Best Movies on Netflix

If you have ever opened Netflix, scrolled for twenty minutes, and closed the app without pressing play, this guide to the best movies on Netflix is for you. The catalogue is enormous, and it changes constantly, so a friendly shortlist from someone who has done the scrolling for you can save your whole evening.

Most of the picks below are Netflix originals, which is deliberate: originals tend to stay on the platform, while licensed favourites come and go. You will find crime epics, warm comedies, stunning animation, and a couple of films that will quietly stay with you for days. Pick by mood, not by hype, and you really cannot go far wrong.

How We Picked These Movies

We started with the films people actually finish and recommend to friends, then cross-checked that goodwill against critical reception and lasting reputation. Because Netflix rotates licensed titles by region and month, we leaned heavily on Netflix originals that are commonly available on Netflix in most regions, and we re-checked availability against current October 2026 listings before finalising the list.

• Audience response: Films viewers finish, rewatch, and pass along to friends with genuine enthusiasm.
• Critic reviews: Consistent praise from reviewers, festival attention, and major awards recognition.
• Ratings: Strong, durable audience and critic scores over time, never just a loud opening weekend.
• Rewatch value: Movies that reward a second viewing, whether for the jokes, the craft, or the details you missed.

You can browse even more picks like these in our Netflix & Streaming category, which is where we keep all our streaming guides in one handy place.

The Best Movies on Netflix to Watch Right Now

The Irishman (2019)

Martin Scorsese directs Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in this sweeping crime epic about Frank Sheeran, a truck driver turned mob hitman who looks back over decades of loyalty, violence, and regret. It is long, yes, but deliberately so: the slow build gives the final stretch a quiet, mournful weight that shorter gangster films rarely achieve. Settle in with no distractions, treat it like a great novel, and it becomes one of the most rewarding films on the service.

Best for: A long, rainy Sunday with a proper crime saga

Marriage Story (2019)

Noah Baumbach writes and directs this tender, painfully honest portrait of a couple, played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, whose marriage is ending even though the love has not entirely gone. It moves between New York and Los Angeles, between laughter and heartbreak, sometimes within the same scene. The performances are extraordinary, and anyone who has lived through a difficult goodbye will recognise something true here. Keep tissues nearby; you will probably need them at least once.

Best for: Anyone who loves beautifully acted relationship drama

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Rian Johnson brings back Daniel Craig’s drawling detective Benoit Blanc, this time whisking him to a tech billionaire’s private Greek island, where a group of wealthy friends gather for a murder-mystery party that turns uncomfortably real. It is bright, funny, and engineered like a puzzle box, with an ensemble cast clearly having the time of their lives. If you enjoy our guide to the best psychological thriller movies, this lighter, sunnier mystery makes a perfect palate cleanser between darker watches.

Best for: A fun group movie night with mystery fans

Society of the Snow (2023)

J. A. Bayona directs this Spanish-language survival drama about the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972. Told with deep respect for the real people involved, the film focuses less on shock and more on friendship, faith, and the unbearable choices ordinary people face in impossible conditions. The mountain photography is breathtaking and terrifying in equal measure. It is a demanding watch, but an unforgettable and ultimately humane one.

Best for: Viewers who appreciate powerful true stories

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Edward Berger directs this German-language adaptation of the classic anti-war novel, following young soldier Paul Bäumer as the excitement of enlisting in the First World War collapses into mud, fear, and loss. The battle scenes are visceral without ever feeling like spectacle, and the quiet moments between them hurt even more. It won widespread acclaim, including multiple Academy Awards, and it is easy to see why. Few war films feel this urgent or this sad.

Best for: Serious drama lovers and history buffs

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Jane Campion directs this slow-burning Western set on a 1920s Montana ranch, where Benedict Cumberbatch plays a charismatic but cruel rancher whose hostility towards his brother’s new wife and her son sets a quiet psychological battle in motion. Nothing here is loud, yet the tension hums in every glance and gesture. Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst, and Jesse Plemons complete a superb cast. Give it your full attention and its atmosphere will reward you richly.

Best for: Fans of slow-burn, character-driven tension

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Adam McKay directs this sharp satire in which Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play astronomers who discover a comet heading straight for Earth, then watch in disbelief as politicians, media, and the public shrug it off. It is funny, furious, and uncomfortably recognisable, with a huge ensemble cast clearly enjoying the chaos. Some viewers find its message heavy-handed; others find it cathartic. Either way, it is one of the most talked-about Netflix films of its year.

Best for: Comedy fans who like their satire with bite

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Guillermo del Toro co-directs this handcrafted stop-motion retelling of the classic tale, set in Italy between the wars and voiced by Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Cate Blanchett, and Tilda Swinton. Every frame looks lovingly handmade, and the story treats grief, disobedience, and fatherhood with real emotional honesty. It is darker than the cartoon version many grew up with, but that depth is exactly why older children and adults adore it. A genuine animated masterpiece.

Best for: Animation lovers and family viewing with older kids

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Craig Brewer directs Eddie Murphy in a joyful comeback role as Rudy Ray Moore, the struggling comedian and musician who reinvented himself as the flamboyant Dolemite and talked his way into making his own blaxploitation film in 1970s Los Angeles. Murphy is warm, funny, and quietly moving, and the film is a love letter to every underdog who ever created something against the odds. You will finish it smiling and probably humming the soundtrack.

Best for: An uplifting, feel-good comedy night

Extraction 2 (2023)

Sam Hargrave directs Chris Hemsworth as mercenary Tyler Rake, who returns for another impossibly dangerous rescue mission involving a Georgian prison and a relentless gangster. The centrepiece is a famously long, one-take-style action sequence that moves from a prison riot to a train, and it is worth the price of admission alone. The plot is simple, but the stunt work is elite. If you want pure, propulsive action after a long week, this delivers completely.

Best for: Action fans craving spectacular stunt work

Hit Man (2023)

Richard Linklater directs Glen Powell, who also co-wrote the script, as Gary Johnson, a mild-mannered professor who moonlights helping police sting operations by posing as a fake hitman, until a client played by Adria Arjona turns his double life upside down. Loosely inspired by a true story, it is charming, flirty, and far funnier than its premise suggests. Powell is effortlessly charismatic, and the film glides by like the best kind of date-night movie.

Best for: A smart, charming date-night watch

Klaus (2019)

Sergio Pablos directs this gorgeous hand-drawn animated film about a pampered postman exiled to a frozen, feuding island town, where an unlikely friendship with a reclusive toymaker slowly thaws everyone’s hearts. It offers a fresh, funny origin story for a very familiar gift-giver, and its painterly animation looks unlike anything else on the platform. Families return to it every winter, but honestly, it works beautifully in any month of the year.

Best for: Cosy family viewing all year round

Hidden Gem Worth Adding

If you have worked through the list above, try KPop Demon Hunters (2025), directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. This animated musical follows a world-famous K-pop girl group who secretly hunt demons between concerts, and it became a genuine phenomenon thanks to its catchy original songs and dazzling visuals. It is pure joy, and even viewers who know nothing about K-pop tend to finish it grinning.

Also worth your time is Bird Box (2018), directed by Susanne Bier, in which Sandra Bullock leads a desperate journey downriver in a world where seeing something unspeakable carries a terrible cost. It remains one of Netflix’s most talked-about thrillers, and its blindfolded tension holds up surprisingly well on a rewatch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these movies available on Netflix in every country?

Not always. Netflix originals, which make up most of this list, are generally available worldwide because Netflix owns them. Licensed films, however, rotate by region and month, so a title streaming in the United States might be absent elsewhere. Everything here was commonly available on Netflix at the time of writing in October 2026, but it is always worth a quick search in your own app before you settle in.

What is the best Netflix movie to watch tonight if I cannot decide?

Match the film to your mood. For something light and clever, choose Glass Onion or Hit Man. For a big emotional experience, Marriage Story or Society of the Snow will not let you down. If you simply want excitement, Extraction 2 delivers from its opening minutes. Still stuck? Close your eyes, point at the list, and commit; they are all here because they earned their place.

Which of these movies are suitable for family viewing?

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Klaus are the friendliest picks here, though Pinocchio has darker, sadder themes that suit older children better than very little ones. KPop Demon Hunters is also a great all-ages option. Most of the other titles are made for adults, with strong language, violence, or mature themes, so check the age rating on each title’s page before pressing play with younger viewers.

Why are there so many Netflix originals on this list?

Because originals stay put. Licensed favourites can vanish at the end of a month when contracts expire, which makes recommendation lists go stale quickly. By favouring films Netflix produced itself, we can be far more confident that the movie we recommend tonight will still be there when you look for it next week, in most regions.

How often does Netflix change its movie catalogue?

Constantly. New films arrive every week, and licensed titles leave at the end of each month, usually with a note on their page during their final days. The catalogue also differs between countries. We revisit guides like this one regularly to swap out anything that has left and add new releases that deserve a spot.

Final Thoughts

Netflix will always have more movies than any of us could watch in a lifetime, but that is exactly why a trusted shortlist matters. The twelve films above, plus our two hidden gems, cover nearly every mood: laughter, tears, tension, wonder, and pure popcorn fun.

So tonight, skip the endless scrolling. Pick the title that matches your evening, press play, and enjoy. And if you discover a favourite we have missed, that is the best outcome of all, because your next great movie night is already sorted.