Halloween is inching closer, and Netflix has already stacked its content library with classic horror movies like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis.
Watch With Us is in the spooky mood, which is why we’ve included some hair-raising thrillers on our Netflix weekend watchlist.
You’ve probably seen The Silence of the Lambs, but I bet you missed Red Dragon, the surprisingly effective prequel featuring Anthony Hopkins reprising his most famous role, Hannibal Lecter.
We also recommend the gruesome satire The Menu with Anya Taylor-Joy and the non-scary but very illuminating Met Gala documentary, The First Monday in May.
‘Red Dragon’ (2002)
A serial killer nicknamed the “Tooth Fairy” is slaughtering entire families, and FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) doesn’t know how to capture him — or even have any leads as to who he is. His only hope lies with another madman, Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), who knows what makes the Tooth Fairy tick. Graham is right not to trust Lecter, a self-proclaimed cannibal with a degree in messing with people’s minds, but as more people are murdered, does he have a choice?
Red Dragon is a remake of the ‘80s cult classic Manhunter and a prequel to the Oscar-winning 1991 thriller, The Silence of the Lambs. It’s nowhere near as good as those films, but it is a solid film that boasts across-the-board excellent performances. Norton and Hopkins are compelling as the unlikely duo teaming up to take the Tooth Fairy down, while Ralph Fiennes is absolutely riveting as a serial killer so soulless that his next target is a blind woman, Reba (Emily Watson), who’s the only person in the world capable of loving him.
‘The First Monday in May’ (2016)
The Met Gala is one of the world’s most recognizable events, with stars from the film, art, sports, business and political worlds being photographed wearing outrageous outfits in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It looks glamorous and exciting, but planning and staging it is anything but, and what makes the documentary The First Monday in May so fascinating to watch is witnessing all the hard work and hand-wringing that goes with the annual event.
The doc boasts cameos from stars like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, but it’s one person, made famous by her signature bob hairdo and inspiring The Devil Wears Prada, who presides over everything. Anna Wintour is still closely associated with Miranda Priestly, but The First Monday in Monday shows the longtime Vogue editor-in-chief doing what she does best — exerting her own taste and will to produce the best product possible. Some may view fashion as frivolous, but Wintour – and the doc — argues that the Met Gala celebrates and showcases fashion-as-art and how it brings together actors, athletes and tech tycoons. Everyone wants to be invited to the Met Gala, and The First Monday in May gives you a rare look on and beyond the exclusive red carpet.
‘The Menu’ (2022)
Everyone in the world wants to have what Julian Slowik (Fiennes) is dishing out. The reclusive celebrity chef is cooking up the meal of a lifetime at Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant where only the rich and well-connected can snag a seat. That’s why Margot’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) appearance is so confusing to him and to her, too. An escort, she is as far from the 1% as you can get, but her presence won’t deter Slowik from executing his diabolical plan — and most of his guest list.
The Menu is a delicious black comedy that serves up an often-withering satire about the ruling class and luxury fine dining. Fiennes gives one of his best performances as a man tired of the spoiled and ungrateful people he serves and decides to eliminate everyone he hates — including himself. He’s matched by Taylor-Joy, a “normie” who calls out Julian’s bulls**t while trying to escape. If the film has an obvious trajectory, at least the journey to get there is fun, and it contains one of the best depictions of savoring a good, greasy cheeseburger in cinematic history.
