The 30 absolute best Netflix original movies ever
There are two things Netflix has done especially well in building up its ever-growing catalog of original movies over the past eight years, and that’s working with some of the most talented art house and indie filmmakers in the business, and also giving a platform to budding newcomers. That definitely isn’t to say all Netflix originals are wins — if anything, it takes meticulous scrubbing through the streamer to find the gems among the excess of straight-up bad, formulaic movies the studio continues to churn out.
Those gems include thought-provoking work from master filmmakers Jane Campion and Charlie Kaufman, dynamic horror films surging with sharp social commentary, small emotional indies, a delightfully sweet rom-com, powerful must-see documentaries, and more. We can only hope Netflix continues to greenlight more films like the ones below. If not, at least we’ll have these.
Here are the 30 best Netflix original films now streaming.
1. The Power of the Dog
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Phil Burbank is every classic masculine trope you can imagine, especially in the Western genre. A hardened cowboy who shows little emotion, Phil terrorizes his brother’s (Jesse Plemons) new wife Rose (Kirsten Dunst), mocks her son Peter’s (Kodi Smit-McPhee) sweet tenderness, and relishes in being the dirty, tough son of his wealthy, elite rancher family. But throughout The Power of the Dog, a slow-burn psycho-drama from New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion, something begins to crack open in Phil, revealing what lies beneath that toxic masculine facade.
It’s fair to say that you won’t find a more masterfully made original film on Netflix than Campion’s latest, and most notably, it’s also the film that won her a long-overdue Best Directing Oscar. A movie about repressed sexuality and the undoing of a masculine psyche, told so rarely from a female perspective, it also features both Cumberbatch and Dunst’s best work to date, and an all-timer score from Jonny Greenwood. — Oliver Whitney, Contributing Writer
How to watch: The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix.
2. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
A young woman (Jessie Buckley) is on a road trip with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents for dinner. She keeps getting a strange phone call from an unknown man. Jake’s parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) somehow grow younger, then older. Their dog won’t stop shaking. Everything they say about Jake changes, contradicting and folding in on itself.
There’s a constant, almost suffocating air of dread and confusion blanketing Charlie Kaufman’s latest surreal mind-bender, I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Nothing is reliable, not even reality itself, whatever that is. But if you can manage to let go of explanation and go along for a very Kaufman-esque ride (one on a similar psychological wavelength as his Synecdoche, New York), you’ll be in for one of the most riveting and perplexing cinematic treats in recent years. — O.W.
How to watch: I’m Thinking of Ending Things is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Disclosure
One can’t stress enough the significance of Sam Feder’s 2020 documentary, a film that, for the first time ever, reflects on the long history of how transgender people have been depicted in Hollywood. Disclosure digs deep into cinema’s archives to show the earliest images of transness in the silent era; the villainous and monstrous stereotypes trans people have been painted as in everything from Dressed To Kill to Ace Ventura; the racism entangled with transphobia; and the near omission of transmasculine characters in American film.
Analyzed by an all-trans talking heads cast of actors, filmmakers, and historians (and also notably made by an all-trans crew), these figures not only highlight the painful and inaccurate ways transness has been represented on screen, but further contextualize how those narratives have directly informed how society views and treats the trans community in the real world. It’s a beautiful and devastating work of nonfiction filmmaking that, in many ways, can be a healing experience for trans audiences to watch, and is even more brutally necessary for cis audiences to watch and educate themselves with. — O.W.
How to watch: Disclosure is now streaming on Netflix.
4. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
The title pretty much sums up the angst at the core of Macon Blair’s directorial debut — to wander through life with an ever-growing agitation and a stewing existential depression over the disappointing world around you. In I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Melanie Lynskey is a nursing assistant named Ruth who goes on a wild goose chase after her laptop and family silverware gets stolen. But it’s not so much the belongings she wants back. She just wants people to stop being such assholes all the time.
A twisted mix of absurdist comedy and startling violence, I Don’t Feel at Home remains one of the best undersung Netflix original gems. It’s a special film partly for Lynskey’s ferocious give-no-fucks performance as Ruth; partly for Elijah Wood’s oddball neighbor who becomes her partner in crime; and also for Blair’s knack at evoking a relatable, festering melancholy through humor and danger. Fans of Jeremy Saulnier’s films (Green Room, Blue Ruin), which Blair also acted in, will find much to enjoy here. — O.W.
How to watch: I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is now streaming on Netflix.
5. His House
Trauma has long been used as a metaphor in the horror genre — to a laughable degree of late — but few films have so acutely explored the way the unresolved terrors of our past haunt us as His House does. Filmmaker Remi Weekes’ feature debut finds Sudanese refugees Rial and Bol (Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu in equally fantastic performances) arriving in London to a run-down house with peeling wallpaper and stained ceilings. While this new home might be an improvement from their life back in war-torn South Sudan, painful remnants of their past begin to, quite literally, seep from the walls.
His House is both one of the spookiest and most emotionally poignant horror films in recent years. Weekes’ visuals are enough to make even horror buffs wince, from freakish jump scares to witchy beings lurking in the shadows. Yet what makes His House stand out from other films of its ilk is how it powerfully evokes that the most terrifying ghosts are the ones living within us that we’ve yet to face. — O.W.
How to watch: His House is now streaming on Netflix.
6. Private Life
Both Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) and Richard (Paul Giamatti), an artsy New York couple in their 40s, keep desperately trying and failing to have a child. When their niece Sadie (Kayli Carter) comes to stay with them, the possibility arises that Sadie could be their egg donor, setting the trio down a messy path of anxious hope.
Tamara Jenkins’ Private Life is a film about the brutal trials of a middle-aged couple trying to have a baby, but it’s also one that crackles with levity and humor. It finds the comedy in having an incredibly intimate argument in the middle of a Manhattan street, or the way your niece drags your professional failures to honor the plight of the struggling artist to her college friends. It’s a reminder that even the most serious material is often best approached with empathy and a good laugh. — O.W.
How to watch: Private Life is now streaming on Netflix.
7. The Forty-Year-Old Version
The Forty-Year-Old Version isn’t just any film about a struggling New York artist, but one about a Black female playwright who’s continually held back from creating something authentic to her perspective. Radha Blank’s autobiographical directorial debut, which she also wrote, produced, and stars in, is a searing, funny, and unabashedly honest look at the compromises Black creatives are pushed to make in a world dominated by whiteness.
A teacher approaching her 40th birthday, Radha (Blank) gets the chance to produce one of her plays — only after she refuses to write a slave musical. But forced to change her vision to appease white audiences, Radha considers a totally different medium to express herself: becoming a rapper. The Forty-Year-Old Version may be one of the most slept-on Netflix originals, and it’s a shame we’ve yet to see another film from Blank since, itself an indictment of an industry that fails to continually platform raw and honest Black storytelling. — O.W.
How to watch: The Forty-Year-Old Version is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Cam
We first meet camgirl Alice (Madeline Brewer) during one of her live shows where, after dancing sensually and chatting with her followers, she pulls off a stunt to boost her ranking: committing a fake suicide live on camera. It works, and skyrockets her up the Top 50. But soon Alice discovers she’s been locked out of her account and a new camgirl is raking in the viral views. Most disturbing: that girl looks and acts exactly like Alice.
The film from director Daniel Goldhaber and co-writer Isa Mazzei (herself a former camgirl), is a fascinating exploration of identity, sexual desire, and the uncontrollable ways our online personas can manifest in the age of digital culture. This feminist and pro-sex work tale, told through the lens of psychological horror, is as as thrilling as it is reluctant to provide easy answers. — O.W.
How to watch: Cam is now streaming on Netflix.
9. The Meyerowitz Stories
When people praise Adam Sandler’s dramatic acting abilities, they often cite Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems, and rightfully so. But might I add The Meyerowitz Stories to that mix, particularly the moment when Danny, the unemployed single father played by Sandler, screams his head off at another driver who steals his New York City parking spot. It’s a small, passing moment in a story about a dysfunctional family, but one that at once captures the actor’s duality: an unrestrained humor so intrinsic to early Sandler as well as a deep pain wallowing beneath Danny’s surface. It also perfectly speaks to the mix of bursting comedy and repressed family suffering at the center of Noah Baumbach’s film.
The dramedy follows three adult siblings, Danny, Jean (an excellent Elizabeth Marvel), and Matthew (Ben Stiller), and their relationship with their father, Dustin Hoffman’s self-absorbed sculptor Harold. Explosive fights, tense arguments, and painful breakdowns emerge in Baumbach’s look at a fractured family of artists that delicately balances dry humor with emotional revelations. — O.W.
How to watch: The Meyerowitz Stories is now streaming on Netflix.
10. The Hand of God
Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino is most known for his 2013 Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty, a rapturous ode to Rome and Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. With The Hand of God, Sorrentino tells a much more personal story about youth, grief, and the cities that shape who we become.
Based on his own life growing up in 1980s Naples, The Hand of God follows the young Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) who experiences a profound family tragedy that shapes the rest of his life. Sorrentino charts Fabietto’s grief and coming-of-age across seaside boat trips, an introduction to cinema (and real-life meeting with Fellini himself), early sexual encounters, and a love and devotion toward football icon Maradona. Sorrentino’s latest is full of introspection and wonder, and it's one of the filmmaker’s most moving films to date. — O.W.
How to watch: The Hand of God is now streaming on Netflix.
11. Strong Island
Strong Island is not an easy watch, but like most true crime documentaries, it shouldn’t be. Director Yance Ford’s Oscar-nominated film chronicles the murder of his 24-year-old brother William by Mark Reilly, a white mechanic, and the ways the devastating event shaped his family’s life in startling, intimate detail.
Ford’s approach to revisiting his brother’s murder and the court case that followed mixes straight-to-camera style confessionals, family photographs, and diary readings. It’s something poetic, but not the kind that uses flowery language to symbolize or romanticize pain. Ford offers a raw, gutting poetry that lays that pain bare for the viewer to feel themselves. The filmmaker shares his rage and heartbreak directly with you through the camera, condemning the police that dismissed his mother’s questions, the all-white jury that acquitted Reilly, and this country’s deep legacy of anti-Black violence and trauma. It’s a stirring work that commands your full attention. — O.W.
How to watch: Strong Island is now streaming on Netflix.
12. Set It Up
If there’s a single Netflix rom-com I find myself recommending to friends the most, it’s Set It Up. On the surface, there’s nothing particularly novel about the story — two assistants set their workaholic bosses up on a date, and in turn, plenty of romance and hijinks follow. But what makes Claire Scanlon’s movie such a delight is that it isn't trying to reinvent the formula; it just does it well.
There’s a bouncy charm between Zoey Deutch’s Harper and Glen Powell’s Charlie, who together plot to get their bosses, Kirsten (Lucy Lui) and Rick (Taye Diggs), to fall in love — and thus allow each of them a life outside of work. Of course, as Harper and Charlie spend time getting their bosses together, the two begin to develop a connection themselves. Set It Up is an ode to the many playful meet-cutes we’ve watched unfold in rom-coms, and it’s charming and sweet in all the ways you want a rom-com to be. — O.W.
How to watch: Set It Up is now streaming on Netflix.
13. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
A forced family road trip, a robot apocalypse, global wi-fi suddenly going out, a pack of giant villainous Furbies... In some ways, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a horror movie. But this animated adventure comedy simply uses our relationship to technology, and our many growing anxieties around it, to tell a charming story about family.
While the Mitchells are driving across the country to drop off the eldest, Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), to film school, a Silicon Valley tech giant launches a new line of Alexa-esque robot assistants. Unfortunately, that pisses off the old version, a sentient assistant named PAL (voiced by a perfectly wicked Olivia Colman), who decides to take over the world with the current robots. Much entertaining and hilarious chaos ensues, from evil dishwashers to action-packed fights between Linda Mitchell (Maya Rudolph), her purse, and ultra-smart robots. The movie, from the producers behind The LEGO Movie, is ripe with relatable cultural humor and goofy, animated action. — O.W.
How to watch: The Mitchells vs. the Machines is now streaming on Netflix.
14. Beasts of No Nation
Netflix's very first original film seemed like a reckless gamble, but debuted to strong reviews and eventual awards. Abraham Attah stars as Agu, a Ghanaian child forced to become a soldier and join a battalion led by the formidable Commandant (Idris Elba). The young soldiers suffer losses in battle as well as abuse from the Commandant, and Agu fears he has become a monster in a life that never let him choose. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Beasts of No Nation is now streaming on Netflix.
15. 13th
Ava DuVernay's chilling documentary explores a sinister loophole in the U.S. Constitution's 13th amendment, which abolished slavery except as a punishment for crimes. This clause laid the foundation for the country's now-notorious and interminable problem of mass incarceration, a problem which has taken a toll on Black men more than any other demographic. — P.K.
How to watch: 13th is now streaming on Netflix.
16. Icarus
A rare documentary with a big twist, Icarus starts as filmmaker Bryan Fogel dipping his toes into sports doping and trying it out for himself for an amateur bike race. In his research, he stumbles upon an international doping conspiracy involving a bizarrely open and knowledgeable participant: Grigory Rodchenkov, head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory. Rodchenkov started as a simple source of information on performance enhancers but had a lot more to share, spurring this documentary in a new, infinitely more interesting direction thanks to his whistleblowing, resulting in a huge scandal, criminal investigations, and very legitimate threats to peoples’ lives. — Kellen Beck, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Icarus is now streaming on Netflix.
17. Okja
Before he won an Oscar for suggesting we eat the rich, Bong Joon Ho's most recent film was about a little girl and her genetically modified superpig, Okja. Ahn Seo-Hyun plays wide-eyed Mija, who cannot bear the separation when times come for Okja to be taken away and ostensibly killed for mass consumption. Mija flees to Seoul to rescue her best friend and expose the slimy Mirando Corporation which began the superpig program. Okja boasts a wholesome and streamlined story, but Bong's stamp is in the delectably weird performances from Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal, and more — and in the fleeting Easter eggs the director put in there just for fun. — P.K.
How to watch: Okja is now streaming on Netflix.
18. To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Netflix’s rom-com revival kicked off in 2017, a year whose slate included this criminally charming movie based on the novel by Jenny Han. Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is a hopeless romantic in the habit of writing letters to her most epic crushes — writing, not sending. When the letters leak, she starts pretending to date Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) to divert attention from her real crush on her sister’s boyfriend. With a bouncy pop soundtrack and visual style that is the envy of your entire Instagram feed, To All the Boys is the kind of movie you can return to again and again, a comfort watch as cozy as Lara Jean’s baked goods. Will we ever tire of watching fictional characters fake love until it becomes real? If they’re even half as adorable as these two, the answer is no. — P.K.
How to watch: To All the Boys I've Loved Before is now streaming on Netflix.
19. Roma
Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning drama follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housekeeper working for a wealthy family in Mexico City. Thanks to Cuarón's writing, direction, and cinematography (each of which garnered its own respective Oscar), the film is remarkably immersive, enveloping us in Cleo's world in a way most movies strive for and can never even touch. We feel the comfort in her mundane day-to-day, the sting of her boyfriend's betrayal, and blinding panic and trauma in the film's final act. It's a stunning piece of cinema that should be talked about for decades to come. — P.K.
How to watch: Roma is now streaming on Netflix.
20. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
Homecoming is a documentary film that is mainly footage from Beyoncé's two-night headlining gig at Coachella in 2018 (which was dubbed Beychella for her outstanding performance). On its face, the documentary is a reiteration of Beyoncé's unparalleled talent uniquely set on a backdrop of the celebratory culture of sporting events and gatherings on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities.
Homecoming is also especially personal because it serves as a closer look into Beyoncé's mindset as she nervously anticipated her return to the stage while living in a postpartum body that felt foreign to her. The entire film is triumphantly affecting and genuinely awesome.
The choreography, vocals, remixes of Beyoncé's repertoire, costume changes, and special guest stars make Homecoming, which is over two hours long, totally worth the viewing journey.* — Tricia Crimmins, Entertainment Fellow
How to watch: Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé is now streaming on Netflix.
21. Dolemite Is My Name
Chronicling the true story of late comedian Rudy Ray Moore — also known as Dolemite — this Eddie Murphy vehicle is worth every minute of viewing. Dolemite Is My Name is at once a poignant look at the life of an underdog and an unbelievably good time. With supporting performances by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, and more, this biopic offers more beat-for-beat joy than many fictional comedies. Sensational, aspirational, and electric, you'll love it.* — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Dolemite Is My Name is now streaming on Netflix.
22. Klaus
Few modern Christmas films are as totally enchanting as director Sergio Pablos’ Klaus. Nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2020 Academy Awards, this Santa Claus origin story follows Jesper Johansson (Jason Schwartzman), a disappointing heir to a postal empire, as he takes up a new post in a remote village. Narratively touching and visually stunning, Klaus captures Yuletide magic in a way that’s fresh but still cozy. — A.F.
How to watch: Klaus is now streaming on Netflix.
23. Marriage Story
Writer/director Noah Baumbach's Divorce Film is many things: a strong drama about family, a sad tale of love lost, maybe even a tentatively hopeful piece about next chapters. Mostly, though, it's just a damn great movie with two best-of-the-year performances in Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a couple going through an acrimonious split. The two — plus a stellar supporting cast that includes Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta — make you feel every emotional beat in the 137 minutes; every scream, sob and painful glance dives straight to your heart.
It's not easy viewing, but it's a genuinely moving experience that will have you thinking about the nature of love long after you wipe your eyes and finish the movie. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Marriage Story is now streaming on Netflix.
24. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
Crip Camp is a vital documentary that tells the story of the generation of disability activists who first learned to organize while attending the now defunct Camp Jened. Camp Jened was a summer program for children and teens with a wide range of disabilities, and the documentary uses archival footage from the camp’s heyday in the 1960s to show the impact its progressive and accessible space had on its campers.
Some of the same people shown as children in the camp footage went on to lead life-changing demonstrations that improved the social status of people with disabilities in the United States, but Crip Camp’s greatest strength as a film is in showing how early access to inclusive spaces gives marginalized community members the opportunity to dream of and create a better world.* — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Crip Camp is now streaming on Netflix.
25. Tigertail
Alan Yang’s feature film directorial debut tells the heartwarming story of Pin-Jui and Yuan, who met in Taiwan as children and young adults but eventually lose touch. In his later years, Pin-Jui finds himself distant from his daughter, their relationship strained by his reluctance to open up over the years. Flashbacks continue to reveal the tender love between Pin-Jui and Yuan until he abruptly marries someone else, and the grown Pin-Jui is compelled to find his old love and return to his roots.* — P.K.
How to watch: Tigertail is now streaming on Netflix.
26. Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee did what Spike Lee does in Da 5 Bloods: He delivered a work of cinema that's both timely and timeless, marked by stellar performances and a camera lens that tells a story even if you ignore the script.
The film follows four Black Vietnam vets as they return to the former war zone in search of their dead squad leader's remains...and the millions in CIA gold they plundered and buried before their tour ended. Political differences between the men foster mistrust and complicate their journey, leading to a powerful finale that's not-so-strangely resonant — this is Spike Lee — for our current moment in history.* — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Da 5 Bloods is now streaming on Netflix.
27. The Old Guard
Folks looking for that summer blockbuster thrill, search no further than The Old Guard. Based on the superhero comic books of the same name, director Gina Prince-Bythewood's movie sucks viewers into a slick, well-crafted world of action and narrative that isn't particularly unique but delivers its formulaic pieces with enough precision to keep you invested. Charlize Theron crushes as the ass-kicking leader of an immortal warrior fight crew, with performances by Harry Melling, Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Van Veronica Ngo, Matthias Schoenaerts, and more.* — A.F.
How to watch: The Old Guard is now streaming on Netflix.
28. Dick Johnson is Dead
That death comes for us all doesn’t make it any easier to bear when it’s coming for someone you love. But rather than turn away from this tragic reality, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stares it right in the face. In Dick Johnson Is Dead she kills off her own aging father over and over again, in a series of staged deaths ranging from the mundane (a trip down the stairs) to the shocking (a falling air conditioner). Sometimes she follows him to his funeral, and in other scenes all the way up to heaven. In between, she reflects on their bond, mourns his inevitable demise, and simply shows him for the sweet charmer he is. By turns absurd, hilarious, and utterly heart-wrenching, Dick Johnson Is Dead dares to imagine the unimaginable — and in grappling with death, finds a way to celebrate life. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Dick Johnson is Dead is now streaming on Netflix.
29. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Shut up and embrace the magic of Christmas with Jingle Jangle, a delightful original musical about family, toys, and inheritable mechanical ingenuity. Forest Whitaker stars as Jeronicus Jangle, a formerly genius toymaker who thinks he’s lost everything, but his daughter Jessica (literal Disney princess Anika Noni Rose) and granddaughter Journey (newcomer Madalen Mills) come back into his life to reignite the spark that makes their family special. Ricky Martin, Phylicia Rashad, and Keegan Michael Key also star in unforgettable roles that play together to make Jingle Jangle an instant holiday classic. — A.N.
How to watch: Jingle Jangle is now streaming on Netflix.
30. The Fear Street trilogy
Director Leigh Janiak pulls off a small movie miracle in her Fear Street trilogy, delivering consistently fun and fright-filled sequels that just keep getting better. Start your journey off with Fear Street Part One: 1994, in which we meet the cursed teens of a town named Shadyside. For years, the suburban haven has been terrorized by mass murderers — all of them normal townspeople who seemingly "snapped" over nothing.
Across Fear Street Part Two: 1978 and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 you'll get to the bottom of the mystery behind these killings and their connection to the legendary Shadyside Witch. Based on the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine, this is a punchy slasher with enough gore and goofs to fuel a straight-through binge. — A.F.
How to watch: Fear Street is now streaming on Netflix.
*denotes that this blurb has appeared on a Mashable previous list.
UPDATE: Apr. 26, 2023, 1:27 p.m. EDT This story was originally published in 2020 and has been updated to reflect Netflix's current selection.
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