2019: RR’s Top Netflix Movies

Since it first delved into producing original contents in 2013 with the premiere of House of Cards, Netflix has helped redefine the way movies people consume movies and TV shows. With one of the most diverse catalogue of any studio/service, Netflix hasn’t relented in its resolve to keep providing something for everyone, irrespective of labels.

This year, the streaming giants took things a step further with the release of Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman, a vastly unprecedented move that’s sure to further redefine how movies are released and consumed. Like my friend Magnus would say, paraphrased, the age of cinema might just be over.

The downside to a lot of content (both good and bad) is that it becomes increasingly more difficult to keep up. So, if by some miracle you’re hoping to dive into the new year binge-watching something worthy, this ranking should help with that.
In the order of my previous ratings, here is a list of what I think are the top 10 Netflix movies of 2019

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1. The Irishman 4/5

Martin Scorcese helped bring Robert Deniro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci under one movie roof again, for which we’re grateful.

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2. Marriage Story 4/5

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver greatly shine in this intend story about love and divorce, no wonder award buzzes are really going off.

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3. Dolemite is my Name

It felt so good to see Eddie Murphy back in action.

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4. The Two Popes 3.5/5

Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are two well-respected legends; so I they’ve got a story to tell about the Vatican, we listen.

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5. Klaus 3.5/5

If you’ve ever wondered where Santa came from, this movie tries to provide answers.

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6. Murder Mystery 3/5

Before Jennifer Aniston capped-off 2019 with her phenomenal role on The Morning Show as Alex Levy, there was this inane comedy with Adam Sandler.

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7. El Camino 3/5

Who’d ever say no to more details on what happened to Jesse after his tryst with Walter White? Not me.

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8. The King 3/5

Ambitious and murderous Timothee Chamalet was something I never knew I needed until I saw this.

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9. Extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile 3/5

Even though it’s difficult for some people to look past his High School Musical days, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to deny Zac Efron is evolving into more mature roles. That’s a good thing.

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10. Someone Great 3/5

Break ups are painful. This movie doesn’t shy away from the topic.

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Some honorable mentions: 6 Underground, Velvet Buzzsaw, and The boy who harnessed the wind.

4 Reasons You Should Watch ’93 Days’

Release Date: September 16, 2016

Starring: Bimbo Akintola, Donald Glover, Somkele Iyamah, Alastair Mackenzie, Charles Okafor, et al.

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Even if you haven’t seen 93 Days, at least you should already know there’s a movie out there characterizing the fierce battle Nigeria fought against the Ebola virus in 2014 and how the country triumphed. It’s the least you could do to show solidarity for all those the disease took away, top on that list is Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh (Bimbo Akintola), a woman whose professionalism and bravery helped intercept what could have been an even more catastrophic attack and all the brave people at First Consultant Medical Center, Obalende.

If you’re still sitting on the fence, here are four reasons why I think you should see 93 Days before it leaves Netflix.

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1. It Is A Good Movie
It’s one of the best Nollywood movies ever made and boasts of nice performances from members of its main cast. Bimbo Akintola, Danny Glover, Alastair Mackenzie, and Somkele Iyamah all did great. The camera shots, angle, and picture quality are awesome too. So is the music.

2. You Need To Know What Happened

Some people are still in denial over the plausibility of the attack and if the Ebola virus ever found its way into the country. I kid you not, that took place. Only if you see the movie will you be able to fully grasp what happened and how the sacrifices of a few ensured the survival of many.

3. It’ll Give You Closure

Maybe you lost a loved one during the crisis. Seeing how their sacrifices weren’t in vain might just be what you need to hurt less.

4. It Inspires Patriotism

At a time like this when many have lost faith in Nigeria, a movie like 93 Days might just be what we need to remind people that the country belongs to all of us. Like the brave men and women of First Consultant, it’s on us to raise up to the occasion and act selflessly towards uplifting our Fatherland, when the need arises.

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93 Days are currently streaming on Netflix. You should see it before it leaves.

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Directed By: Steve Gukas

Rinzy’s Rating: 3.5/5

You Should Visit The Cinemas More Often

Last weekend, I did something unusual. I went to see an average movie at a very cool theatre.

Now, this movie, ‘Black and Blue‘, is the usual bad cop-good cop kind of movie we’ve seen a gazillion time already. Nothing special about it.

The music, acting, and plot were all basic, but the effects of the theatre bolstered the experience and made it seem extra-special. This leads me to what I’m really trying to say.

Naomie Harris in ‘Black and Blue’ (2019)

When you pay to see a movie, you’re basically paying for the viewing experience first, before the movie.

Cinematic effects have been known to make otherwise dull movies, like ‘Justice League‘ (2017) appear shiny, and that’s no one’s fault. It’s the full package you pay for.

So, if you’re still sitting on the fence about giving your hard-earned money to some bunch of strangers, I think you should come around, the experience might just be worth it.

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Rinzy’s Rating for Black and Blue: 2.5/5
Naomie Harris does her best to carry this movie but its greatest disservice is in its inability to offer anything new to this genre. And I think
Frank Grillo really needs to stop starring in this kind of movie.

Does ‘King Of Boys’ Really Need A Sequel?

Fall 2016 introduced the world to a new side of Kemi Adetiba with the release of The Wedding Party, a movie she co-wrote and directed. Kemi Adetiba the feature film director, a not-so-wide but significant departure from Kemi Adebita the music-video director. At that point, we knew she was going to change the world, a mandate she remained true to when it was announced she’d excused herself from the 2017 sequel, which turned out to be a critical disaster.

Unfortunately, Kemi Adetiba seems to be falling into the same kind of quagmire most stakeholders of a financially successful film find themselves in – milking the cow for everything it’s worth until all that’s left is pain and disgrace in the minds of fans who once loved the franchise.

Don’t get it twisted, King of Boys is a beautiful movie, one of the best Nigeria’s ever produced, and one of the two top movies of Nollywood’s 2018. Thanks to same industry’s 2020 Oscars selection, King Of Boys is on everyone’s lips again, which is testament to its very scintillating art quality.

King of Boys 2 is happening. Though the nature it’ll take isn’t yet public, it’s been confirmed by Kemi Adetiba via her Instagram handle. But does this sequel really deserve to happen?

The answer’s NO, and that’s mostly because the story left itself in a tight corner with that resolution.

The way King of Boys progressed towards the end of its second act into its third makes it near-unreasonable for a direct sequel to happen. It takes away what little credibility the rest of the story up had, from that point. Perhaps, in a world where either Kemi (Adesua Etomi-Wellington) or Kitan had survived, and Eniola (Sola Sobowale) went down as most viewers expected, maybe a direct sequel wouldn’t be sounding so scary.

There’s an easy solution though. Making the sequel more of a prequel than an actual sequel.

The thought of seeing Makanaki (Reminisce) and Odogwu Malay (Illbliss) share a scene again is exhilarating. Both musical artistes made their acting debuts in King of Boys to critical acclaims. And a prequel would gracefully handle their reunion without worrying about the implications of how the first one ended. It could also give Toni Tones more avenue to shine as the younger, more enigmatic version of Eniola Salami.

Time will tell the direction this sequel will take, until then it’s all speculations.

Top Ten Disney Live-Action Characters

Once upon a time, animated characters from Disney were a thing to love and treasure, but these days the bulk of the attention is on giving these classic characters the live-action treatment. And at the rate the mouse house’s going with these adaptations, it’s only a matter of time before their library gets exhausted, but that’s a story for another day.

In honor of my still-in-session binge-watching of Once Upon A Time for a third time now, I’ve compiled a list of the ten times Disney’s impressed me while trying to bring some of these classics to life. Some of these picks are from standalone titular movies, while the rest are from the hit ABC Network show.

In no particular order, here are my pics:

1) Beauty And The Beast (2017)

2) Elsa from Frozen (OUAT s04)

3) Cinderella (2015)

4) Shere Khan from Jungle Book (2016)

5) Winnie The Pooh from Christopher Robin (2018)

6) Mowgli from Jungle Book (2016)

7) The Evil Queen (OUAT)

8 Maleficent (2014)

9) Brave (OUAT s05)

10) Prince Charming (OUAT)

Did your favorite make the list? Tell me what you think of my list in the comments. ❤️

FX Legion: Time Travel Is Impressive

Dan Steven has been killing it as David Haller since Legion first premiered, and it’s a joyous thing to see he hasn’t lost his touch one bit. It’s even more pleasant when you realize the show is fully embracing time-travel in all its Glory. The season three premiere opens with it quickly establishing its own set of rules for one of the most popular topics in SciFi, and one of my personal favorite.

Its theory builds upon previously existing concepts of time travel we already know, like taking care to not array to close or far from event(s) intended to alter, but it’s the tease of a time demon that gets me really excited for all the many ways things could really go to shit for this season.

The season three premiere goes out of its way to give a little extra of everything this show’s come to be unanimously applauded for – mind altering cinematography, excellent performance from its cast, stunning visuals, even the impromptu musicals aren’t left out, making it more difficult to prepare to say goodbye.

Division 3 didn’t come to play – David’s got to die. It’d be fun if the bulk of the season will be about David manoeuvring a vindictive Sydney with equal amount of hate as she once loved him, as Farouk rightly pointed out, but I know that’s a bogus lead. The Shadow King is too good to keep playing ball for long, he’s definitely got a few sinister tricks up his sleeves especially since there’s a time-traveler on board. With Professor X slated to appear somewhere down the line, I’d like to see how all these pieces play out together.

Give me more Lenny, crazy David-Farouk moments, time-travel, and I’ll be your loyal bitch this season, Legion.

Muna: Adesua-Etomi Wellington Is Ready To Kick Ass

The trailer for ‘Muna‘ starring Adesua-Etomi Wellington dropped a few days ago. Muna is sure to be a kick-ass movie, and it’s safe to say it’s one of Nollywood’s most anticipated movie of 2019.First teased by the star actress in Summer 2017, the beautiful wife of actor/musician/ political aspirant Banky-W is set to wow global audience with this collaboration between Hollywood and Nollywood. Judging by the trailer, there’s not going to be any dull moment in this movie. Or will there?

We’vecome a long way to continue to fall hook, line and sinker for this new Nollywood game. It’s relatively new, but still has been done so much time it’d be weird to not acknowledge what’s really happening. Nollywood has gotten very good at cutting trailers. A round of applause for the powerhouse industry.

Banana Island Ghost, Up North, The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai are some of the high-profile movies in recent years to follow this route. Awesome trailers which gets you nothing short of hopeful and willing to dole out those Naira notes you hold dear. Unfortunately, none of these movies ever lived up to the hype. And I fear Muna might follow suit.

Yet, it still wouldn’t be far-fetched to fan the flames of optimism. Who knows, Muna might just surprise us, and break the curse?