5 Netflix Picks: What To Watch This Week Begins With A Trippy Ashton Kutcher

5 Netflix Picks is our weekly list of random movies we recommend you move to the top of your queue, from comedy to romance to horror and everything in-between.

The new year is off and running and Netflix has obliged with a steady release of new additions to their already well-stocked digital library. This week, we skimmed a few off that new pile and dug deeper into the lot to find you a great set of movies to get you through the week. From a quirky sci-fi romance to a fun family film to a classic love triangle and more, this is going to be a good week for movies. So let’s get started with a trippy mindbender from back in the day …

MONDAY: The Butterfly Effect

Say what you will about Ashton Kutcher, the guy is fun to watch. Way back in 2004, after years on the hit TV sitcom That 70s Show and a few comedies on the big screen, he went neck-deep for drama in this sci-fi thriller. He stars as a young man who has suffered a lifetime of blackouts, discovering at college that he can actually relive those lost moments and by doing so, well, finding things have consequences. While the film met with critical dismissal, it was a huge box office hit, audiences swooning over Kutcher and his admittedly good performance. For the sheer geeky sci-fi fan in us, it’s an easy recommendation. Take it with a grain of salt … hopefully spread over a warm bucket of popcorn.

TUESDAY: The Lobster

Okay, this one is going to be a weird one and will surely have many of you scratching your heads, but trust us, this is a masterpiece of dark cinema that needs your eyes. In a nutshell, the film takes place in a future world where single people are given 45 days to find love or else be turned into a wild animal and released back to nature. Yup. That’s a real sentence about a real movie. Starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz, this bizarre but remarkably affecting drama from writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos is well, so wacky it’s amazing. Don’t even think about this. Just start watching and we bet you’ll be pulled right into the deep dark heart of it in no time. What animal would you be?

WEDNESDAY: The Indian in the Cupboard

Our family pick this week is a 1995 story from director Frank Oz, about a nine-year-old boy, who receives a small cabinet for his birthday that can bring toys to life, including a wooden Native American. Based on the beloved but also controversial book of the same name from author Lynne Reid Banks, the film is ultimately a good story of friendship and understanding, even as its portrayal of Little Bear (Litefoot) might in today’s more enlightened climate be awkward. If anything, the movie is a great way to start a conversation about relationships, imagination, other cultures and much more. Not to mention, it’s well acted and directed.

THURSDAY: The Graduate

For many of you, this is probably on the long list of must watch movies that you just haven’t gotten to … or you last saw it too long ago and have forgotten just how good this genre-defining film from director Mike Nichols really is. This 1967 classic made a household name out of star Dustin Hoffman and become ground zero for a host of copycat and parody films that continue to this day. With a sultry Anne Bancroft and a highly influential soundtrack from Simon and Garfunkel, this timeless romance is still the best ever made on the subject and deserves a watch. And then there’s that iconic poster.

FRIDAY: Green Room

Hold onto your butts ‘cuz this one is frenetic. Rounding out the week, we have this excellent nailbiter from director Jeremy Saulnier about a punk rock band, who play a dive bar and witness something very bad they shouldn’t have. Trapped in the green room, they play a deadly game of cat and mouse with the owner and his tribe of violent henchmen, looking only to stop the music … permanently. Starring Anton Yelchin (in one of his last roles) and Patrick Stewart like you’ve never seen him before, this is a taunt, tense, terrifying little gem that will have you right up on the edge of your seat. Don’t hesitate, despite the frights, this is a cool flick with excellent direction and pulse-pounding performances.