Skooby's picks: three movies to stream on Netflix this weekend

By Jake Skubish

There are thousands of movies available to stream all the time. This is good, but it’s also overwhelming: when you have that many options, how can you choose just one? Every Friday, I’m presenting you with just three movies available to stream that you should watch to avoid that stress. I’ll hand out different movie recommendations every week.

Faces Places

Available on: Netflix

Faces Places follows 89 year-old director Agnès Varda, who passed away recently, and 35 year-old muralist JR as they travel throughout France, taking pictures of ordinary people and turning them into massive public art installations. The Oscar-nominated documentary is sweet and charming. Varda and JR are one of the most delightful odd couple pairings in recent memory; the two poke fun of each other in a way that makes it obvious they both have total respect for the other’s work, and their relationship carries the film forward.

At the center of the film, though, is the art. There’s not much more to it than its description: giant murals of everyday folks, recognizing them for achievements that would otherwise be deemed too small for appreciation. It’s a joyous act, one of compassion and creativity for little reason other than a love for creativity itself.

Faces Places ends on an incredible shot, one that puts the rest of the film in a bittersweet context. It’s a graceful turn, and a really beautiful movie. Honor the legacy of Varda’s career by checking out this film.

Zodiac

Available on: Netflix

For a serial killer movie with big stars at the center (Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo) and a big name director (David Fincher), there is fairly little fanfare for Zodiac outside of film aficionados. It’s understandable: it’s a slowly paced thriller that unfurls its twists and turns over the course of a three-hour run time. But if you’re willing to make the time commitment I would recommend the endeavor. Zodiac is one of the most tense films in modern cinema, and its grating structure calls into question the human need for easily resolved answers. Plus, Gyllenhaal’s performance as a journalist obsessed with the Zodiac Killer case is something to behold.

Jaws

Available on: Netflix

There are very few perfect movies. By this I do not mean great movies; perfect movies are ones that have no spare parts, movies that get everything right and don’t leave you wanting anything else except to watch them again immediately. From the sparse use of the shark to the “bigger boat” line, everything about Jaws is set perfectly in place. It’s quintessential movie magic.