Gallery: New on Netflix: 11 Must-Watch Movies to Stream in 2014
01Day the Earth Stood Still
Netflix rang in the new year by trimming traditional blockbusters like *Roman Holiday* to cult classics like *Brick* and *Requiem for a Dream* from its offerings. Now, scant days later, a whole new slew of movies and TV have made their way to the streaming service. We've sifted through the list and picked 11 must-watch movie standouts, from genre-defining classics to personal favorites. Above: *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951) --------------------------------------------- Forget the lackluster 2008 remake: Robert Wise's original 1951 film, based on the Harry Bates story "Farewell to the Master," helped define American science fiction as it transformed a short story about an alien encounter into a powerful Cold War-anxiety-driven narrative, positing the impact of unchecked nuclear proliferation beyond the petty conflicts of a single planet. More than half a century later, it remains a striking and still very relevant indictment of paranoia and militarism, as well as a damn fine film. *Klaatu barada nikto*, indeed.—*Rachel Edidin*
02Big Trouble In Little China
*Big Trouble in Little China* (1986) ------------------------------------ Imagine director John Carpenter in his gonzo 1980s prime taking on a movie that's part-martial arts parody and part-budget *Indiana Jones*, and you have *Big Trouble In Little China*. If that's not enough to get your attention, perhaps a screenplay co-written by *Buckaroo Banzai*'s W.D. Richter will change your mind. Yes, this really is the ultimate 1980s cult movie, and one entirely deserving of the crown, not least of all because of fearless performances by Kurt Russell as a macho, and somewhat useless, hero, a pre-*Sex and the City* Kim Cattrall as a love interest more capable than the movie's lead and James Hong as Lo Pan, the movie's villain who positively cackles with over-the-top delight in the role. Funny, exciting and far smarter than it originally appears, it'll have you wanting to watch it again and again -- in other words, a perfect Netflix movie. —*Graeme McMillan*
03Good Burger
*Good Burger* (1997) -------------------- Time has been everything but kind to the sole film spin-off of [much-spin-off'd](http://www.geekosystem.com/all-that-spinoff-family-tree/) Nickelodeon sketch comedy *All That*, but that's exactly why *Good Burger* is worth revisiting, now that you can do so (essentially) for free. As a story about a high schooler (Kenan Thompson) who must get a summer job at an at-risk burger joint after he smashes up his teacher's (SINBAD, PEOPLE. SINBAD) car in an accident, helping save the restaurant from an evil burger mega-chain that moved in across the street in the process, *Good Burger* is a historical, pure artifact, one that epitomizes everything that was naïve and spectacularly neon about kids comedy of the mid- to late-1990s. The acting is atrocious and the directing is even worse (Brian Robbins went on to helm such smashes as *The Shaggy Dog* and *Norbit*), but the fact that it's a mediocre fiasco only amplifies its greatness. It owned *Dude, Where's My Car?* three years before *Dude, Where's My Car?* existed. Do yourself a favor, and allow yourself to revisit this classic, if only to remind yourself of [Sinbad's pristine wardrobe](http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/302867/302867_full.jpg) and to continue reveling in the fact that [Abe Vigoda is still not dead.](http://www.abevigoda.com) —*Devon Maloney*
04Spaceballs
*Spaceballs* (1987) ------------------- Mel Brooks' sci-fi send-up *Spaceballs* is a nerd classic from beginning to end, and nothing has parodied *Star Wars* so brilliantly. From the Force-esque power known as the Schwartz to the Darth Vader knock-off known as Dark Helmet (played perfectly by Rick Moranis in his prime), everything is pitch perfect. It's also insanely quotable – "They've gone to plaid!" – and now that it's on Netflix it's time we all gave it a fresh viewing, just so we can bring those phrases back into our conversations and internet barbs. May the Schwartz be with you. —*Angela Watercutter*
05Jacob' s Ladder
*Jacob's Ladder* (1990) ----------------------- There's psychological horror. And then, there's *Jacob's Ladder*. Surreal, beautiful, and deeply disturbing, it stars a very young Tim Robbins in his first leading role as Jacob Singer, a disturbed Vietnam veteran who finds himself trapped in a labyrinth of nested memories, fantasies, and dreams, all leading him to a single, inevitable destination. *Jacob's Ladder*'s official classification is "psychological thriller," but it moves between the viscerally horrific and the exquisitely sensual with a jagged elegance that defies genre, and Robbins plays Singer with an almost childlike vulnerability male protagonists almost never get to explore, particularly in horror. Despite lackluster box-office performance, *Jacob's Ladder* managed to break ground in other media as well: it's been acknowledged as one of the primary inspirations for the *Silent Hill* series, which helped define the survival horror genre of video games.—*Rachel Edidin*
06Battle Beyond the Stars
*Battle Beyond the Stars* (1980) -------------------------------- If the idea of famed schlockmeister Roger Corman shamelessly ripping off *Star Wars* doesn't raise even a glimmer of excitement in your heart, then it might be time for you to reconsider some major life choices. Amazingly, *Battle Beyond The Stars* lives up (down?) to those expectations effortlessly, remaking *The Magnificent Seven* in space with wonderfully shoddy special effects, laughable dialogue -- the words "You've never lived until you've seen a valkyrie go down!" are *actually spoken* in this movie -- and a cast of actors who clearly needed a paycheck more than their self-respect at the time. Where else could you see Hannibal from *The A Team* and Jon-Boy from *The Waltons* team up to save the universe? It's not necessarily a good film, per se, but that doesn't mean it's not an extremely fun one. —*Graeme McMillan*
07Saved!
*Saved!* (2004) --------------- Long before she was cussing out the Capitol as Johanna in *The Hunger Games: Catching Fire* Jena Malone was playing a knocked-up teen in this twisted comedy about life at a hip-Christian high school. (Think *Juno* with more Jesus.) It starts out all super earnest, then gets weirdly funny-dark, and winds up being awfully sweet (if you don't get a little choked up at the end, you have no soul). It also has some of the best use of Mandy Moore's pipes on film (yes, she leads a choir group), Macaulay Culkin, and more great one-liners than you can count. Every parochial school graduate/reject/survivor should love it. Or, at least, I do. —*Angela Watercutter*
08American-Psycho.png
*American Psycho* (2000) ------------------------ Welcome to an even darker side of the Dark Knight. Director Mary Harron's film, adapted from Bret Easton Ellis' novel, is a deep delve into the shallow and, yes, psychotic mind of Patrick Bateman (*The Dark Knight*'s Christian Bale) as he frets over the inadequacies of his business cards and goes on terribly bloody killing sprees. It's horrifying, but if you can stomach it *American Psycho* is also a fascinating look at the American psyche. —*Angela Watercutter*
09Amelie
*Amélie* (2001) --------------- No one has ever done (or will ever do) the manic pixie dream fantasy quite like Jean-Pierre Jeunet. But there's a reason the French director's dreamy *Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulin* is rarely included in that roundly mocked canon of movies about flighty, adorable women who exist in their own wonderland for the benefit of a male story arc. The tale of Amélie (played effervescently by Audrey Tautou), an impossibly idealistic Parisian waitress who concocts and performs elaborate good deeds for those around her, is entirely her own, with love interest Nino Quincampoix (Mathieu Kassovitz) almost a secondary plotline. In its wake, none of the film's challengers have come close to the finesse of combining a photobooth, a globetrotting garden gnome, and [fifteen orgasms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnaw7DI1A1g) to make a perfect, magical little romance – not just a girl with a boy, but also with herself and her city. Plus, Yann Tiersen's inimitable soundtrack is, well, inimitable. —*Devon Maloney*
10Thelma & Louise
*Thelma & Louise* (1991) ------------------------ My editor tells me that there is a good chance that kids these days aren't familiar with *Thelma & Louise*, which blows my mind a little: It's a movie that was thoroughly enmeshed in the cultural consciousness of my generation, parodied and referenced across film and TV. It garnered six Academy Award nominations, seven BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, and so on. Superficially, *Thelma & Louise* is a buddy road flick about two women whose go from fishing buddies to fugitives after a violent encounter at a bar. More than that, it's a frank, funny, heartbreaking, and almost mesmerizingly engaging, and — look, just go watch it, okay? —*Rachel Edidin*
11Drinking Buddies
*Drinking Buddies* (2013) ------------------------- *Drinking Buddies* was one of the better, funnier unsung/under-appreciated indie heroes of last year, so having it move to Netflix so quickly means it might get the fanbase it deserves while it's still new. Set in a Chicago brewery, the movie is just a simple tail of two beer-lovers (played by Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson) who spend most of their days flirting, even though they both have significant others. It's a sweet story and also a really simple one – so simple it didn’t even have a real script, director Joe Swanberg just let his actors improvise. "There was not a single piece of paper handed to me at any point in this process," Anna Kendrick, who plays Johnson's girlfriend in the movie told WIRED at South By Southwest last year. "It was a skydiving feeling – scary-fun." Scary for Kendrick; just plain fun for everyone else. —*Angela Watercutter*
