Based on Just Seen It‘s rating system, I’m just going to list several movies along with a recommendation to “see it” (hearty recommendation), “stream it” (good but not for everyone), or “skip it” (I did not enjoy it).
See It
Whiplash (2014): Unfortunately, my top three recommendations all involve the abuse of young people. This tale of an ambitious young drummer and his vicious director is a stylized take on control, abuse, and unholy, destructive musical ambition. The themes recall the tonally different Black Swan.
Blue Car (2002): A heartbreaking take on a young poet who is taken advantage of by her teacher, this time a high school English instructor. (See my post about reviews of the film.)
Brothers of the Head (2005): The title refers to conjoined twins who are molded into punk rockers. Bizarre, atmospheric, darkly funny, and disturbing.
Stream It
Felony (2013): The Australian Felony follows a policeman who hits a child while driving drunk. The movie touches on the abuse of police power and how it is justified, racism, hypocrisy, and justice–or more accurately, injustice. Available on Netflix streaming.
The Double (2013): Based on Dostoevsky’s dystopian novel, this beautifully shot, nightmarish, if brief, movie follows a voyeuristic nobody whose life changes when his doppelgänger appears. Available on Netflix streaming.
Bad Manners (1997): This self-conscious film that betrays its talky theatrical origins is still an interesting portrait of four self-absorbed and even cruel academics who get together for the weekend.
A Good Baby (2000): This is a gentle thriller (if it can be called that) about a young man in rural North Carolina who finds an abandoned baby. It is slow with some unsettling undercurrents.
Skip It
A Dangerous Woman (1993): A bizarre melodrama about an odd woman who has difficulties with human interactions and always tells the truth. Includes murder and a sexual liaison that appears to be rape (but the film insists is not). Available on Netflix streaming.
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