Recommended by Netflix

Netflix recommended Blue Ruin by Jeremy Saulnier to me (USA/France, 2013, Radius). I’d been on a roll of finding gems in the Net-flix catalog and decided to approach this viewing by avoiding any reviews, summaries, or ratings and just hit “play.” I watched this film blindly, only knowing the words to the title, Blue and Ruin. Little did I know how refreshing the cinematography would be and how thrilling this ride into the Old Dominion setting of Virginia would be.

Available on Netflix and Google.

Enter the Void (France, 2009, IFC), by Frenchman Gaspar Noe, was a constant recommendation on Netflix and when I finally sat down to watch, I was mesmerized by the sounds, colors, and incredible cinematography. If you want a smart, sexy, dreamy, and profound flick, take this one on and let it grab you. Enter the void where drugs, sex, the meaning of life and afterlife are subjects examined from a higher perspective. Available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

• Xavier Vasquez
• Freelance shooter and designer