In space, no one can hear you scream. Film buffs will know that’s the famous tagline from 1979’s Alien, a movie that is just as good now as it was all those decades ago. The beloved sci-fi franchise has just released its latest iteration, Alien: Romulus, which has so far received praise from the lucky critics who have seen it.
But what if you don’t want to scream in space this weekend? Well, if you have a Netflix subscription, you needn’t worry. We’ve rounded up three titles that have been neglected by most people but are still worth watching this weekend or any day of the week. So if you like movies about Irish spies, female softball players looking for love, or Vespa-riding priests, then you’re all set.
The Devil’s Own (1997)
You couldn’t get more of a sure thing in Hollywood in the late ’90s than The Devil’s Own. Directed by respected All the President’s Men auteur Alan J. Pakula, the political thriller starred Harrison Ford, who was just about to release his next big hit Air Force One, and Brad Pitt, who was in his glory Se7en days. How could it fail? Well, it did, with critics not being impressed and the audiences shrugging their shoulders.
Yet The Devil’s Own is still a worthwhile picture to watch. Pitt stars as Frankie McGuire, a young member of the IRA who goes undercover in the United States to purchase weapons for the Irish terrorist group. He takes cover in retired cop Tom’s (Ford) Staten Island home, where he quickly feels safe with the policeman and his loving family. Yet Tom gradually suspects something is up with Frankie, and soon, the two men are at odds with each other as one stands for law and order while the other fights for a cause that requires him to do terrible things for the greater good.
The Devil’s Own is streaming on Netflix.
How Do You Know (2010)
Some movies disappoint because people expected too much out of them. Take, for example, How Do You Know, a perfectly average romantic comedy that also happened to star Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson. Oh, and it was directed by James L. Brooks, the Oscar-winning director and producer behind Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and The Simpsons. Did I also mention it cost $120 million in 2010 money?
To say that it flopped would be an understatement. But seen in 2024, it’s cute and charming, if a bit slack in parts. The film stars Witherspoon as Lisa, a professional softball player whose career has hit the skids. One day, she meets George Madison, who has it even worse — he’s been blamed for an illegal act at his company, and he’s facing prison time.
Lisa, already in a relationship, shouldn’t be drawn to George, but she can’t help feeling a romantic connection to him, and the ensuing messy love triangle will complicate everyone’s lives.
How Do You Know is streaming on Netflix.
The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
One of last year’s most popular memes was that of Russell Crowe, more rotund than usual and sporting some killer shades and a big hat, riding around on a Vespa while wearing a tailored priest’s uniform. That image was taken from The Pope’s Exorcist, a nifty, enjoyable B horror movie that became a sleeper hit after it was released in theaters in April 2023.
The Pope’s Exorcist refers to Gabriele Amorth, a real-life figure (seriously!) who works for the Vatican to investigate claims of demonic possession. He is tasked to check out a young Spanish boy named Henry, whose family claims he is possessed by one of Satan’s minions. Is Henry really possessed? And if so, is the cure dependent on Gabriele finding out a dark secret from the Church’s past?
It doesn’t take a genius to know where the movie is going, but that’s part of its pleasure. The film hits all the expected beats with a workmanlike approach, and Crowe hams it up as the rebel priest with a trendy fashion sense.
The Pope’s Exorcist is streaming on Netflix.
