New to Netflix UK - 03/02/14

In the House - A literature teacher becomes drawn in by one of his student's work, describing his relationship with the neighbouring family, but their intrusiveness eventually causes events to spiral out of control. One of the finer French comedies of the last few years, and even if the ending is a bit of a let down, it's still an amicable tale of storytelling and family antics.

Welcome to the Punch - A detective is given a second chance in catching a master thief when he returns home on a personal matter but an external foe threatens to bring harm to them both, forcing them to pair together. It's not the most unique idea but there's enough twists to keep the story going and that action is decent enough to warrant a "style over substance" label that doesn't neccessarily affect the viewing experience.

Ruthless People - A couple looking for payback kidnapp the wife of a rich business man in the hopes for a ransom, not knowing that the businessman was planning to rid himself from her to begin with. One of the more forgotten gems of the 80's, particularly for a ZAZ movie, this movie is a riot from start to finish thanks to some incredibly snappy dialogue and some wonderful performances from the main cast.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - A senile old man claiming to be the Baron Munchausen embarks on a journey to regroup his lost allies and save a city under siege from the Turkish army. Classic Gilliam fantasy in that the madder it is the more sense it make, and while the plot may get a little too obtuse at times, it's still a hell of a lot of fun and few fantasy films can keep up with this amount of creative imagery.

Tears of the Sun - A Navy SEAL team sent to a Nigeria following a coup are forced to choose between their mission and humanitarian ethics after the doctor they are tasked to rescue refuses to leave unless they bring the villagers under her care. It starts of as being a highly promising political movie however the film soon descends into a generic action movie with America being our sole saviours, losing much of it's serious politcal message in the process.

The Missing - A father's hope to reconcile with his estranged daughter takes a turn for the worst after her daughter is kidnapped, forcing the two to work together to get her back. It's a decent attempt to combine the western and thriller tropes, and while that cast do a decent job of keeping you engaged, the story ultimately feels a little flat particularly towards the end.

Pusher - A drug dealer navigates the Danish underground in an attempt to raise cash for a drug lord after he is forced to dump his stash. A solid thriller from Denmark (would you expect anything less?) that delves beyond the cliche drug movie and into the realms of nightmarish despairation to deliver a brutal tale of crime.

John Carter - A Civil War soldier finds himself transported to Mars where he must fight to protect the natives from their opressive rulers. It got a lot of flack from the critics on its release but there's a sense of real fantasy about the movie, even if the actors don't quite deliver the performances you'd expect.