Netflix adds quite a few movies this week to close out September.
“Pirates of the Caribbean,” starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, joins on Sept. 25. The movie somehow convinced Americans to pronounce the word “Caribbean” incorrectly, so it’s got that going for it. You can read more about it and watch the trailer below.
Netflix also adds another big Disney movie ? Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” ? on Sept. 25. The film didn’t earn great reviews upon its release earlier this year, but it stars Oprah so... maybe still worth checking out.
Netflix has three original movies this week, with one particular standout. Over the weekend, Streamline highlighted “Hold the Dark” as the top Netflix offering to check out. This horror movie debuts on Sept. 28 and has earned solid reviews so far. Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård and Riley Keough star. Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”) directed.
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"Pirates of the Caribbean" comes to Netflix on Sept. 25. (Disney)
Streamline makes recommendations for streaming shows and movies. Every Saturday, Streamline highlights the best shows to watch online, with a focus on Netflix.
“Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” | Sept. 25
Premise: Due to a mysterious curse, ghost pirates need to recapture Aztec gold so they can return to human form. The daughter of a Caribbean governor happens to have the last piece of gold that these ghost pirates need. The ghosts kidnap her.
Then a blacksmith who loves this woman teams up with a pirate that used to work with the ghosts. Together they try to find her and the ghost ship.
Is it good? The basic plot comes from a Disney theme park ride that Walt Disney himself oversaw in the 1960s. Despite its dubious intellectual property (IP), the movie earned great reviews when it debuted in 2003. As you’re probably well aware, it also became a huge box office success, ultimately leading to four sequels (none of which got the same praise).
Given the lackluster sequels, it’s easy to forget that the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” zips along with a coherent and engaging plot. Unlike the ridiculous sequels, the special effects look realistic (or as realistic as ghost pirates can be) and don’t overuse the nascent CGI that plagued many movies of the 2000s.
Although you likely have different thoughts about him now, Depp has immense charisma in the starring role, as do Knightley, Bloom and other cast members. For a nostalgia trip if you’re already a fan or for someone who just wants a solid adventure movie, revisiting this classic could be your best bet this week.
Sept. 25
Sept. 26
Sept. 28
Sept. 30