For as many streaming services as there is currently are, Netflix remains possibly the premiere platform to watch movies and television shows. The first mainstream streaming service there was, it’s a platform that continues to boast some of the finest and most noteworthy movies you’ll find anywhere.
With a streaming catalog mixed between Netflix original movies and endless amounts of well-known movies like Joker, Chinatown, and The Florida Project, there’s no shortage of potential viewing options when it comes to Netflix’s impressive lineup of movies.
Here are some of the movies you can currently find streaming on Netflix that we’d recommend checking out.
Updated: January 18.
Comedy: The Single Moms Club (2014)
Trending as the number one movie on Netflix this week is Tyler Perry’s critically panned 2014 family comedy, The Single Moms Club. Despite its egregious reviews and lack of financial success in 2014, the film has since found renewed favor among today’s audience members on Netflix.
Struggling to contend with their responsibilities as parents, five single mothers come together to provide mutual support for one another, bonding over their shared experiences and encouraging one another in their personal lives.
Though Perry relies on a healthy amount of melodramatic clichés, The Single Moms Club’s generally light-hearted comedy and stacked cast might account for its current popularity among today’s viewers.
Thriller: Society of the Snow (2023)
Currently ranking as the second most popular movie on Netflix behind The Single Moms Club is the 2023 survival thriller, Society of the Snow. Based on a startling true story, the film dramatizes the horrific events of a 1972 flight disaster that claimed the lives of 29 people.
Crash-landing in the Andes Mountains in the early 1970s, the survivors of a brutal plane crash soon resort to desperate measures, spending a total of two months in the mountains as they await rescue.
Like most survival films, Society of the Snow features a harrowing portrait of individuals enduring hostile environmental conditions in order to survive. A fantastic thriller, it’s also among the finest recent arrivals to Netflix.
Superhero: Joker (2019)
As the DC cinematic universe prepares for a hard reset, fans are left wondering what exactly they can expect in the years ahead for the comic book giant. For a better understanding of the potential future, viewers can always look back at some of DC’s most notable past projects, like the 2019 crime thriller, Joker.
In early 1980s Gotham City, depressed clown and aspiring comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has his sanity spiral out of control following a violent incident on the local subway system.
With a musical sequel set for release this coming year, there’s no better time to watch Joker than the present. Along with The Batman, the film offers a fascinating alternative to the increasingly formulaic superhero movies being churned out today, excelling as a Scorsese-esque crime epic.
Mystery: Chinatown (1974)
A movie well and truly ahead of its time, 1974’s Chinatown offered a strong rebuke of the ‘30s-era noir genre, providing an ambitious overhaul of the genre complete with a detailed exploration of political corruption.
In mid 1930s Los Angeles, a private detective (Jack Nicholson) investigates what seems like an ordinary case of infidelity, only to wind up caught in the middle of a massive criminal conspiracy affecting the entire city.
One of the greatest neo-noir films ever made, Chinatown’s unsettling twists and turns remain every bit as shocking now as they had been in 1974. Backed by one of the best scripts ever written, the ambiguous nature of the plot allows for a movie unlike any other in the genre’s history, filled with disturbing revelations and even more unsavory characters.
Drama: The Florida Project (2017)
In the economically depressed neighborhoods outside Orlando, a young, unemployed mother (Bria Vinaite) does everything she can to provide for her precocious six-year-old daughter (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince).
Throughout his career, indie director Sean Baker has proven himself adept at shining a light on individuals from marginalized backgrounds, whether it’s a transgender escort in Tangerine or a financially struggling family in The Florida Project.
In the case of the latter, Baker utilizes his signature minimalist approach to detail the impoverished landscape immediately surrounding Walt Disney World, as well the people trying to make ends meet in said area.
Sci-Fi: Jurassic Park (1993)
It’s not an exaggeration to list Jurassic Park among the quintessential films of Steven Spielberg’s career. Like all of Spielberg’s most well-known work (Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters), it serves as a clear display of Spielberg’s immense talents as a director, able to elicit laughter, horror, and action in every scene of the film.
On a remote island facility in South America, a wealthy industrialist (Richard Attenborough) constructs a one-of-a-kind theme park populated by genetically-recreated dinosaurs. After one of his employee’s (Wayne Knight) sabotages the park’s enclosures, though, the hapless survivors trapped inside must defend themselves from the rampaging dinosaurs.
A riveting adaptation of Michael Crichton’s best-selling book, Jurassic Park may be a splendid sci-fi action film in and of itself, but the movie also features a nuanced discussion of technological advancement and scientific discovery–all at the cost of the natural world.
Stand Up: Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2023)
For the past 30 years, Dave Chappelle has maintained a respected status in American comedy, earning a significant reputation for his influential stand-up, sketch series (The Chappelle Show), and his controversial sense of humor.
Now, the Emmy Award-winning comedian returns with his latest stand-up special, The Dreamer, currently ranked as the most-watched series on Netflix. Like each of his previous specials, The Dreamer touches upon many of Chappelle’s recurring points of interest as a comic, detailing his own view on unfolding societal trends.
More so than most comedians, Dave Chappelle has the ability to either aggravate or delight audiences with his distinct brand of comedy. For this reason, he may not be the most universally popular comic, but those who enjoy his work are bound to love The Dreamer.
Action: The Equalizer 3 (2023)
It’s incredibly rare to see the third film in a franchise actually supersede the quality of the initial two movies it’s following up on. In that sense, The Equalizer 3 is an exception, delivering a one-two punch of espionage thrills and heart-stopping action.
Retiring to Italy, the former Marine Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is forced out of his peaceful solitude when his friends are threatened by the local Mafia.
Offering far more in the way of action than in story, The Equalizer 3 nevertheless makes for an enjoyable thriller, improving upon the critical shortcomings of its predecessors. While it’s unknown whether we’ll ever see another film in the franchise, the series comes to a more than satisfactory conclusion here.
Biopic: Elvis (2022)
As we enter the upcoming awards’ season, it’s always refreshing to look back at some of the many films released to universally positive reviews from the past few years–2022’s Elvis being a great example.
Rising through the ranks of the music industry in the 1950s, up-and-coming musician Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) has his career managed by the enigmatic Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), a man who exploits Presley’s talents for his own monetary gain.
A stylish study of the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis dramatizes the unique relationship that existed between Presley and his infamous scheming manager in Parker. With Butler stealing the show in his portrayal of Presley, Elvis appears as one of the best movies of the decade thus far.
History: The Crown (2016)
It’s official–after seven long and glorious years, the award-winning biographical drama series, The Crown, has come to an end. With the second half of the sixth and final season of The Crown seeing a release in mid-December, Netflix’s long-running study of the Royal Family comes to a definitive conclusion.
As an elderly Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) ponders over her long reign as the head of Britain’s government, she also wonders about the future of the monarchy in the hands of her successors–especially her son Charles (Dominic West) and her grandson, William (Ed McVey).
A bittersweet farewell to one of Netflix’s premiere series, The Crown wraps up the all-inclusive reign of Elizabeth II in its entirety, jumping ahead in its chronological timeline to the cabinet administration of Tony Blair and the burgeoning romance between William and Kate Middleton.
Mexican: Duck Season (2004)
Netflix has always been a great place to watch little-known or overlooked movies from a large international basis, be it a horror movie from Thailand or a tender coming of age film from Mexico–as happens to be the case for 2004’s Duck Season.
Spending a carefree day in their mother’s apartment, two teenage best friends (Daniel Miranda and Diego Catano) have their idyllic leisure interrupted when the power goes out.
One of the best films from the Mexican New Wave, Duck Season focuses on the nostalgic nature of reaching early adolescence from childhood. Through the main characters’ eyes, Duck Season returns viewers to the nostalgic days of their own youths, when the biggest problem one had to face was finding some way to spend an uneventful afternoon.
Animated: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
It’s been 23 long years since the release of Chicken Run, one of the most widely-loved films ever released from Aardman Animations. Now, the famously escape-prone avians return with Aardman’s latest project, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.
Having escaped from Mrs. Tweedy’s (Miranda Richardsn) farm years prior, Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and her absentminded husband Rocky (Zachary Levi) are forced to confront their former adversary when their daughter (Bella Ramsey) is kidnapped.
Earning as favorable a response as the original Chicken Run, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget utilizes its crisp stop-motion animation to optimal effect, winning audiences over with its impressive animation, imaginative story, and talented cast members.
Foreign: A Nearly Normal Family (2023)
A recent arrival to Netflix, A Nearly Normal Family is a palpitating thriller series from Sweden. A whodunit that focuses on grief, trauma, and the collective healing of a family ripped apart by tragedy, it’s a luminous miniseries perfectly deserving of its current acclaim.
Four years after their teenage daughter (Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors) was violently assaulted, an ordinary family is once again thrust into the public light when their now 19-year-old daughter is accused of murder.
Based on M.T. Edvardsson’s best-selling novel of the same name, A Nearly Normal Family is a gripping family drama that takes on a variety of different guises. At once a drama series, it also draws on elements of a classic mystery, breaking down each family members’ personality, as well as how they’re mentally processing each traumatic incident in their life.
Music: The Archies (2023)
Given their endearing place in the annals of pop culture, the cast of Archie Comics have wound up in many different adaptations over the years, whether in film or contemporary comic books. In addition to the more faithful takes on Archie Andrews and his intrepid friends, the company has also seen its fair share of more outlandish adaptations as well, such as the 2023 musical comedy, The Archies.
In 1960s India, teenager Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda) and his closest friends rally to save Riverdale’s well-loved park from demolition.
A grand-scale musical where the cast of Archie Comics has been transposed to 1960s India, The Archies is no doubt one of the more “out there” movies on Netflix right now. As odd as it may seem to some, the creative combination helps The Archies achieve a fascinating tone few other movies possess.
Sports: Gran Turismo (2023)
A live-action adaptation of the popular racing video games franchise, Gran Turismo brings the fast-paced thrills of the original game series to the bring screen. Loosely based on a true story, it’s a fascinating study of the real-life career of Jann Mardenborough, a young man who used his love of video games to forge his own indelible career path.
Winning an international contest, clothing store worker and avid video game fan Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) uses his intimate knowledge of Gran Turismo to become an actual race car driver.
With its first-rate racing sequences, Gran Turismo showcases the high-speed chaos of racing vehicles flying across their course at speeds that would make the Looney Tunes Road Runner look slow. At its heart, though, the film is an interesting presentation of Mardenborough’s unique journey from retail worker to overnight racing sensation.
Fantasy: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
One year ago this month, Guillermo del Toro released his universally praised adaptation of the timeless children’s story, Pinocchio. A far cry from the Disney classic, del Toro’s iteration of the beloved fable harkened back to the original, darker undertones of the story, ensuring a family-friendly movie of utter originality.
In 1930s Italy, an elderly woodcarver (David Bradley) who longs for family builds a wooden puppet of a young boy (Gregory Mann) who miraculously takes on a life of his own.
Even when held up to some of del Toro’s latest movies (namely, The Shape of Water), Pinocchio ranks among the director’s finest work. Like his previous Pan’s Labyrinth or The Devil’s Backbone, the historical setting of the film juxtaposes marvelously with the magical realism of the plot, leading to some wonderful and creative results.
Crime: Good Time (2017)
Like Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp before him, Robert Pattinson sought to shed his reputation as an angelic-faced teen heartthrob by the start of the 2010s. As a result, the former Twilight star signed on to appear in a number of more grounded drama films, such as 2017’s Good Time.
After his intellectually disabled brother (Benny Safdie) is arrested during a botched robbery, a professional thief (Pattinson) searches for ways to spring him free.
An enrapturing neo-noir crime thriller, Good Time is most worth watching for Pattinson’s incendiary performance alone. A devoted brother willing to go to extreme lengths to protect his brother from harm, Pattinson completely redefines himself as an actor with his performance in Good Time.
Reality: Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)
Two years ago, Netflix released the wildly popular South Korean web series, Squid Game. A high-stakes competitive tournament with death and a vast fortune on the line, the show quickly garnered widespread attention from viewers in 2021, becoming the most-watched series on Netflix by a vast margin.
As audiences continue to wait for the next installment of the series, Netflix has since developed a spin-off reality series based on Squid Game’s main premise. Adopting many of the same competitive games as the original show, Squid Game: The Challenge pits ordinary people in such classic children’s games as Red Light, Green Light, and Battleship.
With a total of 456 competitors and a grand prize of $4.56 million, Squid Game: The Challenge makes for one of the most high-stakes reality game shows ever aired. With nail-biting action around every corner, it’s a series that matches the suspense and intrigue of the initial Squid Game series.
Psychological: Leave the World Behind (2023)
Currently ranking as the number-one movie on Netflix, Leave the World Behind is the electrifying adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s best-selling novel. A tense psychological thriller, it also acts as an imaginative take on the apocalyptic genre.
Vacationing at an Airbnb in Rhode Island, a small family starts to believe something’s wrong when their technology begins malfunctioning, forcing them to wonder whether a major catastrophe has somehow affected the country.
With a talented cast that includes Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and Kevin Bacon, Leave the World Behind makes for a tense and ultimately modern spin on the apocalyptic storyline, illustrating our country’s over-reliance on technological conveniences.
Family: Family Switch (2023)
Currently ranking as the second most -watched movie on Netflix (behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie), Family Switch is among Netflix’s latest seasonal films to enjoy for the holidays. Borrowing the basic plotline of Freaky Friday, it’s a generally warmhearted fantasy comedy focusing on aging, family, and friendship.
With Christmas on the horizon, a bickering Los Angeles family (Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, and Brady Noon) have their lives turned upside down when they wake up in each other’s bodies.
With a talented cast at its disposal, Family Switch paints up an entertaining comedy film showcasing a family as dysfunctional as the Griswolds in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Despite its mediocre critical reviews, its trending popularity on Netflix speaks for itself.
Space Opera: Rebel Moon (2023)
One of the widely-anticipated movies of the year, Zack Snyder’s latest lengthy epic, Rebel Moon, has finally arrived on Netflix. The first part of a planned trilogy of films, Rebel Moon kicks off Snyder’s space opera series with his signature brand of explosive action.
On the remote farming moon of Veldt, a former soldier (Sofia Boutella) recruits a team of warriors to protect the colony from the overwhelming might of the power-hungry Imperium.
While critical reviews for the film have been somewhat mixed, audiences have voiced their overwhelming enthusiasm for Snyder’s project, favorably describing it as a cross between Seven Samurai and Star Wars.
Teen: My Life with the Walter Boys (2023)
The most-watched series on Netflix currently, My Life with the Walter Boys serves as a bold adaptation of Ali Novak’s self-published 2014 novel of the same name. Despite its less-than-enthusiastic reviews from critics, the series has managed to sustain most viewers through its generally affable representation of modern teenage woes.
In the wake of her parents’ death in a tragic car accident, a 15-year-old from New York (Nikki Rodriguez) moves into her new home in Colorado. As she bonds with her adoptive family, she also tries to rebuild her life in her new high school surroundings.
While its humor may be a little too niche for some, My Life with the Walter Boys tackles plenty of poignant themes–including trauma and the struggle to make new friends–that most teenage viewers can probably relate to.
Award Nominee: Maestro (2023)
Meeting by chance at a party in 1946, up-and-coming composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) becomes romantically involved with theatrical actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan)—a romance that spans the better part of their lives.
A stunning biographical film centered around one the most famous composers of the 20th century, Maestro has already garnered widespread acclaim from critics following its initial release in late November.
Nominated for four Golden Globe Awards (Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Motion Picture), it’s a humbling testament to director and star Bradley Cooper’s proficient abilities both behind the camera, and in front of it.
Comic Book: Aquaman (2018)
More recently, the epic finale to the DCEU as fans know it has come and gone with the latest superhero movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. To better prepare for the newest DC movie, fans might want to think about revisiting the original 2018 Aquaman.
Making a name for himself as a member of the Justice League, Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is forced to return to his home in Atlantis in order to stop his estranged half-brother (Patrick Wilson) from invading the surface world.
While 2018’s Aquaman is far from a perfect film, it’s at least miles ahead of its far more disappointing sequel in The Lost Kingdom. If nothing else, the movie makes some inspiring use of its pitch-perfect lead cast, most especially Momoa’s rugged Aquaman and Wilson’s self-aggrandizing King Orm.
Horror: The First Purge (2018)
Wanting to test out the idea of a “purge” where all crime is legal for a 12-hour basis, the U.S. closes off Staten Island, allowing the residents to revel in any criminal activities for a limited window of time.
The moment the first film hit theaters in 2013, the horror thriller series, The Purge, gained widespread attention from fans, launching a wildly successful multimedia franchise that led to several sequels, prequels, and a short-lived anthology TV series.
With The First Purge, the series’ creator provides a feasible look into the origins of the inaugural Purge, as well as providing further exposition on certain in-universe plot elements like the New Founding Fathers (the de facto main antagonists of the franchise).
Anime: One Piece (1999)
There’s absolutely no denying the unexpected success of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s encyclopedic One Piece manga series. As incredible as the recent 2023 fantasy series is, though, viewers shouldn’t look past how utterly great the original 1999 anime version of One Piece is either.
In a nautical world filled with pirates, marines, and other seafaring adventurers, a young buccaneer with the power of elasticity embarks on a journey with his crew to find the fabled One Piece treasure.
With its 20th and most recent season arriving to Netflix this past month, anime fans can rejoice at the possibility of seeing their favorite buccaneers at it again in One Piece – whether they gravitate towards the mischievous Monkey D. Luffy or his far more responsible navigator, Nami.
Nature: Life On Our Planet (2023)
Of course, if you end up watching Jurassic Park, it’s also not a bad idea to watch one of the more recent documentaries on Netflix, Life On Our Planet (fittingly produced by none other than Steven Spielberg himself).
In contrast to most other nature documentaries, Life On Our Planet details how the Earth has evolved over millions of years, including specific episodes centered around dinosaurs and early mammals as well as the gradual rise of humanity.
Harking back to Jurassic Park’s immortal message of how life always “finds a way,” Life On Our Planet demonstrates the wondrous nature of existence itself, as shown by Earth’s numerous inhabitants over the past several million years.
Family: Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
For the past 11 years, DC has been delighting younger audiences with their superb superhero series, Teen Titans Go! A loving reboot of the cult favorite Teen Titan series of the 2000s, Teen Titans Go!’s continuing success eventually paved the way to a 2018 cinematic adaptation in the form of Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.
Desperately wanting to be taken seriously by the general public and their fellow superheroes, the Teen Titans travel to Hollywood, hoping to entice industry personalities to make a movie about their exploits.
Like the initial cartoon, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies offers another satisfactory outing for the eponymous superhero team. Framed by colorful animation design and unabating humor, it’s a joyful superhero movie that the entire family will love watching.
Romance: Good Grief (2023)
Another relatively recent arrival to Netflix currently sitting on this week’s most watched movies list, Good Grief is a high-spirited romantic comedy that provides just as many laughs as it does poignant emotional discussions.
Recovering from the sudden death of his partner (Luke Evans), a grieving husband (Daniel Levy) travels to Paris to reflect on his loss alongside his two best friends (Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel).
More of a comedic drama than strictly a romcom, Good Grief flawlessly meditates on the profound toll grief has on the average person, especially when the departed is a longtime romantic partner.
Western: High Plains Drifter (1973)
In 1971, acting legend Clint Eastwood threw his ten gallon hat into the ring to formally try his hand at directing. Following his debut effort with Play Misty for Me, Eastwood set his sights on the genre that gave him his start: the classic Western vehicle.
After three notorious outlaws (Geoffrey Lewis, Dan Vadis, and Anthony James) are released from prison, the cowardly residents of a small Western town implore a mysterious drifter (Eastwood) to help protect them.
Like Eastwood’s previous tenure in the Man with No Name trilogy, High Plains Drifter opts for a more realistic rendition of the Western genre, characterized by its sheer violence, morally ambiguous characters, and distinct, howling soundtrack.
Documentary: Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)
Far more than an icon of the silver screen, acting legend Hedy Lamarr also enjoyed a successful career as an inventor, using her vast aptitude for science to aid the Allied war effort in the 1940s.
A prolific actor, a dedicated inventor, and a dedicated enemy of the Nazi Party that seized control of her native Austria, Lamarr’s incredible life story forms the backbone of the 2017 documentary, Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.
Featuring a detailed account of Lamarr’s life, influence, and contributions to the American military during World War II, Bombshell underscores how talented and multifaceted a woman Lamarr was during her lifetime.
Underrated: The Parallax View (1974)
After his journalist ex-girlfriend (Paula Prentiss) is killed under mysterious circumstances, an investigative reporter (Warren Beatty) begins to suspect that a large, shadowy organization has been at work influencing American politics.
The 1970s marked a divisive time in American politics. After the fallout of the Watergate scandal, most ordinary Americans began wondering how much trust they could place in the U.S. government, and whether politicians truly had the better interests of the nation at heart.
This newfound political pessimism and sense of paranoia informed the tone of numerous political dramas in the following decade, as seen with a political thriller like The Parallax View. An anxiety-laden suspense film, it’s among the best thrillers of the 1970s, right there alongside Three Days of The Condor.