5 Netflix recommendations for the week: #blackAF, The Green Hornet and more
By Renee Hansen
Netflix recommendations for the week include the debut season of #blackaf, The Green Hornet and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, among others.
During the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are stuck home and watching something new, and fun is the only entertainment we are allowed. I tend to get stuck in a rut and just rewatch shows or series I am familiar with, basically, just something to run in the background while I browse or play games on my phone.
This list highlights a few new or new to Netflix items, as well as a couple of older things you may have missed.
Below you’ll find a five-pack of Netflix recommendations to get you through the week, beginning with the new release, #blackaf from Kenya Barris.
#blackAF
The new series #blackAF, a Netflix original comedy, stars Kenya Barris (creator of Black-ish) and Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Rec). The series is created by Barris and follows a fictionalized version of himself and his family who are trying to figure out their way in life with their newfound success. The trailer shows the family and many wild antics they encounter. Filmed as a documentary directed by the 17-year-old daughter, Drea (Iman Benson), and the series is intended to reboot the traditional family sitcom. The series is currently ranking No. 5 on Netflix’s most-watched list.
The Vatican Tapes
The Vatican Tapes is a 2015 supernatural horror film by Lionsgate that just released on Netflix. The film is about a girl Angela Holmes (Olivia Taylor Dudley), who is rumored to be possessed by an evil spirit.
This film starring Dudley along with Michael Peña, Dougray Scott, Djimon Hounsou, Peter Andersson, Kathleen Robertson and John Patrick Amedori takes a look at Holmes’ demon possession and after she awakes from a 40-day coma. The Vatican Tapes takes a look at the ongoing battle of good vs. evil and the war the Vatican wages against evil.
The Green Hornet
The comedic superhero movie from 2011, The Green Hornet, is centered around a wealthy heir, Britt Reid (Seth Rogan), who wants to do some good by becoming a superhero. Lacking any talent or skills to pull this off, he enlists help from his friend Kato (Jay Chou), who just so happens to be a martial arts master.
Of course, there is a girl, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), a Russian mobster Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), as well as District Attorney Scanlon (David Harbour), and editor of the Daily Sentinel Mike Axford ( Edward James Olmos). As with any superhero movie, you never know who will end up being a good or bad person, who will turn on the hero, and if the hero gets the girl.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society
A historical romantic drama set on the Island of Guernsey after World War II was released on Netflix in 2018. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society follows a London-based writer Juliet Ashton (Lily James), who starts corresponding with Dawsey Adams (Michiel Huisman), a native of the island. Juliet learns of the Society in Dawsey’s letters and becomes so interested in the group that she decides to travel to Guernsey to learn more of the group and write about them. It is a lovely story about friends, love, heartache, and growth. If you enjoy period dramas, this is one you should add to your list.
The Movies that Made Us
In 2019 Netflix gave us the first season of The Movies that Made Us. The series highlights one movie per episode and digs into the behind the scenes stories of films that have stood the test of time to appeal to multiple generations of movie-goers.
This first season looked at four movies, Dirty Dancing, Home Alone, Ghostbusters and Die Hard. We get to see interviews with the actors and directors and others involved in the films. It is a fun look at how these films progressed into the movies we love so much.
This series is a spin-off of The Toys that Made Us that aired on Netflix in 2017 and in February of 2020, it was announced that Netflix had renewed The Movie that Made Us for a second season. There was no news about what movies the next season will explore.
What are your thoughts on the Netflix list above? Let us know in the comments below.