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31 Great Movies To Watch On Netflix Right Now
Finding something good to watch on streaming services these days can be truly miserable. You never know what movies are on which service, the algorithmic carousels are scattershot at best, and more and more often the services would much rather we watch their original programming than something they licensed--even if we've never heard of *checks notes* Space Sweepers. The sometimes random carousels don't make it any easier, either--it's difficult, if not impossible, to just pull up an alphabetical list of all of those movies. We're so frustrated, in fact, that we've made a list of the movies we're going to watch, and we wanted to share it with you so that you can skip those carousels and get right to the good stuff.
As a list of some of the best movies on just Netflix, this list is both widely varied and extremely subjective. We have influential action movies like The Matrix and classics like The Sting, animated fare like Wendell & Wild and Mitchells & The Machines, and more independent and cult classic pictures like Old Boy and Uncut Gems. Thanks to their surprisingly excellent list of originals in the horror genre, we even managed to get a few Netflix Originals into this list without having to shoehorn them in.
Whether you're looking for something for date night, family movie night, or it's "11 PM and I have a serious case of the munchies" night, there's something in here. Let's dive in.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
In a world overflowing with multiverse movies, there's at least one that is both a must-see movie and not connected to any sprawling film franchises. Everything Everywhere All At Once asks Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), disappointed with her boring life, to consider all of the other choices she could've made. Including having hot dog fingers and marrying her worst enemy. Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis all help make this movie equally hilarious and heart-wrenching.
2. Baby Driver (2017)
Director Edgar Wright is known for his rhythmic, musical editing style, and it comes to life nowhere better than in Baby Driver. Ansel Elgort plays the titular driver, known only as Baby, who seems to control his car as if it were an extension of his body. The cast also features Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Lily James, and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).
3. The Matrix (1999)
What if I told you that The Matrix is a great movie? The film is a cyberpunk legend. It brought visuals previously seen only in anime to life, revolutionizing visual effects in the process. Few movies are the source of as many memes as The Matrix, too, which tells you just how deeply ingrained into our culture this film is. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss star as the reality-bending Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity. Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith is still one of the most mundanely menacing villains in film. If you haven't seen The Matrix yet: WHY?
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
British comedians telling a classic story from British mythology, in the most British way possible. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the few movies as quotable and as quoted as the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Attend any late-night screening and you'll find a theater full of people who know every single word from this movie and who are willing to debate at great length the virtues of coconut transport via African and European Swallows, as well as the merits of choosing governmental leaders via strange women lying in ponds and distributing swords versus a mandate from the masses. Fifty years on, the humor of Monty Python and the Holy Grail has proven to be almost timeless.
5. Oldboy (2003)
This Korean thriller starts in the wildest way possible. A man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel room for fifteen years before being suddenly released. The tale that follows is full of twists, turns, and brutally violent action--including one of the most imitated action sequences of the last 20 years. There's a hammer involved, and it's as intense as you'd expect. Park Chan-Wook directs Choi-Min Sik in this landmark Korean film.
6. Spider-Man: Across Spider-Verse (2023)
The first Spider-Verse movie (which is sadly not on Netflix at the time of this writing) shouldn't have worked--an animated movie about a Spider-Man who isn't Peter Parker, meeting a bunch of other Spider-People who also mostly aren't Peter Parker? But what we got was a stunning, heartfelt coming-of-age superhero tale. The sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, stands up to the original in almost every way, and surpasses it with visually stunning, experimental animation. After decades of Pixar-this, Pixar-that, Sony Pictures is here to show us what big-budget animation can look like when the right people are in charge. The film stars Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chris Pine, and more.
7. It Follows (2014)
28 Days Later made zombies terrifying all over again by turning them into a horde of sprinting rage monsters. It Follows asked the question: "What if just one guy walked toward you very slowly?" It's pretty scary, it turns out. This horror movie is unconventional and weird, with an electronic score from Disasterpeace and a visual style that makes it hard to label as being set in a particular time or place. A young woman (Maika Monroe) wakes up tied to a chair by her recent sexual partner, who tells her that she's going to be followed by something--and that her only way to get away from it is to pass the curse on.
8. Uncut Gems (2019)
We often think of Adam Sandler as a guy who stars in wacky comedies about dopey guys in absurd situations who, somehow, have gorgeous wives. But in the last few years, he's begun to branch out, This year's The Spaceman is the latest example, but Uncut Gems is Sandler's standout. As a New York jeweler with a gambling problem, Sandler's Howard Ratner has one last chance with a bunch of dicey bets to save his own skin. If you want to have a panic attack for over two hours, this is your best bet.
9. Wendell & Wild (2022)
If you're a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, don't miss this one. Despite the "Tim Burton's" that appears before that movie's name, the film itself was directed by Henry Sellick, who also directed Coraline and James and the Giant Peach. There are very few directors working with stop-motion animation these days, and Sellick is a master. Wendell & Wild is the story of a 13-year-old girl named Kat who helps two demons make the jump to the mortal plane in an attempt to reunite with her dead parents. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele reunite to voice the titular characters, and the flick has one of the best punk and ska soundtracks you'll find anywhere.
10. Apollo 13 (1995)
Space travel is one of the most incredible and dangerous things humanity has ever done, and we have our share of historical tragedies to match. Apollo 13 retells the story of the near-tragedy of the titular mission after an electrical short caused an explosion, severely limiting the crew's access to oxygen and power. The film, directed by Ron Howard, stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Ed Harris.
11. Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
Mitchells is one of those animated movies made to be enjoyed by the whole family--something parents can laugh at while their kid watches it for the thousandth time. The movie follows a young aspiring filmmaker named Katie on her way to college. After her father pushes her into a last-minute road trip, a tech entrepreneur who definitely isn't based on Mark Zuckerberg accidentally kicks off an AI takeover. Only the (self-admittedly) weird Mitchell family (and their dog/bread/dog/bread/dog) stands between the AI and total world domination.
12. Kill Bill vol. 1 + 2 (2003, 2004)
Released six months apart, Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2 were initially intended to debut as a single movie. Director Quentin Tarantino split the flick into two parts to avoid cutting scenes. The story follows a woman known as the Bride (Uma Thurman), out to take revenge on her former comrades, a group of assassins. The movie is an homage to martial arts and samurai, grindhouse, blaxploitation, and spaghetti western films, and has all the important elements for that. Whether you tune in for the story or the Quentin Tarantino of it all, it's still a killer way to spend four hours. There are tons of cool fights in both movies, but the Bride's fight against 88 swordsmen, and then her duel against O-ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) are two standouts.
13. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
1984 was a killer year for movies, including Ghostbusters, The Terminator, David Lynch's Dune, Footloose, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, and more. That year also marks the birth of another slasher movie icon, the dream-walking serial killer known as Freddy Kreuger. His clawed glove is responsible for some of the most memorable kills in slasher movie history, including Johnny Depp's death by water bed and the original spinning room.
14. The Sting (1973)
The Sting is the quintessential caper movie. Starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman at the height of their stardom, the movie follows two con men trying to separate a mob boss from his money with a complex plan-within-a-plan scam. The twists and turns are as fun now as they were in 1973, when the movie was released on Christmas, ranking in huge numbers at the box office and the Academy Awards alike.
15. Paddington (2014)
The talking bear Paddington travels from Peru to London in search of the big city. He finds a welcoming family and a determined taxidermist who wants the unique specimen for himself. Both this film and its sequel (which is not currently available on Netflix) are heartwarming little movies that you can put on and just feel the love.
16. LA Confidential (1997)
This neo-noir crime film stars Australian actors Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, who were relatively unknown at the time, alongside Kim Bassinger, Danny DeVito, and others. It centers on the intersection of the corrupt Los Angeles police department of the 1950s and the scandal magazine Hush-Hush. Each officer has secrets to reveal as this movie twists and turns up to an epic final shootout.
17. The Hunger Games (2012-2015)
The four-part Hunger Games trilogy (we know what we just said) is also available on the streaming service; only last year's prequel film, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is missing. You can take in the full adventures of Katniss Everdeen from when she volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games--a lethal battle royale that pits the children of the 12 districts of the nation of Panem against each other for the enjoyment of the elite--to the finale when she brings the whole government crashing down.
18. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
It's been a few good years for animated features. What we never expected to do was count the sixth Shrek movie, a spin-off of the original series starring Antonio Banderas' titular Puss in Boots among those. Against all odds and common sense, this film is positively regarded on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes alike. Puss in Boots has used eight of his nine lives and goes on a quest to wish for his lives back. That's right: an exploration of the mortality of a CGI cat voiced by Antonio Banderas. It's good. Seriously.
19. Animal House (1978)
Animal House, written by Harold Ramis and starring John Belushi, is the original college hijinks movie. It was one of the biggest movies of all time when it was released, and it still stands up today as a great comedy--though admittedly our sensibilities as a society have changed in a lot of ways. It's worth a watch just to see one of the original SNL crossover actors at his peak.
20. Top Secret! (1984)
If you read the plot for Top Secret! on Wikipedia, it sounds like your average forgettable spy movie. But Top Secret! is one of the ancestors of parody movies like Scary Movie; the film sends up spy movies, Elvis musical movies, and more. It's ostensibly a movie about spies in Germany during the Cold War, but even the legendary Roger Ebert said that to describe the plot of this film would be "an exercise in futility" while giving it 3.5 stars out of 4. Don't confuse this movie with the 1985 film Real Genius, another mid-eighties Val Kilmer comedy with a two-word name and absurd humor.
21. Pineapple Express (2008)
Pineapple Express is just one entry in a long list of great stoner comedies like Half Baked and Up In Smoke. After witnessing a murder, Seth Rogen and James Franco, having just smoked up with the titular cannabis strain, find themselves targeted by hitmen and corrupt police. Paired with Saul's dealer, Red (Danny McBride), the three have to find a way to save their skins so that they can blaze up once again.
22. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Buster Scruggs isn't so much a movie as it is a cinematic anthology. Directed by the Cohen brothers (Fargo), it tells stories that are equal parts funny and dark, like the titular unmatched gunslinger, a determined gold prospector, and a guy who just can't seem to avoid the hangman's noose no matter how many times he escapes it. The whole anthology is worth watching. This is also where that meme of the guy at the gallows saying "First time?" comes from.
23. Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and Regina King appear in this coming-of-age crime story, which is also John Singleton's directorial debut. An interesting piece of trivia is that Singleton shot this film in sequence, and has said that you can see his directorial skills improving as the movie goes on.
24. Leo (2023)
This is a CGI-animated musical comedy about an elderly talking iguana voiced by Adam Sandler. I know, but stick with me. The movie was written and co-directed by comedy writer Robert Smigel, who wrote for Conan O'Brien and created characters like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, as well as being the mind behind SNL's TV Funhouse segment. It strikes a nice balance between comedy and sweet moments and feels like part of the same growth that has led Sandler to projects like the aforementioned Uncut Gems and Spaceman.
25. X (2022)
If there's one guaranteed way to make a horror film happen, filming an adult movie on an old farm where the elderly woman who lives there looks like an older version of the leading actress has to be it. This film, directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth, is described by critics as a "masterwork," as well as "smart and strange and fantastically depraved." This is the first in a trilogy of horror movies starring Goth. The sequel, Pearl, also came out in 2022, and the third entry, MaXXXine, comes out this summer.
26. The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
If you want a pile of movies that will really give you goosebumps, check out the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix, based on the R. L. Stine book series of the same name. The trilogy follows a cursed town through the ages, with the entries titled for the years they're set in--1994, 1978, and 1666. The series, directed by Leigh Janiak, stars Sadie Sink of Stranger Things, Gillian Jacobs of Community, Kiana Madeira, and others.
27. RRR (2022)
Despite a massive runtime of 182 minutes, RRR is one of the hottest films of 2022. This Indian period action film is a true epic, filled with over-the-top VFX and entertaining performances. RRR tells the story of two real-life Indian revolutionaries, wondering what might've happened if they'd joined forces. Sure, you need to set aside an entire evening with bathroom breaks and food delivery to make it through the film, but it's well worth the time investment.
28. Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio (2022)
Director Guillermo del Toro is known for creating lush visuals and strange worlds. The director of Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim finally took home the Best Picture Oscar for 2017's The Shape of Water. His latest film seeks to reclaim the story of Pinnochio, who first appeared in the Adventures of Pinnochio in 1883--long before the 1940 Disney classic. This CGI-animated musical film can be enjoyed by kids, but it deals with much bigger themes like grief and, surprisingly, fascism. Pinnochio stars Gregory Mann, David Bradley, and Ewan McGregor as Pinnochio, Gepetto, and the Cricket.
29. Starman (1984)
John Carpenter's name is most commonly associated with violent and intense movies like Halloween, The Thing, and Escape from New York. In 1984, though, he dropped a sci-fi romance that dared to ask "what if the aliens could be really handsome guys." An alien planet sends a scout ship to planet Earth in response to the gold records we launched into outer space in 1977 and so, of course, the US government shoots the ship down. The sole alien aboard the ship, trapped in the form of a glowing ball, wanders to the house of a woman still mourning the loss of her husband--played by Jeff Bridges. The alien, finding a lock of the husband's hair, regenerates a body identical to that man. Romance, terror, and action ensue as the extra-terrestrial and the initially reluctant woman travel across the United States to get him to his rendezvous point before he dies. Also, it spawned a very forgettable television series two years later.
30. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
While we're trapped in this house during a hurricane, let's play a murder game! Someone, turn off the lights; it'll probably be fine. In Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed Halina Reijn, suspicion ensues when one of the partiers is found with his throat slashed open outside. The partygoers' dirtiest secrets come out as they weather the storm and try to survive the killer among them. The movie stars Pete Davidson, Lee Pace, Amanda Stenberg, Maria Balakova, and more.
31. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
A drug dealer named Fontaine goes to confront one of his customers, Slick Charles, for harassing one of his sex workers. Fontaine is killed by a rival drug dealer named Isaac. The next morning, Fontaine shows up at Slick Charles' door again, with no recollection of the previous day's events. This sci-fi comedy written and directed by Juel Taylor stars John Boyega as the titular Tyrone, alongside Teyonah Paris (WandaVision, The Marvels) and Jamie Foxx.
