A terrifying wolf hunt and a classic Thanksgiving comedy: This week’s best and biggest on Netflix

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

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

This is one of the absolute funniest films of all-time and a testament to the strengths of its admirable stars.

It follows a Chicago advertising executive who is trying to get to his family in New York for Thanksgiving. He ends up as a travel partner with a big, gregarious, sometimes annoying man.

The two couldn’t be more opposite, but are pitted together because they both want to get home.

John Candy and Steve Martin are a lovable odd couple and are so funny as a pair.

Writer-director John Hughes created a classic comedy here, and I go back to it every Thanksgiving.

4/5 Stars

The Way Back

Not to be confused with the Ben Affleck drama, this 2010 war film is an incredible showcase of talent.

It follows escapees from a Siberian gulag who begin to travel by foot searching for freedom. They encounter all kinds of trials and tribulations on their way to India, their destination.

A beautiful, well-shot film, it was nominated for an Oscar in 2011 for Best Achievement in Makeup, and it’s so well-done.

Director Peter Weir – six-time Oscar nominee for movies like Master and Commander, Dead Poets Society, and The Truman Show – creates an evocative piece.

The ensemble includes Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong and more.

It’s a great film and one that’s definitely worth a look.

4/5 Stars

Without A Paddle

This is just one of those movies I can’t help but love, even though it gets sillier and sillier each time I watch it.

I was 14 when Without A Paddle initially was released and I adored it. It’s a goofy, nostalgic little adventure movie and a kid’s dream.

After the death of their friend, three adults come back together to find D.B. Cooper’s treasure, something they dreamed of doing together since they were kids.

But life has changed, they’ve changed, and they must try to come back together after years apart. They get in all kinds of trouble and become closer than they ever were.

Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, and Dax Shepard are all fantastic, and have great chemistry together.

There are great, funny supporting turns from Ethan Suplee, Rachel Blanchard, and a cameo from Burt Reynolds.

It’s a raucous good time, even if it isn’t high art. The nostalgia factor is big here, and it’s comfort viewing at its best.

3.5/5 Stars

Hold The Dark

This movie rocked me, and it’s a dark, dreary little piece of cinema I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

A writer is sought out by a distraught mother after her child goes missing in Alaska. She is convinced the child was killed by wolves and the writer is known for taking a wolf down.

She asks him to hunt the wolf who took her son and he obliges. But soon strange events start to tell a different story.

The performances are superb. Jeffrey Wright stars and he’s wonderful. Alexander Skarsgard continues to impress me, and James Badge Dale and Riley Keough round out the cast.

It’s a terrifying little film that flew under-the-radar upon release. Don’t sleep on it now.

4.5/5

The Addams Family

There are some films that are so wacky, weird and out there that they feel more creative than the average Hollywood output.

This adaptation of the classic Addams Family characters is delightfully wacky and director Barry Sonnenfeld does some great work.

It looks gorgeous and was nominated for a Best Costume Design Oscar in 1992. It truly is marvellous looking.

The Addams family become the target of con artists in this film, and this leads to plenty of hijinks.

The cast of Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya, and Christina Ricci are all fabulous.

Not everyone will love this one, but those who it appeals to will give it high grades.

3.5/5 Stars