Trying to find the best movie to watch on Netflix can be a daunting challenge. We’ve all been there. You’ve decided you’re going to watch something. You have the entirety of Netflix at your disposal, including even a pared down list of films you’ve already bookmarked to watch at a future date. But then there’s the choosing. You’ve gotta find something that fits your mood, or something you and your friend/significant other/couch companion can agree on. You spend hours browsing, and by the time you stumble on something you think maybe is the one, it’s too late, you’re too tired, and indecision has won out.
Never fear, though, because we here at Collider have a guide to help you find the perfect Netflix movies. We’ve thumbed through the library and assembled a list of some of the best films currently available for streaming, from classics to hidden gems to new releases and beyond. This list of the best movies on Netflix is updated weekly with all-new choices, so be sure to return the next time you’re looking for something great to watch.
1.The Matrix
Directors/Writers: The Wachowskis
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano
It’s not an understatement to say that The Matrix completely revolutionized action cinema. The wholly original sci-fi actioner from filmmaking siblings The Wachowskispresented a world and a story so unique, so striking that it took a minute to understand what it was you were actually watching. The story of Neo (Keanu Reeves) coming to understand that he’s living in a simulated reality, and that in the real world humans are essentially batteries used by machines, is both epic and intimate all at once. The Wachowskis’ visual storytelling technique grabs you by the throat and never lets go, from the eye-popping “bullet-time” to the insane hand-to-hand combat sequences that defied gravity. And on top of all that, the film thematically traffics in big philosophical and religious questions that challenge the audience’s way of thinking. So yeah, you could say The Matrix is one of the greatest films ever made. – Adam Chitwood
2.Snowpiercer
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writer: Bong Joon Ho and Kelly Masterson
Cast: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Olivia Spencer, Ed Harris, Song Kang Ho
Bong Joon Ho’s (The Host) first English language film is a strange little beast. Set in an Ice Age post-apocalypse set off by failed climate control experiment, the entire film takes place within the confines of an ever-running global train that is home to the few survivors. A none too subtle spin on class warfare, Snowpiercer follows the desperate inhabitants of the lower-class posterior of the train, where they survive on disgusting gelatinous nutrition bars (and in truly dire times, something much worse), as they stage a violent coup against the privileged, indulgent elite at the front of the train. Chris Evans turns his Captain America charisma and command to its darkest incarnation as Curtis, the man at the forefront of the rebellion who leads the charge to take over the engine room. Along the way, Snowpiercer travels through the caste system of the train cars, each new carriage a bizarre and fully-rendered habitat of its own, and paints a microcosmic picture of a warped society entirely contained on a single train. It also packs in some visceral combat scenes and an all-timer performance from Tilda Swinton, and is all but guaranteed to become a cult classic. – Haleigh Foutch
3.The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine
One of the best superhero movies ever made, full-stop, The Dark Knight is a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan successfully introduced the world to the idea of a “gritty reboot” with Batman Begins, but for the follow-up he crafted an epic, surprising, and downright thrilling story of escalation. Heath Ledger’s take on The Joker is iconic, offering up an enigmatic villain who consistently throws Christian Bale’s Batman for a loop. Then you have Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, as The Dark Knight crafts a meaty, fulfilling, and heartbreaking arc for this Bruce Wayne foil. On top of all of that, Nolan is essentially making a film about the post-9/11 world—one in which fighting “the bad guys” only leads to bigger and more severe devastation. How do you confront an enemy that just wants to watch the world burn? There’s a reason The Dark Knight has lingered in the public consciousness for a decade, and it still holds up as the best of the best in the face of the bevy of superhero movies that soon followed. – Adam Chitwood
4.Avengers: Infinity War
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Cast: Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Zoe Saldana, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Carrie Coon, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Wong, Letitia Wright, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Marquand
Avengers: Infinity War is so much movie, it shouldn’t exist at all. Just look at that cast list! Movies aren’t mean to have that many stars! But Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo pulled off the impossible by putting the focus on their big bad, Thanos, and swinging him across the galaxy like a wrecking ball that scatters the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and all of the MCU’s biggest heroes in an epic battle to save half of all life. Literally all life. Like, even your dog. Talk about stakes. Infinity War is as episodic as movies get, and it’s at its best when it leans into the character dynamics and crazy thrills of seeing all these heroes together on one screen. There’s a lot of joy in watching wizards fly through the streets of Manhattan and seeing Spider-Man zip through Doctor Strange’s portals on a far-off planet. Infinity War marks the culmination of a decade spent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its just as insanely jam-packed with quips and action-packed superhero mayhem as that tall order demands. — Haleigh Foutch
5.The Indiana Jones Trilogy
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Jeffrey Boam, and David Koepp
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Jonathan Ke Quan, and Sean Connery
Yes, we said trilogy, even though all four Indiana Jones movies are currently on Netflix—watch or revisit Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at your own risk. But Steven Spielberg’s wonderfully adventurous original trilogy holds up remarkably well. Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best films ever made, with Harrison Ford solidifying himself as a screen icon in the role of a very affable (and super good-looking) archaeologist. Temple of Doom gets dark and weird, but remains a fascinating and fun film. And Last Crusade is one of the best entries in the “Spielberg makes movies about his father” genre. You can’t go wrong with any of these three. – Adam Chitwood
6.Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Directors/Writers: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Benjamin Bratt, and Neil Patrick Harris
Before filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller upended convention with wildly entertaining films like The LEGO Movie and the Jump Street films, they wrote and directed the 2009 animated feature Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs—and it is delightful. The film is absolutely in the same vein of Lord and Miller’s other films; a mix of goofy humor, gloriously intricate jokes, inventive visuals, and most importantly genuine compassion. Bill Hader voices a wannabe scientist named Flint who lives in a tiny town called Swallow Falls, which is thrown into peril when one of Flint’s wild inventions starts turning water into food, at which point it literally starts raining all sorts of delicious—and gigantic—treats. It’s a great film for all ages really, and a terrifically science-positive story. – Adam Chitwood
7.Knock Down the House
Director: Rachel Lears
While some may be quick to dismiss this documentary because its main figure is liberal politician Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Rachel Lears’ film isn’t really concerned with the right-left divide. Instead, it’s about insurgent, grassroots politicians fighting the entrenched establishment power. Although Ocasio-Cortez’ story over-arches the whole film, Lears also takes time to follow other female politicians who are seeking to win their primary battles. The film is at its best when it shows the gritty, unglamorous work of campaigning and building a movement. If you’re fed up with business-as-usual politicians who have forgotten their constituents, Knock Down the House provides an inspiring rally cry. – Matt Goldberg
8.Zodiac
Director: David Fincher
Writer: James Vanderbilt
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Sevigny, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, and John Carroll Lynch
In the mood for an impeccably crafted drama from a master filmmaker? Look no further than Zodiac, David Fincher’s 2007 chronicle of the hunt for the Zodiac Killer in 1960s and 70s San Francisco. Jake Gyllenhaal anchors a phenomenal ensemble as a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle who grows obsessed with figuring out the identity of the serial killer, to the detriment of pretty much everything else in his life. Buoyed by terrific performances from the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and Anthony Edwards as well as Fincher’s knack for details, the film is an absorbing, darkly funny, and at times terrifying watch that stands as one of Fincher’s best. – Adam Chitwood
9.Pan’s Labyrinth
Director/Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Alex Angulo, and Doug Jones
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro made waves with his 2001 Spanish-language drama The Devil’s Backbone and followed that up with studio films where he explored ideas of monstrosity—Blade II and Hellboy. But after those more commercial plays, del Toro returned to his roots for his 2006 masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth. The story takes place five years after the Spanish Civil War in 1944 Spain and revolves around a young girl named Ofelia, whose stepfather is hunting down the Spanish Maquis who fight against the Francoist regime and whose pregnant mother is growing increasingly ill. Ofelia loses herself in a mythical world inhabited by creatures that are gorgeously alluring yet incredibly dangerous. Del Toro’s mix of fantasy, drama, and tragedy is magnificent, and the film was not only nominated for Best Foreign Language Film but also Best Original Screenplay, winning Best Cinematography, Art Direction, and Makeup. It’s one of del Toro’s best films, and that’s saying something. – Adam Chitwood
10.Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writers: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, and Martin Freeman
Marvel Studios has an excellent track record of crafting supremely entertaining movies, but Black Panther marks the MCU’s most mature, ambitious, and thematically complete film yet. Creed and Fruitvale Station filmmaker Ryan Coogler digs into themes of isolationism and what it mean to be black in America within the context of an extremely exciting, visually enthralling superhero action film. That in and of itself makes Black Panther noteworthy, but the film also boasts terrific performances from folks like Letitia Wright and Lupita Nyong’o, while Michael B. Jordan brings to life one of the MCU’s best and most emotionally complex villains to date. Black Panther is a stunning achievement for Marvel, and it’s one well worth revisiting just to soak in the attention to detail—both in terms of superheroics and complex themes—that Coogler threads throughout. – Adam Chitwood
11.To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Director: Susan Johnson
Writer: Sofia Alvarez
Cast: Lana Condor, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Noah Centineo, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett
If you’re looking for a fun, sweet, YA romance to brighten your day, you won’t do much better on Netflix than To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Based off the novel by Jenny Han, the story follows Lara Jean (Lana Condor), a teenager whose worst nightmares are realized when five letters she wrote to her secret crushes are sent out without her knowledge. When she’s confronted by her old crush Peter (Noah Centineo), she’s afraid it could get in the way of her current crush Josh (Israel Broussard), so Lara Jean and Peter resolve to fake a relationship so they can get with who they really want to be with. Naturally, pretending to be together starts to create real feelings between the two. The film is a joy from start to finish, letting you relive a time when who “liked” you was the most important thing in the world, but without any of the trauma high school entails. – Matt Goldberg
12.Ex Machina
Director/Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Sonoya Mizuno
Alex Garland made a splash with his screenplays for films like 28 Days Later and Dredd, but his directorial debut Ex Machina is really something else. Domhnall Gleeson plays a computer programmer named Caleb working for a search engine company who is invited to the isolated home of the company’s CEO, an enigmatic Steve Jobs-like figure named Nathan (Oscar Isaac). He’s been brought to this remote compound to interact with a humanoid robot that Nathan built called Ava (Alicia Vikander), and to essentially perform a Turing test. But secrets lurk in the dark halls of Nathan’s compound, and within this sci-fi story Garland explores issues relating to A.I., toxic masculinity, and gender dynamics in fascinating ways. It’s a thrilling, surprising, and wholly unique piece of cinema that’s impossible to shake long after the credits have rolled. – Adam Chitwood
