There are a lot of movies to sort through on Netflix, and it can sometimes be tough to sit down and try to decide what to watch. It’s especially difficult to find the very best movies on the streaming service. With all of those options, it’s challenging to weed out the things you don’t want and let the cream rise to the top. Fortunately for you, that’s what we’re here for.
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With that in mind, this lineup of the best films on Netflix is a little bit different than you might expect. You’re not going to find a ranking of movies or a list of some of the streamer’s most popular titles. For this exercise, we broke it down into several genres and picked out a few of the best films currently on Netflix that fit in those genres.
Whether you’re looking for action, comedy, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, animation, horror, or documentaries, we’ve got you covered here. Of course, given that the Netflix streaming roster is going through changeover on a regular basis, this list will be updated monthly, so you’re always in the know about the best titles on the service.
Take a look below at some of the very best movies Netflix has to offer!
Best Action Movies on Netflix
Heat (1995)
“A heist gone wrong leads to a high stakes game of cat and mouse between a criminal mastermind and the hard-boiled detective obsessed with catching him.”
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
“Trapped in a tenement building during a raid, a SWAT team must fight its way out against the forces of a drug lord they were trying to assassinate.”
Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian
RRR (2022)
“A fearless warrior on a perilous mission comes face to face with a steely cop serving British forces in this epic saga set in pre-independent India.”
Starring: NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt
The Dark Knight (2008)
“Batman, Lieutenant Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent go up against the Joker, a criminal mastermind in ghoulish makeup terrorizing Gotham City.”
Starring: Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman
Triple Frontier (2019)
“Loyalties are tested when five former special forces operatives reunite to steal a drug lord’s fortune, unleashing a chain of unintended consequences.”
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal
Best Drama Movies on Netflix
The Karate Kid (1984)
“When a bullied teen befriends an unassuming martial arts master, he’ll learn life lessons — and the right moves — to beat back his merciless rivals.”
Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
“An FBI agent makes it his mission to put cunning con man Frank Abagnale Jr. behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit.”
Starring: Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken
The Irishman (2019)
“Digitally de-aging stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated epic about a crime family hit man spans decades.”
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel
La La Land (2016)
“Career aspirations run up against bittersweet romance in modern-day Los Angeles, as two artists face a heartbreaking dilemma.”
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
The Power of the Dog (2021)
“A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother’s new wife and her teen son — until long-hidden secrets come to light.”
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Best Comedies on Netflix
The Nice Guys (2016)
“A private eye and a tough guy for hire get tangled up in the seamy side of 1970s Los Angeles as they investigate an adult film star’s mysterious death.”
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice
Groundhog Day (1993)
“Grumpy meteorologist Phil Connors lives the same day over and over after he arrives in the town of Punxsutawney for the annual Groundhog Day festivities.”
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott
This Is the End (2013)
“A group of Hollywood celebrities stuck together at a party grapple with cataclysmic danger — and each other — as the apocalypse dawns.”
Starring: Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen
Superbad (2007)
“Hoping to have sex before college, high school seniors Seth and Evan try to score booze for a huge party, leading to a series of wild misadventures.”
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
“A misadventure in the wilderness leads to life-changing discoveries for a troubled orphan teen from the city and his belligerent foster father.”
Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison
Best Animated Movies on Netflix
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
“Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents the classic story of a wooden puppet brought to life in this stunning stop-motion musical tale.”
Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
“Pack a bag, grab the dog and buckle up for a family road trip in this colorful adventure that pits one ordinary family against a robot uprising.”
Starring: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph
Wendell & Wild (2022)
“Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living.”
Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
“When his legendary feats bring his nine lives down to one, Puss in Boots sets out to find a magical Wishing Star in his most daring adventure yet.”
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Gullien
Nimona (2023)
“A knight framed for a tragic crime teams with a scrappy, shape-shifting teen to prove his innocence. But what if she’s the monster he’s sworn to destroy.”
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang
Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movies on Netflix
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
“With Peter Parker’s secret life as Spider-Man taking a toll, he considers hanging up his web, only to face another fight against supervillain Doc Ock.”
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina
Dune (2021)
“To secure his people’s future, a young man travels to a dangerous, resource-rich planet — where malevolent forces push him towards a foreboding destiny.”
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac
Gamer (2009)
“A death-row inmate forced to play in a lethal, real-life video game under the control of a spoiled teen sets out to win his freedom and save his family.”
Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta
Troll (2022)
“When an explosion triggers mysterious events in the Norwegian mountains, an unlikely group of heroes unites to defeat and awakened, mythical creature. But how do they stop something they thought only existed in fairy tales?”
Starring: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck
Arrival (2016)
“When alien ships land around the globe, a language expert tasked with deciphering their communications uncovers a life-altering message.”
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Best Horror Movies on Netflix
Crimson Peak (2015)
“After marrying a mysterious British aristocrat, a young heiress moves into his crumbling, creepy ancestral home and finds it conceals sinister secrets.”
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam
Jaws (1975)
“When an insatiable great white shark terrorizes Amity Island, a police chief, an oceanographer and a grizzled shark hunter seek to destroy the beast.”
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
The Platform (2019)
“A slab of food descends floor by floor in a prison. The inmates above eat heartily, leaving those below starving and desperate. A rebellion is imminent.”
Starring: Ivan Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor
The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
“The Vatican’s chief exorcist uncovers an evil unlike any he’s ever faced when he investigates the possession of a boy living at an ancient Spanish abbey.”
Starring: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe
The Strangers (2008)
“A quiet stay at a remote vacation home spirals into terror for a couple when they come under attack by three masked, mysterious and murderous intruders.”
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman
Best Documentaries on Netflix
Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
“As her father nears the end of his life, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stages his death in inventive and comical ways to help them both face the inevitable.”
Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018)
“When Fred Rogers found his calling in television, his unassuming children’s show was beloved by generations for his kindness, empathy and understanding.”
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
“A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.”
Stutz (2022)
“In candid conversations with actor Jonah Hill, leading psychiatrist Phil Stutz explores his early life experiences and unique, visual model of therapy.”
13th (2016)
“In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom.”
Great Netflix Original Movies
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
“Four African American veterans return to Vietnam decades after the war to find their squad leader’s remains — and a stash of buried gold. From Spike Lee.”
Starring: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jonathan Majors, Chadwick Boseman
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
“World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.”
Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline
Okja (2017)
“A gentle giant and the girl who raised her are caught in the crossfire between animal activism, corporate greed and scientific ethics.”
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, An Seo-hyun, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun
tick, tick…BOOM! (2021)
“On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out.”
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
“In 1970s LA, struggling comedian Rudy Ray Moore hits it big with his raunchy alter ego, Dolemite, then risks it all to take his act to the big screen.”
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