Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
The best movies on Netflix right now
From new Netflix originals to classic films from decades past, we've got the best movies on Netflix for every taste.
With a library of more than 3,500 films and a labyrinth of oddly specific categories and recommendations, finding the best movies on Netflix can be a chore.
To help you with your streaming decisions, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best movies on Netflix right now, ranging from new Netflix originals to classic films from decades past.
To further assist your nightly watching decisions, we’ve sorted our best-of list into genres, so you can immediately navigate to the best horror movies on Netflix or the best comedies on Netflix using the links below. We’ll also be adding movies that are new on Netflix to the top of the article each month.
Advertisement:
Think our list is missing something? Email [email protected] with suggestions, whether it’s about ways to make this list more user-friendly or your personal favorite best movies on Netflix that we overlooked.
New on Netflix
Drama
Comedy
Horror
Action
Documentary
For Kids
Best new movies on Netflix (December 2024)
“Superbad” (2007)
Runtime: 119 min.
Starring: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Every generation has its coming-of-age film, and “Superbad” is arguably the teen comedy that best defines the millennial/Gen Z cuspers. The Greg Mottola film spends less time in a classroom or party and more on a hero’s journey, as Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) try to procure alcohol for an end-of-school party. Beyond serving as a breakthrough role for Emma Stone and a playground for Bill Hader and Seth Rogen, “Superbad” endures due to its authentic portrayal of male teen bonding and the unglamorous, awkward way in which high schoolers talked about, thought about, and sloppily engaged in sexual relations.
Advertisement:
“Whiplash” (2014)
Runtime: 106 min.
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
“Whiplash” tells the story of a toxic teacher-pupil relationship between Andrew (Miles Teller), a young jazz drummer enrolled at an elite Manhattan music school, and Professor Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a tyrant who verbally (and sometimes physically) punishes students who don’t meet his standards or match his tempo. Director Damien Chazelle moves his camera to the rhythm of the music, exploring why Andrew remains committed to such an egomaniacal monster, and how their relationship evolves as the closer he gets to a climactic performance.
Best movies on Netflix: Drama
“Aftersun” (2022)
Runtime: 101 min.
Starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall
First-time director Charlotte Wells’ semi-autobiographical tale follows Sophie (Frankie Corio), a pre-teen Scottish girl on vacation with her 31-year-old dad, Calum (Paul Mescal, “Normal People”), in Turkey. Wells layers on the melancholy as Sophie’s recognition of her father’s worries and struggles drives a wedge between them, one which neither can fully articulate or acknowledge. The film’s finale packs an emotional wallop, one that still stings nearly two years after its initial release.
“Call Me by Your Name” (2017)
Runtime: 132 min.
Starring: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar
Advertisement:
Luca Guadagnino’s coming-of-age 2017 romance is a work of intoxicating beauty, telling the story of a summer fling between precocious teen Elio (Timothee Chalmet) and confident grad assistant Oliver (Armie Hammer), who is staying with Elio’s family at their Northern Italy villa. Watching the film will leave you with a sense of yearning — whether it’s for the sun-drenched Italian countryside, the sumptuous dinner spreads, or a summer love of years gone by. Chalamet is transcendent, but don’t sleep on Michael Stuhlbarg (“A Serious Man”) as Elio’s knowing father.
Watch “Call Me By Your Name” on Netflix
“His Three Daughters” (2024)
Runtime: 101 min.
Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon
“His Three Daughters” is a movie that will likely hit close to home for many of a certain age. Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face”), Elizabeth Olsen (“WandaVision”), and Carrie Coon (“The Leftovers”) play three sisters whose lives followed different paths but are now forced to make nice in a cramped Manhattan apartment while caring for their ailing father. Lyonne (the stoned slacker), Coon (the uptight, judgmental mom), and Olsen (the conflict-averse yogi) speak to each other in a way that is both strangely stilted but also rooted in elemental truth about familial bonds. Watching them spar is heartbreaking, and watching them bond is hugely affirming.
Advertisement:
How to watch: “His Three Daughters” is streaming on Netflix.
“Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992)
Runtime: 100 min.
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Pryce
In light of the recent news that Bill Burr will make his Broadway debut alongside Bob Odenkirk and Kieran Culkin in “Glengarry Glen Ross,” now is an appropriate time to revisit the big-screen adaptation of David Mamet’s Tony Award-winning play. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, and Ed Harris play desperate real estate salesmen forced into a high-stakes sales contest: First place gets a new car, second place gets a set of steak knives, and the other two are fired. Things get out of control quickly, especially when the office manager holding all of the best leads (Kevin Spacey) refuses to play ball with the salesmen. An unsympathetic look at the kill-or-be-killed capitalist system, “Glengarry Glen Ross” is filled to the brim with Mamet’s crackling dialogue, delivered by a rogue’s gallery of screen legends.
Watch “Glengarry Glen Ross” on Netflix
“The Irishman” (2019)
Runtime: 210 min.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel
Martin Scorsese’s 210-minute crime saga follows the life of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who goes from driving trucks to leading a union, all while “painting houses” (killing people) for the likes of mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and protecting the interests of infamous union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Instead of simply rehashing “Goodfellas,” Martin Scorsese goes deeper and darker, examining the life of a gangster who lived the life and is contemplating what it was all for.
Advertisement:
Watch “The Irishman” on Netflix
“The Lost Daughter” (2021)
Runtime: 121 min.
Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal
Based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, “The Lost Daughter” is yet another masterful performance from Olivia Colman, who won a Best Actress Oscar in 2019 for “The Favourite” and could have easily won a Supporting Actress award 2020’s “The Father.” In this psychological drama from actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colman plays a prickly college professor on vacation in Greece who inserts herself in the lives of a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and her 3-year-old daughter. “The Lost Daughter” may have missed out on a Best Picture nomination, but it’s certainly among 2021’s best.
Watch “The Lost Daughter” on Netflix
“Maestro” (2023)
Runtime: 129 min.
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper
From the moment he first steps on screen in “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper is utterly magnetic as composer Leonard Bernstein. The life of the party wherever he goes, “Lenny” quickly begins a courtship with Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), each glance and one-liner delivered like he’s starring in his own sitcom. Even after decades of marriage, Bernstein still feels like he’s putting on a performance at all times, a function of both his gargantuan ego and the massive pressure of hiding his relationships with other men. As Montealegre, Mulligan sublimely captures a woman who willingly discards her own needs to support a generational talent. When Bernstein takes the stage to conduct Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony,” with Montealegre watching in the wings, we understand why.
Advertisement:
“May December” (2023)
Runtime: 117 min.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton
Director Todd Haynes walks an incredible tightrope act with “May December,” mixing dark comedy, melodrama, and psychological thrills to (unofficially) tell the lurid, ripped-from-the-headlines story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Actress Elizabeth Barry (Natalie Portman) shows up at the home of long-married couple Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton, “Riverdale”) in order to shadow Gracie for a movie based on the couple’s tabloid-worthy romance. Moore and Portman have rarely been better, and Melton is a revelation — his child-like nature both amusing and heartbreaking. Not only does Haynes plumb the fragile psyche of the couple, but he also uses Portman’s Elizabeth to show how callous the Hollywood moviemaking factory can be in the pursuit of creating entertainment out of someone’s lived experiences. Portman, as it turns out, is better at playing a self-absorbed, talentless actress than most actors are at playing “real” people.
Watch “May December” on Netflix
“Phantom Thread” (2017)
Runtime: 130 min.
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
By all indications, “Phantom Thread” will be the final film of Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”), the peerless actor who announced his retirement following the completion of Paul Thomas Anderson’s historical drama. As fussy dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock, Day-Lewis delivers subtle pinpricks that devastate those around him. But he also makes space for the real star of the film in Alma (Vicky Krieps), his new muse. Though she appears unassuming, Alma matches Reynolds every step of the way, creating a messy but passionate partnership.
Advertisement:
Watch “Phantom Thread” on Netflix
“The Power of the Dog” (2021)
Runtime: 126 min.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning Western drama centers around two ranch-owning brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch, “Dr. Strange”) and George (Jesse Plemons, “The Irishman”). When George marries innkeeper Rose (Kirsten Dunst, “Bring It On”), Phil makes life difficult for her and her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Road”). Smit-McPhee is a revelation in the role, and Campion’s film is dark, foreboding, depressing, and utterly unmissable.
Watch “The Power of the Dog” on Netflix
Best movies on Netflix: Comedy
“Easy A” (2010)
Runtime: 92 min.
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci
After shining in ensemble roles in “Superbad” and “Zombieland” (which is also currently streaming on Netflix), Emma Stone fully broke through with 2010’s “Easy A,” a clever coming-of-age modernization of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” Instead of facing the wrath of puritanical Massachusetts colonists for committing adultery, Olive Penderghast (Stone) faces the equally daunting judgment of her high school peers after false rumors spread about her promiscuity. Olive decides to lean into her false reputation as a commentary on misogynistic double standards, but her performance art has unintended consequences. “Easy A” is the movie that made Stone a star, but a strong supporting cast — including Amanda Bynes and Stanley Tucci — helped ensure its endless rewatchability.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Runtime: 139 min.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn
Advertisement:
More madcap and funny than the 2019 original, the characters and locale of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” shift from an old-money New England mansion to a new-money vacation compound, with Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig of James Bond fame) as the only holdover. This mystery concerns Elon Musk-esque tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton, “Fight Club”), who invites a group of his longtime friends to his private Greek island in the midst of the pandemic. As fashion entrepreneur Birdie Jay, Kate Hudson gets the most consistent laughs throughout the film, from insisting that everyone at her raucous 200-person apartment party is “in her pod” to her pathological desire to post career-ending tweets. Norton is a winner as well, playing the kind of billionaire who cultivates a worldly image that could nevertheless be deflated by a particularly clever child, a la “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
Watch “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” on Netflix
“Not Another Teen Movie” (2001)
Runtime: 89 min.
Starring: Chyler Leigh, Chris Evans, Jaime Pressly, Randy Quaid
A full decade before he was Captain America, Sudbury native Chris Evans played another all-American caricature in 2001’s “Not Another Teen Movie,” a parody film that spoofs two decades’ worth of coming-of-age films. Chyler Leigh plays Janie, the quirky girl whose high school seems to view her as Clark Kent — in that they can’t see she’s beautiful while she’s wearing her glasses. Evans plays self-absorbed jock Jake Wyler, who admires a portrait of himself while strutting through the school hallway. “She’s All That” is the most direct inspiration for “Teen Movie,” but everything from “Pretty in Pink” to “Varsity Blues” is on the skewering menu.
Advertisement:
Watch “Not Another Teen Movie” on Netflix
Best movies on Netflix: Horror
“Gerald’s Game” (2017)
Runtime: 103 min.
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood
Salem native Mike Flanagan (“Midnight Mass”) helms this Stephen King adaptation in which a handcuffed woman named Jessie (Carla Gugino) must escape a remote lake house after her husband suffers a fatal heart attack. This already daunting task is made tougher when Jessie begins to hallucinate, unlocking memories of her controlling husband’s behavior and a traumatizing incident from her youth. Flanagan’s deft touch and Gugino’s gutsy performance make “Gerald’s Game” stand out as a contemporary take on the survival horror genre.
Watch “Gerald’s Game” on Netflix
“Jaws” (1975)
Runtime: 124 min.
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
What more can be said about the movie that kickstarted Steven Spielberg’s career, turned Martha’s Vineyard into a giant film set, and made everyone a little more leery of going in the ocean? Generally regarded as the first summer blockbuster, it’s impressive that almost 50 years later, “Jaws” still inspires such terror. From the opening scene of a skinny dipper being devoured by the unseen monster, the tension builds on the island of Amity. By the time the unforgettable trio of aquaphobic police chief Martin Brody, precocious marine biologist Matt Hooper, and lunatic shark hunter Quint (Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, respectively) take to the high seas to combat the beast, the suspense is almost unbearable.
“Psycho” (1960)
Runtime: 108 min.
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Janet Leigh
Advertisement:
Like many films now regarded among the best ever made, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” was not well received upon its 1960 release. Critics were uncomfortable with the boundary-pushing violence and sexual deviance, with one reviewer going so far as to permanently resign from her job after watching the film. But Hitchcock’s work quickly gained a following and, to this day, is one of the most-referenced and oft-imitated films ever. As creepy innkeeper Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins set the standard for on-screen serial killers to come. As a runaway secretary with stolen money, Janet Leigh’s iconic shower scene anointed her the first scream queen, and essentially birthed the slasher genre. And with its staccato strings, Bernard Herrmann’s score set new standards for how music could impact mood. The fact that “Psycho” still shocks and terrifies audiences decades later is evidence enough that it remains a landmark cinematic achievement.
Best movies on Netflix: Action
“Godzilla Minus One” (2023)
Runtime: 125 min.
Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada
Set in 1950s Tokyo, “Godzilla Minus One” follows the journey of former kamikaze pilot Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki), who, by failing to die at the hands of Godzilla during World War II, lives in shame and is seen as a coward. He’s part of a nontraditional nuclear family, raising an orphaned child (Minami Hamabe) with another woman who lost everyone during the war (and subsequent Godzilla rampage). When the government seeks volunteers to help stop Godzilla, Koichi sees a chance for redemption. “Godzilla Minus One” is so much more than a standard monster movie, telling a hero’s tale that doesn’t hew to Western standards while interrogating how Japanese social attitudes pre- and post-atom bomb shifted. Not to worry, though: Godzilla still smashes and roars with the best of them, and looks better than his American counterpart on a fraction of the budget.
Advertisement:
Watch “Godzilla Minus One” on Netflix
“Hit Man” (2024)
Runtime: 115 min.
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona
Starring the breakout actor from Richard Linklater’s 2016 film “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “Hit Man” is loosely based on a true story about a nebbish college professor named Gary (Glen Powell) who moonlights as a faux hit man for the New Orleans Police Department. Gary, so afraid of breaking his low-stakes routine, takes the undercover duties as a chance to be someone else. When he meets an alluring woman (Adria Arjona, “Andor”) while in his hit man persona (this time a tough guy named Rod), the id and the superego (also the names of Gary’s cats) collide. Powell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater, carefully modulates his performance as the line between Gary and Rod blurs — though not necessarily in a bad way. “Hit Man” is sexy, thought-provoking, and funny. And for a film about a fake hit man in over his head, it’s surprisingly grounded in reality when it comes to contemplating the nature of love, hate, and self.
“The Killer” (2023)
Runtime: 119 min.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton
David Fincher subverts expectations with “The Killer,” in which Michael Fassbender at first seems to be playing the prototypical contract killer. He has a set of rules, a code, and high-tech weaponry to get the job done. But even before he makes a mistake that sends him on the run, you begin to suspect that Fassbender may not be nearly as suave as his self-image. Indeed, “The Killer” posits that even elite assassins are no different than Uber drivers in a gig economy, with both of them scarfing fast food in between jobs and doing whatever is needed to get a five-star rating.
Advertisement:
Watch “The Killer” on Netflix.
“Rebel Ridge” (2024)
Runtime: 131 min.
Starring: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb
Director Jeremy Saulnier’s “Rebel Ridge,” is a tale of revenge about a man named Terry (Aaron Pierre) who has his assets seized by corrupt local police on his way to post bail for his cousin. (If you haven’t read about civil asset forfeiture before, prepare to be outraged.) Unbowed and unbroken, Terry tries to handle things the right way, but Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson, “Miami Vice”) won’t let him. Pierre is a magnetic leading man with action star written all over him, and you’ll be rooting for him to burn the whole force down by the time “Rebel Ridge” barrels toward its conclusion.
Watch “Rebel Ridge” on Netflix
Best movies on Netflix: Documentary
“Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution”
Runtime: 108 min.
Directors: Nicole Newnham, James Lebrecht
The 1960s were a time of political revolution in America, from the protests against the Vietnam War to landmark Civil Rights demonstrations. Less remembered but equally impactful were a series of protests held by Disabled in Action (DIA), an activist group that helped push reforms for the tens of millions of Americans with disabilities. The activist spirit is captured in “Crip Camp,” a documentary about a revolutionary summer camp that exposed disabled people to the free love and rock-‘n-roll lifestyle of the decade while, more importantly, treating them like human beings.
Watch “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” on Netflix
“Descendant” (2022)
Runtime: 109 min.
Director: Margaret Brown
Advertisement:
Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, “Descendant” follows members of an Alabama community known as Africatown whose ancestors were brought to America aboard the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport slaves to the states shortly before the Civil War in 1860. The importation of slaves had been banned by Congress in 1807. After remnants of the ship were found in 2019, the film reveals how the residents of Africatown grapple with the implications the ship’s discovery has on their heritage and knowledge of self.
“Dick Johnson Is Dead” (2020)
Runtime: 90 min.
Director: Kirsten Johnson
Death is not an easy thing to approach, especially when it comes to those we love most. In “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson confronts the cognitive and physical decline of her father in a darkly comic way, filming her father dying over and over again, often in hilariously macabre circumstances. While Kirsten uses stunt doubles for some of the more physically taxing deaths, her father is with her the whole way, smiling and laughing as he helps support his daughter’s vision. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be reminded that everyone’s grieving process manifests itself in different ways.
Watch “Dick Johnson Is Dead” on Netflix
“Will & Harper” (2024)
Runtime: 114 minutes
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Will Ferrell and his longtime best friend, former “SNL” head writer Harper Steele, embark on a cross-country road trip with a dual purpose: Harper (who has recently transitioned to living as a woman) wants to find out whether she still feels comfortable in her favorite types of spaces (dive bars, sports arenas), while Will wants to support his friend and ask the kind of questions many Americans have. There are moments that feel a bit too scripted for the documentary conceit, but there are also genuinely harrowing moments of self-reflection for both Will and Harper as they crisscross the deep South. “Will & Harper” not only offers a path to understanding for Americans who know little about the lived trans experience, but reminds all of us that open and candid conversations with our friends, no matter how tough they might be, are always worth having.
Advertisement:
Watch “Will & Harper” on Netflix
Best movies on Netflix: For Kids
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (2023)
Runtime: 140 min.
Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson
The animated sequel finds Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) increasingly struggling with the isolation of being the only Spider-Man in his universe after meeting so many Spider-verse compatriots he could relate to in the 2018 original. When he has a chance to join a multiverse Spider-person task force, he leaps at the opportunity. The “Spider-verse” art style is gorgeous, the script from Phil Lord and Chris Miller (“The Lego Movie”) is clever without being arch, and the opening 15 minutes will leave you positively giddy. (Note: This is the middle film in a trilogy, so don’t be upset when Spidey leaves you hanging by a thread.)
Watch “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” on Netflix
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”
Runtime: 114 min.
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph
Originally slated to be released in theaters by Sony Pictures under the title “Connected,” “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” ended up on Netflix instead due to the pandemic. After technophobic father Rick (Danny McBride, “Pineapple Express”) breaks his daughter Katie’s (Abbi Jacobson, “Broad City”) laptop before she leaves for college, he insists on canceling her flight to school and driving across the country together in order to repair their relationship. As they go, the family unwittingly becomes humanity’s last hope when a rogue AI begins to take over the world. Featuring a gorgeous animation style that evokes Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” the film has the perfect mix of kid-friendly characters and laughs that will appeal to all ages.
Advertisement:
Watch “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” on Netflix
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
Runtime: 114 min.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is so named not only as a marketing ploy, but also because the “Shape of Water” director’s take on the classic fairy tale is so wholly his own. There are still plenty of familiar elements, from a talking cricket (though not named Jiminy) to dodgy villains who lead Pinocchio astray. But the stop-motion visuals from co-director Mark Gustafson feel like Geppetto himself hand-crafted them, and the intriguing undercurrent of fascism makes the film a relevant watch for adults as well.
Watch: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” on Netflix
Note: This list contains movies available to U.S. subscribers to Netflix’s Standard or Premium plans. Viewers outside of the U.S. or subscribers to Netflix’s
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com