If you’re looking for the best movies to watch on Netflix, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ve put together an expertly curated selection of some of the most exciting, compelling, emotional and funny movies currently streaming right now.
While it can be daunting thumbing through the streamer’s catalog to find out what to watch, we’ve taken the guesswork and mindless scrolling out of it. This post will be frequently updated with new recommendations, keeping you up to date with all the Netflix movies you should be prioritizing in your queue.
So peruse our list of the best movies on Netflix right now below, and happy watching!
KPop Demon Hunters
You’ve heard the buzz, now see the movie. The most-watched film in Netflix history, “KPop Demon Hunters” is an absolute blast that will put a smile on your face from beginning to end. The original animated film concerns three pop stars who are secretly demon hunters, using their catchy tunes to keep a demonic presence at bay. But they meet their match when a group of demons form a boy band to steal their thunder. Every song is a banger and this thing, created by Sony Pictures Animation, looks great.
28 Years Later
One of the best sequels ever made and one of the best films of 2025, Danny Boyle’s horror sequel “28 Years Later” is terrifying and devastating all at once. The film picks up 28 years after the events of the groundbreaking zombie pic “28 Days Later” and takes place on an island that has kept the zombies at bay by using the ocean tides to their advantage. But when a young boy takes his sick mother ashore to help get her better, chaos erupts. Danny Boyle’s stunning direction and Alex Garland’s surprising script steer this into a wildly emotional meditation on death, loss and grief.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is a lush, loving and horrific adaptation of its namesake with Gary Oldman playing the vampire, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker and Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing. What sets “Dracula” apart is director Francis Ford Coppola revived filmmaking techniques from the silent era, resulting in a movie that looks like nothing else that was being made at the time. The effects and production design are jaw-dropping.
Groundhog Day
Has Bill Murray ever been better than in “Groundhog Day?” This 1980s comedy classic stars Murray as a grumpy weatherman who finds himself stuck in a time loop living the same day over and over again. To make matters worse, the day is spent in a small town celebrating Groundhog Day — not exactly his cup of tea. The film vacillates between extremely funny gags and wrestling with existential questions, all while centering a sweet romance between Murray’s character and Andie MacDowell.
Death Becomes Her
Robert Zemeckis’ “Death Becomes Her” defies genre. It’s one part supernatural thriller, one part rom-com and one part slapstick. But it’s all delightful. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play two women who are in love with the same man, played by Bruce Willis. Years after Willis leaves Hawn’s character for Streep, Hawn’s character appears rejuvenated and looking more beautiful than ever. How? She took a secret beauty serum that’s made her immortal, and now Streep wants her hands on it. Hilarity ensues as Zemeckis delights in practical and special effects (including some killer makeup) throughout.
The Wild Robot
Maybe the best film of 2024, “The Wild Robot” follows a robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) who crash lands on an island filled with animals. When Roz happens upon a young baby goose, it decides its mission is now to protect and raise the animal — with a little help from a red fox (voiced by Pedro Pascal). This is a tremendously emotional mother-son story about the challenges that come with being a parent, and the difficulty of letting go. It’s also gorgeously animated and directed by Chris Sanders, of “Lilo & Stitch” and “How to Train Your Dragon” fame.
The Martian
A blast and a half, Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” is a survival story that’s as funny as it is thrilling. Matt Damon plays an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars during a mission and must fend for himself while awaiting rescue. The story pivots back and forth between Damon’s character filming videos and communicating with NASA from his habitat and the crew trying to rescue him, headed by Jessica Chastain. Drew Goddard (“Bad Times at the El Royale”) wrote the screenplay adaptation of the bestselling book by Andy Weir.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Filmmaker Guy Ritchie’s 2015 spy film “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” is an underrated delight, as it takes place in 1963 at the height of the Cold War and follows two spies – one American (played by Henry Cavill) and one Russian (played by Armie Hammer) – who are forced to work together to prevent worldwide destruction. Alicia Vikander makes this duo a trio, and the film has a fun and flirty energy throughout that makes it a blast and a half (despite Hammer’s presence now being a downer in hindsight).
Edge of Tomorrow
“Edge of Tomorrow” is one of the best movies Tom Cruise has ever made, and that’s saying something. The film takes place in a near future in which aliens have invaded Earth and humans are in an all-out assault on the deadly species. Cruise plays a public affairs officer who is forced to fight in a major invasion of France after he pisses off the wrong person, but when he gets killed almost immediately by an alien during the military push, he wakes up to relive the previous morning all over again. Stuck in a time loop, he works to figure out why he keeps reliving the same day over again and connects with someone else – a famous soldier played by Emily Blunt – who intimately understands his predicament.
Pacific Rim
Each movie in Guillermo del Toro’s filmography is a new painting, and 2013’s “Pacific Rim” is arguably his biggest, most colorful canvas yet. This is a massive robots vs. kaiju movie in which the monster-loving, Oscar-winning director poured his heart into knock-down, drag-out fights between enormous beings in exotic locations. The story takes place in a future where a hole at the bottom of the ocean sees kaiju – or giant otherworldly monsters – entering our realm from time to time. In response, the various countries of the world have build giant robots to fight off these monsters. Charlie Hunnam and Riko Kikuchi are two pilots for one such robot and Idris Elba is the military leader running the show. This one’s epic and tons of fun.
A Star Is Born
Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” is magnificent. The first 40 minutes of the redo is some of the most enthralling, visceral filmmaking in recent memory as Cooper – serving as co-writer, director and star – traces the initial climb of Lady Gaga’s aspiring singer alongside his aging rocker. The Oscar-winning songs are great, but it’s the emotional tether between Cooper and Gaga onscreen that really sells this, with Cooper turning in a career-best performance. This movie is great.
The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film is his meanest but also one of his most formally interesting. “The Hateful Eight” is a Western set in the wake of the Civil War and takes place almost entirely inside Minnie’s Haberdashery during a blizzard, where eight strangers seek refuge. But each has a secret, and each is incredibly violent (or are they?). The stellar ensemble includes Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Kurt Russell and more.
Will & Harper
“Will & Harper” is tremendous. The documentary, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, follows Will Ferrell and his longtime friend and collaborator Harper Steele as they go on a road trip together. Steele was a writer on “SNL” and worked with Ferrell on his weirder films and projects (like that Lifetime movie with Kristen Wiig), and Steele transitioned during the pandemic. Ferrell proposed they take a road trip across the United States, during which Steele welcomes the opportunity for Ferrell to ask a number of questions about her transition. It’s sweet and emotional, but also feels truly important and potentially life-changing for many.
Rebel Ridge
“Rebel Ridge” will have you on the edge of your seat from its first frame to its last. The original thriller from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier stars Aaron Pierre as a man who’s urgently trying to bail his cousin out of prison for reasons that soon become clear. But when a pair of small-town cops seize the cash, he’s put on the backfoot with the clock ticking and mountains of corruption to sift through. What unfolds is a cross between “Jack Reacher,” “First Blood” and “The Pelican Brief” with crackling dialogue, a terrific Don Johnson performance and a star-making turn from Pierre.
Sing Street
“Sing Street” is the definition of a feel-good movie. The 2016 film takes place in 1985 Dublin and follows a young boy yearning for more who decides to start a band with his new classmates. Inspired by his older brother’s (Jack Reynor) love of Duran Duran and other similar bands, he and his friends strive to make the band work all while juggling teenage problems like crushes, broken friendships and tough home lives. The original songs in this film are incredibly catchy (no surprise given that it’s written and directed by “Once” filmmaker John Carney) and the film builds to a tremendously emotional crescendo.
Hit Man
This movie is an absolute blast. Inspired by a true story, “Hit Man” stars Glen Powell as a mild-mannered man who does contract work for the local police disguising himself as a hit man to catch people plotting murders on tape. But when he falls for one of his would-be criminals (a woman played by Adria Arjona), he finds himself caught between two identities — the “hit man” personality she fell in love with and the guy he really is. Richard Linklater, the award-winning filmmaker behind “School of Rock,” “Boyhood” and the “Before” series, directs with a keen eye for humanity in every character but packages the whole thing as a screwball comedy. Powell co-wrote the script and is dynamite in the lead role, showing off tremendous chemistry with Arjona.
1917
Sam Mendes’ one-shot World War I film earned a boatload of Oscars, and deservedly so. The film is presented as one long, unbroken take (for which cinematographer Roger Deakins won an Academy Award) as it follows a soldier played by George MacKay through one day on the battlefield in April, 1917. It’s an astounding accomplishment and best watched with your full attention. Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden and Mark Strong all have memorable but small roles as MacKay’s character makes his way through the muck
Anyone but You
This romcom took the world by storm after it hit Netflix, but it was first released in theaters by Sony in December. Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney play a pair of strangers who meet, hook up and then immediately part ways after a misunderstanding. They’re forced to play nice when a mutual friend invites them to a wedding in Australia, but wouldn’t you know it, they kinda start to like each other. Powell proves his leading man muster and this one’s a fun throwback.
The Killer
David Fincher’s “The Killer” is a delightfully unique twist on the hitman movie. Written by “Seven” writer Andrew Kevin Walker, the film is broken up into chapters and follows an assassin played by Michael Fassbender in the wake of a hit gone wrong. But whereas most films would go right, “The Killer” goes left. There is precious little dialogue spoken out loud by Fassbender’s character as our insight into this machine-like presence comes from lengthy voiceovers. Fincher delights in immersing us into this man’s psyche as he world kinda sorta unravels.
Glass Onion
You simply must, must, must watch “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” if you enjoy things like “fun” and “comedy.” This “Knives Out” sequel (once again written and directed by Rian Johnson) is a brand new mystery, with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc as the only returning character from the original film. This time, he’s invited to a secluded island by a tech billionaire (played by Edward Norton), who has gathered a group of his closest friends – played by Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae – in Greece to play an elaborate murder mystery game. To say more would spoil the surprises, but suffice it to say this is just as thrilling, hilarious and surprising as the first “Knives Out” and you’ll want to watch it again immediately once it’s over.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s first stop-motion feature film is as emotional as you’d expect, and this is “Pinocchio” like you’ve never seen the story before. Co-written and directed by del Toro, this adaptation features the voices of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Burn Gorman, Cate Blanchett, Finn Wolfhard, Ron Perlman and Tilda Swinton and offers up a fantastical twist on the Carlo Collodi Italian classic. Emotional and awe-inspiring in equal measure, and set against the backdrop of fascist Italy, this is a gorgeous work of art.
Mudbound
The first film to ever earn a woman an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, 2017’s “Mudbound” is a moving and compelling historical drama. Directed by Dee Rees and shot by Rachel Morrison, the film follows two World War II veterans as they return home to Mississippi, one white and one Black. Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund and Mary J. Blige anchor the terrific ensemble cast as the film tackles race relations in the past with a direct line to our present, packed with rich and complex characters.
Phantom Thread
While “The Master” may be filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson at his most serious, “Phantom Thread” is him at his most playful. The acerbic romance stars Daniel Day-Lewis in his final onscreen role before his retirement and is set in 1954 London. Day-Lewis stars as a famous fashion designer who takes his meticulous process seriously. But when he strikes up a relationship with a waitress, his routine starts to get shaken up, and he must consider the impact said relationship will have on his work. This is Paul Thomas Anderson’s version of a twisted romantic drama, and the film is surprisingly funny.
The Power of the Dog
Writer/director Jane Campion’s 2021 drama “The Power of the Dog” is a powerful and surprising film about, among other things, family. Set in 1925 Montana, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons play a pair of brothers whose strained relationship is pushed to the limit when Plemons marries a widowed single mother (played by Kirsten Dunst) on a whim, and brings her son (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) to live with them on their ranch. The performances are top-notch all around, as Campion crafts a complex and tension-filled character-centric drama that’s certainly one of 2021’s best films.
tick, tick… BOOM!
“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with the Netflix musical “tick, tick… BOOM!,” based on the autobiographical stage musical by “Rent” creator Jonathan Larson. Andrew Garfield plays Larson, who is on the cusp of turning 30 and has yet to have a masterpiece staged on Broadway. As he puts the finishing touches on his sci-fi rock epic, he grapples with his own anxieties, his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and the impending AIDS epidemic that’s taking his friends far too quickly. The songs are incredible and the direction is inspired, but Garfield’s electric and soulful performance makes this a must-watch.
Mank
This one might come with a “For Cinephiles Only” warning, but if that describes you there’s much to love in David Fincher’s 2020 film “Mank.” Gary Oldman stars as Hollywood writer Herman J. Mankiewicz as the film chronicles his experience writing the screenplay for “Citizen Kane,” all while flashing back to events from his life that inspired certain characters and themes in what many consider to be the greatest film ever made. Fincher presents the film entirely in black-and-white (it won the Oscar for Best Cinematography), and Amanda Seyfried gives a terrific performance as Marion Davies while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross compose a surprising original score.
Private Life
Kathryn Hahn has made a career out of scene-stealing supporting performances, but she takes center stage in writer/director Tamara Jenkins’ 2018 dramedy “Private Life.” Inspired by Jenkins’ own experience, Hahn and Paul Giamatti star as a middle-aged New York City couple struggling through infertility who decide to try and have a child through IVF. The film follows the ups and downs of infertility in heartbreaking detail, while also finding moments of humor throughout that ring true to life. Hahn and Giamatti are spectacular together, as they also chronicle how their journey strains their marriage.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
This Western anthology from the Coen Brothers is a delightful romp that builds to a shockingly emotional conclusion. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is made up of six different stories set in the Old West, each featuring different characters. Themes of mortality, morality and justice are prevalent throughout “Buster Scruggs” just as they are through the Coens’ other films, but this time all against a wonderful, slightly exaggerated Western backdrop. The stellar cast includes Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Root, Zoe Kazan, Bill Heck, Liam Neeson and Brendan Gleeson.
Marriage Story
Writer/director Noah Baumbach 2019’s drama “Marriage Story” is, ultimately, a divorce story, but it’s so richly drawn and beautifully acted that you’ll find your own heart breaking as you watch the conscious uncoupling of a pair played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. This is far from a mean-spirited or even depressing film. Instead, while it does indeed chronicle the dissolution of a relationship (inspired by Baumbach’s own life) and how the divorce impacts their young son, “Marriage Story” smartly always keeps an eye on one very important fact: while these two individuals may be splitting up, that doesn’t mean the love they once had for each other wasn’t real. Driver and Johansson are terrific, and Laura Dern is a scene-stealer in her Oscar-winning supporting turn.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
If you’re looking for a movie the whole family can enjoy, the 2021 Netflix original “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” is an emotional crowd-pleaser that’s as funny as it is inventive. Directed by Mike Rianda and produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the film follows a family going on a cross-country road trip to send their eldest daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson) to college, where she hopes to learn how to become a filmmaker. The family isn’t on the best terms when the road trip begins, which makes things even trickier when a robot uprising occurs, leaving the dysfunctional Mitchells as humanity’s last hope. This is a hilarious, colorful and heartfelt story about the importance of communication.
13th
Netflix has a wide variety of documentaries to choose from, but Ava DuVernay’s 2016 film “13th” is a must-watch. The doc delves into mass incarceration in the United States, and how race and injustice intersect with the issue, through the prism of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolishes slavery except as punishment for a crime. Through a number of interviews, DuVernay examines why a disproportionate number of Black people are incarcerated in the U.S., and how the current justice system perpetuates this injustice.
Enola Holmes
One of the great things about Netflix is how it has a little bit of something for everyone, and in that vein, the YA-skewing “Enola Holmes” is a delight for the teenaged crowd (and beyond). Based on the young adult series of the same name by author Nancy Springer, the film stars Millie Bobby Brown as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill). When her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) goes missing, Enola leaves the safety of her home compound and ventures into London to try and solve this mystery. Along the way, however, Enola learns that her mother kept many secrets of her own. This is a rollicking mystery-adventure that’s also a sweet and substantial coming-of-age story, all wrapped up in a gorgeous 19th century Victorian package.
Set It Up
If you’re into romantic comedies, you simply must check out “Set It Up.” This Netflix original is a throwback in the best way, as Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell have that Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks chemistry in a story about friends turning into lovers. They play overworked assistants to demanding bosses (played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) and hatch a plan to set their bosses up in an effort to earn more free time themselves. But their scheming puts them in frequent close contact, during which sparks fly.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
The Netflix original comedy “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” is not just an incredibly funny film, it’s a surprisingly emotional one too. Based on an original idea by Will Ferrell, the “Elf” actor stars as one half of an Icelandic duo alongside Rachel McAdams, both of whom are thrust into the spotlight when they’re unexpectedly selected to compete in the international singing competition Eurovision. The film is packed with some genuinely great songs, and a sweet story about staying true to your roots in the face of immense growth.
The Fear Street Trilogy
Everyone loves a good scare, but the “Fear Street” trilogy gives you three times the thrills for the price of one overarching story. These three interconnected films trace the origins of a witch’s curse on a small town, covering events in 1994 in the “Scream”-inspired first film, then heading back to 1978 for the summer camp slasher sequel, before concluding in the year 1666 for the third and final feature that reveals the origin story of the Shadyside witch. Colorful, fun and genuinely scary, the “Fear Street” trilogy tells a truly epic horror story.
Miss Americana
The Taylor Swift documentary “Miss Americana” is full of surprises. While the film begins by chronicling Swift’s career, complete with the ups and downs it encompassed, it soon morphs into the origin story of a feminist as Swift begins to speak out on socio-political issues important to her. It’s a fascinating window into the management of fame, as some around her caution against making any kinds of political statements for fear of alienating her fanbase. Swift is honest throughout – or as honest as a documentary like this can be – and the film doesn’t shy away from tough moments like Kanye West infamously interrupting her at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
The Irishman
Martin Scorsese’s 3-hour-and-40-minute gangster epic “The Irishman” is best viewed in one sitting – trust me. The brilliance of the film is in its construction, as Scorsese charts the career of a hitman for the mob from the 1950s up to the present day. But unlike the bombast of “Goodfellas,” this is a film where regret and grief hang over nearly every frame, subtly building until the mournful third act hits you like a ton of bricks. Robert De Niro’s Frank Sheeran spends his entire life killing people, and what does it all add up to? Scorsese gets downright philosophical with questions of morality and mortality, crafting a self-reflexive film about what it means to come to the end of your life and look back on what you’ve done, why you did it and whether it was all worth it in the end.
Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee is not known for making bland films, and indeed his 2020 Vietnam veterans drama “Da 5 Bloods” is confrontational in the best way. The story revolves around four aging Vietnam War veterans who return to the Southeast Asian country to search for the remains of their fallen leader — and also a trove of buried treasure. Along the way they confront their own fears and differences, as Lee’s film delves into how America left an entire generation of soldiers behind.
Crip Camp
Netflix is host to a ton of great documentaries, including “Crip Camp.” This Oscar-nominated 2020 film begins by showcasing archival footage from a camp in the 1970s that was created for teens with disabilities, before then following various individuals as they fought for disability rights. It’s a moving portrait of activism that shows just how far we’ve come as a country, and how far we have left to go.
