Looking for something worth watching right now? With thousands of TV shows and good movies on Netflix to choose from, finding the perfect film on the best streaming service can be a real pain. Good thing we’ve done some extensive research for you and found the best Netflix movies to stream right now.
If you’re looking for films to watch on other platforms, we’ve also found the best Amazon Prime movies, the best Hulu movies, and the best Disney+ movies for January 2022.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
147m
Genre
Drama, War
Stars
Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen
Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola
From unforgettable and historic director/writer Francis Ford Coppola comes an abstract and artistic war movie about the Vietnam War, told through descriptive scenes of allegorical allure and irresistible imagery. When an American officer (Martin Sheen) in Vietnam is given an unlikely mission, he must locate and assassinate a rogue Special Forces Colonel who has convinced himself and some locals that he is a god. Starring then-rising star Martin Sheen and the legendary Marlon Brando, the creative and award-winning cinematography is the vessel that this film travels by, cementing it in history as one of the most legendary pieces of film to date. The version on Netflix now is known as the Redux, which includes almost an hour of extra, never-before-seen footage to enjoy.
Blade Runner (1982)
118m
Genre
Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
Directed by
Ridley Scott
A sci-fi, cyberpunk dreamscape of epic proportions, Blade Runner is a classic that should be viewed by anyone claiming to be a fan of the genre. Harrison Ford plays a blade runner — someone who hunts down rogue synthetic humans known as replicants — who’s after a small group of replicants who have commandeered a ship in space and returned to Earth with a mysterious mission. Even if you’ve seen this movie before, the final cut is featured on Netflix right now and includes new scenes to nerd out to.
Moneyball (2011)
134m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by
Bennett Miller
In an emotional and witty tale of David and Goliath, Moneyball tells the true story of General Manager Billy Beane and his crazy plan that changed baseball forever. The Oakland A’s are in dire financial straits and just lost their best players because of it, Beane (Brad Pitt) enlists the help of Yale Economics graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) and uses analytics to recruit new players. Other than being a momentous and sincere telling of a true event in baseball history, writers Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian make the dialogue crisp and genuine. Differing from just about any role he’s ever played, Brad Pitt’s performance is the icing on the cake.
Don't Look Up (2021) new
138m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Stars
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep
Directed by
Adam McKay
A new and over-the-top satire from Adam McKay to check out: Don’t Look Up is worth a watch simply for the ridiculous amount of A-list actors that it features. When two nobody astronomers discover evidence that a giant comet is headed directly toward Earth, they have to find a way for Americans to take them seriously before it’s too late for everyone. Directly aimed at the politicians of today, the overall tone is pretty blatant and direct when it comes to communicating its point that our society has had better days.
The Manual streaming roundup
Léon: The Professional (1994) new
110m
Genre
Action, Crime, Drama
Stars
Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman
Directed by
Luc Besson
A darkly charming and morally divisive movie that you may have missed, Léon: The Professional is a somewhat slow-moving drama that keeps you interested with its incredible performances all the way through. After Mathilda’s (Natalie Portman) family is murdered, her neighbor, the assassin Léon (Jean Reno), reluctantly takes the young girl in and trains her against the brutal outside world. Highlighted by some incredible performances by Jean Reno and Natalie Portman, we see her at a young age showing why she has been an acting force for decades — not to mention Gary Oldman in an outstanding supporting performance that fits right in among his consistently impressive roles.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
181m
Genre
Adventure, Drama, Western
Stars
Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene
Directed by
Kevin Costner
What could be interpreted as a love letter to the American frontier and a bygone era, Dances with Wolves is a western-style Civil War drama that is one of Kevin Costner’s best performances and certainly his best-directed feature. When a Civil War lieutenant, John Dunbar, sees the tragedies of war and the destruction that his people cause, he chooses to live out his life with a tribe of Native Americans.
Good Time (2017)
102m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Stars
Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by
Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
A wildly original, exciting, and personal film from the Safdie Brothers, Good Time is a slow but sure rise in tension and anxiety that keeps the viewer enthralled. This is a story of Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson), a selfish con man who dedicates one perilous New York night to the rescue of his brother, who has been arrested after their foolish attempt at armed robbery. In what is arguably Robert Pattinson’s best performance, he complements the crisp writing, distinctive direction, and indelible cinematography that makes this film a visceral experience.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
158m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor
Directed by
Paul Thomas Anderson
Another fantastically dark film from director Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood is a wonderful addition to the list of all-time best performances from legendary leading man Daniel Day-Lewis. A cutthroat oil prospector and entrepreneur named Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) successfully cons locals out of their land using his recently adopted son as a prop, but encounters issues when a young and emphatic preacher (Paul Dano) begins to take notice and dole out his religiously driven justice. This movie is shocking and profound and does well to steadily build tension until the epic and indelible climax.
Minority Report (2002) new
144m
Genre
Action, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
For fans of sci-fi, Steven Spielberg teams up with superstar Tom Cruise for a futuristic action drama that blows audiences away. Set in futuristic 2054 Washington, D.C., the police force employs psychic technology to see and stop crime before it even happens. Any fan of sci-fi should check this movie out if you also enjoy seeing Tom Cruise kick some ass and do all his own stunts, mixed with the smooth sci-fi visual effects that make it into a spectacle for its time.
Ip Man (2008)
106m
Genre
Drama, Action, History
Stars
Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung
Directed by
Wilson Yip
When Japanese forces invade China during World War II, a wealthy and respected Wing Chun kung fu grandmaster Ip Man (Donnie Yen) is forced to leave his home and survive on the Japanese-occupied streets of Foshan. This biographical tale of Ip Man, who was Bruce Lee’s mentor, focuses on the events that may have taken place during that time. Due to its historical ode and its epic fighting scenes, Ip Man has topped our list of the best kung fu movies ever.
Mank (2020)
132m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins
Directed by
David Fincher
With more Academy Award nominations in 2021 than any other film, Mank held 10 nominations and is a film feat of historic proportions. Herman J. “Mank” Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) is given a deadline to finish the screenplay for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, and must also deal with old Hollywood politics, corruption, and debilitating alcoholism. Filmed in a style reminiscent of the classic Welles films — for which it won best cinematography and production design — this film goes above and beyond, and is one of David Fincher’s best films to date.
Extraction (2020)
116m
Genre
Drama, Action, Thriller
Stars
Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda
Directed by
Sam Hargrave
With lots of violence and big explosions, Extraction is a whole lot of fun and one of the best-choreographed films of last couple of years. When mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to save an imprisoned warlord’s son, the stakes rise exponentially as more and more local gunrunners and traffickers learn of the situation. Fulfilling the vision of veteran stunt coordinator/first-time director Sam Hargrave is quite an accomplishment, which makes it a contender for one of the best Chris Hemsworth movies — if you don’t include the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
114m
Genre
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Action
Stars
Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph
Directed by
Michael Rianda
If you’re looking for a new family comedy on Netflix, The Mitchells vs. The Machines checks all the right boxes. The plot follows a quirky and dysfunctional family with some generational communication struggles. When the Mitchells take a road trip to help the father (Danny McBride) reconnect with his daughter (Abbi Jacobson), they find themselves stuck in a car together as the only humans who can stop a sudden robot apocalypse.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
188m
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Western
Stars
Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by
Quentin Tarantino
Available in the original 168-minute slow burn, or the extended version cut into episodes, The Hateful Eight is definitely one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films. An unlikely group of Old West strangers ends up stranded in a cabin during a harsh snowstorm, but nothing is as it seems in this situation. Full of expected violence and witty banter, this film leans heavily toward the latter, leaving some audiences impatient with its suspense.
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
This incredibly powerful and reality-bending Netflix documentary chronicles the filming and acting processes behind the film Man on the Moon, where Jim Carrey delves deeply into his own psyche years after his spiritual and mental separation from the “character” of Jim Carrey and into the characters Andy Kaufman and Tony Clifton. Throughout this film, we see hours and hours of behind-the-scenes footage on set, where Carrey, playing Kaufman, loses his perception of self and even experiences visceral tear-jerking moments with the real people who were close to Kaufman. This film is one of the best Jim Carrey movies to learn about him as an actor, a character, and a vessel, all of which become ambiguously melded together in a somewhat melancholic showing of sheer talent and wavering identity.
Uncut Gems (2019)
136m
Genre
Drama, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Lakeith Stanfield
Directed by
Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
A Safdie brothers treasure, Uncut Gems is an emotional and gritty thriller starring the unlikely Adam Sandler, who shines in a new genre of torrential anxiety. With a legendary score designed to keep the audience’s rapt attention, we follow a crafty, talkative jeweler through the streets of New York as he attempts to win big, or else lose it all.
Marriage Story (2019)
137m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern
Directed by
Noah Baumbach
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. But Marriage Story isn’t all doom and gloom — it’s an emotional story that shows that divorce doesn’t have to mean a family can’t stay together.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
101m
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Stars
Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves
Directed by
Nahnatchka Khan
If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy on Netflix, Always Be My Maybe is a great place to start. The story follows Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park), two people who everyone assumed would end up together. Reconnecting after 15 years apart, they begin to think maybe they are meant to be.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
94m
Genre
Documentary, Drama
Stars
Skyler Gisondo, Kara Hayward, Vincent Kartheiser
Directed by
Jeff Orlowski
What are the effects of social networks on the human psyche? This Netflix documentary is a terrifying look inside how and why tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google operate in the way they do. You get to hear from tech experts in different fields discussing the negative impact and polarizing nature of these attention-grabbing algorithms they created.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
91m
Genre
Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Directed by
Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
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. Comedy ensues as this medieval group of soldiers encounters a plethora of silly obstacles in their quest for greatness.
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