playing a young CIA agent who’s mysteriously lured into McCall’s new world set in Mob-controlled southern Italy. Fanning and Washington were lovely together in 2004’s Man on Fire and it’s great to see the two reunited on screen with a great payoff at the end.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Directed by Milos Forman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a showcase for the immense and unique talents of Jack Nicholson who plays Randle P. McMurphy, a societal outcast who learns the hard way you should be careful of what you wish for. McMurphy feigns mental illness to avoid a prison term only to become trapped in a psych ward with no way out. The cast, including Louise Fletcher as the bloodless Nurse Ratched, also delivers compelling and nuanced performances. Great film!

Complete List of New Movies Added to Netflix
Antz
Aquaman
Beethoven
Bruce Almighty
The Croods

Dawn of the Dead
The First Purge
Gravity
How to Train Your Dragon
It’s Complicated

Jackie Brown
John Wick
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park III
Little Fockers
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Meet the Fockers
Meet the Parents
The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Purge: Election Year

School of Rock
This Is 40
The Equalizer 3
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Training Day

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.