Culture

The 9 Netflix Additions You Won't Want to Miss This Month

Another month, another batch of classics, originals, and documentaries to mainline.
Colin Quinn Comedy Special
Chris Owyoung/Netflix

As autumn shivers its way into winter and we trade our sexy Ken Bone costumes for decorative gourds, you may be asking: why is Netflix stocking our queues with animal films? It can't be in celebration of the day that Max, George Clooney's pet pig, woke him before an earthquake (that was in January of 1994). It also can't be to commemorate Pickles, who found the missing World Cup trophy under a bush outside London (that happened in March of 1966). No, it seems it may be just a coincidence that this November, Netflix is giving us stories of rabid dogs, endangered elephants, and singing bears. As a wise collection of typographic symbols once said: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

  • Considered one of the greatest films ever made, John Huston's adventure epic tells the story of a grizzled captain (Humphrey Bogart) and a missionary (Katharine Hepburn) that travel down an African river during late summer 1914. This was Hepburn, Bogart and Huston's first film in color—and the remastered version looks beautiful.
  • Stephen King's stories have given us nightmares about prom, biological warfare, and of course, [clowns](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/12/world/europe/clown-hysteria-spreads-to-britain.html). In *Cujo*, the monster is a rabid dog. It's easy to vilify the man-eating St. Bernard, but it's not ol' Cujo's fault. This is *really* a story about rabies, a truly terrifying disease, and bats—who, as mammals with wings, should never be trusted regardless. Lewis Teague directed the adaptation, which stars Dee Wallace (*E.T.*).
  • The Leonardo DiCaprio-produced documentary tells the international story of the destructive and deadly ivory trade that could fully extinguish African elephants within 15 years. The Netflix Original documentary, which opened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, hopes to do for elephants what *Blackfish* did for orcas. Which means that it will also do for humans what *Blackfish* did for humans—make them cry.
  • We're just going to go ahead and assume you're a raving Anglophile for this one. Peter Morgan, the Oscar-nominated writer of *The Queen*, comes back to tell another story about Queen Elizabeth II. This time, buoyed by a [gigantic investment](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/28/netflix-s-new-130m-drama-the-crown-debuts-fabulous-trailer.html) from Netflix, he dives into the longer-form story of a 25-year-old queen (Claire Foy) struggling to work with Sir Winston Churchill (John Lithgow), run a declining empire, and to be a public face while navigating with a new marriage.
  • Though not up to the level of *Fargo* or *Miller’s Crossing,* this is one of the better second-tier Coen Brother films. (Fun fact: there are 11 tiers of Coen Brother films.) The story is oddly prescient, dealing in government leaks and bungled bureaucracy, but instead of a holed-up Julian Assange, the leakers are two gym employees (Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt) who have found themselves way, *way* out of their leagues. George Clooney, John Malkovich, J.K. Simmons and Tilda Swinton are all predictably great, and should probably think about forming a creepily intense barbershop quartet (which would necessitate an all-new tier of Coen Brother film).
  • Colin Quinn Comedy Special
    Chris Owyoung/Netflix

    Colin Quinn: The New York Story (2016)

    Colin Quinn's latest one-man show tells the story of New York, starting with the Lenape Indians all the way through the diverse set of characters who make up the city of today. The special, like the off-Broadway show, is directed by Jerry Seinfeld—and, like the off-Broadway show, is rude, brash, and incredibly hoarse. Quinn has been a recurring character on *Girls* and was great as Amy Schumer's father in *Trainwreck*, but the new special is very much Quinn being Quinn.
  • Richard Linklater (*Before Sunrise*) shot this Oscar-nominated story of a child growing up over the course of 12 years. Though the film is much more than just the gimmick, it's still truly affecting to watch the actors—especially Ellar Coltrane, who plays Mason—age over the course of the story. Ethan Hawke received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Mason's dad, and Patricia Arquette won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Mason's mom.
  • Netflix invested heavily in the fast-talking mother-daughter pair from Stars Hollow, delivering a four-episode special told in 90-minute chapters over the course of a year. We try our best to be dispassionate and journalistic whenever we can, but the fact is: wherever Lorelai and Rory lead, we will follow. Every damn time.
  • Jon Favreau (*Iron Man*) makes the most compelling case yet for Disney to remake all its old cartoons as live-action films. The stunning CGI, mixed with a stacked cast of voice actors and an insane cameo from Christopher Walken, lets this film comes close to the legendary original. (One unnamed writer may have even gotten a little misty watching Bill Murray as Baloo). However, before you get any bright ideas, Disney: keep your hands off *Aladdin* and *The Lion King.*

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Joseph Bien-Kahn is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. ... Read More
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