We’re not sure if you should watch the mind-bending duo of Donnie Darko and Memento before or after Titanic, but we do know that trio would make for a beautifully bizarre triple feature. Throw in season 5 of Breaking Bad and you may need therapy. Oh, and they’re all now streaming on Netflix.
The latest bunch of instant watchables runs the gamut from B movies to blockbusters. Here are some of the notable new additions to the streaming library with their Netflix-penned descriptions:
The Boondock Saints – Sensing a God-given mission to cleanse the earth of all evil, twin brothers Conner (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus) set out to rid Boston of crime. But instead of joining the police force, these Irish Americans decide to kick criminal butt their own way. Willem Dafoe co-stars in writer-director Troy Duffy’s crime thriller as the openly gay FBI special agent who’s assigned to investigate the siblings’ activities.
Breakfast Club – In writer-director John Hughes’s seminal 1980s Brat Pack film, the athlete (Emilio Estevez), the brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the criminal (Judd Nelson), the princess (Molly Ringwald) and the basket case (Ally Sheedy) break through the social barriers of high school during Saturday detention. The disparate group clashes at first but begin to bond as they reveal their feelings and find a common enemy in their bully principal (Paul Gleason).
Breaking Bad (Season 5) – Emmy winner Bryan Cranston stars as Walter White, a high school science teacher who learns that he has terminal lung cancer and teams with a former student to manufacture and sell high-quality crystal meth to secure his family’s future.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Dick Van Dyke stars as quirky inventor Caractacus Potts, whose magical flying car transports his family and lovely lady friend to Vulgaria, a kingdom strangely devoid of children, ruled by the evil Baron Bomburst.
Days of Thunder – Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle turns heads on the track. The young hotshot develops a rivalry with a fellow racer that leads to an accident. But with the help of his doctor, Cole just might overcome his injuries — and his fears.
Desperado – This south-of-the-border action flick picks up where the 1992 indie hit El Mariachi left off. Seeking revenge for the killing of his girlfriend, El Mariachi goes in search of the seedy drug lord responsible — and a showdown ensues.
Donnie Darko – Writer-director Richard Kelly’s trippy, mind-bending feature debut stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled Midwestern teenager plagued by incessant sleepwalking, family drama and visions of a menacing 6-foot-tall, doomsday-prophesying rabbit. Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze and Noah Wyle also star in this dark and intriguing psychological fantasy that swiftly earned a cult following.
Do the Right Thing – What begins as an uproarious comedy evolves into a provocative, disquieting drama as director Spike Lee chronicles trivial events that bring festering racial tensions to the surface on a sweltering day in a largely black Brooklyn neighborhood.
Event Horizon – Seven years after it went missing, a spaceship sends a garbled signal back to Earth that sounds a lot like a cry for help. A rescue ship is dispatched to investigate, but the crew soon realizes that something unimaginable has happened on board.
Memento – Suffering short-term memory loss after a head injury, Leonard Shelby embarks on a grim quest to find out who murdered his wife. Shelby snaps Polaroids of people and places, jotting down contextual notes on the backs of photos to aid in his search.
The Rundown – Looking to retire and open a restaurant, a bounty hunter named Beck gets roped into one final assignment: fetching his employer’s errant son from the Amazon jungle. Along the way, Beck finds himself involved in a treasure hunt and a rebel uprising.
Stargate – Dr. Daniel Jackson, a scholar of ancient hieroglyphics, signs on to help the Air Force unlock the mystery of a stone archway that’s really a portal to another universe. There, they encounter a primitive culture and some not-so-nice creatures.
Titanic – This cinematic spectacle — winner of 11 Oscars — follows society girl Rose and penniless artist Jack as they fall in love just as tragedy strikes. Re-released for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, the stirring romance remains timeless.
Zodiac – Based on events in the 1960s and ’70s, this chilling drama recounts the actions of a killer who stalked the streets of San Francisco and left clues in the newspaper, relating the mystery through a cartoonist who became obsessed with the case.
