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What a year it has been for the biggest streamer in the world.

While the first half of the year was largely known for its widely seen star-studded critical failures, the second half of the year brought many successes. From a hit franchise blockbuster to multiple awards season contenders, Netflix’s year in films was turned around completely and may help them garner some hardware as we march towards the Oscars in March.

While this list may not represent the most-watched films of the year, I believe these to be the best Netflix had to offer over the past 12 months.

So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Netflix Original Movies of 2023.

Please note that this author has not seen Best International Feature contender, Society of the Snow, as it will not be on Netflix until 1/4/24. This list will also not consider the Wes Anderson/Roald Dahl short...

It's safe to say that seeing Nazis be mercilessly beaten to a pulp often makes for an incredibly entertaining action movie subgenre. This Nazi-killing subgenre has been around for decades, and the likes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Inglourious Basterds, Captain America: The First Avenger, Overlord, and The Green Room are some of the best examples. There is just something so rewarding and satisfying about seeing Nazis getting their collective ass kicked.

Now, with Sisu, The Wrath of Becky, and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the subgenre has seemingly made a fantastical return. Netflix is the latest company to jump on this trend with the new German movie Blood and Gold, which promises more Nazi killing goodness. Thankfully, Blood and Gold delivers on the exceptional Nazi slaughter and so much more, in one of Netflix's best action movies.

Full of exceptional action sequences, Blood and Gold...

Blood & Gold is a movie directed by Peter Thorwarth starring Alexander Scheer, Robert Maaser and Florian Schmidtke.

Blood & Gold is a hilarious Pulp-style action movie.

Plot

A German soldier is looking for his daughter while some of Himmler’s SS boys are desperately looking for a treasure.

Blood & Gold (2023) Movie review

This movie is a great parody that not only tells a story, but also incorporates cinematic elements that make it interesting to watch. The film is well-balanced and attractive, and can only be criticized based on personal preferences. It’s a good movie that has intention, background, and form.

It’s not an action movie like Sisu, nor does it have a “comic book” style. Instead, it draws attention through metafiction and irony, which make the script reflexive and deep. The setting and photography are very good, and while it’s not a blockbuster, it’s magnificently lit.

A deserting Nazi private and a local farmer’s daughter enact bloody revenge on plundering troops in this tightly-staged switch-your-brain-off entertainment

This Netflix-backed action-driven story is effectively a spaghetti western that just happens to unfold in Germany in the last days of the second world war. (A sauerkraut or currywurst western?) Director Peter Thorwarth strives for that same pulpy-elegiac blend that made the films by Sergios Leone and Corbucci, Franco Nero and all the rest so compelling and repellent, with their squelchy violence and operatic conflict. Per the title, there’s indeed a lot of blood.

It starts with Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a lowly private in a small platoon about to be hanged for desertion because he’s disgusted by his side’s actions and just wants to go home and find his kid. But, counter to the German stereotype of ruthless efficiency, the troops just drive off and...

World War II movies have always been a great source of entertainment for viewers, whether it's Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, which tells the story of soldiers attempting to flee before enemy troops arrive, or Brad Pitt's Fury, in which a five-man crew takes on the entire army to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. Despite having similar concepts, most of these films deserve the attention they receive. Perhaps something new will be found in the forthcoming Netflix World War II film Blood & Gold.

Blood & Gold is an upcoming action comedy film set near the end of World War II. Peter Thorwarth, who previously directed Blood Red Sky for Netflix, directs the movie, which stars Robert Maaser and Marie Hacke. The film, shot in the Czech Republic, is now one of the most anticipated Netflix movies and possibly the most anticipated war film in the coming month.

"An unlikely group of outcasts taking on the entire Nazi empire." Netflix has unveiled another new "special trailer" for the WWII action thrille Blood & Gold, the latest from German filmmaker Peter Throwarth. It will be streaming on Netflix at the end of May. This is his second film with Netflix recently after his vampire thriller Blood Red Sky. Desperate to return home to his daughter during the final days of World War II, a German deserter finds himself caught in a battle against SS troops on a mission to uncover hidden gold. On his way to find his daughter, deserter Henrich is stopped by SS troops and hanged from a tree. Courageous farmer Elsa saves him just in time. United by their common enemy, the two fight for justice and for their families. A thrilling and bloody search for stolen gold treasure begins, revealing bitter secrets along the way.

Netflix is getting into the "let's kill Nazis violently" sub-genre of World War II films with the upcoming "Blood & Gold." This movie may not be on your radar just yet, but it seems like the kind of title that is destined to build up some buzz once it arrives on the streaming service next month. To that end, a new trailer for the German war flick has been released online that offers an extremely fun look at what promises to be a murder-heavy tale of revenge.

What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.

"I'm done with this madness. Where is the gold?!" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a WWII action thriller titled Blood & Gold, the latest from German filmmaker Peter Throwarth. This is his second film with Netflix recently (and the second with "Blood" in the title), following his vampire thriller Blood Red Sky a few years ago. Desperate to return home to his daughter during the final days of World War II, a German deserter finds himself caught in a battle against SS troops on a mission to uncover hidden gold. On his way to find his daughter, deserter Henrich is stopped by SS troops and hanged from a tree. Courageous farmer Elsa saves him just in time. United by their common enemy, the two fight for justice and for their families. A thrilling and bloody search for stolen gold treasure begins, revealing bitter secrets along the way. This stars Robert Maaser,...