An unflinching 2023 Oscar nominee and a musical like no other: This week’s best and biggest on Netflix

Catch Jordan Parker’s The Week’s Best and Largest on Netflix every Friday on CityNews Halifax

Catch Jordan Parker’s The Week’s Best and Largest on Netflix every Friday on CityNews Halifax.

Shiva baby

Shiva Baby may be one of the funniest independent films I’ve seen in a long time. He’s so incredibly awkward that you can’t help but relate to the characters.

When Danielle attends a Jewish funeral service with her family, she is already faced with the task of hiding her decidedly different personality and her ideals in a difficult environment.

But when her sugar daddy and ex-girlfriend happen to be there, she finds herself in a cruel, hilarious situation.

The performances are all top notch and Rachel Sennott – who also starred in the incredible Bodies Bodies Bodies – gives an amazing, understated twist.

Danny Deferrari, Polly Draper, Molly Gordon and fabulous veteran actors Glynis Bell and Fred Melamed make a great ensemble cast.

It’s an achingly funny, poignant movie that you’ll love, even if it drags on a bit.

3.5/5 stars

let him go

One of the unfairly ignored movies of the pandemic, Let Him Go is great character drama mixed with suspenseful elements.

It follows a retired sheriff and his wife as they go in search of their grandson. The two have just lost their son and sincerely long for a connection with the young child.

Writer-director Thomas Bezucha – who directed the wonderful films Big Eden and The Family Stone – is venturing into darker territory with this one, and it suits him.

Kevin Costner and Diane Lane rule the screen, but also look out for smaller, impressive performances from Lesley Manville and Jeffrey Donovan.

It’s a moody, atmospheric flick that I can’t recommend highly enough.

4/5 stars

sir

There’s something both heartbreaking and utterly uplifting about this endearing Netflix documentary.

Director Chris Smith follows two incredible film titans as they find each other on a family level.

The father-son pairing of Robert Downey Sr. and famous son Robert Downey Jr. opens up about life, love and their relationship through the years.

The former was an anti-establishment director who consistently forged his own path, the latter is Hollywood’s highest-paid actor. What do they have in common and how do they reconcile their differences?

At first glance, it’s all about Sr.’s career, but things soon get a lot more intimate.

I really loved this documentary and it gave me so much insight into these two men.

4.5/5 stars

In The Heights (available Saturday)

My absolute favorite movie of 2021, In The Heights is the kind of bombastic musical that comes out only once a decade.

Based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s incredible Broadway show, Usnavi follows a New York bodega owner who dreams and strives to have a better life.

Directed by director John M. Chu, the film is filled with incredible music, beautiful choreography and a beating, full heart,

Anthony Ramos, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smits and more make a perfect cast.

I love this movie from start to finish and watch it often. So happy to see it hit the streamer.

4.5/5

nothing new in the West

Yes, I know, I only recommended it a few months ago.

But since he’s snagged nine Oscar nominations and been largely ignored up to that point, I thought it deserved another shoutout.

Nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and a host of other awards in 2023, this remake cannot be ignored.

It follows the experiences of a young German soldier on the front lines of World War I, and it’s an intense, difficult journey.

Director Edward Berger makes a film unabashed in its portrayal of war, and Netflix has a true winner on its hands.

4.5/5 stars