An incredible Sarah Paulson thriller and Idris Elba’s cowboy drama: This week’s best and biggest on Netflix

By Jordan Parker

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

Run

This claustrophobic little thriller plays like a Hitchcockian version of Misery, and I mean that in the best possible way.

It follows a wheelchair-bound teenage girl about to head to university. She’s homeschooled and spends much of her time with her doting – if overprotective – mother.

But things begin to unravel when a series of strange events reveals her mother might not be as compassionate as she believed.

Writer-director Aneesh Chaganty – who made the incredible thriller Searching a few years back – scores another huge hit here.

Sarah Paulson is terrifying and Kiera Allen gives a performance sure to catapult her into more challenging, interesting roles.

This is a thriller worth tuning in for, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

4/5 Stars

Love and Monsters

This is one of the most visually stunning, wonderful action treats of 2020, and it came as a total surprise.

In a world where monsters rule the earth and humans who remain have gone into hiding, a young survivor heads out into the world to find the girl he loves, who is in a stronghold 85 miles away.

This flick is nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it’s well-deserved. I loved this quirky little movie, and it was fun from start to finish.

You’ll recognize young Dylan O’Brien, the principal in the Maze Runner series, and he has some emotional depth I loved to see here.

This is a huge bit of fun, and a flick you won’t soon forget.

4/5 Stars

Concrete Cowboy

Writer-director Ricky Staub debuts with the incredible, emotional Concrete Cowboy, a film I found myself more immersed in as it went along.

When a young African-American teen – who keeps getting into trouble – is sent to live with his estranged father, he’s exposed to an entirely new world.

He meets a rebellious group of Black cowboys in Philadelphia who tend to horses in the slums they live in.

Caleb McLaughlin – of Stranger Things fame – leads this incredible ensemble, and the youngest member of this cast manages to give the best performance.

Joining him are Idris Elba, Orange Is The New Black alum Lorraine Toussant and Jharrel Jerome, in another in a long line of effective turns.

It’s a powerful drama that will take you by surprise, and I was struck by the beauty of the entire affair.

4/5 Stars

The 2nd

Sometimes a B-movie action film is exactly what the doctor ordered. I’m not saying The 2nd isn’t a cheesy, silly spectacle.

But for what it is, it’s a whole lot of fun, and the cast is entirely self-aware and knows what type of film they’re making.

A Delta Force operative – when picking up his son at college – runs into a group of terrorists attempting to kidnap the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice with a Second Amendment vote looming.

Ryan Phillipe gets to flex his muscles and look all kinds of macho as a gun-toting hero, and Casper Van Dien – no doubt in his best role since Starship Troopers – is plenty of fun as the baddie here.

It’s not going to light your world on fire, but it’s solid, low-budget entertainment you can enjoy for the sheer dumb spectacle of it all.

3.5/5 Stars

Special

I devoured the entire first season of this wonderful show within a day, and with a new one coming in May, I was just in time.

This show about a young gay man with cerebral palsy is absolutely hilarious, and show creator and star Ryan O’Connell is an adorable delight.

He has taken his own experience and made a deeply personal, highly comical series.

Ryan moves out on his own, gets a job and begins to have the first sexual experiences of his life as he gains some independence from his mother, and the interplay between O’Connell and the other actors is the absolute best part.

Jessica Hecht plays his doting mother, and Punam Patel is a highlight as his fashionista, confident co-worker.

I love this show, and I guarantee you’ll find something to enjoy too.

4.5/5 Stars

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

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