Imagine this: Friday rolls around, and you decide you want to go to the movies. There’s only one problem. You look up the week’s new releases, and none of them strike your fancy. Feeling disappointed, you open Netflix and scroll endlessly trying to find something that grabs your attention.
Each week, reporter Shane Weinstein takes a look at what major motion pictures are hitting theaters and offers suggestions of alternate films to take in on Netflix. Here are his alternatives for the week of April 3, 2015.
New This Week: “Furious 7” (Starring Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Walker)
Netflix Alternative: “The Italian Job” (2003, starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham and Seth Green)
Roaring into theaters after delays following the unfortunate passing of star Paul Walker is the seventh installment in the internationally successful Fast and Furious franchise. The film sees the core group taking on franchise newcomer Jason Statham. The film will surely be filled with the same absurd, yet jaw-dropping action set pieces seen in the previous films.
If you’ve never connected with the franchise, check out the high octane 2003 heist film, “The Italian Job.” This remake of the 1969 British classic follows a group of thieves who plan a heist against a former ally who turned on them. It's filled with some of the best chase sequences of the past decade, and it's an excellent standalone alternative to the ongoing “Fast” franchise. If you’re anything like 8-year-old me was when I watched it for the first time, you’ll walk away thoroughly satisfied and wanting a Mini Cooper of your own.
New This Week: “The Woman in Gold” (Starring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds)
Netflix Alternative: “The Debt” (2010, starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain)
New in theaters this week is “The Woman in Gold,” a film based on the true story of one woman’s legal battle against the Austrian government to recover a painting stolen by Nazi’s during World War II. Helen Mirren stars as Maria Altmann and Randol Schoenberg plays Altman's attorney. His character aids Altmann in her fight to reunite with her painting. If the film seems too mild-mannered for your liking, take a look at the 2010's “The Debt.”
The film stars Mirren as a retired Israeli special forces agent, but it spends most of its time showing Jessica Chastain’s portrayal as Mirren's character's younger self. The plot revolves around bringing a Nazi war criminal to justice. Written by “Kick-Ass” scribe Matthew Vaughn and directed by “Shakespeare in Love”'s John Madden, the movie is a striking piece of historical fiction that is well worth investing your time.
That’s it for this week. Be sure to check back next week when I’ll have alternatives for “Ex Machina” and “The Longest Ride”
Contact this reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or on Twitter: @S_Weinstein95
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