A hilarious animated Netflix original and a Blumhouse horror favourite: This week’s best and biggest on Netflix

Check out Jordan Parker's 'The week's best and biggest on Netflix every Friday on HalifaxToday.ca.

Monster

This incredible exploration of the American justice system and race relations gives us one of the most heartbreaking films of the year.

A 17-year-old African-American aspiring filmmaker is caught up in a murder trial – and believed to be a key component of a robbery-gone-wrong in his neighbourhood.

He pleads that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he fears his public defender – and more importantly, the jury – won’t believe him.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. – who stunned me in Waves – gives a heartfelt, intricate performance here. He’s joined by John David Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Ehle, Tim Blake Nelson and Jharrel Jerome.

This cast doesn’t miss a beat. They’re all zoned in, and though the film struggles with tone and narrative beats, they bring the content to life.

It’s not a perfect movie, but it will evoke a guttural response, guaranteed.

4/5 Stars

Breakaway

This Canadian film may be a bit rife with stereotypes, but it’s good-natured at its heart.

It follows an Indian hockey player in Toronto who pushes against his father’s dreams and values for his son’s life. He wants independence, but must balance religion and custom, as well as the calling to the sport.

He and his teammates form the Speedy Singhs hockey team, and face discrimination from other teams in the league. Despite this, they are determined to show they belong in the hockey world.

Chock-full of fantastic performances, this enjoyable little movie is led by writer-star Vinay Virmani, and also features Rob Lowe, Camilla Belle, Russell Peters, and Anupam Kher.

It doesn’t exactly fit into our PC environment these days, but the movie, at its core, is sweet, funny and has good intentions.

It’s not perfect, but if you need some good laughs and to enjoy yourselves, check it out.

3.5/5 Stars

The Mitchells Vs The Machines

I began watching this animated treasure at 1 a.m., and figured I’d get bored and fall asleep to it. I became absolutely enthralled, and watched it all the way through.

To put it simply, this movie is flat-out hilarious and so, so well-done. Writer-directors Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe have made the rare cartoon comedy that appeals to all demographics.

When a dysfunctional family hits the road to take the eldest child to university, they encounter a robot apocalypse and have to shift gears. They try to save the entire population.

The voice cast is fantastic – from Danny McBride to Maya Rudolph, Abby Jacobson, Eric Andre and Oscar winner Olivia Colman.

It is an endeavour that boasts emotion and a whole lot of laughs, and if Netflix sees fit to give it a physical copy release, it’ll be added to my personal collection immediately.

4.5/5 Stars

Dark Skies

This film was made in the early days of Blumhouse Productions, the studio behind Sinister, Insidious, Paranormal Activity, and Get Out.

Jason Blum and company are responsible for some of the most important and scary horror films of the last decade, and though Dark Skies certainly isn’t high art, it represents a cut above normal genre ilk.

This alien film chronicles the struggles of the Barretts, whose existence is threatened when other-worldly beings begin taunting them.

Writer-director Scott Stewart infuses this film with tension and uses a slow-burn technique that works admirably.

But adult leads Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton and an involving J.K. Simmons in a supporting turn make this worth it.

It’s a well-acted, engaging thriller that boasts both a great script and stunning visuals.

4/5 Stars

Jupiter’s Legacy

This superhero drama from Netflix is harrowing, intense and hugely entertaining.

From comic book writer Mark Millar – responsible for Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsman – comes this bloody, gruesome and hard R-rated take.

It follows the creation of a league of heroes who have fought to keep the world safe for a century, but now their children must try to live up to their legacies when a strong villain and mystery come to the forefront.

The cast features Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, Ben Daniels and more in a pretty strong ensemble.

This is a really, really good show if you can handle the violence. It’s a well-wrought story that focuses on hero ethics, the cost of violence, and more. Check it out, it’s well worth the time.

4.5/5 Stars

Jordan Parker's weekly film reviews can be found on his blog, Parker & The Picture Shows.