5 Netflix Picks: What To Watch This Week Begins with Jack Nicholson

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 week is upon us and that means only one thing: time to figure out what to watch on Netflix. As usual, the streaming service is loaded with a bunch of good things to add to your list, as well as some stinkers to avoid. We know it’s no fun flipping through the endless titles, trying to settle on something either you like or want to actually decide on, and that’s where we come in. This week, we’ve got a classic spy thriller from the 60s, a heartbreaking story of survival, a party movie, something political and to start things off, a comedy-drama that took everyone by surprise…

MONDAY: As Good As it Gets

There’s been a lot of movies about quirky characters, people with odd ticks and behaviors that end up making them sort of special, or at least rather fun to watch. In 1997, it was Jack Nicholson who donned that hat for this Award-Winning comedy drama from director James L. Brooks. Co-starring with Helen Hunt, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Greg Kinnear, the film centers on a woman (Hunt) who is trying to raise a son by herself while an older man (Nicholson), who is not just OCD but pretty much hates everything and everyone changes her life. An unexpected little gem, this is full of great performances that run the spectrum of comedy to drama, earning this a spot on many best of all time lists.

TUESDAY: The Pianist

Let’s face it, World War II isn’t short of any exposure at the movies with an almost uncountable stack of titles going right back to the year of its start. That said, a good number of them have rightfully clawed their way to the top with truly moving stories of courage and triumph. Such is the case with Roman Polanski‘s adaptation of Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman. Adrien Brody plays the lead, a Jewish man in Poland , who, along with his family at first, experience great atrocities before he eventually hiding out alone in the ruins of Warsaw. Even if you’re not a fan of war movies, this is still one to watch, the personal journey to stay alive a remarkably moving watch.

WEDNESDAY: National Lampoon’s Van Wilder

Let’s get silly. Before the ever-popular Ryan Reynolds made being a superhero something funny, he was doing his best to hone those skills and make a name for himself in an already crowded field of leading men. Well, he certainly goes for broke here in director Walk Becker‘s college comedy Van Wilder. He plays the titular Wilder, a big man on campus, who is the party master and ruler over all he surveys. He’s also sort of stuck here, his new love interest, a journalist on the school paper named Gwen (Tara Reid), getting to see that he’s maybe a little afraid to move on, the life of no responsibility one he can’t escape. Outrageous university mayhem with a star-making turn from Reynolds, this is full of all the usual college movie nonsense but somehow, a lot of fun to watch.

THURSDAY: Milk

Most political films already split audiences, some not caring about the aspirations or corruptive nature of those in power, but Gus Van Sant‘s 2008 biographical story Milk is a little different. Starring Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, it follows a man from New York City to San Francisco, who soon runs to be on the city board supervisors. Thing is, he’s openly gay and … it’s the 1970s. Naturally, it’s kindling for a firestorm as he doesn’t hide his lifestyle while trying to send a message about change. Penn won an Academy Award for Best Actors for his efforts in portraying a very real and honorable man who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his cause. Challenging and powerful, this is a must see.

FRIDAY: You Only Live Twice

Classic James Bond is always a good choice and Netflix does have a few titles on hand, but it’s this 1967 thriller with Sean Connery as Bond that we’re adding to the weekly list. In this epic action-packed bit of secret agent lore, Bond finds himself up against the evil genius Blofeld (Donald Pleasence) and his dastardly plot to spark another world war. This marks the first time we actually see the nefarious villain, his entries in earlier films purposefully hidden, and Pleasence chews up the screen in rightful manner as he unwittingly creates the mold for all other Bond bad guys to follow (and of course the comedic incarnation of Mike Myers‘ Doctor Evil). Plenty of great gadgets and timeless Bond tomfoolery, this is a perfect Friday night flick.