Trying to find the best movie to watch on Netflix can be a daunting challenge. We’ve all been there. You've decided you’re going to watch something. You have the entirety of Netflix at your disposal, including even a pared-down list of films you’ve already bookmarked to watch at a future date. But then there’s the choosing. You’ve gotta find something that fits your mood, or something you and your friend/significant other/couch companion can agree on. You spend hours browsing, and by the time you stumble on something you think maybe is the one, it’s too late, you’re too tired, and indecision has won out.
Never fear, though, because we here at Collider have a guide to help you find the perfect Netflix movies available in the U.S. We’ve thumbed through the library and assembled a list of some of the best films currently available for streaming, from classics to hidden gems to new releases and beyond. This list of the best movies on Netflix is updated weekly with all-new choices, so be sure to return the next time you're looking for something great to watch.
Editor's note: This post was last updated on July 9th to add Air Force One and Boogie Nights.
Air Force One
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe
Cast: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Wendy Crewson, Paul Guilfoyle, William H. Macy, Liesel Matthews, Dean Stockwell, and Glenn Close
Ah, the glorious 90s when you could make an R-rated tentpole summer action movie that’s basically Die Hard except it’s Air Force One instead of Nakatomi Tower and it’s the President of the United States instead of a New York cop visiting his estranged wife. The simple premise of Air Force One has remained durable and entertaining thanks to the A+ casting of Harrison Ford as the action star President and Gary Oldman as the leader of the Russian terrorists who take over the President’s plane. Wolfgang Petersen manages the action well and gives it a particularly nasty bite when necessary to raise the stakes while still allowing for the rah-rah heroism of the President punching terrorists. – Matt Goldberg
Boogie Nights
Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Alfred Molina, and Ricky Jay
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is certainly one of the most ambitious filmmakers working today, but his 1997 magnum opus Boogie Nights remains not only one of his best movies, but a groundbreaking piece of work full-stop. Anderson chronicles the rise and fall of an energetic young man in the 1970s with a massive…talent. Casting Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler was a stroke of genius, and the way Anderson fashions the burgeoning porn industry into a dysfunctional family drama is downright masterful. And that cast, man alive. Each and every ensemble member shines—when you have a film where Philip Seymour Hoffman isn’t the scene-stealer, you know you’ve got a stacked cast. Boogie Nights remains as entertaining, heartbreaking, and enthralling as ever almost two decades after its release. – Adam Chitwood
Star Trek
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Eric Bana
Few franchise reboots have been as successful or as thrilling as J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film Star Trek. The film had the unenviable task of introducing younger versions of iconic Star Trek characters while also serving as an exciting and surprising journey all its own. The brilliant fix is that in this story, Leonard Nimoy’s Spock travels through a wormhole back in time to interact with the younger version of Kirk (Chris Pine), which then sets these characters on a timeline path that has the potential to stray from adventures seen in the original Star Trek series. But beyond that genius fix, Star Trek is a thrilling and visually dynamic blockbuster spectacle, loaded with humor, heart, and action that doesn’t sacrifice great characters. It’s a blast from start to finish, and it’s one of Abrams’ best films. – Adam Chitwood
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron and William Wisher
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong
A list of the best sequels ever made is not complete without Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Filmmaker James Cameron’s action-packed sci-fi follow-up expands the scope of his original film, turning the bad guy into an ally as Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a “good Terminator” sent from the future to protect a young John Connor (Edward Furlong), who will one day lead an uprising against the machines. This is great sci-fi storytelling, eye-popping action, and popcorn entertainment all rolled into one, with Cameron firing on all cylinders at the top of his game. In a true test of Terminator 2’s greatness, the film works tremendously well even if you’re not all that into action movies. – Adam Chitwood
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay and Will Ferrell
Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, and Michael Clarke Duncan
It’s tickling to no end that a Best Director Oscar nominee is the same mastermind behind such silliness as Anchorman and Step Brothers. But writer/director Adam McKay’s masterful hold over tone and subject matter in The Big Short is simply an extension of something he’d been doing for years, with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby acting as one of the biggest dupings of general audiences in recent memory. On the surface, it’s a silly comedy starring Will Ferrell as a goofy race car driver. But at its heart, Talladega Nights is a searing takedown of corporate culture and “Southern pride.” It’s incredibly effective, with hilarious supporting turns by John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon upping the goof factor exponentially and the late Michael Clarke Duncan showing a side of himself audiences had never seen before. This is Adam McKay doing what he does best, only on a broader canvas and with considerably more Mountain Dew. – Adam Chitwood
The Game
Director: David Fincher
Writers: John Brancato and Michael Ferris
Cast: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
The Game is kind of a hidden gem in director David Fincher's filmography. The 1997 film marked his follow-up to Se7en, and he decided to tell a mystery that’s all about leading your audience along. Michael Douglas plays a wealthy investment banker who is given a gift for his birthday from his brother: a real-world “game” that offers the experience of a lifetime. As the story unfolds, the audience (and Douglas’s character) is unsure as to whether what’s happening is part of the game, or actually real. Your repeat viewing mileage may vary as it’s a film that you can only be surprised by once, but there’s some great filmmaking on display from Fincher and Douglas gives a swell performance. – Adam Chitwood
Love, Actually
Director/Writer: Richard Curtis
Cast: Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Colin Firth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page
The “smash a dozen celebrities together for a holiday” genre has become sort of a joke, but Love Actually is just too damn charming, warm, and overwhelmingly British to not count as a rewatchable delight. The movie follows ten separate, occasionally interweaving stories around London at Christmas time, but they all basically boil down to the idea that love is Good, Actually, even if it makes you go batshit insane and show up to your best friend’s fiance’s doorstep holding stalker cue cards (a ballsy move by Andrew Lincoln’s Mark, looking 1000% less sweatily bearded than he does on The Walking Dead). If someone can’t find joy in a film that mashes up a drunken Bill Nighy, an adulterous Alan Rickman, and the best darn performance of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” there ever was—come at me, Mariah—then, as they say, give them a quid and tell them to bugger off. – Vinnie Mancuso
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Director: Jay Roach
Writer: Mike Myers
Cast: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Seth Green, and Will Ferrell
If you’re looking for a dose of nostalgia, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery may do the trick. The 1997 comedy was a smash hit at the box office and invaded the zeitgeist like few other films. Mike Myers fills the title role of Austin Powers, a British spy who freezes himself until his archnemises Dr. Evil (also Myers) returns. That return happens in 1997, and we get a fish-out-of-water movie chock-full of terrific visual gags. Myers was clearly inspired by the James Bond franchise, and indeed for as silly as Austin Powers gets, it’s also a pretty darn compelling spy movie in and of itself. – Adam Chitwood
Road to Perdition
Director: Sam Mendes
Writer: David Self
Cast: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Stanley Tucci, and Daniel Craig
If you’re in the mood for a crime drama with impeccable production value and a unique Tom Hanks performance, check out Road to Perdition. After winning the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director on American Beauty, filmmaker Sam Mendes turned his attention to the gangster genre with this gorgeous, sad, and compelling crime saga. Hanks stars as a mob enforcer who goes on the run with his son when the rest of his family is murdered, pitting him against the mob boss (Paul Newman) who first took him under his wing and raised him as one of his own. The film boasts a brilliant score by Thomas Newman and looks incredible, and has Daniel Craig as a relentless hitman to boot. And while the action hits hard, this is very much a crime drama with extremely high emotional stakes. – Adam Chitwood
The Ring
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Cast: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, and Brian Cox
If you saw The Ring in the theater in 2002, it’s likely one of your most memorable moviegoing experiences. If you have never seen The Ring, then fire it up on Netflix, turn the lights off, and hold on for dear life. The film is a remake of Hideo Nakata’s 1998 film Ringu, and revolves around a VHS tape that’s making the rounds. If you watch the tape, you will die in seven days. The story follows a woman (Naomi Watts) as she seeks to find the truth behind the tape, but director Gore Verbinski – who famously helmed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films as well as the underrated Cure for Wellness – captures the entire ordeal with such stark precision that you feel truly unnerved throughout the entirety of the movie. The Ring is, in short, one of the scariest movies you’ll ever see. – Adam Chitwood
Philomena
Director: Stephen Frears
Writers: Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Cast: Judi Dench and Steve Coogan
If you’re looking for a pleasant drama with some emotional heft, check out 2013’s Philomena. The film was a bit of a surprise awards contender, garnering Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. Judi Dench stars as a woman who, nearly fifty years ago, was forced to give up her toddler while staying at an Abbey in Ireland. A journalist played by Steve Coogan is initially hesitant to dive into a human interest story, but soon learns there’s much more to Philomena’s story than he’s expecting. Bring the tissues for this one. – Adam Chitwood
The Big Lebowski
Directors/Writers: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and David Huddleston
For proof positive that the Coen Brothers contain multitudes, look no further than the film they followed up their Oscar-winning Fargo with: 1998's comedy The Big Lebowski. This movie is about as far from Fargo as possible, and yet is so purely the work of Joel and Ethan Coen that it solidifies them as two of the most distinct and best American filmmakers in history. The Big Lebowski is the hilarious story of a laid-back dude who calls himself “The Dude” who gets roped into an odyssey full of trials and tribulations when someone mistakes him for someone else with the same name and ruins his rug. Jeff Bridges is instantly iconic, John Goodman is a hoot, and Philip Seymour Hoffman reminds you why he was one of the best actors of his generation. This is an all-timer. – Adam Chitwood
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Director: Mike Rianda
Writers: Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Cast: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, and Beck Bennett
You’ve seen a zillion animated family comedy movies, but The Mitchells vs. the Machines is undoubtedly one of the best. Produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and originally made by Sony Pictures Animation – the studio behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – the film finds a father and daughter struggling to connect, and follows the family as the father decides they should take a road trip to send her off to college where she’s studying to be a filmmaker.Alongthe way, the robot apocalypse occurs, forcing them to work together to make it through. At every turn The Mitchells vs. the Machines is surprising. It puts in the work so that the emotional scenes hit hard, but it’s also wildly colorful and beautifully artistic as Mike Rianda pushes the boundaries of visual expression. On top of all that, the film is hilarious, bringing to mind the colorful comedy of Lord and Miller’s other films – most notably Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This movie will have you cackling and crying in equal measure, and it’s one of the best films of 2021 full stop. – Adam Chitwood
Crimson Peak
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writers: Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam
The first thing to know about Guillermo del Toro’s misunderstood 2015 film Crimson Peak is that it’s a Gothic romance, not a horror movie. There are ghosts to be sure, and definitely spooky parts, but the film is more inspired by Jane Eyre or Rebecca than it is The Conjuring. And that’s why it’s so great. Set in 1901, the story follows an aspiring author (Mia Wasikowska) who meets a dashing English gentleman (Tom Hiddleston) and falls in love. The two quickly marry, and she moves to a remote part of England to live in an aging estate with her new husband and his icy sister (Jessica Chastain). The estate ends up being full of ghosts, and twists abound as our young protagonist finds herself in over her head. It’s a haunting, romantic, and chilling ghost story that’s lovingly crafted by one of the best filmmakers working today. – Adam Chitwood
The Pelican Brief
Director/Writer: Alan J. Pakula
Cast: Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow
If you’re in the mood for a legal thriller, The Pelican Brief is one of the absolute best of the genre. Written and directed by legendary filmmaker Alan J. Pakula, the man behind All the President’s Men, Klute, and The Parallax View, this 1993 John Grisham adaptation stars Julia Roberts as a law student who writes a legal brief detailing a theory about why two Supreme Court justices were just murdered, which then puts her in imminent danger. In hiding, she teams up with a reporter to uncover the truth before it’s too late. The film is a nail-biting thriller starring two of the best actors of their generation, and absolutely scratches that “90s thriller” itch for those who are fans of this particularly excellent subgenre. – Adam Chitwood
Rush
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: Peter Morgan
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, and Pierfrancesco Favino
2013’s Rush is a tremendously underrated film, but if you're a fan of racing dramas or true stories about perserverance, it hits the spot. Chris Hemsworth plays Formula One driver James Hunt, and the story follows Hunt’s rivalry in the 1970s with Austrian driver Nikki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). It's one of Ron Howard's most exciting directorial efforts in recent memory, as he invigorates the frame with unique camerawork and a strong focus on point of view. – Adam Chitwood
Bad Trip
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Writers: Dan Curry, Eric Andre, and Kitao Sakurai
Cast: Eric Andre, Lil Rel Howery, and Tiffany Haddish
If you just want to watch something that's going to make you laugh really, really hard, check out Bad Trip. The film is a riff on the Jackass formula as it tells the story of two friends who take a road trip cross country, but their encounters are almost all pranks that are caught on hidden cameras. Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery star, and their pranks and stunts range from silly and innocuous to genuinely life-threatening — all for the audience's benefit, and all extremely R-rated. – Adam Chitwood
Shutter Island
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Max von Sydow
Shutter Island is underrated. There, I said it. Martin Scorsese went out and adapted a Dennis Lehane book, and turned the thriller novel into a psychological whodunnit packed with twists and turns. The story revolves around a pair of U.S. Marshals played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo who arrive on an isolated island to investigate a disappearance at a mysterious psychiatric facility. Something is definitely up as soon as they arrive, but Scorsese delights in throwing you various twists and turns along with an emotional gut-punch that grounds the whole thing in emotion. This is also one of those movies that plays differently the second time you see it. – Adam Chitwood
ParaNorman
Directors: Sam Fell and Chris Butler
Writer: Chris Butler
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Alex Borstein, Leslie Man, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, and Tucker Albrizzi
If you’re looking for a fun family movie that’s also genuinely spooky and has a surprising message, I urge you to check out ParaNorman. The stop-motion animated film hails from LAIKA, the same studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, and it’s absolutely one of their best films. It revolves around a young kid named Norman who has the ability to see and speak with the dead, which comes in handy when his small Massachusetts town is overrun by terrifying ghouls. The story draws heavily from iconic 80s movies like The Goonies and E.T. but never feels derivative, and actually carries with it a surprising and emotional message about bullying and anger, and the complexity of emotions that kids can sometimes feel. It’s also just a ton of fun. – Adam Chitwood
Enola Holmes
Director: Harry Bradbeer
Writer: Jack Thorne
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter
Enola Holmes is one of the best and most charming Netflix original movies released thus far. Based on the book series of the same name by Nancy Springer, the period mystery follows Millie Bobby Brown’s titular character, who is the youngest Holmes sibling and has been raised nearly in solitude by her single mother. But when she awakes one day to find her mother is missing, she takes matters into her own hands and sneaks into London to solve the case. The film is tremendously fun as Enola fearlessly follows leads and hunts for clues, but it’s also a surprisingly touching mother-daughter story with legitimately feminist themes. The script actually takes time to consider what it means to be a woman in a man’s world in a way that’s organic (and important) to the story at hand. It’s one of Brown’s best performances, but Henry Cavill is also a delight as Sherlock Holmes himself. Once the movie ends you’ll be begging for Netflix to make many more sequels. – Adam Chitwood
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By: Collider Staff
Title: Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (July 2021)
Sourced From: collider.com/best-movies-on-netflix-streaming/
Published Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2021 21:05:00 GMT
