The Meyerowitz Stories Netflix recommendation comes at a curious moment: the film’s director, Noah Baumbach, is one half of Hollywood’s most-watched creative partnership, just as news breaks that his wife Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster sequel is in serious trouble. If you haven’t yet spent time with The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), this weekend is the moment to fix that.
Why Barbie 2 puts Baumbach back in the spotlight
Reports earlier this month suggested that a Barbie sequel may not be happening, despite Gerwig and Baumbach already having an idea in place. Variety has reported that Warner Bros. has made more than six offers over the past three years, all of which have been rejected. That’s a striking stalemate given that the original Barbie grossed more than $1.4 billion at the global box office, according to Variety. With a sequel now stalled, attention naturally turns to the rest of the couple’s body of work. Gerwig’s Lady Bird and Little Women are well-trodden ground for most film fans, but Baumbach’s output (Marriage Story aside) tends to fly a little lower under the radar. The Meyerowitz Stories is the ideal remedy for that.
The 2017 film follows the eccentric and estranged children of a successful sculptor, who gather in New York when his work is selected for a major retrospective show. Family tensions surface quickly. Old grievances resurface, uncomfortable moments from the past are dragged into the light, and what might have been a celebration becomes a reckoning. It is precisely the kind of character-driven, dialogue-heavy drama that Baumbach does better than almost anyone working today.
The Meyerowitz Stories Netflix cast: a genuinely extraordinary ensemble
The cast assembled for the film is, by any measure, extraordinary. Dustin Hoffman plays Harold Meyerowitz, the sculptor at the centre of it all. Adam Sandler plays Danny Meyerowitz, Ben Stiller plays Matthew Meyerowitz, and Elizabeth Marvel plays Jean Meyerowitz, the three siblings whose complicated relationships with their father drive the film’s emotional engine. Emma Thompson plays Maureen, Grace Van Patten plays Eliza Meyerowitz, Candice Bergen plays Julie, Adam Driver plays Randy, Sigourney Weaver plays Sigourney Weaver, and Judd Hirsch plays LJ Shapiro.
It is Sandler who tends to surprise audiences most. Anyone expecting his more broadly comic performances will find something altogether different here: a performance of real restraint and feeling that reminds you how much he can do when given the right material.
What the critics said
The film holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 186 critic reviews, which puts it firmly in the company of films people revisit rather than merely watch once. Veteran critic Leonard Maltin was unambiguous: ‘I loved this movie from the moment it started.’ Entertainment Weekly called it ‘smart, relatable, laughter-through-psychic pain entertainment that happens to be elevated by a handful of wonderful performances,’ singling out a ‘fantastic’ Hoffman in his ‘juiciest role in years’. Rolling Stone dubbed it ‘flat-out brilliant’. RogerEbert.com placed it among ‘one of the year’s best movies’. Salon described it as ‘beautifully shot’ and praised it for being ‘hilarious and touching’ in equal measure.
That combination of warmth and pain is really what the film does best. Baumbach keeps the humour grounded enough that the grief underneath it lands cleanly, and the cast is good enough that every relationship feels earned rather than written.
Where to watch, and what else to stream
The film was made in partnership with Netflix, which distributed it worldwide following a brief theatrical run. It remains an exclusive, meaning Netflix is currently the only place to stream it.
If you want more from the cast, there are several options elsewhere. BBC iPlayer has Bridget Jones’s Baby, while Mad About the Boy is on Sky Cinema and NOW. ITVX carries both Nanny McPhee and Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang at no extra cost. Channel 4 has Howards End.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is available to stream now on Netflix.
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