There’s an open secret in Hollywood: Netflix really wants to take home a win for Best Picture at the Oscars. To be sure, Netflix has had some success at the Academy Awards, but the premiere streaming service has not yet been able to get the ultimate validation from Hollywood.
That doesn’t mean that Netflix will stop trying any time soon. For subscribers, this means that Netflix is the prime destination for original adult dramas that can’t get much play in theaters anymore. Yet the strength of Netflix’s library is that it caters to all tastes, especially when it comes to original flicks. If you want a helpful guide to the very best of Netflix’s signature films, check out our list of the best Netflix original movies.
Originality can go a long way, but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, try our other lists of the best Netflix original series, the best Hulu original series, the best Amazon Prime original movies, and the best Amazon Prime original series.
130m
Genre
Mystery, Crime, Horror
Stars
Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Lucy Boynton
Directed by
Scott Cooper
Christian Bale reunites with Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace and Hostiles) for the mystery thriller, The Pale Blue Eye. In 1830, retired detective Augustus Landor (Bale) is summoned to West Point, New York, to investigate a death at the U.S. Military Academy. Landor learns that the heart was removed from the body, and the marks on the deceased cadet’s neck imply a murder took place.
Searching for answers, Landor receives help from Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling), a young military cadet who wants to solve the case. It’s the same Poe who will eventually become the legendary author of acclaimed works such as The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher. The gothic mystery is full of twists and turns that will keep the audience guessing through the last frame.
140m
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe
Directed by
Rian Johnson
Tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his closest friends – Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) – to his mansion on a private island in Greece to take part in a murder mystery weekend.
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) and Bron’s former partner, Cassandra “Andi” Brand (Janelle Monáe), also receive invites to Bron’s mansion, The Glass Onion. Although Bron stages a fake murder for the game, a real crime occurs, much to the shock of the guests. With Blanc on the scene, it’s up to the world’s greatest detective to solve another case.
117m
Genre
Family, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch
Directed by
Matthew Warchus
Based on the 1988 novel by Roald Dahl, Matilda the Musical is an adaptation of the 201o stage musical of the same name. Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) is a sweet and loving child who loves to read and use her imagination. Unfortunately, her parents, Mr. Wormwood (Stephen Graham) and Mrs. Wormwood (Andrea Riseborough), continuously neglect Matlida. They send her to Crunchem Hall School, where she develops a special relationship with her teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey (Lashana Lynch).
While Miss Honey takes a liking to Matilda, Miss Agatha Trunchbull (Emma Thompson), the cruel headmistress of Crunchem Hall School, punishes Matilda at every turn. Eventually, Matilda develops telekinesis abilities and uses them to fend off her parents and Miss Trunchbull.
136m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction
Stars
Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle
Directed by
Noah Baumbach
What would you do to survive an air contamination accident? That is the premise for Noah Baumbach’s White Noise. Based on the 1985 novel by Don DeLillo, the film stars Adam Driver stars as Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at The-College-on-the-Hill. Jack is married to his fourth wife, Babette (Greta Gerwig), and they have a blended family of four children.
The Gladney family is upended after a train accident releases chemical waste, which forms a black cloud over the region. The accident is known as “The Airborne Toxic Event,” and the contamination forces the Gladney family to move. White Noise depicts the resulting struggles of everyday life and intertwines themes of death, childhood, and consumer culture into the story.
104m
Genre
Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Stars
Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim S. Falck-Jørgensen, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
Directed by
Roar Uthaug
A sudden explosion in the Norwegian mountains awakens a giant troll, and the monster begins to wreak havoc on the surrounding townspeople.
The Norwegian government brings in paleontologist Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilman) to figure out how to stop the troll. Troll is a classic monster-versus-military film that channels inspiration from creatures like Godzilla and King Kong.
109m
Genre
Mystery, Thriller, Drama
Stars
Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke
Directed by
Sebastián Lelio
Emma Donoghue co-wrote the script for The Wonder, which is based on her own novel of the same name. Rising star Florence Pugh headlines this period drama as Elizabeth “Lib” Wright, an English woman who is hired to go to a remote Irish village and determine if a young girl, Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy), has truly survived for four months without eating anything. If the claim is true, it might be a miracle. But the locals clearly have little tolerance or trust for Lib. The only person who connects with her is a reporter, William Byrne (Tom Burke). Yet the real story is something that neither Lib nor William suspects.
121m
Genre
Drama, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Noah Emmerich
Directed by
Tobias Lindholm
Based on a real story, The Good Nurse follows Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain), a working single mother whose career as a nurse could be jeopardized if her employers knew that she suffers from cardiomyopathy. Her new colleague, Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), helps Amy hide her secret, and they become good friends. That’s why Amy doesn’t initially believe detectives Danny Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha) and Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich) when they tell her that Charles may be connected to several suspicious deaths. Unfortunately for Amy, the more she looks into it, the more she suspects that her friend is a serial killer.
147m
Genre
War, Drama, Action
Stars
Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
Directed by
Edward Berger
Some war movies glorify the battlefield and tales of wartime heroism. All Quiet on the Western Front is not one of those movies. It’s more like a horror story, and the monster is humanity itself. In the waning days of World War I, teenagers Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grünewald) enthusiastically join the German army in the misguided belief that they will become heroes. However, their romantic notions of war are soon shattered as senseless death and destruction unfold on the battlefield and break them one by one.
107m
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Stars
Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Angela Bassett
Directed by
Henry Selick
The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick teamed up with Jordan Peele for the new stop-motion animated horror comedy, Wendell & Wild. Key & Peele co-stars Keegan-Michael Key and Peele reunite as demon brothers Wendell and Wild, both of whom lament their lot for life in Hell. The brothers have grand ambitions of creating a theme park for the dead. To do that, they need the help of a teenage girl, Katherine “Kat” Koniqua Elliot (Lyric Ross). However, Kat extracts a high price for her assistance, which may be more than Wendell and Wild can deliver.
113m
Genre
Action, Fantasy, Horror
Stars
Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Directed by
J.J. Perry
The safest time to hunt vampires is probably during the day, but Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx) isn’t happy to be stuck in that slot in Netflix’s horror-comedy Day Shift. Using his cover as a pool cleaner, Bud secretly breaks into houses and kills vampires before harvesting their fangs. But when Bud’s ex-wife, Jocelyn (Meagan Good), threatens to move to Florida with their daughter, Paige (Zion Broadnax), Bud is forced to rejoin the Vampire Hunter’s Guild. The guild assigns Seth (Dave Franco) to watch Bud for any rule violations, but he comes to sympathize with Bud’s troubles. Meanwhile, a vampire named Audrey San Fernando (Karla Souza) is hunting them both down as a precursor for her grand plans to subjugate humanity.
107m
Genre
Romance, Drama, Comedy
Stars
Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding
Directed by
Carrie Cracknell
Critics are not happy with director Carrie Cracknell’s modernization of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, especially with the way that the leading lady, Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson), breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience at various points. But if you’re willing to go with it, this is a fun take on Austen’s final book. When Anne was young, she was briefly engaged to Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis). However, her family persuaded Anne that his social status made him a poor match, and she broke it off with him. Years later, the fortunes of Anne’s family are in decline while Frederick is a wealthy captain who still has feelings for her. But he may have competition for Anne’s heart in the form of the dashing William Elliot (Henry Golding).
128m
Genre
Action, Thriller
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
Directed by
Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
The Russo brothers and the screenwriters of the last two Avengers films reunited for The Gray Man, which is quite possibly the most expensive movie in Netflix history. Ryan Gosling headlines the film as the titular Gray Man, who is better known by his codename Sierra Six. While on a mission for the CIA, Six comes into possession of damning information that could destroy the organization. When Six refuses to hand over the info, the CIA reinstates a psychopath named Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans) to take out Six no matter the cost. While CIA agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) sides with Six, they face overwhelming odds as Lloyd closes in on them.
119m
Genre
Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Stars
Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris
Directed by
Chris Williams
The Sea Beast may be the most Disney-like animated movie that Netflix has ever made, and the House of Mouse would probably love to have this lavish and beautiful film in its library. In a world where the oceans are ruled by monsters, Captain Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) and his crew are renowned for their sea beast hunting skills. That’s why an orphan girl named Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) idolizes Jacob and stows away on his ship to join his crew. Although Jacob is focused on hunting the great beast known as the Red Bluster, Maisie’s overpowering enthusiasm and knowledge earns her a place in his heart.
132m
Genre
Western, Comedy, Drama
Stars
Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan
Directed by
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
An anthology of epic proportions, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is the Wild West brainchild of renowned sibling filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen. Featuring an ensemble of noteworthy players, including Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Stephen Root, and a host of other talents, the film takes place in the Old West, with a medley of tales unfolding over the two-hour runtime. The six vignettes include The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Near Algodones, Meal Ticket, All Gold Canyon, The Gal Who Got Rattled, and The Mortal Remains. Garnering three Oscar nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Song, Buster Scruggs doesn’t play the same grim game of hardball that the iconic directing duo explored in their 2010 remake of True Grit. Instead, it leans on the pair’s more idiosyncratic sensibilities to weave these six tall tales together.
120m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús
Directed by
Lin-Manuel Miranda
A cinematic adaptation of the autobiographical Jonathan Larson play of the same name, Netflix’s Tick, Tick… Boom! finds musical maestro Lin-Manuel Miranda in the director’s chair, with Andrew Garfield starring as Jon, a theater composer on the cusp of what could be his big break. In the days leading up to a performance of the musical that may finally put Jon on the map, encroaching stresses from family, friends, and the panicked NYC zeitgeist of the early ’90s threaten to get in the way of Jon’s dreamed-of artistic success. A big, bold homage to Larson’s source material and a beautiful musical drama in its own right, Tick, Tick… Boom! is a panorama of show-stopping emotions that simply can’t be missed.
122m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley
Directed by
Maggie Gyllenhaal
The feature directorial debut of Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter stars Olivia Colman as Leda, a vacationing college professor who becomes obsessed with the inner dynamics of a neighboring family. After an encounter with Nina (Dakota Johnson), the young mother of a 3-year-old daughter named Elena, the lives of both women become intertwined. This unfolds a caustic trip down memory lane as Leda is forced to reckon with her own actions as a once-young mother of two. An adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, the beating heart of Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter is Colman, who delivers a stirring yet rooted performance as the emotionally challenged protagonist on a trip to Greece she’ll never forget.
117m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Adam Sandler, Robert Duvall, Ben Foster
Directed by
Jeremiah Zagar
Adam Sandler continues his newest dramatic turn in this drama about Stanley Sugarman, a washed-up basketball scout who discovers a street ball phenom in Spain, Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangomez), who Stanley believes has a real shot to make it to the NBA. Stanley makes it his mission to train Bo to adapt to the professional game, hitching a ride on the player’s coattails for a chance to get back to the NBA himself.
107m
Genre
Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars
Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett
Directed by
Joseph Kosinski
Based on George Saunders’ short story Escape From Spiderhead, this sci-fi thriller takes place in a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by visionary Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth). In the prison, inmates all wear a surgically attached device that administers mind-altering drugs in exchange for commuted sentences. The place doesn’t look anything like a prison, as inmates are allowed to wander at will, as long as they take a drug to mediate all of their problems. But when two subjects form a connection, their path to redemption becomes more complicated.
128m
Genre
War, History, Drama
Stars
Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Johnny Flynn
Directed by
John Madden
In 1943, the Allied powers plan an all-out assault on Sicily to weaken Hitler’s grip on Europe. But there’s a problem. Namely, it seems impossible to mount an invasion without exposing the force to potential annihilation. So intelligence officers Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles
106m
Genre
Science Fiction, Adventure, Comedy
Stars
Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner
Directed by
Shawn Levy
Ryan Reynolds stars as an awry time-traveling fighter pilot in this action/adventure original. After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, the pilot finds his 12-year-old self and enlists himself on a crucial mission to save the future.
143m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction
Stars
Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep
Directed by
Adam McKay
Critics and audiences disagreed on Don’t Look Up, an apocalyptic satire that aims to parable the climate crisis. (Of course, having come out during a pandemic, it’s remarkably parabolic of that too.) Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio lead a star-studded cast as astronomers who discover a comet on a collision course with Earth. Unfortunately, the President (Meryl Streep) and her sycophant Chief of Staff son (Jonah Hill) aren’t too keen on the world ending during her presidency. So, they drag the astronomers through the media and discredit them, setting up a game in which the astronomers must do everything they can to finally get the world to just look up.
91m
Genre
Drama, Thriller
Stars
Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough
Directed by
Antoine Fuqua
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as 911 dispatcher Joe Baylor in this pulse-pounding thriller from Antoine Fuqua. The film takes place over the course of a single morning in the dispatch call center as Baylor tries to save a caller in danger. But as the call plays out, Baylor finds he’s caught in a much larger web.
127m
Genre
Drama, Western
Stars
Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons
Directed by
Jane Campion
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the beguiling rancher Phil Burbank in this dramatic, simmering Western. The year is 1925 and Phil’s a cowboy’s cowboy, running one of Montana’s most profitable ranches with his brother George (Jesse Plemons). When the two men meet the widowed proprietress of a local inn, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil mocks her to tears while George becomes smitten. When George returns to make Rose his wife and bring her back to the ranch, it drives a stake between the two brothers, especially given Phil’s odd cruelty and attention to Rose’s son.
139m
Genre
Western
Stars
Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King
Directed by
Jeymes Samuel
Jeymes Samuel gives this fresh Western with a predominantly Black cast a ton of energy and passion. Outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) discovers that his nemesis since childhood, Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), has been freed from prison. Nat rounds up his gang and goes hunting for Buck and the crew that liberated him. It’s an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
99m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland
Directed by
Rebecca Hall
Would it surprise you to learn that the novel, Passing, is almost 100 years old now? Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut takes Nella Larsen’s story and keeps the original setting. Hall even shot the film in black and white as a stylistic choice. The story follows two Black women, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) and Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga), both of whom can “pass” as white. Yet only Clare chooses to do so, by marrying a wealthy white man, John Bellew (Alexander Skarsgård). Meanwhile, Irene embraces her Black identity and marries Dr. Brian Redford (André Holland). Yet when Clare and Irene re-enter each other’s lives after years apart, the choices they’ve made may come back to haunt them.
127m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Comedy
Stars
Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ruby O. Fee
Directed by
Matthias Schweighöfer
It’s pretty rare for a prequel to come out the same year as the movie it leads into. But Netflix tends to rewrite the rules as we know them. Army of Thieves is a prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, but the zombies are secondary in this film. Instead, this is the origin story of Ludwig Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), an expert safecracker who was once an unassuming bank teller named Sebastian Schlencht-Wöhnert. In the early days of the zombie apocalypse, the enimagic Gwendoline Starr (Nathalie Emmanuel) convinces Sebastian to embrace his inner thief and put together a team to rob a billionaire.
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103m
Genre
Fantasy, Family, Horror
Stars
Winslow Fegley, Lidya Jewett, Krysten Ritter
Directed by
David Yarovesky
A fantasy/horror adventure for the whole family, Nightbooks follows young Alex (Winslow Fegley), who loves writing scary stories. This particular passion marks him as an outcast at school, leading Alex to swear off writing ever again. But when an evil witch (Krysten Ritter) captures him inside a magical New York City apartment, she demands he tell her a new scary story every single night if he wants to live. Inside, he meets another prisoner, Yasmin (Lidya Jewett), who has learned how to survive her imprisonment with the witch. Together, they’ll work to write not just more stories, but their own destinies.
107m
Genre
Horror, Mystery
Stars
Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Maya Hawke, Kiana Madeira
Directed by
Leigh Janiak
Netflix has long been a content pioneer, and it’s getting experimental once again with R.L. Stine’s Fear Street trilogy. With three films, released throughout the first month of July, the trilogy spans 300 years, with Fear Street Part One: 1994 premiering July 2. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 debuts July 9, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 debuts July 16. The epic tale follows a group of teenagers who take on an evil force that has plagued their town for centuries after a series of brutal slayings.
111m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Music
Stars
Amy Poehler, Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Nico Hiraga, Sydney Park, Josephine Langford
Directed by
Amy Poehler
Comedy legend Amy Poehler directed Moxie and co-stars as Lisa, the mother of the main character, Vivian (Hadley Robinson). After witnessing a mean jock, Mitchell (Patrick Schwarzenegger), harassing a new student, Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Peña), at school, Vivian is inspired by her mother’s example. Vivian creates Moxie, a “‘zine” that gives her fellow students a voice to push back against mistreatment. However, Vivian’s new endeavor drives a wedge between her and her best friend, Claudia (Lauren Tsai). It also complicates Vivian’s potential romance with Seth (Nico Hiraga).
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Cast
Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Yoo Hae-jin
Fans of Firefly and Serenity may find some familiar elements in the sci-fi film Space Sweepers. Regardless of that, this South Korean movie exists in its own dystopian space future. Song Joong-ki and Kim Tae-ri co-headline the film as Kim Tae-ho and Captain Jang, the commanding officers of a scavenger ship called the Victory. Each member of the crew has a dark past and a grudge against the government’s powers. But their discovery of a young girl, Dorothy (Park Ye-rin), whose powers and abilities have the potential to completely upend the intergalactic status quo, changes everything. That’s why the crew of the Victory must defend her at all costs.
111m
Genre
Drama, Western
Stars
Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
Directed by
Ricky Staub
Rebellious teen Cole (Caleb McLaughlin) doesn’t have much direction is in his life. So when he’s sent to live with his estranged father (Idris Elba) for the summer, he’s not exactly thrilled. His father, however, is in charge of a tightknit Philadelphia community of Black cowboys, living unusual but unusually fulfilling lives. In this new community, Cole finally finds the kinship he’s been seeking.
94m
Genre
Drama, Music
Stars
Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman
Directed by
George C. Wolfe
The film adaptation of one of the legendary August Wilson’s most beloved plays, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom gives the audience a little extra to chew on and some truly breathtaking musical performances. A group of musicians awaits Ma Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues,” in a steamy Chicago recording studio in the 1920s. Late to the session, Ma (Viola Davis) storms straight into a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music as the ambitious cornet player Levee (Chadwick Boseman) watches, takes notes, and spurs the other musicians into a story exchange that will change all of their lives.
119m
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González
Directed by
J Blakeson
One of the more unusual gangster movies you’ll see, I Care a Lot revolves around the strange, nefarious world of court-appointed guardians for the elderly. Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is the most professional and ruthless in the business. Marla and her business partner, Fran (Eiza González), operate a well-oiled machine of seizing the assets of elderly wards and bilking them out of their money through completely legal — if extremely unethical — methods. But when she targets Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family, she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Jennifer, it just so happens, harbors her own dark secrets and has close connections to a supremely volatile gangster (Peter Dinklage) who is fully ready to play extralegal hardball.
132m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins
Directed by
David Fincher
Directed by David Fincher from a script written by his late father, Jack Fincher, Mank takes you back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Specifically, it brings you into the world of Herman J. Mankiewicz — known not so affectionately as “Mank” — as he races to finish his magnum opus, Citizen Kane. His worldview and perspective of Hollywood are increasingly scathing and fueled by drink as he becomes jaded by the industry he’s working so hard to prop up.
112m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn
Directed by
Simon Stone
The Dig was Netflix’s first breakout movie of 2021. It’s based on John Preston’s novel, which was in turn inspired by the real events of the Sutton Hoo archeological dig in 1939. Carey Mulligan plays Edith Pretty, a widower who hires archaeologist Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to investigate some burial mounds on her property. What he finds quickly draws attention from the government and more prominent archeologists. It also threatens to push both Basil and Edith out of the picture. Meanwhile, Edith and Basil develop a burgeoning romantic bond, despite Basil’s marriage and Edith’s fragile health. The film takes a few liberties with history, but it makes for a stronger drama.
125m
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra
Directed by
Ramin Bahrani
You probably haven’t heard of Adarsh Gourav before, but that’s likely to change after seeing him in The White Tiger. In his first leading role in a movie, Gourav takes center stage in the adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s novel. Balram Halwai (Gourav) is a man whose chance to escape poverty and servitude was lost while he was still a child. As an adult, Balram blackmails his way into the service of a rich couple: Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). Despite their relative kindness towards him, Balram realizes that he’s still trapped in a life that he doesn’t want. And getting ahead in the world is going to require some drastic measures.
130m
Genre
History, Drama
Stars
Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by
Aaron Sorkin
In 1968, protests broke out at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and local and federal law enforcement responded with extreme violence. In 1969, seven people were further charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more anti-American activities and put on a highly publicized trial that served as a referendum on Cold War patriotism and the social unrest of the ’60s. Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed this high-energy legal drama with his traditional panache frenetic pacing.
100m
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Stars
Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
Directed by
Susan Johnson
Netflix forays into teen romance in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and the slightly-less-beloved sequel To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. Lana Condor stars as teenaged Lara Jean, a quiet outsider at her high school, who has a habit of writing love letters to all of her crushes. Of course, she’d never dream of sending them. But when they’re mysteriously leaked to the entire school, it turns out her crushes may actually be interested. As all that romance begins to spiral out of control, the letters wreak havoc on her life, inspiring more love than she can handle.
123m
Genre
Mystery, Crime, Adventure
Stars
Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin
Directed by
Harry Bradbeer
Everybody knows Sherlock Holmes, but did you know his significantly younger sister, Enola? Turns out, he doesn’t know her very well either. But when their mother suddenly goes missing and Sherlock takes only a tepid interest, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) proves she’s got just as much sleuthing ability as her famous brother as she takes off for London to uncover the mystery. Along the way, she helps a runaway lord, unwittingly stumbling into a sprawling conspiracy impacting the highest levels of government.
125m
Genre
Action, Fantasy
Stars
Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts
Directed by
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Before Project Power, Netflix dived superheroes with The Old Guard, about a covert group of tight-knit, immortal mercenaries who have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. Led by Andy (Charlize Theron), the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission where their abilities are suddenly exposed to the world. Now, Andy and her team must eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate or monetize their power. Based on Greg Rucka’s acclaimed graphic novel, The Old Guard is gritter and more grounded than your standard superhero movie, without sacrificing any of the action.
116m
Genre
Drama, Action, Thriller
Stars
Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
Directed by
Sam Hargrave
Chris Hemsworth as a mercenary with a heart? Sign us up! Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a mercenary with nothing to lose when he’s hired to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. However, there’s much more than meets the eye to this “simple” rescue mission. In the murky underworld of weapons dealing and drug trafficking, Rake and the boy find themselves caught in the middle of something significantly larger, forever altering both of their lives. With awesome stunt work, electric fight choreography, and Hemsworth’s endless charm, Extraction is a great watch if you’re looking for an explosive time.
118m
Genre
Drama, Comedy, History
Stars
Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps
Directed by
Craig Brewer
Though it was surprisingly left out of the Oscars race, this biographical comedy starring Eddie Murphy as the late Rudy Ray Moore has received near-universal praise. Murphy’s first R-rated movie since 1999’s Life, the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy at the 77th Golden Globe Awards. Murphy, who plays the singing/filmmaking/acting/kung-fu fighting personality Dolemite with immense precision, was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
125m
Genre
Drama, Comedy, History
Stars
Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín
Directed by
Fernando Meirelles
One of three Netflix originals nominated for multiple awards at the 2019 Oscars, The Two Popes is nevertheless something of the black sheep in terms of media coverage between Marriage Story and The Irishman. It makes sense because The Two Popes isn’t exactly pop cinema. Rather, it’s primarily two legendary actors at the pinnacle of their craft depicting an oft-overlooked tradition that is centuries old. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce portray the conservative Pope Benedict XVI and the liberal incoming Pope Francis as they discuss the future of the Catholic Church. Director Fernando Meirelles brilliantly captures the real tension between these two men while providing air for Hopkins and Pryce (who were both Oscar-nominated for these roles) to build a relationship that ultimately feels sustainable and hopeful.
125m
Genre
Action, Thriller, Crime, Adventure
Stars
Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam
Directed by
J.C. Chandor
Netflix probably isn’t the first place you’d look to find an action movie starring some of Hollywood’s hottest leading men, and yet, Triple Frontier exists. Directed by J.C. Chandor (A Most Violent Year) and starring Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, and Pedro Pascal, Triple Frontier follows five former Special Forces operatives who reunite to stage a heist in a small border zone in South America. It’s a personal mission — a far cry from their patriotic pasts — so when things take an unexpected turn, their skills, loyalties, and morality are all pushed to the limits. Action-packed and thrilling to the end, Triple Frontier is a Netflix heat check, proving it can make big-time blockbusters.
101m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Directed by
Nahnatchka Khan
Netflix has been making rom-coms for as long as it’s been making original content, but it didn’t strike gold until Always Be My Maybe. Starring Ali Wong and Randall Park (with hilarious support from Keanu Reeves and Daniel Dae Kim), the film explores the evolution of friendship across a lifetime. Marcus (Park) and Sasha (Wong) are lifelong friends who have never been romantic. Marcus, however, has been in love with Sasha for many years and when she’s finally single, he musters up the courage to ask her out. Naturally, she met someone the night before. Missed connections and what-ifs characterize this feel-good romp about the boundaries of love and friendship.
123m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter
Directed by
Tamara Jenkins
Netflix ventures into R-rated prestige territory with Tamara Jenkins’ Private Life. Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn star as a middle-aged couple desperate to start a family who just can’t seem to get it right no matter how hard they try. With hope dwindling, they turn to a niece as a final home run swing. The film debuted at Sundance and received rave reviews before Netflix acquired and repackaged it for streaming. With outstanding performances from Giamatti and former SNL-er Hahn, it’s a roller coaster of emotions that will make you both laugh and cry.
140m
Genre
Drama, History, War
Stars
Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris
Directed by
David Michôd
David Michod’s prestige drama, The King, depicts Hal, the Prince of Wales (Timothee Chalamet) as he is reluctantly hoisted to the English throne. Having chosen to live among the people, Hal has no interest in assuming the throne but, after the death of his tyrannical father, King Henry IV, Hal is nonetheless crowned and forced to embrace the life he tried to escape. Of course, this being 16th-century England, there are murky, dangerous waters of war and politics to navigate. An adaptation of the Henriad plays, this visually-profound film is dripping with intrigue and action, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout.
209m
Genre
Crime, Drama, History
Stars
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
Directed by
Martin Scorsese
It may take a few sittings to get through the entirety of The Irishman given the length, but it’s worth the investment. Unlike some Netflix films, this one also made a theatrical run, a clear gambit to earn recognition from the Academy during awards season. Given the people involved, however, you’d have to be mad not to go for awards recognition. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci — all de-aged using bleeding-edge CGI — this film is like an acting class on steroids. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran, a truck driver in Philadelphia who gets involved with the mob only to work his way up to becoming legendary gangster Jimmy Hoffa’s (Pacino) right-hand man. Part gangster epic, part historical expose on the influence of the Teamsters union and the mob on American politics, The Irishman is yet another extraordinary bullet on Scorsese’s resume.
137m
Genre
Drama, War
Stars
Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye
Directed by
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) wrote, co-produced, and directed this drama based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iweala. The film follows Agu (Abraham Attah), a young West African boy who finds himself unwillingly conscripted into an army of children under the fist of a ruthless Commandant (Idris Elba). Beasts pulls no punches, depicting horrific scenes of violence unflinchingly, and does an incredible job making us empathize with Agu — even as he and his contemporaries are murdering their own countrymen in cold blood. Elba conveys a sense of quiet intensity, channeling religious fanaticism and calm determination in equal measure for a masterful performance (one which earned him a SAG award), and Fukunaga’s sharply contrasting direction effectively mirror’s Agu’s descent into militaristic hedonism. Beasts qualifies as Netflix’s first big feature hit, forecasting many more to come.
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Cast
Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Henry Thomas
There’s nothing hotter than Stephen King books getting adaptations right now. Compared to big-budget blockbusters It and The Dark Tower, Gerald’s Game might be easy to overlook — especially as a Netflix production that never even saw the inside of a theater. Still, it’s one of the best of the bunch, eschewing set-piece action and CGI scares in favor of more psychological horror. In the film, based on King’s eponymous novel, middle-aged couple Gerald and Jessie Burlingame retreat to a remote Maine cabin to rekindle their relationship. When Gerald (Bruce Greenwood) handcuffs Jessie (Carla Gugino) to the bed and then dies of a heart attack, Jessie begins to hallucinate, unable to free herself from shackles both physical and otherwise. Gugino’s performance is extraordinary, a career-defining turn loaded with emotion and genuinely unsettling realism.
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Cast
Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman
If you browse Netflix often (and we’re betting you do, because who doesn’t?), you’ve no doubt found yourself confronted by several new Adam Sandler projects like The Ridiculous Six or Sandy Wexler, which are classic Sandler vehicles reliant on goofy, lowbrow humor. The Meyerowitz Stories is far different, an understated, thoughtful dramedy that explores the relationship between a retired artist (Dustin Hoffman) and his dysfunctional children (Sandler, Ben Stiller, Elizabeth Marvel). When unemployed, recently separated Danny (Sandler) moves back in with his dad, he must contend with his frustrating whims amidst increasingly strained family dynamics. Director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and The Whale) i
Director Bryan Fogel (Jewtopia) set out to make a unique film about the world of cycling, then ended up with something completely different. To learn more about doping in sports, Fogel began taking cycling steroids and performance-enhancing drugs to improve his ability while trying to avoid discovery by sport officials. Then, Fogel’s star interviewee — Russian doctor Grigory Rodchenkov — reveals his part in a program designed to hide Russian athletes’ drug use from the Olympic committee and other governing bodies. Thereafter, Rodchenkov makes some bold claims about Russian leadership’s involvement in the program, and even fears for his life after a colleague dies mysteriously. Icarus morphs seamlessly from a doping doc into a thriller, with Fogel sliding knowingly out of the spotlight to push Rodchenkov as the story’s centerpiece. The whole film operates in morally gray areas, and Fogel smartly hides his hand there, avoiding any grand claims to the moral high (or low) ground.
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast
Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow
In I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (snappy title, right?), Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) is having a rough go of things. She’s had to deal with racist old people, insensitive drivers, and home invaders, and she’s finally decided enough is enough. So, Ruth recruits her eccentric neighbor (Elijah Wood) and sets out to find the jerks who broke into her house for some good, old-fashioned revenge. The movie is a diverse mash-up of genres and film styles, veering from comedy to drama to thriller in the span of a few minutes, but thanks to Lynskey’s impressively relatable performance and consistent presence throughout, it never becomes confusing or disjointed. When I Don’t Feel at Home is at its darkest, it’s also at its best, but it never gets too depressing to enjoy.
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction, Action
Cast
Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Seo-hyun Ahn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Devon Bostick, Lily Collins, Steven Yuen
Kid-focused pet movies are a dime a dozen, but Okja offers a little more in the way of grown-up themes; in fact, we wouldn’t recommend it for small children at all. In the face of overpopulation and dwindling resource pools, the Mirando corporation — led by neurotic CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) — develops a “super pig,” sending these huge hippo-like creatures to farmers across the world for a 10-year maturation process, at the end of which a Best Pig will be named. One of these pigs, Okja, is sent to the South Korean countryside, where young Mija (the excellent Ahn Seo-hyun) has grown up alongside it. When the ten years are up, Mirando arrives to collect Okja, and Mija takes off with the animal. On the way to New York, Mija encounters a varied, colorful cast of characters including a crazy Steve Irwin-type (Jake Gyllenhaal) and some odd animal rights activists (Paul Dano, Steven Yeung). The film is at times both horrifying and heartwarming, underscoring the serious chops of director Bong Joon-ho (The Host).
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