Top 7 New Movies to Stream on Netflix Today

yder). Few period dramas are as exquisitely designed and emotionally piercing as “The Age of Innocence,” and Scorsese proves here that his flair for big, brash storytelling extends gracefully to subtler, more refined tales as well.

“Manhunter” (DEG Distribution)

“Manhunter” (1986)

Thriller maestro Michael Mann made one of his first major cinematic splashes with 1986’s “Manhunter.” Based on Thomas Harris’ novel “Red Dragon,” the film stars William Petersen as Will Graham, an empathetic FBI agent who comes out of retirement to track down a vicious serial killer under the guise of a new identity, the Red Dragon.

Granted, “Manhunter” eventually got overshadowed by Brett Ratner’s 2002 “Red Dragon” adaptation and its continued exploration of Hannibal Lecter’s mythology in films and TV series like “Hannibal” and “Mindhunter.” However, Mann was one of the most distinctive crime directors working at the time, and “Manhunter” features every bit of the precision and moody ambiance that would one day come to define 1995’s “Heat” and 2006’s “Miami Vice.”

“The Town” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

“The Town” (2010)

Ben Affleck is best known today for his award-winning work as a director in films like “Argo” and “The Town.” But before he became one of the most respected directors in contemporary American cinema, Affleck was known chiefly as an actor in projects such as “Good Will Hunting,” “Armageddon” and “Pearl Harbor.”

Affleck made his directorial debut in 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone,” but his first true masterpiece is arguably “The Town,” a 2010 heist film set in Boston. Affleck stars as Doug MacRay, a professional thief who finds himself falling in love with a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) he held hostage during a heist. As MacRay begins maneuvering to escape his surroundings and his fellow crooks (played by Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm), he is forced to weigh his criminal impulses against his newfound feelings of affection.

Affleck’s Boston is a working class character study bathed in grit, sorrow and an undeniable love for the city itself. His commitment to the location and his refusal to sugarcoat the moral quandaries that come with it make “The Town” as awe-inspiring today as it was when it was first released.