Pictures: Netflix
What a year it has been for the biggest streamer in the world.
While the first half of the year was largely known for its widely seen star-studded critical failures, the second half of the year brought many successes. From a hit franchise blockbuster to multiple awards season contenders, Netflix’s year in films was turned around completely and may help them garner some hardware as we march towards the Oscars in March.
While this list may not represent the most-watched films of the year, I believe these to be the best Netflix had to offer over the past 12 months.
So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Netflix Original Movies of 2023.
Please note that this author has not seen Best International Feature contender, Society of the Snow, as it will not be on Netflix until 1/4/24. This list will also not consider the Wes Anderson/Roald Dahl short...
What a year it has been for the biggest streamer in the world.
While the first half of the year was largely known for its widely seen star-studded critical failures, the second half of the year brought many successes. From a hit franchise blockbuster to multiple awards season contenders, Netflix’s year in films was turned around completely and may help them garner some hardware as we march towards the Oscars in March.
While this list may not represent the most-watched films of the year, I believe these to be the best Netflix had to offer over the past 12 months.
So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Netflix Original Movies of 2023.
Please note that this author has not seen Best International Feature contender, Society of the Snow, as it will not be on Netflix until 1/4/24. This list will also not consider the Wes Anderson/Roald Dahl short...
- 12/29/2023
- by Andrew Morgan
- Whats-on-Netflix
The Machine is loud, gross, obnoxious and overbearing. It’s also disarming, quick-witted, fast moving and becomes increasingly funny as it ends up in, of all places, Russia for its payoff scenes.
Presided over, if that is the right term, by the irrepressible Bert Kreischer, the big-gutted comedian who goes by the name The Machine and prefers to appear without a shirt on whenever possible, has landed his first big feature film at age 50 and continues the same comic shtick he’s been doing for years. Lo and behold, it’s still pretty funny stuff. This is a big picture for a big guy, and Kreischer is so persistent, and persistently off the wall, that it’s finally far easier to enjoy the party than to carp and resist.
Kreischer makes a point of performing with his shirt off when at all possible, something that becomes a tad strange in...
Presided over, if that is the right term, by the irrepressible Bert Kreischer, the big-gutted comedian who goes by the name The Machine and prefers to appear without a shirt on whenever possible, has landed his first big feature film at age 50 and continues the same comic shtick he’s been doing for years. Lo and behold, it’s still pretty funny stuff. This is a big picture for a big guy, and Kreischer is so persistent, and persistently off the wall, that it’s finally far easier to enjoy the party than to carp and resist.
Kreischer makes a point of performing with his shirt off when at all possible, something that becomes a tad strange in...
- 5/26/2023
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Bert Kreischer facing familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Review: This weekend boasts two theatrical films featuring stand-up comedians with dedicated fanbases in stories about their relationship with their father. Both Sebastian Maniscalco and Bert Kreischer have performed elements of the stories at the core of their big-screen adventures, but the results could not be further apart. While About My Father is a wholesome bromance centered on the culture clash of two families, The Machine is a balls-to-the-wall action...
Review: This weekend boasts two theatrical films featuring stand-up comedians with dedicated fanbases in stories about their relationship with their father. Both Sebastian Maniscalco and Bert Kreischer have performed elements of the stories at the core of their big-screen adventures, but the results could not be further apart. While About My Father is a wholesome bromance centered on the culture clash of two families, The Machine is a balls-to-the-wall action...
- 5/26/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Blood & Gold is a movie directed by Peter Thorwarth starring Alexander Scheer, Robert Maaser and Florian Schmidtke.
Blood & Gold is a hilarious Pulp-style action movie.
Plot
A German soldier is looking for his daughter while some of Himmler’s SS boys are desperately looking for a treasure.
Blood & Gold (2023) Movie review
This movie is a great parody that not only tells a story, but also incorporates cinematic elements that make it interesting to watch. The film is well-balanced and attractive, and can only be criticized based on personal preferences. It’s a good movie that has intention, background, and form.
It’s not an action movie like Sisu, nor does it have a “comic book” style. Instead, it draws attention through metafiction and irony, which make the script reflexive and deep. The setting and photography are very good, and while it’s not a blockbuster, it’s magnificently lit.
Blood & Gold is a hilarious Pulp-style action movie.
Plot
A German soldier is looking for his daughter while some of Himmler’s SS boys are desperately looking for a treasure.
Blood & Gold (2023) Movie review
This movie is a great parody that not only tells a story, but also incorporates cinematic elements that make it interesting to watch. The film is well-balanced and attractive, and can only be criticized based on personal preferences. It’s a good movie that has intention, background, and form.
It’s not an action movie like Sisu, nor does it have a “comic book” style. Instead, it draws attention through metafiction and irony, which make the script reflexive and deep. The setting and photography are very good, and while it’s not a blockbuster, it’s magnificently lit.
- 5/26/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
A deserting Nazi private and a local farmer’s daughter enact bloody revenge on plundering troops in this tightly-staged switch-your-brain-off entertainment
This Netflix-backed action-driven story is effectively a spaghetti western that just happens to unfold in Germany in the last days of the second world war. (A sauerkraut or currywurst western?) Director Peter Thorwarth strives for that same pulpy-elegiac blend that made the films by Sergios Leone and Corbucci, Franco Nero and all the rest so compelling and repellent, with their squelchy violence and operatic conflict. Per the title, there’s indeed a lot of blood.
It starts with Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a lowly private in a small platoon about to be hanged for desertion because he’s disgusted by his side’s actions and just wants to go home and find his kid. But, counter to the German stereotype of ruthless efficiency, the troops just drive off and...
This Netflix-backed action-driven story is effectively a spaghetti western that just happens to unfold in Germany in the last days of the second world war. (A sauerkraut or currywurst western?) Director Peter Thorwarth strives for that same pulpy-elegiac blend that made the films by Sergios Leone and Corbucci, Franco Nero and all the rest so compelling and repellent, with their squelchy violence and operatic conflict. Per the title, there’s indeed a lot of blood.
It starts with Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a lowly private in a small platoon about to be hanged for desertion because he’s disgusted by his side’s actions and just wants to go home and find his kid. But, counter to the German stereotype of ruthless efficiency, the troops just drive off and...
- 5/24/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
"An unlikely group of outcasts taking on the entire Nazi empire." Netflix has unveiled another new "special trailer" for the WWII action thrille Blood & Gold, the latest from German filmmaker Peter Throwarth. It will be streaming on Netflix at the end of May. This is his second film with Netflix recently after his vampire thriller Blood Red Sky. Desperate to return home to his daughter during the final days of World War II, a German deserter finds himself caught in a battle against SS troops on a mission to uncover hidden gold. On his way to find his daughter, deserter Henrich is stopped by SS troops and hanged from a tree. Courageous farmer Elsa saves him just in time. United by their common enemy, the two fight for justice and for their families. A thrilling and bloody search for stolen gold treasure begins, revealing bitter secrets along the way.
- 4/29/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Netflix is getting into the "let's kill Nazis violently" sub-genre of World War II films with the upcoming "Blood & Gold." This movie may not be on your radar just yet, but it seems like the kind of title that is destined to build up some buzz once it arrives on the streaming service next month. To that end, a new trailer for the German war flick has been released online that offers an extremely fun look at what promises to be a murder-heavy tale of revenge.
What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.
What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.
- 4/28/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
"I'm done with this madness. Where is the gold?!" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a WWII action thriller titled Blood & Gold, the latest from German filmmaker Peter Throwarth. This is his second film with Netflix recently (and the second with "Blood" in the title), following his vampire thriller Blood Red Sky a few years ago. Desperate to return home to his daughter during the final days of World War II, a German deserter finds himself caught in a battle against SS troops on a mission to uncover hidden gold. On his way to find his daughter, deserter Henrich is stopped by SS troops and hanged from a tree. Courageous farmer Elsa saves him just in time. United by their common enemy, the two fight for justice and for their families. A thrilling and bloody search for stolen gold treasure begins, revealing bitter secrets along the way. This stars Robert Maaser,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Sony Pictures has debuted the trailer for ‘The Machine’ featuring Mark Hamill.
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Bert (Bert Kreischer) facing a familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Directed by Peter Atencio, the film stars Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić, Robert Maaser, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jess Gabor, Rita Bernard Shaw, Nikola Đuričko, Oleg Taktarov, Amelie Villers and Mercedes de la Cruz.
Also in trailers – “I’m a good girl… saving myself for marriage…” Hilarious trailer lands for...
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Bert (Bert Kreischer) facing a familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Directed by Peter Atencio, the film stars Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić, Robert Maaser, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jess Gabor, Rita Bernard Shaw, Nikola Đuričko, Oleg Taktarov, Amelie Villers and Mercedes de la Cruz.
Also in trailers – “I’m a good girl… saving myself for marriage…” Hilarious trailer lands for...
- 3/21/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Bert (Bert Kreischer) and Sponge (Martyn Ford) in Screen Gems The Machine.
Hitting theaters on May 26 is the upcoming comedy The Machine.
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Bert Kreischer facing familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Based on the breakout Bert Kreischer stand-up routine, check out the red-band trailer. Grab your tickets now for with a Live pre-show with Bert May 25! Website: http://www.TheMachine.Movie
Catch the very funny Kreischer on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80238360
The cast includes Bert Kreischer,...
Hitting theaters on May 26 is the upcoming comedy The Machine.
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Bert Kreischer facing familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Based on the breakout Bert Kreischer stand-up routine, check out the red-band trailer. Grab your tickets now for with a Live pre-show with Bert May 25! Website: http://www.TheMachine.Movie
Catch the very funny Kreischer on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80238360
The cast includes Bert Kreischer,...
- 2/24/2023
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)
Long before Ryan Reynolds stepped in as Deadpool, Detective Pikachu, or the co-owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C., most people knew him as the star of "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." But did you know that the titular seventh-year senior was actually based on a real person? The charismatic character was based on a Florida State University student that was profiled by Rolling Stone in 1997. Dubbed "the top partyer at the Number One Party School in the country," that student's name was Bert Kreischer.
Now known for his stand-up comedy (which he performs without a shirt on), the St. Petersburg native has proven that his life gets much Wilder than anything that inspired Reynolds' breakout role. One...
Long before Ryan Reynolds stepped in as Deadpool, Detective Pikachu, or the co-owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C., most people knew him as the star of "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." But did you know that the titular seventh-year senior was actually based on a real person? The charismatic character was based on a Florida State University student that was profiled by Rolling Stone in 1997. Dubbed "the top partyer at the Number One Party School in the country," that student's name was Bert Kreischer.
Now known for his stand-up comedy (which he performs without a shirt on), the St. Petersburg native has proven that his life gets much Wilder than anything that inspired Reynolds' breakout role. One...
- 1/9/2023
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
Comedian and star Bert Kreischer’s The Machine will laugh its way into theaters on May 26, the beginning of the long Memorial Day weekend. Legendary Star Wars actor Mark Hamill co-stars opposite Kreischer.
Sony and Legendary announced the film’s release date on Wednesday. The two companies recently announced a multi-year distribution deal.
The film is an adaptation of a story Kreischer told onstage about getting involved with the Russian mob while studying abroad in college. The tale of Kreischer’s exploits quickly went viral and has been viewed more than 85 million times, according to Legendary.
Peter Atencio (Key & Peele, Keanu) is directing The Machine from a script by Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes.
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Kresischer facing familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić...
Sony and Legendary announced the film’s release date on Wednesday. The two companies recently announced a multi-year distribution deal.
The film is an adaptation of a story Kreischer told onstage about getting involved with the Russian mob while studying abroad in college. The tale of Kreischer’s exploits quickly went viral and has been viewed more than 85 million times, according to Legendary.
Peter Atencio (Key & Peele, Keanu) is directing The Machine from a script by Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes.
Set 23 years after the original story which inspired it, The Machine finds Kresischer facing familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić...
- 1/5/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Pictures will open Legendary Pictures’ The Machine on May 26.
The Peter Atencio directed movie takes place 23 years after the original story that inspired it. In the pic, comedian-star Bert Kreischer faces a familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Kreischer will perform an exclusive live pre-show event at 6 p.m. May 25 in Los Angeles at a Tba theater location. The pre-show, which will be simulcast across 1,000+ theaters nationwide, will be followed by the first preview screening of the film. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.
The Peter Atencio directed movie takes place 23 years after the original story that inspired it. In the pic, comedian-star Bert Kreischer faces a familial crisis and the arrival of his estranged father (Mark Hamill) when the ghost of his booze-soaked past arrives: a murderous mobster (Iva Babić) hellbent on kidnapping Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace the steps of his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) in the midst of a war between a sociopathic crime family while they attempt to find common ground.
Kreischer will perform an exclusive live pre-show event at 6 p.m. May 25 in Los Angeles at a Tba theater location. The pre-show, which will be simulcast across 1,000+ theaters nationwide, will be followed by the first preview screening of the film. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.
- 1/5/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Bart Edwards, Richard Brake, Richard Short, Robert Maaser, Alexandra Evans | Written by Giles Alderson, Jonny Grant | Directed by Giles Alderson
Jay (Bart Edwards) is spending a somewhat uncommon night in with the family. We come to find that something sinister is lurking outside the house. After searching for his wife and being knocked out by an intruder, he wakes up in a shitty dank ass basement chained up in the corner with three other prisoners for company. We soon come face to face with the prisoners captor, a man who hides behind a grotesque mask and is intent on tormenting and terrorizing his prey. What ensues is a battle of wits and will for survival as our captives begin to realize they share more in common than previously thought as actions from their past may hold the key to their current predicament.
I am not that much of a...
Jay (Bart Edwards) is spending a somewhat uncommon night in with the family. We come to find that something sinister is lurking outside the house. After searching for his wife and being knocked out by an intruder, he wakes up in a shitty dank ass basement chained up in the corner with three other prisoners for company. We soon come face to face with the prisoners captor, a man who hides behind a grotesque mask and is intent on tormenting and terrorizing his prey. What ensues is a battle of wits and will for survival as our captives begin to realize they share more in common than previously thought as actions from their past may hold the key to their current predicament.
I am not that much of a...
- 10/14/2020
- by Kevin Haldon
- Nerdly
Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #186: ‘The Dare’ podcast special! Making our horror film with...
For those unfamiliar, with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.
The Filmmakers Podcast #186: ‘The Dare’ podcast special! Making our horror film with...
- 10/13/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
A twisted tale of torture and bloody revenge starring veteran horror actor Richard Brake, The Dare explodes onto screens this Halloween. Also starring Richard Short (Mary Kills People), Bart Edwards (The Witcher), Alexandra Evans (Silent Witness) and Robert Maaser (1917), the film is directed and co-written by Giles Alderson – the host of The Filmmaker’s Podcast which has a home right here on Nerdly!
A rare family night for Jay (Bart Edwards) takes a brutal twist when he is kidnapped, waking up chained to the wall of a squalid basement with three other prisoners. When their sadistic captor emerges, his face hidden under a gruesome skin mask, Jay soon realises their time is quickly running out. Jay must engage in a twisted battle of survival to solve the puzzle of his imprisonment, unmask their tormentor and save the lives of his family.
Pulling no punches with its shocking and bloody story of survival,...
A rare family night for Jay (Bart Edwards) takes a brutal twist when he is kidnapped, waking up chained to the wall of a squalid basement with three other prisoners. When their sadistic captor emerges, his face hidden under a gruesome skin mask, Jay soon realises their time is quickly running out. Jay must engage in a twisted battle of survival to solve the puzzle of his imprisonment, unmask their tormentor and save the lives of his family.
Pulling no punches with its shocking and bloody story of survival,...
- 8/28/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
From the Horror Collective and Millennium Media comes the anticipated trailer for The Dare! Check it out before the movie is released on March 3rd on VOD, digital, and in theaters for one night only. Also in today's Horror Highlights: release details for Mondo's Godzilla: A Poster Show, The Long Dig, From the Stars... A Vampiress: An Unauthorized Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, and The Deep Ones.
The Dare Trailer Revealed: "The official trailer for the upcoming award-winning horror film The Dare has been unleashed for all to experience! The film, which was produced by Millennium Media and is being distributed by The Horror Collective, will be released on March 3rd, 2020 on VOD and digital platforms. It will also have a limited, one-night release in theaters that week.
The film features lead actor Bart Edwards, who plays Urcheon in Netflix’s hit series The Witcher. Additionally, horror icon Richard Brake...
The Dare Trailer Revealed: "The official trailer for the upcoming award-winning horror film The Dare has been unleashed for all to experience! The film, which was produced by Millennium Media and is being distributed by The Horror Collective, will be released on March 3rd, 2020 on VOD and digital platforms. It will also have a limited, one-night release in theaters that week.
The film features lead actor Bart Edwards, who plays Urcheon in Netflix’s hit series The Witcher. Additionally, horror icon Richard Brake...
- 2/19/2020
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
This year will see two films of diverse genres releasing on the same day. We are talking about the romantic Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to be releasing along the same day as the hard hitting Shivaay. The release dates of both these films have been decided as October 28, 2016. Karan Johar directed Ae Dil Hai Mushkil stars Ranbir Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In fact Karan recently revealed that Aishwarya's name in the film is Saba Taliyarkhan. Shivaay, on the other hand, stars Ajay Devgn with Sayesha Sehgal and Robert Maaser, Erika Kaar. This is Ajay Devgn's second directorial venture. Besides Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay, this year will also see the clash of other two biggies in the form of Shah Rukh Khan's Raees and Salman Khan's Sultan, both of them releasing on July 3 this year.
- 3/14/2016
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
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