Even if the holidays are over many of us are still on break or just in the mood to watch great movies. However, it’s expensive to go out to the movies. I figured I’d recommend some of my top Netflix and Amazon Prime picks that may have flown under the radar. Order some take-out and have yourself a movie night with one or all of these films.

     Let’s first talk about the movies on Netflix. Chef is a great choice if you’re looking for something fun and light-hearted. It was one of my favorite movies of 2014 and man will it get you hungry. The food in every scene looks amazing. It’s funny, well made, and has a very touching story about a father’s experiences with his young son. You can’t go wrong with Chef.

     Next, is Sing Street which came out earlier this year. I can’t tell you how lucky we are to have this movie streaming on Netflix. This is my favorite movie of 2016 so far. I just watched it again for my 3rd time and have loved it more and more after each viewing. The music is fantastic in it! It’s also hilarious. Besides that, it will warm your heart. I was so touched after watching it. The beginning is phenomenal! The middle is phenomenal! The end is phenomenal! To me, it’s perfect and I think everyone should see it.

     Love Actually is one I just got around to watching after my brother recommended it. If you’re suffering the post-holiday blues I wouldn’t recommend it since it definitely has a lot of Christmasy stuff. However, it’s a really feel good movie that has strong comedic elements. Literally every famous British actor is in this movie. It’s ridiculous! Bill Nighy’s character is a real standout. It’s not perfect but it’s the definition of a great Netflix movie.

     Begin Again is a 2013 film by the same director as Sing Street. It’s not nearly as good but still very enjoyable. Is it extremely cheesy and predictable? Yes. Fortunately, the music is once again very catchy and it’s one of those films that you forgive for being paint by numbers because it works and makes you feel good.

     St Vincent was another 2014 film that stood out to me. It was a smaller movie with Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy. It was nice to see her in a different role from her usual over the top comedies. Jaeden Lieberher, the child in the movie, was fantastic and once again it had a very heart-warming message. It wasn’t amongst my favorites of 2014 but I was happy I saw it and thought it was an underrated independent flick.

     The next two are older foreign films that many may have heard of but others probably haven’t. First up, is my favorite foreign film of all time. City of God!!!! It’s a very heavy movie and does a great job of portraying the deep rooted corruption and danger of the favelas in Brazil. It’s even all the more real since most of the actors actually grew up in the neighborhoods it depicts. It’s scary to watch but also important to see. It helps you understand the struggle of the favelas and is an all around amazing film.

     The other foreign film is Cinema Paradiso. This is a movie geared towards film lovers. The little kid in the film is so charming and funny. It’s an homage to classic film, reminding us of the power of storytelling. It also has deeper messages about family, friendship, and ambition. It’s definitely on the same level of City of God in terms of quality. 

     I’m going to also talk about a few Amazon Prime films. Room was a 2015 movie that got a lot of Oscar buzz. I still don’t think enough people saw it. I probably wouldn’t want to watch it again but it has some very powerful moments(especially one scene in particular). It was a movie I was glad to see and thought it had a lot of strong elements that justified me watching it.

     Eye in the Sky came out earlier this year and I know that this one flew under a lot of peoples’ radar. It’s thrilling!! Again, I probably don’t want to watch it for a second time in the near future but it’s a solid movie. It’s strongest element is how it offers multiple viewpoints on the hard decisions made during war, forcing the audience to decide between what is right and wrong.

     The last film is a classic that I think many people my age haven’t seen. It’s Taxi Driver. To me, it’s Robert De Niro’s best performance and the character of Travis Bickle is one of the most complex and interesting people in cinematic history. It’s has fantastic elements of film noir fantastic, expertly capturing the seedy world of night life in New York City during the 70’s.

     So… enjoy any or all of the films you watch on this list and I hope my recommendations helped you see some amazing films! Happy movie watching!!!