The Best of Netflix Instant

Netflix has been popular for a while, but their Instant feature has really exploded over the last three years.  In fact, Netflix accounts for more Internet traffic than any other source and understandably so. There is a great selection of movies available at the click of a mouse, but it can be hard to decide on what to watch.  The review section on Netflix is pretty unreliable and their score predicting how much you will like a specific movie/tv show isn’t much better.  So every Wednesday I’m going to talk about some of the very best videos available on Netflix Instant.  Check out a list of everything I have posted about in my Best of Netflix Instant Archive.

Touching the Void

Fun fact: that guy needs a wheelbarrow to carry around his balls, they are that huge

Touching the Void utilizes interviews and reenactments to tell the story of two climbers who attempted to summit a Peruvian mountain.   The attempt goes horribly wrong and what ensues is an absolutely astounding story of survival.  I was awestruck by what one of the climbers in particular endured and after watching Void I found myself searching the Internet for more information on the ill-fated expedition.  Hollywood couldn’t have made this up.  The only story I’ve ever heard that compares is the one about Aron Ralston, the climber who cuts his own arm off with a dull knife, it’s that ridiculous.

Many casual viewers hear the word “documentary” and immediately lose interest. I understand why, many of them are preachy or boring.  But trust me, if you spend two hours watching Touching the Void, you won’t regret it. 

Sherlock

The original bromance, but now it's been modernized!

Like Touching the Void, I stumbled upon Sherlock completely by accident.  I had never heard of it but I figured, “Sherlock Holmes is awesome, and he’s played by a guy with an even more awesome name, Benedict Cumberbatch.”  So I gave Sherlock a try and loved every minute of it.

The series takes place in modern times but still stays true to the legendary detective’s roots.  Holmes remains a deductive genius but is now also a tech wizard and oddly enough, really likes texting people.  Watson (played by Martin Freeman aka Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit movies) is still the levelheaded, less brilliant sidekick, but is now a veteran of the Afghan War.   The little changes make for interesting twists in a familiar story, but the dialogue ultimately makes the show succeed.  As expected, the dichotomy between Sherlock and Watson is great, however, I found Sherlock’s (usually indirect) interactions with the shows’ criminals to be the most memorable. The crime weren’t the most intricate or mind-blowing, but watching Sherlock slowly circle-in on the surprisingly capable bad guys, was great TV.

Sherlock was extremely enjoyable and is only three 90-minute episodes, so it’s not much of a time commitment when compared to other TV shows.  If you’re bored, check it out. I'm already looking forward to this fall when the BBC releases Series 2.