A couple of months ago we cut the cable and bought a Roku box, relying on Netflix Watch Instantly. To our huge disappointment we found that most of the movies we wanted to watch were not available for streaming. Moreover, Netflix’ recommendations were terrible. Mostly trashy adolescent comedies and B action movies.
Then by some magic combination of my viewing combined with my wife’s viewing and diligent use of the ratings feature, suddenly the recommendations got really interesting.
Last night I watched John Cassavettes’ Shadows, a movie that virtually invented the independent film category. Most striking is the completely natural and unforced way the movie presents its characters. It’s like you’re experiencing a slice of bebop culture from the 50s. There’s no storyline to speak of, the script was completely improvised. But the characters are so compelling that you almost feel like you know them. The film is essentially a film about race, but it does this by inviting you inside the main characters and making you feel that race isn’t even an issue. Until suddenly it does become an issue, like a cold slap in the face.
On Netflix
