265 Best Binge-Worthy Movies to Watch (Page 12)

Every now and then, you get a romantic comedy that feels just right. The romance isn’t overdone, the comedy isn’t used as a crutch, and there’s no desperate need to lean into cliches. Instead, you have pure chemistry, which in turn fuels an endearing awkwardness and a natural sort of love. That’s what happens in the Australian half-hour sitcom Colin From Accounts—despite the premise and the familiarness of the genre, everything just seems to fall right into place. Dyer and Brammall’s riffs feel so natural and intimate, I could listen to them flirt with each other all day and only get mildly annoyed. Like most romcoms, there’s a bit of raunchiness and sweetness to be found here, but what I find most impressive is its ability to generate endless laugh-out-loud moments. I won’t be surprised if this turns out to be people’s new favorite comfort show.

Genre: Comedy

Narrated by Mahershala Ali, Chimp Empire is a four-part series that takes a captivating closer look at the drama, dynamics, and surprising politics that goes on in the biggest chimpanzee community in the world. Set in the deep forest of Ngogo, Uganda, the docuseries gives us rare access to the tribes’ complex lives and ties to each other.

It shouldn’t be surprising how closely their society resembles ours (The Guardian calls the series “Succession but with apes”), but director James Reed gives this well-known fact a fresh spin by highlighting humanistic narratives and intimate details. It’s enthralling through and through.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Mahershala Ali

Fans of Stephen King would likely know how long the fictional town of Castle Rock stood in his novels. Hulu’s Castle Rock weaves two original tales based on what is known about this strange, strange town, with the first season centered on a mysterious inmate and the second centered on a mentally ill nurse. While it does get confusing at times, the series is able to weave in a taste of King’s mystery horror elements, with the terrifying abuses of America’s modern day institutions. While Hulu’s attempt at a multiverse can occasionally get a bit shaky, Castle Rock nonetheless creates an interesting reinterpretation of the King of Horror’s Maine town.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: Barkhad Abdi, Elsie Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Alan, Paul Sparks, Tim Robbins, Yusra Warsama

Rating: TV-MA

This series is fascinating and incredibly easy to root for. The premise itself comes from a well-intentioned place, and is an idea that can even justify filming as a TV show. The presentation packs a layer of dissonance between its often, dare I say, adorable tone and the gravity of the situation that these people are potentially in. It's not something that I'd say adds to or takes away from the show, but it is something that's always in the back of your mind when the interview bits get a little too dumb and funny. The idea of prisoners governing themselves reads like a recipe for disaster, so the tension is always there. But when you see a good chunk of them taking it seriously, it's all you need to want to see the show through.

Genre: Reality

Actor: Eric Higgins

Rating: TV-MA

Partially due to the surviving Norse myths, as well as certain modernized cinematic depictions, most people think of the Norse gods as fairly benevolent, if a bit violent, entities. With Zack Synder at the helm, it’s unsurprising that he would take an edgier approach to the Twilight of the Gods, but this time, it works well, transforming these arbitrarily powerful beings as the villains they would actually be, at least in the perspective of the humans trampled by their thoughtlessness. It’s beautifully depicted, with lovely character designs and great voice performances, and it’s an interesting depiction of a mythology not often depicted.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Jamie Clayton, Kristofer Hivju, Paterson Joseph, Peter Stormare, Pilou Asbæk, Rahul Kohli, Stuart Martin, Sylvia Hoeks, Thea Sofie Loch Næss

Rating: TV-MA

When therapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carell) is kidnapped and imprisoned by Sam (Domhnall Gleeson), a patient with homicidal urges, Alan begins a painful journey that directs his attention to his dangerous surroundings as well as his repressed thoughts. Both Carell and Gleeson are creepily good in this, with Rotten Tomatoes even dubbing their work here as a “career best.” Carell is almost unrecognizable as the troubled but subdued prisoner, while Gleeson is unnerving as the reform-seeking serial killer. The backstories and the ongoing mystery propel the story with great force, but the show is at its best when it takes time to sit with its two leads and let them go at each other. All this makes for a rewarding mystery and a compelling two-hander.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Andrew Leeds, David Alan Grier, Domhnall Gleeson, Laura Niemi, Linda Emond, Steve Carell

Rating: TV-MA

There's a reason why despite little marketing and only a handful of stars to its name, The Night Agent became the most-watched series on Netflix upon its release. The show is a solid political thriller that recalls the likes of 24, Jack Reacher, and the Bourne series; beneath layers of top secrets and twists is a well-known (and well-liked) formula supercharged with pure action and thrills. It even finds a surprise star in Gabriel Basso, who provides a star-making turn as the simple but rootable Peter Sutherland. 

Sure, it's not the most complex thriller out there, but The Night Agent deserves a spot on your to-watch list for the familiar rush, bingeable suspense, and impressive performances it delivers.

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Actor: D.B. Woodside, Enrique Murciano, Eve Harlow, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Gabriel Basso, Hong Chau, Luciane Buchanan, Phoenix Raei, Sarah Desjardins

Based on a novel, The Lying Life of Adults might feel, at first, like a standard Netflix coming-of-age series, complete with vintage styling (the 90’s, this time) and teenage shenanigans, like skipping classes, preoccupation over sex, and rebelling against parental disapproval. Sure, the show does go through these moments, but the writing of original novelist Elena Ferrante, with the assistance of the writing team and showrunner Edoardo De Angelis, elevates this template through its subtleties, as Giovanna visits her estranged aunt Vittoria, and compares and contrasts the way she lives, with the way her parents approach life. It’s both a portrait of a divided family, but also one of a divided city, and it makes Giovanna’s coming-of-age a more nuanced journey that we haven’t seen before.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Alessandro Preziosi, Giordana Marengo, Pina Turco, Raffaella Rea, Valeria Golino

Rating: TV-MA

Genuinely exciting but with more than enough heart to keep its genre trappings from overwhelming the story, The Kidnapping Day wastes no time setting the stakes and its plot into motion. Several crimes occur seemingly at the same time, which not only keeps the show's various mysteries equally interesting, but emphasizes how our protagonist (the kidnapper Myeong-joon) is ultimately just a naive person caught in the crosshairs of something larger. But because of his poverty and desperation, he becomes a natural target of suspicion by the  people who don't know his full story.

And accompanying Myeong-joon from the beginning of the series is 11-year-old Ro-hee, who wakes from a dazed state with no recollection of who she is, but with knowledge beyond her years. The somewhat antagonistic but tender bond she gradually forms with her reluctant kidnapper is the furthest thing from Stockholm syndrome. Instead, their relationship becomes a window into a particular class dynamic that runs throughout The Kidnapping Day (as well as a host of other South Korean films and shows). In these first two episodes watched for this review, the series already presents a world characterized by a deep yet normalized divide between the rich and the poor.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Jeon Yu-na, Kim Sang-ho, Kim Shin-rock, Park Sung-hoon, Yoon Kye-sang

Director: Park Yoo-young

Mike Atlas is a former police detective now living on the streets as he reopens a supposedly solved murder case with a rookie prosecutor living in her mother's shadow. As they dig deeper, they uncover a sinister conspiracy that reaches deep into the core of the police and justice system. The series is well-acted, with Max Riemelt giving an outstanding performance of a troubled detective suffering from trauma, guilt, and regret. Now homeless, with gaps in his memories, Atlas uses his dormant detective skills to discover the truth from eight months ago and protect his now-estranged family. There's never a dull moment as mysteries unfold from multiple angles and pieces fall into place as theories fall apart. Sleeping Dog is an addictive guessing game until the end.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Antonio Wannek, Bernd Hölscher, Carlo Ljubek, Luise von Finckh, Martin Wuttke, Max Riemelt, Melika Foroutan, Mélodie Wakivuamina, Peri Baumeister