All The Movies Coming To Netflix This Week (Aug. 11-17)

This week, Netflix adds three movies that have stars and will likely be widely watched, but all three haven’t exactly earned critical acclaim.

The non-Netflix additions “Self/less” (2015) and “The Punisher” (2004) both critically flopped upon release. That Netflix is adding a Marvel movie with “The Punisher” should be a big deal, but this movie came before the creation of the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. It does star John Travolta, though, so you might find it to be bad in a fun way.

Netflix also has a new Original called “Sextuplets,” the trailer of which has earned over 1 million views on YouTube alone. It’s a Marlon Wayans movie and his last Netflix movie, “Naked,” got a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe despite all the marketing to the contrary, this will actually be an Oscar contender?

So read more about all three of these movies below; it’s my job to let you know what you’re getting into ahead of time.

Sum-up: In this 2015 movie, a billionaire with terminal cancer (played by Ben Kingsley) decides to try an experimental procedure that involves transferring his consciousness to a lab-grown, younger body (played by Ryan Reynolds). The procedure works, but the billionaire keeps having hallucinations that seem more like memories. Tracking down the people he sees in these visions leads to an action-filled quest for survival.

Read On: This has a laughable 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Brian Tallerico called it “a bland, generic product” on RogerEbert.com. Film critic A.O. Scott started his New York Times review by writing, “At the start of ‘Self/less,’ Damian Hale, a ruthless New York real estate magnate, is played by Ben Kingsley, who seems to have fired his dialect coach halfway to mastering what is apparently supposed to be a Brooklyn accent.” Perhaps you can have some fun laughing at this?

“Sextuplets” ― Aug. 16

Sum-up: Marlon Wayans co-wrote and stars in this Netflix movie about a man who discovers he has five siblings late in life. As he anticipates the birth of his child, the father-to-be decides to find and meet his siblings for the first time. Wayans also plays the siblings, while Molly Shannon and Michael Ian Black make appearances in this. Reviews haven’t debuted, but Marlon Wayans movies don’t typically attract critical acclaim.

Read On: The New York Times had a piece about the extensive Wayans family back in 2000 upon the release of the hit “Scary Movie,” which Keenen Ivory Wayans directed, while Shawn and Marlon Wayans starred and co-wrote.

Sum-up: A 2004 adaptation of the titular comic character, starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta. It relishes in violent actions and will be unrecognizable to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe of today. The story follows a man avenging his family by killing gangsters with only his combat prowess and an arsenal of weapons.

Read On: The site My Video Store has a good reappraisal of this movie, comparing its hyperviolence and ’70s aesthetic to the much cleaner product Marvel pumps out today. That said, this has a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.