The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix While 'Quarantined,' Based on Your Major

Psychology: The Talented Mr. Ripley

In this 1999 psychological thriller set in Italy during the 1950s, Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, a slick and mysterious protagonist that longs for the life of his counterpart, Dickie Greenleaf (played by Jude Law). Throughout the film, Ripley slowly morphs into Greenleaf, developing his tendencies and ticks. Damon and Law’s performances are stellar, along with the rest of the star studded cast which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, before any of them became the superstars we know them as today. The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of the most beautiful films of all time, and it will transplant you into the beautiful world that is Southern Italy. The wide and sprawling shots used by director Anthony Minghella take full advantage of the beautiful sets they had the pleasure of shooting. Throughout the movie, you see how Tom slowly sinks his claws into Dickie and starts to turn himself into him, something a psychology major could easily comprehend than I. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a beautiful and fun ride that will completely remove you from the melancholy world we are currently living in. 

Criminal Justice: The Place Beyond the Pines

Director Derek Cianfrance needed extreme confidence to create a movie like The Place Beyond the Pines and he pulled it off with complete dexterity. This film threads storylines together beautifully, telling the stories on both sides of crime. It gives you something to think about, while also having a good time with itself. Ryan Gosling is as good as he always is and Bradley Cooper is the perfect counterpart. This is a good movie for criminal justice majors because it gives us a peek behind the curtain of many different facets of crime. We see the life of a man who needs to steal to feed his family and we see the inside workings of a police department, and what it means to be a first responder. The final act of the film brings Tarantino-like storytelling into the fray, perfectly harmonizing all of the themes and storylines into one. he Place Beyond the Pines is purely a masterclass in filmmaking.

Sports Communication: Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull portrays the true story of Jake LaMotta, a boxer whose career was plagued by personal troubles and mental problems. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are both at the peak of their powers and give absolutely tremendous performances. In my opinion, Raging Bull is the best sports movie of all time. All of the boxing scenes look stunning and are extremely realistic. As always, Scorsese writes a brilliant script that details LaMotta’s relationships with his brother (Joe Pesci) and wife (Cathy Moriarty). De Niro delivers the performance of his career in Raging Bull, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1981. The physical gymnastics he had to pull off to make this film were shocking, as he had to be both in extremely good shape and overweight for different scenes in the movie. In order to put on the weight, he worked out with LaMotta himself for nearly a year, which resulted in his extremely built physique for the boxing scenes. As a whole, Raging Bull tells a beautifully heartbreaking story about a man who turned from a hero into a villian. 

History: The VVitch

Robert Eggers’ film debut was a chilling horror film depicting witchcraft in colonial New England. If you are a fan of the Salem Witch Trials or anything having to do with early colonialism, you will love The VVitch. The term period piece is thrown around a lot, but Eggers truly captures this time in history exceptionally. You are thrown into a completely different world from the moment you press play. I haven’t seen too many movies more eerie than The VVitch. The forest is used as a character in the film, and to this date is one of the most unnerving characters in any movie I have seen. You are on edge throughout the entire film, the film creates an excellent atmosphere which helps you relate to the characters. The ending is haunting and unforgettable in its nature, which really sticks with you. The VVitch is another movie that will completely remove you from the present world, which is extremely relevant right now.