All three movies are brilliant. Netflix recommended them based on my previous ratings. On average, I’d give each film four stars. I would even give K-Pax a five.
Jacob’s Ladder
This is a multilayered story about a soldier in Vietnam who is haunted by demons.
Whether they are real demons or not is unclear — something is definitely wrong, but it’s hard to put your finger on what exactly. The film is tense and very much a “thinking” film; you find yourself trying to solve the director’s puzzle, but even by the end you’re only left with strong suspicions rather than certainty.
The storylines weave together so tightly that it becomes impossible to tell which reality is real, which is imagined, and which might simply be a dream.
Beyond its tension, the film is at times very heartfelt, occasionally unsettling and sad. There are a few moments that are genuinely frightening — though only one scene is truly terrifying.
Yet the emotional investment in the main character, played brilliantly by Tim Robbins, never lets up for a moment.
And in the end, everything turns out well.
Stranger Than Fiction
I never would have thought I’d enjoy a movie with Will Ferrell.
Surprisingly, it’s not a comedy at all. Ferrell’s character isn’t comedic in the slightest. He’s not tragic either, though the film carries a few melancholic notes. Even though the main character does cry, you don’t feel moved to cry with him.
Not because you don’t feel sympathy, but because it’s hard to fully believe that the reason for his tears will actually materialize.
He cries over something that might happen — but you keep believing, with everything in you, that it won’t. It simply doesn’t seem possible.
The story itself is absolutely captivating and unconventional.
Since it begins unfolding right from the start, I’ll share the main idea:
A writer is crafting a novel about a man — and as she writes and narrates his story, the man begins to hear her voice narrating his life.
And that’s where everything begins to unfold.
I watched it with great enjoyment and loved the way it ended.
Alongside Ferrell, the cast includes Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Queen Latifah.
K-Pax
This is simply a masterpiece.
Not only does it star Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges, but it’s also one of those “thinking” films — the kind where the plot hinges on either neurological phenomena or shifts in perception of reality.
Kevin Spacey’s character claims to be from another planet.
Naturally, he’s placed in a psychiatric hospital, and the doctor, played by Bridges, begins to treat him.
Strange events begin to unfold — events that psychiatrists can, “technically,” explain.
But will the story stay that simple?
The ending feels somewhat expected, yet still leaves a trace of mystery, even though ultimately it becomes clear enough.
The film is deeply kind-hearted and holds your attention throughout.
It’s astonishing just how wonderful this movie is.
It’s classified as a drama, yet it leaves you with an incredibly light, transparent feeling — a sense of real magic.
Not a fantastical magic you can’t believe in, but a simple, genuine, human magic.
The music by English composer Ed Shearmur is beautiful.
And though it’s a movie about an alien, it feels more human than many non-science-fiction films.