Netflix remains the streaming subscription service with the most subscribers and is home to some of the best movies available to stream online. While Netflix’s selection of acquired movies has waned from its peak, with the streamer opting more and more to focus on their own original content, it still has a number of cinematic classics as well as high-quality originals that solidify its place as a top streamer.
Despite this reduction, Netflix still plays host to some truly great films, ranging all the way from relatively recent action thrillers to classics from the past to major award winners to films starring notable Oscar winning cast members. From epics like Lord of the Rings to emotional dramas like Marriage Story to animated greats like The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Netflix has a varied and impressive library.
25. It Follows (2014)
One of the best movies from the recent wave of “elevated horror,” It Follows uses the narrative of a young woman being trailed by a mysterious force to comment on sexual stigma and gender expectations. It Follows features compelling performances from a mostly unknown cast and just enough scares to satisfy hardcore horror fans and general audiences alike. It Follows has a strong 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, with praise for lead Maika Monroe’s performance and its original premise.
24. Minority Report (2002)
Based on a Philp K. Dick short story, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report is a dark science-fiction movie about a future in which people are arrested based on the predictions of pre-cognitive psychics. The sci-fi movie stars Tom Cruise as a “pre-crime” detective who finds himself in the government’s crosshairs, looking to prove his innocence. In addition to exciting action sequences, Minority Report is a thoughtful sci-fi mystery that raises questions about free will and civil liberties. It earned over $350 million commercially (via Box Office Mojo) and was a critical success upon release.
23. I Lost My Body (2019)
Netflix is known as a home for unique animation, and one great example is the French production I Lost My Body. Told from the perspective of a severed hand that has escaped from a lab, I Lost My Body takes viewers through a bizarre narrative with stand-out visuals and philosophical questions about loss. I Lost My Body is one of those movies that’s hard to describe but eminently rewarding to watch and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, losing to Toy Story 4.
22. Rocks (2021)
One of Netflix’s best hidden gems, Rocks is a grounded British drama about a teenage girl forced to take care of herself and her younger brother. Rocks features a talented young cast and a low-key, naturalistic style helmed by director Sarah Gavron. The film flew under the radar upon release but impressed the critics who saw it, possessing one an impressive 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% on Metacritic. Rocks is a touching indie that deals with modern social issues in a deft way and deserves a wider audience.
21. Skyfall (2012)
The iconic James Bond series is somewhat scattered between different streaming services, but Netflix has a prime choice in Skyfall. The 2012 movie grossed more than $1 billion (via Box Office Mojo) and sees Bond on the trail of cyberterrorist Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem. Skyfall is one of the best-received movies from Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond, winning critical plaudits for Sam Mendes’ direction and its compelling action scenes, as well as multiple Oscar nominations for its visual achievements. For those looking for fast-paced action, it’s one of the best choices on Netflix.
20. The Lost Daughter (2021)
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut is a slow-burn drama about a woman on a Greek holiday who takes an unusual interest in a young mother. Featuring strong performances by Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter is a beautifully-shot psychological drama that received very positive reviews and three Academy Award nominations for Best Actress (Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Buckley), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its slow pacing may not be to all viewers’ taste, but The Lost Daughter is one of Netflix’s most compelling and thoughtful movies.
19. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Part sports drama, part romantic comedy, Jerry Maguire is a much-quoted box office hit in the 1990s. Based on a true story, Jerry Maguire was nominated for five Oscars and is still seen by many as a classic. Tom Cruise stars as the eponymous sports agent who sets out to change his ways in one of his most acclaimed performances, with Cuba Gooding Jr. also having a breakout performance of his own as a struggling football player.
18. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
Netflix subscribers looking for a family-friendly animated movie should look no further than The Miitchells vs. The Machines. The comedy stars Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride and Maya Rudolph as members of a dysfunctional family whose cross-country road trip becomes tangled up in a plot by an evil AI to take over the world. In addition to its talented voice cast, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is noted for its blending of 3D and traditional animation, creating a visually striking romp from beginning to end that won over audiences and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
17. Phantom Thread (2017)
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a maker of fine clothing, Phantom Thread is a sumptuous film that embodies director Paul Thomas Anderson’s combination of drama and dark humor. Phantom Thread is a great pick for lovers of period dramas, being set in 1950s England, but has something to offer for all movie fans. The film largely concerns Lewis’s Reynolds Woodcock and his strange, sometimes toxic love affair with model Alma, played by Vicky Krieps in an acclaimed performance. Phantom Thread earned a half-dozen Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture.
16. Frances Ha (2012)
The dramedy Frances Ha sees Greta Gerwig give a Golden Globe nominated turn as the title character, a struggling dancer looking for meaning as she settles into adulthood. Frances Ha, directed by Noah Baumbach, is a great pick for viewers looking for a movie with a more relaxed atmosphere as well as those looking to get a taste of the contemporary independent film. It became a favorite of critics and independent film fans in 2012 and helped launch Gerwig and Baumbach to even greater heights in years to come.
15. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
Netflix’s 2022 adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel All Quiet on the Western Front is the first to render the story in the original German and provides a harrowing depiction of World War I. Edward Berger’s film uses careful camera work to depict the machine-like horrors of the war, and creates an engrossing experience. The movie received substantial awards attention, including an Oscar Best Picture nod along with eight other nominations, making it one of Netflix’s most successful recent originals.
14. The Woman King (2022)
The Woman King is a historical action epic based on the Kingdom of Dahomey’s real-life woman warriors from African history, starring Viola Davis as a general who trains a group of female warriors to confront slave traders in the 19th century. The Woman King won critical praise, particularly for Davis’s performance and the epic action scenes directed by Gina Prince-Bywood. It may have been shut out of the Oscars but Davis was up for Best Actress at the Golden Globes and it was nominated at several other award shows.
13. Labyrinth (1986)
Labyrinth is Jim Henson at his strangest and most imaginative, creating a bizarre and sometimes frightening fantasy world. Jennifer Connelly stars as a young girl forced to navigate this realm, ruled over by David Bowie as the fearsome Goblin King, to rescue her baby brother. Although it was initially a commercial failure, Labyrinth has since become a cult classic, and is a great Netflix pick for older children or anyone interested in creative puppetry or dark fantasy.
12. Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
A feature-film offshoot of the classic sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail is regularly cited as one of the funniest comedies of all time and is also one of the most influential movies in history. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the film that launched a thousand much-repeated jokes, and anyone who watches it for the first time on Netflix is likely to come away in awe at how many common pop-cultural references they now understand.
11. Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 film Roma is one of the best streaming movies of the 2010s, winning multiple Academy Awards and impressing critics. The beautifully-observed drama tells the story of a live-in maid who becomes pregnant and goes on an odyssey through the tumultuous environment of 1970s Mexico. More impressionistic and less plot-driven than most movies, Roma is worth watching for Cuarón’s Oscar winning black-and-white cinematography and central actress Yalitza Aparicio’s Oscar nominated emotional performance.
10. The Irishman (2019)
The Irishman was one of the most anticipated additions to Netflix’s original movie catalog thanks to who was involved. Based on a true story, The Irishman stars Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a trucker turned mob assassin. Frank works for powerful organized crime figure Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), and eventually gets involved with teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Oscar-nominated CGI de-aging techniques help these iconic actors play their characters over decades of story. The Irishman is the latest great Martin Scorsese gangster movie, with 10 Academy Award nominations.
9. Marriage Story (2019)
Another personal drama from Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a couple whose initially amicable separation becomes a bitter divorce. Featuring a star-studded supporting cast, Marriage Story is a heart-wrenching film driven by Oscar nominated performances from Driver and Johansson and an Oscar winning turn by Laura Dern. It was another one of Netflix’s best original movies, recognized by critics and awards bodies alike for the strength of its screenplay and performances.
8. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro’s rendition of the classic Pinocchio story is a very different experience than the Disney version many are familiar with and one of Netflix’s best movies from recent years. This is just one example of how Netflix has featured darker animated works aimed at mature audiences. Del Toro’s stop-motion animation creates an eerie feeling that captures the strangeness of the original tale while also incorporating his own touch, from reimagining the Blue Fairy to shifting the setting to Mussolini’s Italy. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was recognized by many critics and awards bodies as the best animated film of 2022.
7. The Power of the Dog (2021)
Jane Campion’s revisionist Western The Power of the Dog won plaudits and major awards when it was released in 2021, including an Oscar for Campion’s direction and a Best Picture nomination. The Netflix original movie features a riveting Oscar nominated performance from Benedict Cumberbatch as a repressed, hyper-masculine ranch hand who comes into conflict with his brother’s new wife and her son. Featuring both beautiful landscapes and emotional character drama, The Power of the Dog is one of Netflix’s best movies.
6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Quentin Tarantino’s first feature is still among his best as Reservoir Dogs immediately had a huge impact in Hollywood with its stylish action and self-aware script. Set in the aftermath of a failed robbery, Reservoir Dogs is fundamentally a character drama about a group of men falling apart in a bout of paranoia of rage. Featuring career-defining performances by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen as the terrifying Mr. Blonde, Reservoir Dogs is considered one of the best movies on Netflix and one of the few 20th century classics available on the service.
5. RRR (2022)
One of the most talked-about international movies in recent years and one of Netflix’s best movie acquisitions is the bombastic Indian action movie RRR. Based very loosely on real history, RRR features a complex friendship between two men from different backgrounds who come together to fight the British occupation of India. RRR quickly found an audience worldwide because of its tremendous sense of spectacle, from giant fight scenes to an extended dance number. Netflix unfortunately doesn’t have the original Telugu-language audio, but even dubbed it’s hard not to get swept up in the momentum of the global box office hit RRR.
4. Rocky (1976)
In addition to launching one of the great action movie franchises, the original Rocky is also a great, Best Picture-winning drama, featuring a gritty and compelling depiction of a down-on-his-luck boxer who gets his big opportunity. Of course, Rocky is also one of the greatest inspirational sports movies of all time, with its training montages and Rocky’s final battle with Apollo becoming iconic movie scenes. Netflix has all the original five Rocky movies available to stream, so fans can settle in for a franchise marathon.
3. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Commonly considered one of the best movies of all time, Apocalypse Now is a 1970s classic directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness that transports the action to the Vietnam War. Martin Sheen plays a soldier searching for Marlon Brando’s renegade Colonel Kurtz, in a journey filled with nightmarish spectacle. Netflix has Coppola’s “Redux” cut of Apocalypse Now available to stream. While initial reviews were mixed, Apocalypse Now has become part of the film canon. The film is not just a brilliant commentary on Vietnam but also an enduring vision.
2. Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump was a huge box office hit upon release, pulling in over $670 million (via Box Office Mojo). The movie sees Hanks portray the eponymous simple-minded man who finds himself involved in some of the most important events of the 20th century. It also cleaned up at the Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for star Hanks’ performance, among others. While Forrest Gump has its fair share of detractors, it is also remembered by many as a classic movie, and is a must-watch for its historical significance alone.
1. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
One of the best viewing options on Netflix is Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings, beginning with the energetic and adventurous first film The Fellowship of the Ring. Filmed on a grand scale with tremendous attention to detail, the Lord of the Rings movies were both commercial and critical hits when released in the early 2000s, and thrust J. R. R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth into the public consciousness. The original trilogy is available on Netflix and they won over a dozen Academy Awards combined..
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