With so many titles to choose from, Netflix Instant's library can be overwhelming. So we bring you this biweekly column as a tool to cut through the clutter by highlighting some now streaming titles that pair well with the latest theatrical releases.
Looking to The Other Woman, The Quiet Ones and Bears for inspiration, we've pulled together a selection of female-fronted comedies, haunted horror, and animal docs.
The Other Woman
Cameron Diaz stars as a single woman who swears revenge on her boyfriend when she finds out he's married. Revenge is sweeter shared, so she teams up with his wife, and his other mistress. Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau co-star; Nick Cassavetes directs. Read our review here.
The Other Woman finds humor in the unexpected friendship that forms between a trio of spurned women. For more comedies about female friendship, check out this trio featuring mean girls, clueless teens, and raunchy gal pals.
Mean Girls (2004) Lindsay Lohan stars as Cady Heron, a bright homeschooler who knows far more about the animal kingdom than she does the perils of girl world. But when she finally gets to go to a public high school she gets a crash course in cliques, coolness, romance and loyalty at the hands of The Plastics. Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, and Lizzy Caplan star; Mark Waters directs.
Clueless (1995) Alicia Silverstone stars in the adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma that defined the '90s. Cher is the queen of her Beverly Hills high school, and she's a self-proclaimed matchmaker. But when it comes to making a match of her own, this fashion forward teen is totally clueless. Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd co-star; Amy Heckerling directs.
The Sweetest Thing (2002) Before The Other Woman, Cameron Diaz was looking for love and finding friendship in this raunchy rom-com. After meeting the man of her dreams in a night club, one party girl sets off on a road trip with her best gal pal to track the guy down. Christina Applegate and Selma Blair co-star; Roger Kumble directs.
The Quiet Ones
In 1974, a respected Oxford University professor puts his reputation and life on the line when he attempts to prove that demonic possession is nothing more than a mental condition. But his experiment, which involves a girl plagued by a fiery entity, takes turns he could never predict. Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, and Olivia Cooke star. John Pogue directs. Read our review here.
For more scary cinema centered around hauntings, we'd recommend this terrifying trio that boasts a killer sequel, a twisted take on the haunted house genre, and a Vincent Price classic.
Insidious Chapter 2 (2013) This sequel to the horror hit Insidious picks up right after the former left off. Josh Lambert is suspected of the murder of medium Elise Ranier. His wife Renai struggles to support him and believe in him. But staying with his mother during the police investigation, Renai begins to fear their brush with the spirit world isn't over yet. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Lin Shaye star; James Wan directs.
The Innkeepers (2011) The Yankee Pedlar Inn is closing after a century. But before it shutters its doors forever, its two night clerks are dedicated to proving its haunted history is more than just local legend. Sara Paxton and Pat Healy star; Ti West directs.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) Vincent Price stars as eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren, who invites a party of five strangers to a house rumored to be haunted. Each will earn $10,000. All they have to do is survive this night of terror. Elisha Cook Jr., Carolyn Craig, Carol Ohmart, Alan Marshal, Julie Mitchum and Richard Long co-star; William Castle directs.
Bears
This Disney Nature documentary follows a mother brown bear through the first year of her cubs lives, which take them through the wilds of Alaska, inhabited by flocks of salmon, and deadly predators. John C. Reilly narrates; Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey direct. Read our review here.
For more documentaries that revel in the wonders (and terrors) of nature, check out this selection that is sure to delight animal lovers of any stripe.
David Attenborough: Wildlife Specials (2008) Renowned naturalist David Attenborough leads audiences around the world to get them up close to a wide array of extraordinary animals, from the polar bear to crocodiles, leopards and eagles, to humpback whales, and wolves. Beautifully shot and lovingly assembled, these eight episodes make for an entertaining and informative DIY marathon.
Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2011) For another story of the adventure and danger of a young animal in the wild, check out this undersea odyssey that follows a baby loggerhead turtle from the Florida beach where it was born, across the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way to maturity, he'll cross paths with an array of gorgeous and deadly creatures. Miranda Richardson narrates; Nick Stringer directs.
Blackfish (2013) Admittedly this acclaimed doc is hard to watch. Documentarian Gabriela Cowperthwaite digs into the secrets behind Sea World, and uncovers a shocking story of animal abuse that had led to the death of beloved animal trainer. Learn the story of Tilikum, a killer whale who has proven to be a killer. But is it instinct or the results of captivity?
