The two movies on Netflix that Rotten Tomatoes needs you to see
In a streaming era overflowing with choices, Rotten Tomatoes certifications act like a compass, saving the audience from movies that are below par. That’s not only true for Netflix original productions but also for the titles it routinely summons from various pockets of Hollywood.
But as the streamer glows differently this festive season, there are two specific movies Rotten Tomatoes would like the Netflix audience to pay attention to, and those are ET the Extra-Terrestrial and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Although the movies don’t have much in common in terms of their unique premises and increasingly distinct timelines, they both boast an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score with a 99% approval rating. So, in case you were lost in the sea of selections of what to watch next on Netflix, it’s time to turn back the clock with these two era-defining pieces.
Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi movie has solidified its reputation, becoming a cult classic of the genre by telling the story of young Elliot and his touching friendship with an extraterrestrial he lovely names ET, who is left behind on Earth after becoming separated from its family unit during a visit to a California forest to gather plant specimens.
Finding out that government agents are tailing to track this creature down for experiments and all sorts of negative notions, Elliot and his friends team up to find a way to send him back home and save him once and for all. The concept was reportedly inspired by an imaginary friend Spielberg had created following his parents’ divorce, which was later realised as one of the biggest hits of the decade, outshining Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
As for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, the coming-of-age comedy film, is a rather recent entry from 2023, based on Judy Blume’s eponymous novel that made young teens feel seen in their angsty predicaments. Set in 1970, the movie revolves around 11-year-old Margaret Simon grappling with quite a few distinct changes in her life and body following her family’s move from the bustle of New York City to a manicured suburban life in New Jersey as she hits puberty. Alone and away from her friends and grandmother, she turns to God to share her problems and anxieties, hoping the benevolent force shows her a way through her justified concerns.
Meanwhile, in school, she has to be around her new friends who constantly obsess over their changing bodies and hormones, boys, and bras. However, where the film hits hard is Margaret’s diverse religious background of Christianity and Judaism, which leaves her rather confused about which religious identity to adopt in her perils which, although grounded in a decade far removed from our times, lands just as poignantly.
So, strap in, gather the family, and make sure you watch both these movies on Netflix while they’re still on the roster, blessed with the highest Rotten Tomatoes certifications.