A whole host of new movies arrived on Netflix last week, including one, oft-forgotten mid-2010s horror film from “Carrie” and “Midnight Mass” filmmaker Mike Flanagan. Additionally, the streamer welcomed another underrated, haunting horror gem that sadly flew under many viewers’ (and critics’) radars when it was originally released in theaters in the summer of 2023.
If you are not in the mood for a spooky time this weekend, Netflix also added to its library last week an action-packed 2004 blockbuster that is so entertaining it could easily inspire you to revisit or check out its franchise’s other installments as well. With that in mind, here are the three best movies you can watch on Netflix this week that are new to the streaming platform.
“The Bourne Supremacy” (2004)
All five “Bourne” films arrived on Netflix on Oct. 1. You can take your pick between which of the franchise’s first three movies is your favorite, but no other “Bourne” movie has more going for it than 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy.” Directed by Paul Greengrass and written by “Andor” showrunner Tony Gilroy, “The Bourne Supremacy” picks back up with Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and follows him as his quiet life is once again violently upturned by events that force him back on the run to resume his search for the answers to the secrets that continue to plague him.
The film’s climactic, Moscow-set car chase is the kind of pulse-pounding technical achievement that can justify an entire movie’s existence, and it is only made better by the quiet, reflective scene that follows, in which Damon’s Bourne confesses his sins to an unsuspecting witness. The moment itself is both an ingenious conclusion to an on-the-run chase thriller, one which makes every beat before it feel all the more worth it, and the most emotionally affecting scene that the “Bourne” franchise has delivered to date.
“Hush” (2016)
These days, Mike Flanagan is best known for his ambitious, multi-episode horror limited series, namely “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Midnight Mass” and this week’s “Carrie,” which premiered on Amazon’s Prime Video on Wednesday. But two years before he made “Hill House,” Flanagan went smaller with “Hush.” This underrated 2016 single-location thriller, which Flanagan directed, edited and co-wrote, follows a deaf novelist (Kate Siegel) who finds herself hunted and trapped in her remote forest home by a psychopathic, deranged masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.).
Clocking in at just 81-minutes long, “Hush” is one of the most modest projects that Flanagan has ever attempted, and it is also one of his most purely effective. Lean, mean and packing plenty of bite, it is a horror thriller that knows how to shred your nerves and hold your attention. It wastes little time getting going and rarely, if ever, lets up. If you want to really dive into spooky season this week, you couldn’t go wrong with “Hush.”
“The Boogeyman” (2023)
2023’s “The Boogeyman” is one of the most underrated studio horror films and Stephen King adaptations of the last few years. Based on the 1973 short story of the same name by King, this Rob Savage-directed supernatural horror ride follows a grieving family (led by Sophie Thatcher’s Sadie) who find themselves haunted by a murderous, malevolent entity after a visit from a trouble man (David Dastmalchian) inadvertently brings it to their doorstep. While it expands the scope of its source material, “The Boogeyman” was knocked quite a bit in 2023 for its adherence to the now-familiar rhythms and dramatic beats of the metaphor-heavy Elevated Horror wave.
Three years later, those criticisms seem less damning now. Savage’s film is full of startling, haunting moments and overflowing with stylish flourishes that showcase his ability to do a lot with very little. It’s a film that knows how to make one actor’s single, sideways glance land with chilling weight, and “The Boogeyman” never seems to run out of creative, new ways to use light and close-up framing to make you uncomfortable and — most of all — scared. It’s a more entertaining film than its slight reputation suggests and well-deserving of some of your time this October.
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