Last week, I recommended watching The Whisper Man, an exciting new thriller starring Robert De Niro and Adam Scott. The movie is now the No. 1 movie on Netflix in the U.S. for the past week, so hopefully you’re getting in on the discussions, especially involving the polarizing ending.
None of the three thrillers will knock The Whisper Man off the top spot. However, these thrillers are definitely worth adding to your watchlist to stream this week. My first two picks include a jungle heist and an epic crime drama. However, my top pick of the week involves Keanu Reeves doing whatever it takes to keep a bus above 50 mph.
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Triple Frontier
An elaborate heist in the jungle
Besides being a thriller, Triple Frontier falls under two unofficial genres: “Guys Being Dudes” and “Big Dad Energy.” In terms of “Guys Being Dudes,” Triple Frontier flexes its masculinity thanks to a five-man team of action stars—including Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal. It’s a bunch of soldiers executing a heist. It doesn’t get more masculine than that. As for “Big Dad Energy,” the fathers out there will appreciate these older stars shooting their guns and bonding over shared experiences.
Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Isaac) is working as a private military advisor when he receives a tip about a drug lord having a jungle safehouse with tens of millions of dollars in cash hidden inside. Pope recruits former military teammates Tom “Redfly” Davis (Affleck), William “Ironhead” Miller (Hunnam), Benjamin “Benny” Miller (Hedlund), and Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pascal) to help steal the money. The crew successfully steals the money, but their problems have only just begun. The weight of the money jeopardizes their trek to the rendezvous. Plus, the drug lord sends his goons after the former soldiers, and they have no intention of taking them hostage.
Triple Frontier is as gritty as it gets. It’s a classic case of a cocky group thinking they have what it takes to complete a mission and then watching it go completely haywire. The cast’s chemistry makes it believable that they once served together in the military. I wish Netflix made more heist thrillers like Triple Frontier. I wouldn’t even mind a sequel to this Netflix Original movie.
Triple Frontier
Release Date
March 6, 2019
Runtime
125 minutes
Director
J.C. Chandor
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Scarface
Al Pacino portrays one of his iconic characters
Even if you’ve never seen Scarface, I’d bet good money that you’ve heard of its most famous line. As Tony prepares to fire a rifle, he screams, “Say hello to my little friend!” If you didn’t know where it came from before, now you do. It’s one of the many memorable quotes delivered by Al Pacino’s Tony Montana in Scarface, directed by Brian De Palma from a screenplay by Oliver Stone.
The movie chronicles the life of the fictional Tony Montana (Pacino), a Cuban refugee who arrives in Miami in 1980. With his best friend Manny (Steven Bauer), Tony begins working as a henchman for drug lord Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia). As Tony becomes more familiar with the drug trade, he cuts a deal with one of the kingpins, completing his ascension to the top. However, Tony’s meteoric rise didn’t come without making a few enemies, and those adversaries want their revenge.
Tony Montana is probably right behind Michael Corleone on the list of Pacino’s best characters. Pacino fully commits to Tony’s excessive lifestyle and over-the-top brutality. It is a stylish gangster epic with an eccentric character like Tony at its center. The story mirrors the effects of the illegal substance Tony sells: an immediate high followed by a disastrous crash.
Scarface
Release Date
December 9, 1983
Runtime
170 minutes
Director
Brian De Palma
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Speed
A true summer blockbuster
Summer might be coming to an end in America, but that doesn’t mean summer blockbusters have to go away. 1994’s Speed helped reimagine the modern summer blockbuster. Instead of waiting for July or August, Speed released in theaters on June 10, 1994. Speed grossed over $350 million worldwide and established early June as part of the summer movie calendar.
It also helps that Speed is a sensational thriller with a genius premise. LAPD officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) successfully thwarts an elevator bombing and saves 13 people. Weeks later, the mastermind behind the bombing, ex-police officer Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), plants a bomb on a bus that will detonate if it drops below 50 miles per hour. Jack successfully boards the bus, but now he must figure out a way to dismantle the bomb without Howard seeing it. If Jack tries to get passengers off the bus or the vehicle slows down, the bomb goes off.
Speed has everything I want in an action blockbuster. The hoops Jack must jump through to keep the bus at the right speed are as thrilling as it gets. Dennis Hopper is an excellent villain who commands the screen. Sandra Bullock is the charming sidekick and love interest for Jack. What else could you want in a movie?
Speed
Release Date
June 10, 1994
Runtime
116 minutes
Director
Jan de Bont
More Netflix movies to add to your queue
Thrillers are not the only genre on Netflix. If you enjoy award-winning movies, then try watching Straight Outta Compton and Alien. If Netflix documentaries are more your speed, then stream Teenage Wasteland and Death of the Pastor’s Wife.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four