By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Former Sony employee.
College basketball’s Final Four will commence tonight at 6 p.m. ET, but if you want to indulge in something different, here are five hidden gem movies now available on Netflix:
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The Killer (2023)
Directed by David Fincher (and those four words alone should get you pick up your remote), The Killer stars Michael Fassbender as an assassin who becomes the hunted one after a botched hit. Fincher, who has helmed such works of genius as Fight Club, The Social Network, Panic Room, Zodiac and Se7en, never fails to produce an entertaining two hours (or more) and The Killer is no exception with his characteristic style, clever plotlines and atmospherics. (Fincher, by the way, directed Mank for Netflix as well as was involved in the making of House of Cards for the streamer.)
LA Confidential (1997)
The 1997 Curtis Hanson-directed neo-noir drama about corrupt cops in the City of Angels in the 1950s. Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger lead the terrific ensemble cast. Based on the James Ellroy novel. (Although Ellroy didn’t like the film; he’s wrong. It’s great.)
Inside Man (2006)
Inside Man, the entertaining 2006 drama (directed by Spike Lee) starring Denzel Washington as a troubled New York detective assigned to investigate a bank robbery that turns into a kidnapping. Denzel is deliciously playful as the cop and Clive Owen is perfect as the chief thief. But the supporting cast is also overflowing with memorable performances including Jodie Foster as a New York political fixer and Christopher Plummer as a bank executive with a mysterious past.
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American Graffiti (1972)
American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas, is a nostalgic masterpiece that brilliantly captures the essence of teenage life in the early 1960s. Set against the backdrop of a small Californian town on the cusp of change, the film takes its audience on a memorable ride through one summer night, following a group of high school graduates (Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, among others) as they navigate the challenges of growing up and the uncertainty of the future. It says here this is Lucas’ best film; yes, even better than Star Wars. And don’t forget Paul Le Mat and Harrison Ford. Love this movie.
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
We’re back with Denzel Washington 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.
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