The Focus helps filter out the bad from the good, recommending which movies to watch and which to avoid in the Netflix ‘Top 10’ chart.
‘Why did I waste my time?’ It’s a question we all hate to ask ourselves but feel we must after trusting the Netflix ‘Top 10’ movies chart to steer us in the direction of a worthwhile experience. On the contrary, I’ve asked myself a bunch of times, ‘Why didn’t I watch that sooner?’ after finally checking out a film on the streamer’s chart that came out elsewhere years ago. Looking at the ‘Top 10’ today, there are five I’d recommend, and in contrast, five I’d recommend avoiding…
Irish Wish – avoid
Digging into the new Lindsay Lohan romantic comedy may make you feel like a mean girl, but there’s no other way around it—the No. 1 movie on Netflix right now just isn’t any good.
The iconic actress plays Maddie, a woman frustrated that the man she loves is marrying her best friend. When she makes a wish to have true love, she wakes to discover it’s her who will be the bride. It’s a fun little concept that, sadly, winds up in a movie there’s little fun to be had with.
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Damsel – avoid
The platform’s No. 2 movie is a brand-new fantasy blockbuster starring Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie, a young woman escaping a marriage forced upon her by the two families, all while evading a dragon.
I’d say that the film’s worth seeing for Millie’s impressive central performance, but the effects can be unconvincing at the best of times and the story runs out of gas fast enough to even sustain a 110-minute runtime.
Shirley – watch
Oscar-winner Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) is fantastic in this biographical drama about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress.
The movie chronicles her attempt to score a win in the 1972 presidential run, and with a
supporting cast of Lance Reddick (John Wick), Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea), and others, the cast brings a parade of incredible dialogue to life. I’d argue it’s the best movie in the Netflix ‘Top 10’ right now.
On The Line – avoid
Mel Gibson is great in movies like Lethal Weapon and Dragged Across Concrete, but he’s not enough to save this 2022 thriller from itself.
He plays a provocative radio host named Elvis who is shocked when a man calls into the station claiming to have his family held as hostages. What begins as a tense and promising set-up gradually descends into tedium, but that’s nothing compared to the disastrous bombshell the movie drops as its twist. Or twists, rather.
The Super Mario Bros. movie – watch
One of the highest-grossing movies of last year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie became an animated blockbuster phenomenon that general audiences embraced far more than the critics.
Based on the beloved Nintendo franchise we’ve all enjoyed at some point or another, the movie is a colorful and breeze take on familiar characters, lovingly voices by such stand-outs as Jack Black, Charlie Day, Chris Pratt, and Anya Taylor-Joy. It’s a great one to enjoy with a crowd or alone, either works.
Mending The line – watch
If On The Line broke you with its twist, this is the one to mend your love for movies again.
Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls star in this 2022 drama about a Marine wounded in Afghanistan who returns to the US with PTSD. However, he’s helped to heal by a Vietnam veteran who is now a keen fly fisherman working as a librarian. It’s a touching portrayal of unlikely friendship and the humanity that ties us together. The Rotten Tomatoes critic score is at a nice 80% and deservedly so.
The Casagrandes Movie – watch
For those looking to keep the kids entertained with something new, The Casagrandes Movie is the animated solution you seek.
Based on the Nickelodeon TV series, which is a spin-off of The Loud House, the movie follows the Casagrande family and specifically Ronnie Anne, a 12-year-old striving to prove she has what it takes to hold down independence. But she didn’t predict she’d be encountering an ancient demigoddess on her family’s Mexican vacation.
There’s Something In The Barn – watch
There’s Something In The Barn is a 2023 comedy horror about an American family who is forced to battle against murderous elves after they disobey the rules given to them in their inherited Norway home.
I’d heard a lot of buzz about this essentially being the new Gremlins, and the parallels are so obvious and undisguised that it’s impossible to ignore them. While the movie doesn’t come close to the heights of the 1980s classic, it has fun with its story and, like Gremlins, is a horror movie I can imagine families enjoying. I had a pretty good time with it, and you might too.
Tyson’s Run – avoid
This 2022 drama movie is about an autistic teenager who, in the hopes of earning his father’s respect and strengthening their relationship, decides to become a runner and train for a marathon.
It’s an inspirational story some might enjoy, and there are elements to admire, but on the whole, it felt too clichéd and derivative of so many films before it. You can do worse in the Netflix ‘Top 10’, but this week, you can also do a whole lot better.
The Boss Baby – avoid
DreamWorks has delivered such hits as Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, and more, but I wouldn’t put The Boss Baby in the list of the animation studio’s highs.
That’s not to say the kids won’t get laughs from it—they will. However, The Casagrandes Movie is a better selection for this week’s entertainment.
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