Navigating Netflix’s movie catalog is no easy task. With thousands of titles to choose from, finding the perfect film to stream could take longer than actually watching it. We’ve done a bit of searching for you and found the best movies on Netflix while you’re stuck inside (and a few Netflix shows too). You can even stream movies with your friends online using the Netflix Party app if you want to avoid watching movies by yourself.
Looking for even more films to stream? We’ve gone ahead and found the best movies on Amazon Prime and Hulu to help you expand your cinematic horizons, or try our Netflix movie drinking games for an extra bit of fun.
The Irishman (2019)
Based on historical events, this film follows Frank Sheeran (Robert Deniro) as he recounts his past doing jobs for crime boss Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci). Over the years, Frank becomes close to the infamous teamster, Jimmy Hoffa by becoming his confidante and bodyguard.
Director: Craig Brewer
Main Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Zodiac (2007)
If you are the type to obsess over true-crime shows and listen to true-crime podcasts whenever you can, this crime drama is right up your alley. Based on true, unsolved events that transpired in the late-1960s, we watch a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) become an amateur detective obsessed with catching the Zodiac Killer.
Director: David Fincher
Main Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Marriage Story (2019)
This Netflix Original movie is a beautiful look into just how complicated marriage and family can be, dissecting a husband and wife in the middle of a divorce. If you need an emotional drama to stream, this is it.
Director/Writer: Noah Baumbach
Main Cast: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson
IMDb Rating: 8.0
Snowpiercer (2013)
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho is well-known for his most recent film, Parasite, but his body of work expands much further. Snowpiercer boasts one of the most unique premises: the entire film taking place on a train that holds the last of the world’s survivors after a failed climate-change experiment.
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Main cast: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton
IMDb Rating: 7.1
Dolemite is My Name (2019)
This Netflix comedy follows Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy), a washed-up musician who transforms himself into a cult star. Dolemite is My Name is unlike any Eddie Murphy you may be used to, but his top-notch performance will still have you laughing in this dramedy.
Director: Craig Brewer
Main Cast: Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key
IMDb Rating: 7.3
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
This romantic comedy follows former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) as he tries to come back from a stint in a mental institution. As he struggles to reconcile with his ex-wife things get even more complicated when he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a girl with many issues of her own.
Director: David O. Russell
Main Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Ex Machina (2014)
This mind-bending sci-fi movie brings an up-and-coming computer programmer (Domhall Gleeson) to the remote home of his boss (Oscar Isaac) to assist in a ground-breaking A.I. (artificial intelligence) experiment: Observing a synthetic humanoid (Alicia Vikander) perform a series of evaluations to test just how human she is.
Director: Alex Garland
Main Cast: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Like any Quentin Tarantino film, Inglourious Basterds is just as bloody and graphic as you’d expect. Taking place in German-occupied France during World War II, the story follows a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) as they execute their plan to assassinate Nazi leaders. Inglourious Basterds is also one of our top picks for the best action movies on Netflix.
Director/Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Main Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Krueger, Michael Fassbender
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Mountain (2017)
This Australian documentary film explores some of the highest peaks around the world and our relationship with them as humans. Overall, it is very visually thrilling and offers a look at man’s relationship with natural wonders like you’ve never seen before. Out of the many travel shows on Netflix, this one especially will help give you that feeling of being outside again.
Director: Jenifer Peedom
Narrator: Willem Dafoe
IMDb Rating: 7.2
Looking for more like this? We’ve also found the best documentaries on Netflix right now.
Limitless (2011)
With the help of a mysterious pill, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) finds that he is able to access one hundred percent of his cognitive abilities. He goes from struggling writer to financial wizard in seemingly no time flat but also finds himself in a strange and dangerous new world full of negative side effects. This thriller movie opens your eyes to the possibilities of the human mind.
Director: Neil Burger
Main Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish
IMDb Rating: 7.4
Space Jam (1996)
This classic 90s movie blends reality with Looney Toons as beloved basketball star Michael Jordan gets pulled into another dimension. It’s toons vs. aliens in an epic matchup that both kids an family can enjoy. If you’re looking for a great family movie, or just want to be hit with a wave of nostalgia, this is an excellent choice.
Director: Joe Pytka
Main Cast: Michael Jordan, Bill Murray, Wayne Knight
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
As the second to last film in the Avenger series, Infinity War brings the main conflict of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to an epic crescendo. Our favorite comic book heroes clash against Thanos (Josh Brolin) as he and his army as they attempt to gather all of the Infinity Stones.
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Rounders (1998)
There aren’t exactly a ton of great gambling movies to stream on Netflix, so Rounders is a delightful treat for anyone who has a soft spot for high-stakes poker. A reformed gambler (Matt Damon) who gets tangled up with his old friend (Edward Norton) in an attempt to help him pay off loan sharks.
Director: John Dahl
Main Cast: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Gretchen Mol, John Malkovich
IMDb Rating: 7.3
A Silent Voice (2016)
This anime drama follows a young man who becomes the outcast of his class after bullying a deaf girl until she moved away. After years of regret and being bullied himself, he decides to set off on an epic journey of redemption.
Director: Naoko Yamada
Main Cast: Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yûki
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Looking for more like this? We’ve also found the best anime series on Netflix right now.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
This classic movie set in 1936 follows archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) after he has been hired to find a precious artifact: The Ark of the Covenant. He is faced with a series of unexpected trials on his way as he races to reach the Ark before Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Main Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Inception (2010)
After making one of the most critically acclaimed hero movies of all time with The Dark Knight, writer-director Christopher Nolan brought life to this glorious sci-fi action film. Leonardo DiCaprio, a professional thief haunted by the mistakes of his past, takes one last job. Only, instead of any normal heist that you’d expect, he is tasked with diving deep into people’s minds to either steal or plant information from inside.
Director/writer: Christopher Nolan
Main cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
This classic British comedy from Monty Python follows King Arther (Graham Chapman) and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on a low-budget and absolutely absurd search for the holy grail. Comedy ensues as this medieval group of soldiers encounters a plethora of silly obstacles in there quest for greatness.
Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Main cast: The cast of the Monty Python show
IMDb Rating: 8.2
There Will Be Blood (2007)
This critically acclaimed drama follows the intersecting life stories of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) in early 20th-century California. Plainview is a miner-turned-oilman who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, regardless of how it affects those around him. Day-Lewis’s performance in this film was even enough to earn him an Oscar.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Main Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
This action-comedy is unlike any other. Faced with the prospect of new love, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must face his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes in battle in an effort to win her heart. If you like witty comedies with a dash of action and comedy, then dive into the world of Scott Pilgrim.
Director: Edgar Wright
Main Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Ward, Kieran Culkin
IMDb Rating: 7.5
The Last Samurai (2003)
Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military advisor who is hired by the emperor of Japan in the 1870s to destroy a resistant samurai culture. But when things go south, he finds himself on the other side of the sword. Once nursed back to health, he learns to respect and love the Bushido tradition he once sought to destroy.
Director: Edward Zwick
Main Cast: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
As far as animated Marvel movies go, Spider-Verse is a top-tier flick. In a string of parallel universes, teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) finds himself becoming Spider-Man. Aided by the Spider-Men — and woman — from other timelines, he must learn to be like Peter Parker.
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey
Main cast: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Drive (2011)
This action drama follows a mysterious man (Ryan Gosling) who has had a slew of odd jobs as a garage mechanic, Hollywood stuntman, and getaway driver. Though he seems to be running from his past, he ends up falling for his neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and getting tangled up in a race supported by gangland money.
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
Main Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carrey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
IMDb Rating: 7.8
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Hot Rod (2007)
This ridiculous comedy focuses on a self-proclaimed stuntman (Andy Samberg) as he preps for the biggest jump of his life — 15 buses. This is all in an attempt to raise money for his abusive stepfather Frank (Ian McShane), but only because he wants to be the one to take him down.
Director: Akiva Schafer
Main Cast: Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane, Bill Hader
IMDb Rating: 6.7
National Treasure (2004)
What happens when a team of mercenaries decides to find a legendary Templar treasure? A historian named Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) is forced to steal the Declaration of Independence to stop them. With both the government and the mercenaries on his tail, Gates must solve the puzzles of the past to ensure the treasure doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Main Cast: Nicolas Cage, Daine Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Spenser Confidential (2020)
As one of the newest action movies on Netflix, this is a great film to check out if you’re looking for something you haven’t already seen. Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-cop just getting out of prison who gets roped into helping out his old boxing coach. Based on the best-selling novel, Wonderland, Spenser Confidential is fun the whole way through.
Director: Peter Barg
Main Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Winston Duke, Alan Arkin
IMDb Rating: 6.2
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