Netflix Viewers Urged To Watch One Of The Best Films Of The ‘21st Century’: A Heartbreaking, Award-Winning Masterpiece
A heartbreaking yet powerful drama streaming on Netflix explores themes of family, grief, and redemption—earning a stellar 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Casey Affleck Emotional Scene (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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If you’re scrolling through Netflix and hunting for something that’ll actually stay with you long after the credits roll, then stop right there, as this one’s got your name written all over it. It’s a quiet storm of a film, tucked into the streaming giant’s ever-rotating library, waiting to wreck your heart in the best way.
A New Hidden Gem on Netflix You Shouldn’t Miss
Among the newest must-watches on Netflix sits a raw, painfully human story – one that doesn’t just ask for your attention but demands your emotional investment.
Manchester by the Sea, the 2016 powerhouse drama, has made its way onto the platform, and it’s being hailed not just as a modern classic but as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. Yes, it’s that good.
At its core is Lee Chandler, played with aching vulnerability by Casey Affleck. Lee is a man living in self-imposed isolation, scrubbing toilets and ghosts alike in a quiet Boston suburb. That is, until a phone call shatters his numb routine. His brother, Joe, has died suddenly, without warning and just like that, Lee is thrust into a role he never wanted, becoming guardian to his teenage nephew, Patrick.
An Acting Masterclass with Real Emotional Weight
However, this isn’t your typical reluctant hero tale. The real weight comes from what’s unspoken, the haunting past that Lee has desperately tried to leave behind in his hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea. Returning there means reopening wounds that never really healed.
The film also doesn’t manipulate with grand gestures or overplayed drama but instead simmers in the quiet moments of grief, guilt, and the uneven path toward healing. And it’s exactly that restraint that makes it so devastating.
With standout performances across the board, from Affleck’s Oscar-winning turn, Michelle Williams’s heartbreaking scenes, to Lucas Hedges’s emotionally layered teenage angst, every frame feels lived-in, like you’re peering into real lives, not a scripted story.
Manchester By The Sea (2016 dir. Kenneth Lonergan) (Cinematographer: Jody Lee Lipes) pic.twitter.com/EFAlnEfhY4
Critics fell hard for it, and so did audiences. It holds an almost-unheard-of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers describing it as beautiful, painfully sad, and unforgettable.
On the review platform, one penned, “Such a fantastic movie. Depressing. Great cast. Beautiful cinematography, it makes me want to grab a beer cigarette and sit by the dock.”
“I can’t say I enjoyed watching this movie. Not because I didn’t like it but because I did. Alot. But because it made me think. It made me tear up a little bit,” a second read. “It delved into deep topics and really was, in my opinion, a beautiful and great movie.”
“This movie just gets you man. You can feel the grief and emptyness,” added a third user.
