The best Netflix movies to stream this month

Edward Norton, Daniel Craig and Kate Hudson in Glass Onion. — Netflix

Although it’s now only one big player in an even bigger streaming market, Netflix still manages to crank out plenty of stuff to keep its users subscribing. That glut of good movies on Netflix is great if all you want is to never get bored, but it can make it difficult to figure out which things are actually worth your time, and which aren’t. If that’s your goal, we’ve got you covered. This list is a combination of great Netflix original movies, and good movies to watch that Netflix is currently housing on its service, and it even includes a few great Netflix action movies. What unites these movies, though, is that they are the very best Netflix movies currently available.

Contents

What movies are leaving Netflix in September?
What will the new movies on Netflix be in September?

If you’re looking for films to watch on some of Netflix’s competitors, we’ve also found the best Amazon Prime movies, the best Hulu movies, and the best Disney Plus movies. You can also check out some new Netflix movies at the bottom of this post.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)

Genre Comedy

Stars Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler

Directed by Sammi Cohen

watch on Netflix

Adam Sandler’s Netflix movies have not tended to be great, in part because it seems like he’s mostly using the money Netflix gives him to take vacations with his friends. You know what? More power to him. Fortunately, though, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which stars Sandler alongside his actual daughters, is much better than just OK. The movie follows two best friends as they feud in the planning of their bat mitzahs, and it’s both funny and heartwarming in all the ways a movie like this should be. Sandler gets to play the dad here, and he’s as good as ever in the role.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah | Official Trailer | Netflix

Athena (2022)

Genre Drama

Stars Dali Benssalah, Anthony Bajon, Alexis Manenti

Directed by Romain Gavras

watch on Netflix

The opening minutes of Athena are some of the most visceral, astonishing filmmaking you’ll ever see. The film, which is set in France, follows three brothers who have their lives upended after their younger sibling dies. The movie is about radicalism, violence, and police brutality, and it’s about the way those who are disadvantaged often seem doomed to remain that way. It’s also a shockingly well-directed action movie filled with breathtaking sequences that only underscore just how shocking the violence on display often is.

ATHENA directed by Romain Gavras | Official Trailer | Netflix

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Genre Comedy, Crime, Mystery

Stars Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe

Directed by Rian Johnson

watch on Netflix

A sequel to Knives Out, Glass Onion takes everything about that first movie that works and heightens it even more. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc returns, but this time with a much bigger budget and an even more elaborate puzzle to unwind. Thanks to an all-star cast that includes Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, and Dave Bautista, Glass Onion manages to distinguish itself from its predecessor in part by satirizing a slightly different type of insanely wealthy person. The reveals are all worth the wait, as are the line deliveries from Craig and the rest of the ensemble.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | Official Trailer | Netflix

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Genre Action, Drama, History, War

Stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer

Directed by Edward Berger

watch on Netflix

Netflix took a fairly big swing on this German-language remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, and it paid off with a truly good movie on Netflix. The movie tells the story of a group of young soldiers who enlist to fight on behalf of Germany and ultimately discover the real toll that war takes on those who have to live their lives in the trenches. It’s stunningly filmed, and one of the best entries in the long line of immersive war movies from recent years. The Oscars agreed, and nominated it for nine total awards, including Best Picture. All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the most enduring war novels ever written, and this 2022 version reminds us how horrific war is, no matter what side you’re on.

Don't Look Up (2021) new

Genre Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi

Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep

Directed by Adam McKay

watch on Netflix

An over-the-top satire from Adam McKay, Don’t Look Up is worth a watch simply for the insane number of A-list actors in the cast. The film focuses on two nobody astronomers who discover evidence that a giant comet is headed directly toward Earth and have to find a way to get the world to take them seriously before it’s too late. Directly aimed at the climate crisis and the politics surrounding it, the overall tone is over the top and a little obvious, but its mournful ending is undeniably effective.

The Manual streaming roundup

Mank (2020)

Genre Drama, History

Stars Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins

Directed by David Fincher

watch on Netflix

With more Academy Award nominations in 2021 than any other film, Mank was bound to be one a good movie to watch from the moment it was first announced. Following Herman J. “Mank” Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), the film is the story of how the script for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane came to be. Along the way, we learn about Mank’s debilitating alcoholism, and also the politics of both California and Hollywood, which had a major influence on the script Mank ultimately turned in. Filmed in a style reminiscent of the classic Welles film — which undoubtedly helped it win Oscars for best cinematography and production design — this film is one of David Fincher’s best to date.

Extraction (2020)

Genre Drama, Action, Thriller

Stars Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda

Directed by Sam Hargrave

watch on Netflix

One of the more violent movies you can stream on Netflix, Extraction is also a whole lot of fun. Thanks to its wonderful fight choreography, the film rises above more run-of-the-mill action filmmaking. When mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to save an imprisoned warlord’s son, the stakes continue to build gradually as more and more local gunrunners and traffickers learn of the situation. Veteran stunt coordinator/first-time director Sam Hargrave proved with Extraction that he had vision, which easily makes it a contender for one of the best Chris Hemsworth movies — even if you include the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

Genre Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Action

Stars Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph

Directed by Michael Rianda

watch on Netflix

If you’re looking for a great family comedy on Netflix, The Mitchells vs. The Machines fits the bill perfectly. The plot follows a dysfunctional family that winds up having to save the entire planet from a robot invasion. Beneath the comedy, though, is a sweet story about a father and a daughter who can’t quite seem to connect with one another the way they used to. There are plenty of laughs to be had in Mitchells vs. The Machines, as well as some truly inventive animation, but beneath it all is a heartwarming story of family reconnection.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)

Genre Documentary, Comedy

Cast Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Miloš Forman

watch on Netflix

This powerful and reality-bending Netflix documentary chronicles the filming and acting processes behind Man on the Moon, a movie that forced Jim Carrey to dive deep into his own psyche years after his spiritual and mental separation from the “character” of Jim Carrey and into the characters of Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton. Throughout this film, we see detailed behind-the-scenes footage of Carrey on set where he, playing Kaufman, loses his perception of self and even experiences visceral tear-jerking moments with the real people who were close to Kaufman. This is one of the best Jim Carrey movies, but it’s also a great way to learn about him as an actor, a character, and a vessel, all of which meld together in a melancholic display of sheer talent.

Marriage Story (2019)

Genre Drama

Stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern

Directed by Noah Baumbach

watch on Netflix

This Netflix original movie is a beautiful look into just how complicated marriage and family can be, dissecting a husband and wife who are going through a tumultuous divorce. Marriage Story isn’t all doom and gloom, though. It’s really just an emotional story about how divorce changes what a family is without destroying it completely.

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Genre Romance, Comedy

Stars Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves

Directed by Nahnatchka Khan

watch on Netflix

If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy on Netflix, Always Be My Maybe might be the right place to start. The story follows Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park), two people who grew up together and eventually grew apart. Everyone assumed they would end up together, and when they reconnect after 15 years apart, they begin to think maybe they are meant to be, after all. Also, Keanu Reeves shows up playing himself.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

Genre Documentary, Drama

Stars Skyler Gisondo, Kara Hayward, Vincent Kartheiser

Directed by Jeff Orlowski

watch on Netflix

A Netflix documentary that feels more terrifying every day, The Social Dilemma is a look inside how and why tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google operate the way they do. You get to hear from tech experts and some of the people behind these platforms as they discuss the negative impact of the attention-grabbing algorithms that they themselves created. After all of those testimonials, you might begin to appreciate exactly why everything in modern America feels so broken.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Genre Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle

Directed by Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

watch on Netflix

This classic 1970s British comedy from Monty Python, considered to be one of the best comedies of all time, follows King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on a low-budget and absolutely absurd search for the Holy Grail. The silly obstacles these knights encounter are numerous, but every one of the movie’s small segments has become beloved in and of itself, and they flow together beautifully.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Genre Drama, Western

Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons

Directed by Jane Campion

watch on Netflix

Netflix has yet to take home an Oscar for Best Picture, but The Power of the Dog came pretty close, and is a truly good movie on Netflix. The movie, which tells the story of a repressed cowboy (Benedict Cumberbatch) in 1920s Montana who lashes out at his brother’s new wife (Kirsten Dunst) is immaculately made, and filled with great performances from Cumberbatch, Dunst, and the rest of its ensemble cast. Directed by veteran Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog is a singular vision of male angst, and that’s part of what makes it so endlessly compelling.

The Power of the Dog | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Genre Drama

Stars Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley

Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal

watch on Netflix

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first directorial effort was one of the best films of 2021, and it didn’t hurt that she had Olivia Colman by her side. Telling the story of a 40-something Harvard professor (Colman) who goes on vacation and remembers her time raising two daughters, The Lost Daughter is about the difficulty of trying to be a person and a mother, and it’s remarkably prickly about how taxing motherhood can be. Colman is a standout in the central role, but she’s surrounded by excellent performances from the likes of Jessie Buckley and Dakota Johnson as well.

The Lost Daughter | Official Trailer | Netflix

tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

Genre Drama

Stars Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda

watch on Netflix

Adapting a musical of the same name, tick, tick…BOOM! tells the story of Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) in the years before he wrote Rent. With sharp direction from Lin-Manuel Miranda and an incredible soundtrack of Larson originals, the movie has more than enough frenetic energy to tell its story of a struggling artist with winsome verve. Andrew Garfield’s incredible central performance is the icing on the cake of this vibrant musical.

tick, tick...BOOM! | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Irishman (2019)

Genre Crime, Drama, History

Stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci

Directed by Martin Scorsese

watch on Netflix

One of many late-period Martin Scorsese masterpieces, The Irishman tells the story of a mid-level gangster (Robert De Niro) who befriends Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and ultimately plays a role in his death. In Scorsese’s hands, though, this becomes an examination of the way one man alienates everyone around him, and ultimately finds himself old, friendless, and totally alone, stuck in a nursing home trying to convince everyone that his life as a gangster is worth remembering.

The Irishman | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Disciple (2020)

Genre Drama, Music

Stars Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave

Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane

watch on Netflix

Following the story of a dedicated musician (Aditya Modak) in India who begins to question whether he’ll ever achieve the levels of greatness that he’s long aspired to, The Disciple is a beautiful story about what it means to follow your dreams, only to realize that you may never achieve them. In its way, The Disciple is a deeply aching movie about the pursuit of great art, and it’s quietly sorrowful without becoming oppressively bleak.

The Disciple | Official Trailer | Chaitanya Tamhane, Vivek Gomber | Marathi Film | Netflix

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Genre War, Drama

Stars Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters

Directed by Spike Lee

watch on Netflix

Spike Lee has proven his enduring power with his recent string of successes, and Da 5 Bloods is chief among them. Telling the story of four Black Vietnam veterans who return to the country decades later to uncover a treasure that they buried decades ago, Da 5 Bloods is unafraid of its cinematic touchstones, but is also thrilling in its own right. With a wonderful central performance from Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods is the kind of provocative, thrilling, fun movie we don’t get enough of anymore.

Da 5 Bloods | Official Trailer | Netflix

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Genre Romance, Drama

Stars KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King

Directed by Barry Jenkins

watch on Netflix

Barry Jenkins is one of America’s great filmmakers, and If Beale Street Could Talk proved that to be true. Telling the story of a Black couple who are torn apart by people and systems designed to make their lives miserable, the movie finds plenty of space within its tragic story for joy and love. Thanks to remarkable central performances from Stephan James and Kiki Layne, as well as stellar work from Regina King in a supporting role, If Beale Street Could Talk will make you swoon, and that’s before we even get to Nicholas Britell’s heart-wrenching score.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK | Official Trailer

The Wonder (2022)

Genre Mystery, Thriller, Drama

Stars Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke

Directed by Sebastián Lelio

watch on Netflix

Anytime Florence Pugh signs onto anything it’s probably worth checking out, and that’s definitely true of The Wonder. The movie, which follows an English nurse who is called to Ireland to investigate the case of a young girl who claims she hasn’t eaten in four months, is the kind of slow burn that leaves you immensely satisfied in the end. The mystery at the movie’s center is compelling enough, but The Wonder becomes irresistible when you add a performer like Pugh into the mix.

The Wonder | Official Trailer | Netflix

Wendell & Wild (2022)

Genre Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure

Stars Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Angela Bassett

Directed by Henry Selick

watch on Netflix

Stop-motion animation is painstaking and difficult, and no one is better at it than Henry Sellick. Wendell & Wild is Sellick’s first movie in 13 years, and it didn’t disappoint. The film is brimming with visual ideas, but that helps to set it apart from much of what animation has been in Sellick’s absence. And, thanks to some creative help from Jordan Peele, Wendell & Wild also includes some fairly weighty ideas about incarceration and racism, which only reinforces the precision Sellick and his team have in executing on their animation style.

WENDELL & WILD | Official Trailer | Netflix

His House (2020)

Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller

Stars Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Matt Smith

Directed by Remi Weekes

watch on Netflix

Because of their relatively low budgets, great horror movies to watch can seem to sometimes come out of nowhere. In the case of His House, the movie came from first-time feature Remi Weekes, who chose to tell a story about a pair of South Sudanese refugees who are attempting to resettle in the U.K. The house they move into seems to be haunted, but that’s not the only thing keeping them up at night. What His House is really about is the horrors of the refugee experience and the trauma that these refugees carry with them long after they’ve been resettled.

HIS HOUSE | Official Trailer | Netflix

Roma (2018)

Genre Drama

Stars Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

watch on Netflix

A delicate portrait of a family, and specifically of that family’s housekeeper, Roma is one of the best autobiographical stories a filmmaker has ever told. That’s in part because Alfonso Cuaron is such a master of framing and shot composition, and in part because the script so delicately weaves together political and personal elements. Every performance in Roma is note-perfect, and although the movie is in Spanish, any English-speaking viewer who takes the time to watch it will undoubtedly be swept away by its sweeping visions of one family’s life in Mexico City in the 1970s.

ROMA | Official Trailer | Netflix

Mudbound (2017)

Genre Drama

Stars Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell

Directed by Dee Rees

watch on Netflix

One of the great Southern epics in recent history, Mudbound tells the story of two families whose lives intertwine in the segregated South ahead of World War I. One of the families is white, and the other is Black. While that may sound like a recipe for carefully calibrated, neutral political stances, Mudbound is anything but, and is all the better for its honest, brutal depiction of what segregation was like in the deep South. Featuring outstanding performances from Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, and the rest of its ensemble cast, Mudbound is a tough sit, but one that is well worth your time.

Mudbound | Official Teaser [HD] | Netflix

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Genre Drama, Music

Stars Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Glynn Turman

Directed by George C. Wolfe

watch on Netflix

Featuring two volcanic performances from Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is adapted from a stage play of the same name. The play follows the titular singer and her lead trumpeter as they attempt to record together in 1927. Although the movie is ostensibly about music, it’s really about the persistent problems of race that infuse every fraught interaction between the film’s characters. The direction here is a feat of adaptation, but it knows when to get out of the way so that Boseman and Davis can cook. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was one of Boseman’s final on-screen performances prior to his death, and it’s a reminder of how fiercely talented he was.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Official Trailer | Netflix

What movies are leaving Netflix in September?

September 1

A Knight’s Tale
Age of Rebellion
Airport
Airport ’77
Airport 1975
Alias JJ: La Celebridad Del Mal
American Graffiti
American Hustle
Bruce Almighty
Charlie Wilson’s War
Chicken Run
Children of the Sea
Easy A
Fate/Grand Order -First Order-
Garbage
Hop
If Beale Street Could Talk
InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
InuYasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler
InuYasha the Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island
Janoskians: Untold and Untrue
Jarhead
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Kicking & Screaming
Magic Mike
Magic Mike XXL
Mean Girls
Once Again
Open Season
Open Season 2
Paranormal Activity
Peter Pan
Rise of the Guardians
Road House
Rush Hour
Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 3
Salt
Secret Window
Seven Years in Tibet
She’s Gotta Have It
Sleepless in Seattle
Snervous Tyler Oakley
Still Alice
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball
Tears of the Sun
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Bad Guys
The Dictator
The Dilemma
The Italian Job
The Kingdom
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Poison Rose
The Ring
The Scorpion King
The Tale of Despereaux
The Thing
Unleashed

September 3

Never Back Down: Revolt

September 4

The Debt Collector

September 6

Shadow Parties
Vampire Academy

September 7

That Thing Called Tadhana

September 8

Starting Over Again
The Love Affair

September 11

Satria Heroes: Revenge of the Darkness

September 14

Colette
Finally Found Someone

September 15

A Love Story
Barcelona: A Love Untold
Crazy Beautiful You
Everything About Her
Seven Sundays

September 16

Wish Upon a Unicorn

September 18

Residue

September 21

High & Low The Red Rain
How High 2
Jiu Jitsu

September 23

In Darkness

September 30

Annihilation

What will the new movies on Netflix be in September?

September 1

A Day and a Half
Friday Night Plan
Happy Ending
8 Mile
Arrival
Baby Mama
Couples Retreat
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fences
Field of Dreams
Hacksaw Ridge
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Jaws: The Revenge
Kung Fu Panda 2
Land of the Lost
Matilda
Miss Congeniality
National Security
One Piece Adventure of Nebulandia
One Piece Episode of East blue – Luffy and His Four Crewmates’ Great Adventure
One Piece Episode of Skypiea
One Piece Film: Gold
One Piece Heart of Gold
One Piece: 3D2Y – Overcome Ace’s Death! Luffy’s Vow to His Friends
Public Enemies
Stand by Me
Superbad
U-571
Up in the Air
Vice
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Woody Woodpecker

September 2

Love Again

September 3

Crank
Crank 2: High Voltage
Is She the Wolf? (JP)

September 5

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs

September 6

Infamy
Predators
Reporting For Duty
Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America
Tahir’s House

September 7

Dear Chilf
GAMERA -Rebirth-
What If

September 8

A Time Called You
Burning Body
Rosa Peral’s Tapes
Spy Ops

September 12

Michelle Wolf: It’s Great to Be Here
The Wolf of Wall Street

September 13

Class Act
Freestyle
Wrestlers

September 14

Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction
Once Upon a Crime
Thursday’s Widows

September 15

El Conde
Miseducation

September 16

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

September 19

Kountry Wayne: A Woman’s Prayer
The Saint of Second Chances

September 20

Hard Broken

September 22

The Black Book
How To Deal With a Heartbreak
Spy Kids: Armageddon

September 26

Who Killed Jill Dando?

September 27

Encounters
Overhaul
Street Flow 2

September 28

Castlevania: Nocturne
Love is in the Air
The Darkness within La Luz del Mundo

September 29

Choona
Do Not Disturb
Nowhere
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

The best Netflix movies to stream this month

From Power of the Dog to All Quiet on the Western Front, these are the best movies to stream on Netflix

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)

Athena (2022)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Don't Look Up (2021) new

Mank (2020)

Extraction (2020)

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)

Marriage Story (2019)

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

The Social Dilemma (2020)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

The Power of the Dog (2021)

The Lost Daughter (2021)

tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

The Irishman (2019)

The Disciple (2020)

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

The Wonder (2022)

Wendell & Wild (2022)

His House (2020)

Roma (2018)

Mudbound (2017)

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

What movies are leaving Netflix in September?

What will the new movies on Netflix be in September?

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