This post is updated regularly as movies leave and enter Netflix. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.
With hundreds of films from around the world on the streaming giant that changed the game, how does one even know what to watch when they fire up their Netflix? Start here! We’ve gone through the many films available on the platform and pared down the selection to 30 must-see titles, including acclaimed dramas, action films, comedies, horror flicks, and even stuff for the whole family, with Netflix Originals peppered in throughout, alongside its licensed films. No algorithm nonsense here: Our picks represent the personal favorites of seasoned movie critics, and they’re updated every week and month to include or remove films that join or depart from the streaming service. This list represents the best of Netflix’s movie offerings, and it starts with a new rotating critic’s pick of the week.
This Week’s Critic’s Pick
*Minari
Year: 2020
Runtime: 1h 55m
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
One of the most acclaimed movies of 2020 has made its way to Netflix. Minari, a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the life of writer-director Lee Isaac Chung, is a poignant and sometimes-devastating look at a family of South Korean immigrants freshly transplanted from California to a farm in rural Arkansas, chasing the American dream. Part coming-of-age story and part generational epic, Minari’s true power is in its acting from Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, and Youn Yuh-jung, who won an Oscar for her role as the loving and feisty grandmother, Soon-ja. She may just remind you of your own beloved elders. —Eric Vilas-Boas
Drama
Call Me by Your Name
Year: 2017
Runtime: 2h 6m
Director: Luca Guadagnino
One of the best films of the 2010s, this drama stars Timothée Chalamet as a boy who discovers his own sexuality when he’s wooed by an older man, played by Armie Hammer. Delicate and moving, this is a remarkable drama because of how true it feels, anchored by great performances throughout, not just from the two leads but the amazing Michael Stuhlbarg too.
Backdraft
Year: 1991
Runtime: 2h 17m
Director: Ron Howard
People who saw this movie at the right age seem to have continued love for it. Ron Howard brings a grounded, taut craft to ensemble piece about Chicago firefighters trying to track down a serial arsonist. The hit film ($150 million+ for a movie like this is unthinkable nowadays) has a great early ‘90s cast that includes Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Robert De Niro, and many more, but it’s the fire scenes that make it memorable. You can feel the heat.
Cinderella Man
Year: 2005
Runtime: 2h 24m
Director: Ron Howard
After the Oscar-winning success of their previous collaboration, it made perfect sense that Russell Crowe and Ron Howard would want to work together again, but this follow-up sports drama didn’t have quite the same impact. It’s a solid drama elevated by great work from Crowe, Renee Zellweger and Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti (his only nod, believe it or not), as they tell the story of James J. Braddock, a heavyweight boxing champ.
The Power of the Dog
Year: 2021
Runtime: 2h 6m
Director: Jane Campion
The film that finally won an Oscar for Jane Campion for directing is one of the most acclaimed in the history of the streaming giant. Campion helmed this adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage, the story of a vicious landowner (Benedict Cumberbatch) who torments the new wife (Kirsten Dunst) of his brother (Jesse Plemons). A drama that plays like a thriller, this gorgeously rendered period piece unpacks themes of toxic masculinity and manipulation in a way that makes it impossible to turn away. It’s not just one of the best Netflix Original films, it’s one of the best, period, of the 2020s so far.
The Social Network
Year: 2010
Runtime: 2h
Director: David Fincher
One of the best movies of the 2010s has returned to Netflix after a brief hiatus to remind people how wildly far ahead of its time this movie was when it was released. With a razor-sharp screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and some of the best direction of David Fincher’s career, this is a flawless movie, one that resonates even more now in the era of constant internet than it did almost 15 years ago.
Saving Private Ryan
Year: 1998
Runtime: 2h 49m
Director: Steven Spielberg
War movies haven’t gone anywhere, a prominent part of film history from its early days through 1917. There are certain tentpoles in that history of war movies that feel like game changers, and one came in 1998 when Steven Spielberg returned to World War II to tell a different story of history, reminding everyone in the world about the sacrifices that were made that day, and the obligation we all have to make them worthwhile.
Whiplash
Year: 2014
Runtime: 1h 46m
Director: Damien Chazelle
Chazelle may still be startled by the divisive response to last year’s Babylon, but he can go back to the near-universal praise for the film that really broke him, earning one of its stars an Oscar and getting a nomination for Best Picture. Damien Chazelle’s drama about a perfectionist drummer and his militaristic teacher thrilled viewers from the minute it premiered at Sundance. It was a major piece of pop culture, a film that feels like it’s being referenced more every year.
Action
Dune
Year: 2021
Runtime: 2h 35m
Director: Denis Villeneuve
The directorial king of the smart blockbusters released another one in 2021 in this highly acclaimed adaptation of the Frank Herbert novels, which premiered on HBO Max along with theaters for a brief window on its way to massive worldwide acclaim and success. Timothee Chalamet stars in this sci-fi epic that was actually the most Oscar-winning film of 2021, taking home six trophies. Part Two was delayed until 2024, but the first half of this story is on Netflix to make the pain easier to take.
Gladiator
Year: 2000
Runtime: 2h 35m
Director: Ridley Scott
The first Best Picture winner of the new millennium was one of the most beloved period action films of all time. Russell Crowe gives his most iconic performance a Roman general named Maximus, who watches his family murdered and his life destroyed by a vicious ruler named Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Forced into slavery, Maximus must become a gladiator, competing in arenas until he can achieve his ultimate revenge.
Heat
Year: 1995
Runtime: 2h 50m
Director: Michael Mann
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, a stunning cat-and-mouse game between a career criminal and a workaholic cop. The book release of Heat 2 in 2022 brought a lot of people back to this movie, one that has held up remarkably well over the nearly three decades since it was released. It’s a masterpiece.
Jaws
Year: 1975
Runtime: 2h 4m
Director: Steven Spielberg
The movie that ushered in the blockbuster era is often viewed more in terms of how it changed the industry than the fact that it’s, well, perfect. Seriously, you don’t need to change a single frame, line reading, or edit in Jaws, a film that works to raise tension from its very first scene. There’s a reason people are still writing books about Jaws. And they will be for a very long time.
Mission: Impossible
Year: 1996
Runtime: 1h 50m
Director: Brian De Palma
Do you think Tom Cruise thought he’d still be playing Ethan Hunt over a quarter-century after the first adaptation of the hit TV show about the super spy? He’s basically created his own James Bond with the excellent Dead Reckoning – Part 1 just leaving theaters. Go back to where it all began with a film that looks downright quaint now compared to the sequels but a film that still plays perfectly. Note: The first four films in the franchise are on Netflix, including the great Ghost Protocol.
The Outpost
Year: 2020
Runtime: 2h 3m
Director: Rod Lurie
Based on a book by CNN’s Jake Tapper, this is an intense, on-the-ground action flick that recreates The Battle of Kamdesh, an event in 2009 when over 300 Taliban members attacked a U.S. outpost in Afghanistan. Rod Lurie brings a tight craft to the action here, but it’s the ensemble that holds it together, including strong, believable turns from Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, and Orlando Bloom.
RRR
Year: 2022
Runtime: 3h 5m
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
One of the biggest films in the world in 2022, this crazy action flick really took off in the United States when it dropped on Netflix. It’s hard to put into words just how much movie you get with RRR. It’s kind of all the movies — musical, romance, comedy, action, drama. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s in here. You’ll want to watch it twice.
Snowpiercer
Year: 2013
Runtime: 2h 6m
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Bong Joon-ho became a household name (at least in cinephile circles) when he won the Oscar for Parasite, but he had a hit before that in this 2013 sci-fi action flick starring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, and John Hurt. It’s a brilliant allegory for society as a train has been divided into classes per car, and the peasants form a revolt. Visually striking and narratively ambitious, this is a film that only seems to grow in esteem with each passing year, especially now that Bong is increasingly famous.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Year: 2023
Runtime: 2h 20m
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
What a gift to Netflix subscribers for this to already be on the service, mere weeks after playing in theaters and landing on Blu-ray. This is how you do a big-budget blockbuster sequel, developing the themes of the first movie and setting up the stake for what now appears will be one of the best trilogies in superhero history. Packed with so much detail and creativity, it’s a film Netflix subscribers will want to watch over and over again. Do so while you still can.
War of the Worlds
Year: 2005
Runtime: 1h 57m
Director: Steven Spielberg
The star and director of Minority Report reunited for this phenomenal adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells tale about the end of the world. Tom Cruise plays an ordinary guy who tries to survive the day the enemy aliens arrived in this incredibly well-directed action epic that plays well as escapism but can also be read as one of the first great movies about 9/11. (Really!)
The Woman King
Year: 2022
Runtime: 2h 14m
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Living legend Viola Davis stars in this retelling of the all-female warriors of the kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. She plays General Nansica, who trains young women to follow in her footsteps, and leads a rock star ensemble of future stars that includes Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, and Sheila Atim. You’ll know all their names soon enough.
Comedy
The Big Lebowski
Year: 1998
Runtime: 1h 57m
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Well, that’s just like your opinion, man. Joel and Ethan Coen followed up the biggest hit of their careers win Fargo with the story of Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, unforgettably played by Jeff Bridges. In one of his most iconic roles, Bridges captures a kind of lazy L.A. style that turned this flick into a comedy classic, a movie that’s being quoted somewhere in the world on every minute of every day.
Glass Onion
Year: 2022
Runtime: 2h 19m
Director: Rian Johnson
The writer/director of Knives Out returned in late 2022 with a sequel to that smash hit, exclusively on Netflix. Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, the casual crime solver who finds himself on a billionaire’s island in Rian Johnson’s latest comedy/mystery. Once again, Johnson assembles a murderer’s row of talent, including Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Ed Norton, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and more. It’s smart, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.
Lady Bird
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Greta Gerwig
The Barbie director’s last Best Picture nominee is one of the most personal and striking coming-of-age films in years. Saoirse Ronan stars as the titular character, a young Californian who longs for someplace cooler than her own hometown. It’s a heartfelt and very smart film, buoyed by great performances throughout, including Ronan, Tracy Letts, Timothee Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, and Laurie Metcalf, who was robbed of that Oscar.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Year: 1975
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
During a hiatus between the third and fourth seasons of Monty Python’s Family Circus, the gang of mega-talented comedians decided to make movie history. Inspired by the King Arthur legend, Holy Grail is a timeless comedy, the rare kind of film that will still be making people laugh hundreds of years from now. And while the Monty Python boys were already famous, this film took them to another level, cementing their place in movie history.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1h 52m
Director: Edgar Wright
Michael Cera stars in Edgar Wright’s vibrant adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel, a movie that feels like it could come out exactly the same way today, almost 15 years after its release. Wright’s style is perfect for this material, capturing the tone and structure of the source material with his razor-sharp editing and wit. Note: Netflix has returned to this world with the animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Horror
Gerald’s Game
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director: Mike Flanagan
Before he helmed The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan co-wrote and directed one of the best Netflix Original horror films in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1992 novel of the same name. Carla Gugino is phenomenal as a woman who gets handcuffed to her bed by her toxic husband…and then he has a heart attack. As she tries to figure out how she will survive, she accesses the trauma of her past.
For Kids & Family
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Year: 2022
Runtime: 1h 56m
Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
The Oscar-winning director took his visionary skills to stop-motion animation with this instant classic, a retelling of the beloved fairy tale about the wooden boy who longed to be real. With spectacular voice work, this version reimagines Pinocchio during the period before World War II, allowing del Toro to explore his themes of innocence and violence again. It’s a deeply personal, beautiful film.
Hook
Year: 1991
Runtime: 2h 21m
Director: Steven Spielberg
Peter Pan & Wendy hasn’t made much of an impact over on Disney+, so why not go back to the Peter Pan tale that so many loved as children? Steven Spielberg’s Robin Williams-starring variation on the J.M. Barrie classic is often derided as one of the master’s lesser films, but it also has a loyal fan base, largely made up of people who were just the right age when it came out. Now they’re old enough to show it to their kids. Pass on the wonder.
The Karate Kid
Year: 1984
Runtime: 2h 7m
Director: John G. Avildsen
After the massive success of Cobra Kai on Netflix, the streamer finally now also offers fans the original trilogy of films about the kid who learns karate from Mr. Miyagi. The 1984 original is still, by far, the best, starring Ralph Macchio and the great Pat Morita. Less successful are the 1986 and 1989 sequels, but no one would blame fans for wanting to watch the whole trilogy. Note: The Jackie Chan remake is also on Netflix.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 42m
Director: Joel Crawford
No one would have predicted that the presumed-dead Shrek franchise had another spin-off sequel of this caliber yet to be released, but December 2022 saw the critical and commercial success of arguably the best film in the entire series. Using a style more reminiscent of Into the Spider-verse than typical DreamWorks, The Last Wish is a gorgeous and surprisingly moving story of the title character dealing with something he never expected to face: mortality. It’s funny, clever, and memorable.
Wendell & Wild
Year: 2022
Runtime: 1h 46m
Director: Henry Selick
The director of A Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline finally returned this year with this clever and twisted tale co-written by Oscar winner Jordan Peele. The comedian also co-stars as one of the title characters, the literal demons for a girl who blames herself for the death of her parents. Selick is a master of stop-motion animation and this project allows him to stretch his visual prowess in new, gross ways. It’s a new Halloween classic (that can be watched any time, of course!)
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