Netflix has many quality offerings, including beloved classics and compelling originals. The 21 best movies on Netflix for a quality viewing experience Netflix has many quality offerings, including beloved classics and compelling originals. By Kevin Jacobsen and Declan Gallagher on December 5, 2025 6:27 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/bestmoviesonnetlfix12042539dc743f9aa5445e8432c655c9ec127a.jpg) Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in 'Frankenstein'; Song Kangho as Kim Kitaek in 'Parasite'; Jodie Comer as Isla in '28 Years Later'.

Netflix has many quality offerings, including beloved classics and compelling originals.

The 21 best movies on Netflix for a quality viewing experience

Netflix has many quality offerings, including beloved classics and compelling originals.

By Kevin Jacobsen

and Declan Gallagher

on December 5, 2025 6:27 a.m. ET

Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in 'Frankenstein'; Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek in 'Parasite'; Jodie Comer as Isla in '28 Years Later'. Credit:

Ken Woroner/Netflix; Neon; Miya Mizuno/Sony Pictures Entertainment

When Netflix introduced its then-revolutionary mail-in rental service in the late '90s, it was competing with businesses like movie theaters, Blockbuster, and even Tower Video. Some of those stalwarts have faltered, but Netflix has only continued to expand its library and influence, shifting to a streaming platform in 2007 that offers studio and indie films, cable and broadcast TV series, and its own prestige (or not) content.

Beyond a treasure trove of original series and features, the service has curated a laundry list of excellent films both new and old. Here are the 21 best movies on Netflix.

George MacKay as Lance Corporal Will Schofield and Benedict Cumberbatch as Colonel Mackenzie in '1917'.

Francois Duhamel/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

This Oscar-winning war film presents its story with bracing realism. In *1917*, Lance Corporal William "Will" Schofield (George MacKay) is a British soldier embarking on a perilous journey through the trenches and battlefields of World War I. Will is paired with Lance Corporal Thomas "Tom" Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and tasked with personally delivering a message to a colonel to call off an offensive attack that would put British soldiers in harm's way.

Director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins skillfully give the film the illusion of being shot seamlessly — as if in only one continuous take — which, EW's critic observes, "effectively drops the viewer into the center of the story and compels them to stay there, fully immersed in every muddy step, hunger pang, and rifle click." —*Kevin Jacobsen***** Where to watch *1917*: Netflix******EW grade:** A–******Director:** Sam Mendes******Cast:** George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

28 Years Later (2025)

Alfie Williams as Spike, Jodie Comer as Isla, and Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson in '28 Years Later'.

Miya Mizuno/Columbia Pictures

While *28 Days Later* (2002) and its sequel, *28 Weeks Later *(2007), focused on the immediate aftermath of the devastating "Rage Virus," this third installment explores how society has adapted to its dystopian new reality. The film follows Spike (Alfie Williams), a boy who's only ever known life under quarantine, as he ventures out with his father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) into dangerous territory. Exploring themes of grief and mortality without sacrificing the gruesome violence we've come to expect from the franchise, *28 Years Later* is, as EW's critic puts it, "strange, unpredictable, gloriously revolting, darkly funny, and, when you least expect it, rather touching." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *28 Years Later*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Danny Boyle

**Cast:** Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, Jack O'Connell**

Boyz N the Hood (1991)

Leonette Scott as Tisha and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Jason 'Tre' Styles III in 'Boyz N the Hood'.

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an aspiring college student, dreams big while trying to survive the streets of South Central L.A. in this absorbing coming-of-age drama. A war between rival gangs begins when Tre's childhood friend Doughboy (Ice Cube) is released from prison and now a member of the Crips. After the Bloods start a conflict with Ricky (Morris Chestnut), the tension between the gangs reaches a breaking point.

Writer-director John Singleton earned heaps of praise for the film, including two Oscar nominations. EW's critic notes of Singleton's direction: "Through dialogue and atmosphere, he establishes how the cult of violence — of guns, and the neurotic masculine power they represent — has, in an era of hopelessness, become a face-saving religion for Black urban youth, one that's working to devour all nonbelievers." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Boyz N the Hood*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B–

**Director:** John Singleton

**Cast:** Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long

Frankenstein (2025)

Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature in 'Frankenstein'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Guillermo del Toro, lover of monsters big and small, proves to be an ideal fit for adapting the story of Frankenstein. Del Toro remains relatively faithful to the gothic sensibility of Mary Shelley's novel, which centers on the titular scientist as he creates a sentient creature in his lab. As in the book, this adaptation sees the makeshift father and son at odds, though del Toro provides us with a much more sympathetic Creature, brought to life brilliantly by Jacob Elordi in all his sad-eyed, long-limbed wonder.

"Every time you have drama on film is great," del Toro explains to EW. "Every time you have drama in your life, it's coming from a false understanding of life. Either you think you *deserve* more or you don't deserve this. And the word 'deserve' has nothing to do with living. It just is. And the movie tries to show those things." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Frankenstein*: Netflix

**Director:** Guillermo del Toro

**Cast:** Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Godzilla in 'Godzilla Minus One'.

Toho International/Courtesy Everett Collection

Films in the long-running *Godzilla* franchise aren't exactly known for their human characters compared to the titular giant reptilian monster, but this universally acclaimed installment is a rare exception. The film focuses on former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a man with PTSD after failing to prevent Godzilla from destroying an island community during World War II. Haunted by the incident, Shikishima looks for redemption when the imposing monster returns to terrorize Japan.

EW's critic ranks *Godzilla Minus One* — which won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects — as the fourth-best film in the franchise, writing, "This sweeping blend of character-driven drama, maritime adventure, and kaiju mayhem is popcorn entertainment at its best." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Godzilla Minus One*: Netflix

**Director:** Takashi Yamazaki

**Cast:** Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka

I'm Still Here (2024)

Selton Mello as Rubens Paiva and Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva with their onscreen children in 'I'm Still Here'.

Alile Onawale/Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Fernanda Torres delivers one of 2024's best performances as Brazilian activist Eunice Paiva in this deeply emotional drama. Based on a true story, the film follows Eunice as she grapples with the forced disappearance of her politician husband under Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s. As she tries to hold things together for her children, she seeks answers for where her husband is — and if he's still alive. Torres provides a steadfast determination to her performance as Eunice, winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination for her work. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *I'm Still Here*: Netflix

**Director:** Walter Salles

**Cast:** Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro

I'm Your Venus (2025)

Amara Xtravaganza and Gisele Xtravaganza in 'I'm Your Venus'.

One of the standout ballroom performers featured in the seminal 1990 documentary *Paris Is Burning* is Venus Xtravaganza, whose life was tragically cut short after being found strangled to death at the age of 22. Believed to be the victim of a hate crime, the unsolved case is reexamined in this moving documentary about Venus' biological and chosen families coming together to honor her memory and find answers. Director Kimberly Reed also leaves plenty of room to celebrate Venus' life and her lasting impact on the trans community and ball culture. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *I'm Your Venus*: Netflix

**Director:** Kimberly Reed

**Cast:** Venus Xtravaganza, Gisele Xtravaganza, Gia Marie Love, Dominique Jackson

Nyad (2023)

Annette Bening as Diana Nyad and Jodie Foster as Bonnie Stoll in 'Nyad'. Kimberley French/Netflix

Annette Bening gives an astonishing, Oscar-nominated performance as real-life marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who at 64 trained to become the first person to swim to Cuba. Equally riveting as Nyad's trainer is Jodie Foster (also Oscar-nominated), reminding viewers that in terms of steely confidence, someone rarely does it better than her. "The two women also share an effortless chemistry that breathes vitality into their onscreen bond and wholeheartedly sells their decades-long connection," EW's critic writes. *—D.G.*

Where to watch *Nyad*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B–

**Directors: **Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

**Cast:** Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans

Parasite (2019)

Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo, Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek, Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook, and Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung in 'Parasite'.

Neon/Moviestore/Shutterstock

Who is the real parasite in *Parasite*? Is it the low-income, working Kim family that gradually worms their way into the lives of the wealthy Park family? Or is it the Parks benefiting from the hard work of those they deem below them? Bong Joon Ho's darkly comedic thriller is brilliant and propulsive in many ways, entertaining the audience with its twists and turns while also providing trenchant social commentary about class and capitalism. EW's critic calls *Parasite* a "serrating, brilliantly stylized portrait of class and fate and family" as well as "a filmgoing experience that refuses to fit into any box." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Parasite*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Bong Joon Ho

**Cast:** Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Jesse Plemons as George Burbank and Kirsten Dunst as Rose Gordon in 'The Power of the Dog'. Netflix

Jane Campion's adaptation of the Thomas Savage novel is a spellbinding Western drama about power and control. Set in 1920s Montana, the film centers on Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), a cruel rancher who psychologically torments his brother (Jesse Plemons), sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst), and her soft-spoken son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) on the ranch they share. After Peter discovers a buried secret about Phil, he methodically plots his revenge on his uncle. Campion deservedly won an Oscar for Best Director for the film; as EW's critic praises, "being submerged in her ineffable world feels not just like two hours in the dark, but high art." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Power of the Dog*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Jane Campion

**Cast:** Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee

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Pulp Fiction (1994)

John Travolta as Vincent Vega and Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in 'Pulp Fiction'.

Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection

Quentin Tarantino's postmodern masterpiece has spawned numerous imitators, but all pale in comparison to this darkly humorous (and violent) fever dream. The crime comedy follows a compelling cast of characters, including a pair of hitmen, a prizefighter, a gangster's wife, and a restaurant-robbing couple, whose lives intertwine in explosive ways. "In *Pulp Fiction*," writes EW's critic, "Tarantino creates a dizzying spectacle of life at its darkest, only to release us, with a wink, into the light." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Pulp Fiction*: Netflix

**Director:** Quentin Tarantino

**Cast:** John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel

RRR (2022)

N.T. Rama Rao Jr. as Komaram Bheem and Ram Charan as Alluri Sitarama Raju in 'RRR'.

Raftar Creations/Courtesy Everett Collection

This Indian action epic rightfully broke out as an international success in 2022. Set during the British Raj in the 1920s, the film centers on Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and his plan to reunite a kidnapped girl with her mother; meanwhile, a determined officer, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), is hot on his trail. Their lives intersect when they rescue a boy in a train accident and they form a bond, ironically unaware of each other's identities. Packed with rousing sequences (particularly the performance of the Oscar-winning song "Naatu Naatu"), *RRR* is an entertaining thrill ride that puts Hollywood blockbusters to shame. *—K.J.*

Where to watch *RRR*: Netflix

**Director:** S.S. Rajamouli

**Cast:** N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran

Saturday Night (2024)

(From left to right): Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Matt Wood as John Belushi, and Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd in 'Saturday Night'.

*Saturday Night Live* has become a true institution in the television landscape...which would surprise most people involved in the making of the late-night sketch show in 1975. This propulsive dramedy from writer-director Jason Reitman gives us a near-minute-by-minute dramatization of the nail-biting 90 minutes leading up to the show's premiere on Oct. 11, 1975. EW's critic praises *Saturday Night* as "a wildly entertaining love letter to a night of television that marked a cultural watershed." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Saturday Night*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Jason Reitman

**Cast:** Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O'Brien

Shiva Baby (2021)

Rachel Sennott as Danielle in 'Shiva Baby'. Utopia

Don't be fooled by the slight, 78-minute runtime or the silliness of the poster: This is one of the most anxiety-inducing films of the decade — intentionally so. In her breakout role, Rachel Sennott plays Danielle, an aimless college student attending a shiva with her parents. While there, she grapples (often hilariously) with a series of awkward interactions, particularly when she spots her sugar daddy and finds out he's married. EW's critic praises *Shiva Baby* as "blithely ruthless," calling it "a sort of endless festivus of cringe so visceral it borders on body horror." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Shiva Baby*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Emma Seligman

**Cast:** Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper, Danny Deferrari, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron

Spencer (2021)

Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in 'Spencer'. Pablo Larrain/Neon/Courtesy Everett Collection

*Spencer* is far from the Princess Diana biopic you would expect. Beginning with a title card that reads "A fable from a true tragedy," this psychological drama from Pablo Larraín envisions an emotionally taxing Christmas holiday that Princess Diana spent with the British royal family in 1991. While the holiday took place in real life, the film imagines how Diana may have felt as the pressures of her situation cause her to unravel. Kristen Stewart's Oscar-nominated portrayal of Diana is a genius bit of casting, as she plays into the discomfort of the beloved princess with shocking vulnerability. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Spencer*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director:** Pablo Larraín

**Cast:** Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, Sally Hawkins

The Teachers' Lounge (2023)

Leonie Benesch as Carla Nowak in 'The Teachers' Lounge'.

Sony Pictures Classics/Everett Collection

After this tense Oscar-nominated German film gets going, it refuses to let up. Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is the bright-eyed new teacher at a school where her fellow educators are trying to uncover the culprit behind multiple thefts from the teachers' lounge. She soon finds herself embroiled in the case when she spots a colleague stealing money, only for that colleague to deflect onto her. *The Teachers' Lounge* moves with the energy of a thriller, with viewers' anxiety rising the further Carla grapples with mounting pressure. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Teachers' Lounge*: Netflix

**Director: **Ilker Çatak

**Cast:** Leonie Benesch, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Eva Löbau

Tick, Tick... BOOM! (2021)

Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson in 'Tick, Tick... BOOM!'. Macall B. Polay/Netflix

Jonathan Larson was a celebrated composer and playwright most famous for penning the Broadway musical *Rent*. He also wrote a semi-autobiographical musical based on his life called *Tick, Tick...Boom!*, which Lin-Manuel Miranda adapted to this well-received musical drama. Andrew Garfield, in an Oscar-nominated turn, stars as Larson, following his struggle to mount a musical while dealing with a tumultuous personal life. "*Tick, Tick… Boom!* is a totem for the thrills and trials of making art, with all the sacrifices and empathy it requires," EW's critic writes. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Tick, Tick... BOOM!*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Lin-Manuel Miranda

**Cast:** Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Judith Light, Vanessa Hudgens

Train Dreams (2025)

Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier in 'Train Dreams'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Robert Gauthier is an ordinary man, but that doesn't make his story any less worth telling, as this moving period drama portrays. Based on the novella of the same name, *Train Dreams* follows Robert (Joel Edgerton) through multiple decades of the 20th century as he works as a logger, falls in love, and copes with grief. Told with a mythic sense of wonder and grace, the film will leave you in a trance if you give yourself over to it, thanks in large part to Edgerton's soulful performance. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Train Dreams*: Netflix

**Director:** Clint Bentley

**Cast:** Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, William H. Macy

Triple Frontier (2019)

Oscar Isaac as Santiago 'Pope' Garcia and Ben Affleck as Tom 'Redfly' Davis in 'Triple Frontier'. Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix

J.C. Chandor's masculine action riff, about a group of special ops planning a heist in South America, is a stark contrast to his earlier, more patient efforts in 2011's *Margin Call*, 2013's *All Is Lost*, or 2014's *A Most Violent Year* (his masterpiece). While not as thematically strong as those films, *Triple Frontier* offers a dose of adrenaline that, much like *The Strangers*, harkens back to a forgotten era of mid-'70s B pictures. "There may be no honor among thieves," EW's critic writes, "but *Triple Frontier *certainly makes watching them pretty entertaining." *—D.G.*

Where to watch *Triple Frontier*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** J.C. Chandor

**Cast:** Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Pedro Pascal, Garrett Hedlund

Will & Harper (2024)

Harper Steele and Will Ferrell in 'Will & Harper'.

Courtesy of Netflix

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele have been close friends since joining *Saturday Night Live* in the mid-'90s. After Steele came out as a trans woman in 2022, she and Ferrell embarked on a road trip across America so he could get to know her authentic truth and for her own personal journey of self-acceptance. This documentary — hilarious and moving in equal measure — chronicles the trip as Ferrell learns how to be an ally and wield his privilege for good and Steele opens up about her demons and finds catharsis. "Come for the laughs, cameos, and raw emotions," writes EW's critic, "stay for the pitch-perfect theme song co-written and performed by Kristen Wiig." —*K.J.*

Where to watch *Will & Harper*: Netflix

**Director: **Josh Greenbaum

**Cast:** Will Ferrell, Harper Steele

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2024)

Benedict Cumberbatch as Henry Sugar in 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar'.

This whimsical anthology film finds auteur director Wes Anderson bringing the stories of Roald Dahl to life. Originally released as four short films in 2023, Netflix has now assembled them all into one collection. *The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar*, which won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short, centers on the titular character's years-long training process to be able to see without his eyes — all so he can cheat at gambling.

Other shorts are *The Swan *(about the struggles of a bullied boy), *The Rat Catcher *(about, well, an exterminator of rats), and *Poison *(about a man who finds a snake in his bed). Anderson's flair for carefully crafted aesthetics is a throughline, as is his love of the art of storytelling. —*K.J.*

Where to watch *The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More*: Netflix

**Director: **Wes Anderson

**Cast:** Ralph Fiennes, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Streaming"

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Source: Streaming

Published: December 05, 2025 at 06:38AM on Source: OPERA MAG

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