The Oscars were Sunday and proved the past year had some great films. This year, all the nominees for best picture could have won. In the award shows leading up to the Academy Awards, we saw it was going to be a close race between “Boyhood” and “Birdman.” At the end of the night, “Birdman” walked away with the Best Picture Oscar.
None of the nominees from the Oscars are on Netflix yet, but I’ve compiled a list of films with the same directors. The director of a film oversees everything within the film but most importantly makes the creative decisions. Following directors’ careers can lead you to seeing the individual style that they put into their films. One of the easiest examples is the director of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Wes Anderson. Anderson’s films have a specific visual and narrative style.
Sadly, Anderson does not have any films on Netflix, but there are other great films that share the same directors as the nominees at the Oscars this year.
“Gone Girl,” directed by David Fincher, did not win any awards but was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category. The Fincher film that is available on Netflix is “Seven,” staring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
“Seven” – A movie that follows two homicide detectives trying to catch a serial killer played by Kevin Spacey. The hunt begins when the detectives find a body with gluttony written on the victim’s wall and must hunt down the killer before he makes his way through all seven deadly sins.
“Interstellar,” by Christopher Nolan, won Best Visual Effects. Nolan has had some widely successful films, including “Inception” and the Dark Knight series.
“Insomnia” – This is Nolan’s third film, which he directed right before “Batman Begins.” Staring Al Pacino, “Insomnia” follows detectives investigating the murder of a teen in a small town in Alaska. Also starring Robin Williams, “Insomnia” is a great thriller that proves remakes can be just as good as originals, and possibly even better.
“Boyhood” was nominated for six Oscars, and Patricia Arquette won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the film. Director Richard Linklater achieved a great feat by filming this movie over the course of 12 years with the same actors.
“Bernie” – This movie is the story of a small town in Texas where one of its most popular residents is charged with murder. Staring Jack Black, this film has been called bizarre by some critics, but I enjoy its accuracy and ironic view on social norms.
“Birdman” won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay. Director Alejandro González Iňárritu’s film “Biutiful” was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2010.
“Biutiful” – This is the story of a single father of two children trying to get his life together while escaping the underground crime world in Barcelona. The film is an example of art on the silver screen and is amazingly beautiful and powerful.
I hope you find these films to your liking, and if so, write your thoughts in the comments. Until next week, Netflixers, remember: Stop scrolling and start watching.
