In the dead of winter, it’s the perfect time to embrace the cold with a good thriller
Streamers com netflix, HBO Max and Peacock have a fantastic selection of thrillers to watch and Watch with us wants to highlight three new additions to streaming platforms that we think you should be seeing in January 2025.
Our picks include the twist-filled erotic thriller wild things and the the Coen brothers classic black comedy Fargo.
‘Wild Things’ (1998) — Netflix
In the upscale Miami suburb of Blue Bay, famously wealthy teenager Kelly (Denise Richards) falls in love with her handsome high school guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon). But when Sam rejects his advances, Kelly falsely accuses him of rape, sparking a media feeding frenzy. Sam is later arrested, but when a second student (Neve Campbell) introduces himself, investigating detective Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon), uncovers a case where nothing and no one is what it seems.
The number of twists and turns that wild things The shots will turn your head, but that’s only part of what makes the indulgently low-key, salty erotic thriller so much fun. Somewhere between a noir B-movie, a porno, a soap opera and a teen drama, you find wild things John McNaughton’s The direction adds a brilliant sheen to this ghastly trash, while Campbell and Richards deliver genuinely scene-stealing performances.
‘Fargo’ (1996) – HBO Max
Nebbish car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is so in debt that he devises a plot to stage the kidnapping of his own wife, with the aim of getting her wealthy father to pay a hefty ransom to get her back. Jerry hires a pair of low-rent thugs named Carl (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear (Peter Stormare), but things go off the rails when criminals shoot a state agent. A comedy of errors, accidents and misunderstandings guides this dark comedy that received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
Fargo’s Its status as a classic in the American film canon allowed it to spawn a hit anthology TV series of the same name in 2014. Still, there’s nothing quite like the original film, which boasts the Coen brothers’ mix of dark humor, quirky characters, twisted crime drama and plenty of violence. Of course, a large part of what he does Fargo so memorable are the performances of the ensemble cast, mainly an Oscar winner Frances McDormand, who plays the unforgettable Chief of Police Marge Gunderson.
“The Game” (1997) – Peacock
Successful investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) has everything he could wish for as he approaches his 48th birthday, but has become isolated from family and friends. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) appears before Nicholas’ special day, comes with a strange gift: participation in a fully immersive real-life game. As Nicholas reluctantly agrees, he soon realizes that I don’t feel that! or Parcheesi, and quickly finds himself running for his life as he questions what is real and what is the Game.
A less revered inclusion a David Fincher’s dear work, The Game however, it has gained a cult following over the years. The film is a pulpy mystery thriller at its best, with a fully committed performance from Douglas as a money-grubber (not unlike Ebenezer Scrooge) who gradually unravels. With enough surprises and misdirections to keep you hooked, The Game it demands your full attention from start to finish, and it deserves it.