this week's netflix

Abortion! Pedophilia! Oppression of the indigenous! Welcome to the Escapegrace film festival of the most depressing movies ever gathered under one post...

Vera Drake: Forget the authentic acting and faultless art direction; Mike Leigh's deft handling of this politically charged story of a 1950s wife, mother, and abortionist is quite remarkable. Imelda Staunton's Oscar nomination was well-deserved.

The Woodsman: Nicole Kassell also gets high points for execution in this film about a convicted pedophile trying to reintegrate back into society after his release from prison. Character motivations are fully demonstrated, and the pedophile (as played by Kevin Bacon) is not portrayed as entirely malignant or necessarily deserving of sympathy. However, despite Kevin Bacon's strong performance, it was still Kevin Bacon! Kevin Bacon doesn't molest children!

The Motorcycle Diaries: Yummmmy. How can all that hot be concentrated in one person? Oh right, the indigenous people of South America are oppressed, and Che Guevera (the delicioso Gael Garcia Bernal) and Alberto Granada (Rodrigo De la Serna) travel through some breathtaking scenery, learning that their mission is to try less to get laid and to try more to unite the South American people through providing medical assistance.