* Frankenstein (2025) Movie – Outstanding, Netflix always tries to start each Month with a strong Movie, and it does so again with this one. This is based on a very old, Classic Novel set in the 1800s about a Man who successfully created on his own a Sentient Lifeform, but now has to struggle with the Consequences of that Creation. This Movie now for me is definitely one of Director Guillermo Del Toro’s very best works, up there with “Hellboy: The Golden Army”. Oscar Isaac is great as the unlikeable Genius while Jacob Elordi shone as the pitiful Monster who is just trying to find his Place in this World. Put thesd together with the excellent Storytelling and Cinematography of Del Toro and the big Budget provided by Netflix and you have a new, Modern Classic, a Must-Watch Movie for me. It is a bit long though at around two and half hours, so it took me a couple of sitting to finish this one. But it was very much well worth it.
* Death by Lightning (2025) Limited Series – Outstanding, this is a Black Comedy-Drama about one of the United States’ (US) Presidents, James Garfield who in the late 1800s was assassinated. The Series follows his remarkable rise in Politics where he became a Presidential Nominee mainly because of a single Speech, all the Way to the last Days of his Presidency. It shows the Rough Nature of US Politics even back in those Days. Michael Shannon as Garfield was great as usual, with the added Bonus of seeing him play not as a Villain for once but actually the Good Guy. Very informative, and the Comedic Nature of the Movie in some Spots helped a lot in making it interesting to watch.
My only complaint is that initially I had trouble following who was what, and what was being said because some of the Words used were old and unfamiliar. Garfield’s Speech was also spoken in the old English Way so it was not easy to understand. I had to resort to turning on the English Subtitles which helped a lot in solving those Issues. Very Informative of what went on in those Days, and great Visuals also of how the major US Cities looked like in the 1800s. The Series Title by the Way is derived from a somewhat Prophetic Remark by Garfield himself who said that Assassination Attempts were unpredictable and unavoidable Events that were similar to “Death by Lightning”.
* Being Eddie (2025) Documentary Movie – Above Average, this is an Autobiographical Documentary of one the greatest Comedians of our time, Eddie Murphy as he talks about his Family and his Career. We also get to see a lot of his beautiful Villa-inspired Mansion which is definitely a Dream Home for me and I would imagine for most People also, it was just amazing. Other Comedy Greats like Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dave Chappele, Tracy Morgan, etc. also extensively gave tribute to Murphy. My only sort of Reservation is that the Film didn’t dwell too much on his Career beyond 2019, choosing to focus more on his return to Saturday Night Live (SNL) that Year. I sort of understand it since it was in SNL where he started his Career so it was a Homecoming for him, and that not all of Eddie’s Movies ended up on Netflix recently like “Coming to America 2” which was on Amazon Prime. A great Film to watch if you are a Fan of Murphy, but not so much I think if you are not.
* One Shot with Ed Sheeran: A Musical Experience (2025) Live Musical Concert – Outstanding, this an Innovative, Must-Watch Musical Event on Netflix where Ed Sheeran goes around New York City in the United States (US) singing some of his most famous Songs on the Street and in various Locations. If that wasn’t enough, the whole Thing was taken in one continuous shot which just adds to making it even more compelling to watch. Sheeran singing his most famous Songs live was just amazing to hear, and him doing them during a Proposal, a Birthday Party, on a Pub, on the Subway, etc. just makes this an excellent Musical Experience. I got Goosebumps hearing some of his Songs, and I actually almost didn’t want this Show to end, I was kind of sad when it finally ended after an Hour. Good Thing though that I will be able to rewatch it again. It was also amazing to see the Reactions of People when they see and recognize Sheeran going around. Again, a Must-Watch on Netflix, and one of the Shows that truly makes its Subscription very much worthwhile.
* Train Dreams (2025) Movie – Above Average, this is about the Life of an ordinary, Blue Collar working Man who lived for most Part in the first Half of the 1900s in the Rural Part of the West of the United States (US) as narrated by a Third Party Person. There are some Interesting Twists that comes out, and the Cinematography was simply breathtaking at times, but these still ended up serving as just as a complementary to the outstanding Feat of Cinematic Storytelling by the new Director, Clint Bentley. The Guy just really knows how to tell a Story and catch your attention from a Cinematic Point of View, even this one which should’ve been just a relatively ordinary Life which he still was able to make it look just spellbinding.
This is one young, talented Director to watch in the coming Years and Decades. My only reservation about this Movie is that it was shot in “Letterboxed” Mode or on a boxed Resolution which to me robbed the Viewers of more awesome Views. I’m also not sure if it is for everyone because of the “ordinariness” of the Story. But if you like Westerns, Panoramic Vistas and just great Storytelling, then this is a Must-Watch for me.
* A Man on the Inside (2025) Season 2 Series – Above Average, this is a Mystery-Comedy Series is set in Contemporary times and is about a retired College Professor in the United States (US) who ended up working for a Private Investigation Company. This Season is not as compelling as the first one, instead of a Retirement Community, the Setting has changed to a University Campus. The Characters, Themes and Mystery is just not as interesting as before, but it still does have its Moments and still worth watching. Because of this drop in Quality, I think this Series probably has only around one or two more Seasons left in its Tank before its Quality drops down further and People stop watching it. They were able to still bring some of the Characters from the first Season into this one, though, which helped keep Things interesting enough to watch.
* Stranger Things (2025) Season 5, Volume 1 Series – Above Average, the first two Episodes were a bit slow in Terms of Story Development, but it picked up pace and made up for it in the next two Episodes, ending with a Cliffhanger. To those unfamiliar with this Series, this is about a Group of People composed mainly of Teens who battle Supernatural Forces from an alternate Shadow Dimension in a Small Town in the United States (US) that is set in the 1980s. The Signature fun Relationship Interactions and Plot Twists which the Series is known for is again very much present in this Volume 1, especially towards the End, which is what makes it very watchable despite its initial slow start.
The Creator of the Series, the Duffer Brothers is saying goodbye to it by ramping up the Nostalgia by assigning a 1980s Song for each Episode, and even paying Tribute to 1980s Movies like “Home Alone” in one of the Episodes. Looking forward to Volume 2 and the Series Finale towards the End of next Month of December 2025 which will mark literally the End of a Major Era not only on Netflix, but also in Global Popular Culture.
* The Stringer: The Man Who took the Photo (2025) Documentary Movie – Outstanding, another great Documentary by Netflix, this one about the Controversy surrounding the Authorship of a World-famous and World-renowned Photo of the Vietnam War, the one where a naked Girl was seen running away from an Area that was just Bombed by Military Aircraft. It turns out that during that War, the Associated Press (AP) Organization was buying Photos from Freelance Photographers and passing them off as being taken by one of their own Photographers.
The Fact that many other Photos and Videos were taken of that Incident resulted in a pretty comprehensive Forensic Investigation and Recreation which showed that the supposed Author of the Photo, Nick Ut could not have taken that famous Photograph, and it was in Fact done by one of the Freelance Photographers. A Must-See for me, one of the better, real-life Detective Movies that I have seen recently.
* The Carman Family Deaths (2025) Documentary Movie – Outstanding, this Documentary is about the Case of an Autistic Young Man from a well-off Family in the United States (US) who was accused of murdering his own Grandfather and Mother on the Issue of Inheritance around the early Part of the 2010s. Both Sides defending and accusing the Man were adequately represented in the Film, but ultimately for me I think it was pretty clear that he really did it. A pretty engrossing Documentary to watch as always from Netflix as the Story unfolds mainly it is told by those themselves who were close to the Family and to the Case.
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