If the snow starts falling and heading out the door into the cold winter air is not in the cards for the day, boil some water for tea, turn on the television, cozy up under a few blankets and spend the day trying out a few new films that hit Netflix this winter.
Mowgli
Perfect for any snow day, Netflix’s original Mowgli features a robust cast of actors—including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch—transformed into CGI jungle animals to tell the tale of an orphaned boy raised by animals in the jungle. Although the film is labeled dark and gritty, it still holds a message for the whole family that “the greatest journey is finding where you belong” as Mowgli confronts his enemy Shere Khan, a Bengal tiger, and discovers his own human origin.
Springsteen On Broadway
For those who missed Springsteen On Broadway in New York City, Netflix captured one of his 236 performances at the 900-plus capacity Walter Kerr Theatre. Invite friends over on a Friday night, turn down the lights, silence cell phones and transform the living room into a Bruce Springsteen concert as he plays favorites including “The Rising” and “Born To Run.” The Netflix film also features “Long Time Coming,” which was rarely performed during the Broadway stint.
Bird Box
If you don’t own one of the 45 million accounts Netflix reported watched this film starring Sandra Bullock, nor gotten tired of the blindfold memes while scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, spend the next two hours watching Bullock in a thriller where the monsters can’t be seen. With time jumps, a romance, various fight scenes and a bit of gore, this apocalyptic film will have viewers on the edge of their couch, waiting to see who will take off their blindfold next.
Dumplin’
Although Dolly Parton doesn’t make an appearance in the film, her voice is heard almost every second throughout. Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald), called ‘Dumplin’ by her former beauty queen mother (Jennifer Aniston), enters the Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant as a protest and in tribute to her late aunt. Netflix’s Dumplin’ features six new Parton songs including “Girl in the Movies,” which was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2019 Golden Globes, a little rebellion, flashy outfits, Dolly Parton wigs and something every woman can relate to.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Today, customization is key. From blankets with a loved ones face on them to individually curated playlists on Spotify, why not participate in a choose-your-own-adventure Netflix film? Video game programmer Stefan’s (Fionn Whitehead) life is in the hands of viewers as he attempts to develop the fantasy novel Bandersnatch into a video game. The interactive film includes five hours of footage as well as multiple paths and endings—including some that have yet to be accessed. Spend a Saturday trying this new experimental film, going back and forth between different paths.
