A list featuring some new dark drama movies that are available on Netflix
In the past week, I have published articles on French crime tv shows, also one featuring crime shows from Russia, Spain, and Finland. Now I want to concentrate on English-language dramas that have been recently added to Netflix. Of course, these dramas ain’t going to light-hearted, they’re all pretty bleak.
GOOD TIME
Dark Dramas On Netflix
Robert Pattinson won me over with his superb performance in, Twilight…shit, I mean, The Rover.
I have said it before that Pattinson has successfully cleansed the stains of Twilight from his soul. If you haven’t checked out The Rover (also starring Guy Pearce), then stop what you’re doing and go check it out.
Good Time continues Robert Pattinson’s transcendence from teen heartthrob to an impressive actor focused on the much-smaller but amazing independent cinema scene. The man has earned my total respect, actually I am a real big fan of Pattinson’s acting.
Pattinson plays a man called Connie. At the start of the film, we see him burst into a room where his brother is having a psych session. He starts roaring at the psychologist when he sees a tear roll down his brother’s face. His brother has learning difficulties and a speech impediment (played brilliantly by Benny Safdie). Connie interrupts the session and tells his brother to grab his coat.
Connie then takes his brother, Nik to be part of a heist, that goes tits-up. That’s when the opening credits roll. We watch Connie as things go from bad to worse as he tries to stop his handicapped brother from going to prison.
Also starring Jennifer Jason Leigh who gave quite the performance.
THE FOREIGNER
Dark Dramas On Netflix
I am sure you have all seen this by now but it would be a shame not to put it on the list. Not quite what I expected from a Jackie Chan movie but I mean that in a good way. Not only is he one of the best stuntmen in the world, the man can act, and can do drama very well.
Jackie Chan plays a Chinese restaurant owner called Quan Ngoc Minh. When a bomb placed by the I.R.A detonates and kills his daughter, he goes into full throttle revenge mode. Quan will stop at nothing until he gets the names of the bombers and makes them pay for killing his only daughter.
Pierce Brosnan is Gerry Adams, and he has a decent Nordie accent (only his name is changed). Quan learns about his past history and connections with the I.R.A. Every attempt to make contact fails, so Quon takes matters into his own hands to avenge his daughter’s death.
CREEP 2
Dark Dramas On Netflix
I loved the first part (which is also on Netflix). I am aware that this will not be suited to everyone. Some people like found-footage, some people hate it; Me, I fucking love it…why? because it’s filmmaking stripped back to the bare minimum. People need to be on their game, acting needs to great and they need to have a story which requires them to be holding a camera for the duration of the movie. Creep 2 does this with ease, a great example of indie filmmaking and a solid entry into the found-footage sub-genre.
Our favourite Creep is on the hunt once again for someone to record him for 24-hours. He says it openly in the ad that he is a serial killer and he needs someone to record him while he goes on a murder spree.
This time it’s a woman called, Sara who answers. She runs her own YouTube channel and ain’t getting the views or subscribers she needs, so she reluctantly answers the ad.
Our Creep is impressed with her drive and determination for recording this documentary. It ain’t long before she realises that maybe she shouldn’t have answered the ad and that her hunger for YouTube stardom may mean the end of her life.
SPOTLIGHT
Dark Dramas On Netflix
Spotlight is not an easy movie to watch, in fact, this could be one the scariest films ever made. A total abuse of power and robbing the innocence of children is one of the worst crimes I can think of.
The film focuses on the sexual abuse of children by the Catholic church. It follows a group of reporters who learn about the abuse and decide to break the story.
The further they delve into the claims, they realise that this was only the beginning, that the abuse goes much deeper.
Based on a horrific true story about the reporters from The Boston Globe. A well deserved Oscar for a flawless screenplay brought to life by amazing performances from each member of the cast.
A fantastic cast including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber.
SUPER DARK TIMES
Dark Dramas On Netflix
I was lucky enough to catch Super Dark Times when I was covering the great Fantasia Film Festival. It may not be super dark but it does have its moments. The film follows a group of foul-mouthed teenagers that thought that playing with a samurai sword would be loads of fun. Not the case, after an argument between two of the friends one of them gets stabbed in the throat.
Rather than doing the right thing by phoning the authorities, they make a very stupid decision to dispose of their dead friend.
Over time their minds become riddled with regret and guilt. The story focuses on how each of them deals with the accidental death of their friend. A great young cast and a different coming of age drama.
BAD DAY FOR THE CUT
Dark Dramas On Netflix
It makes me so proud to feature a film shot in my homeland of N.Ireland on this great list of movies. Bad Day For The Cut follows an Irish farmer called, Donal. When his mammy is bludgeoned to death, Donal and his trusty shotgun set out to get revenge.
There is a little bit of humour, but I found the funniest aspect of the movie was the soundtrack. Donal, the Irish farmer travelling around in a big van with a shotgun, out to get revenge for his mother’s death while listening to Irish country music.
This is a pretty hardcore revenge movie, yes, it’s low-budget but it’s wonderfully shot and acted.
Bad Day For The Cut is solid proof that the Irish are more than capable of delivering a revenge film that can proudly sit among the best in the sub-genre. The last Irish movie to have that effect on me was the low-budget Irish revenge movie, Darkness On The Edge Town.
That’s it, folks. I will be back soon with another list. If there’s any genre you’d like me to cover then hit me up on any of these social media channels. Hit me up so I can hook you up with the movies you didn’t know you needed in your life.
As always, thanks for reading.
