The world's No. 1 streamer has a neverending supply of films, but which ones are worth your time? The 22 best movies on Netflix for a highquality viewing experience The world's No. 1 streamer has a neverending supply of films, but which ones are worth your time? By Kevin Jacobsen and Declan Gallagher May 12, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/netflixtouta16e8c6af7bd4c2d97f672892f2291dc.jpg) Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier in 'Train Dreams'; Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter in 'Anatomy of a Fall'; Godzilla in 'Godzilla Minus One'.
The world's No. 1 streamer has a never-ending supply of films, but which ones are worth your time?
The 22 best movies on Netflix for a high-quality viewing experience
The world's No. 1 streamer has a never-ending supply of films, but which ones are worth your time?
By Kevin Jacobsen
and Declan Gallagher
May 12, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET
Leave a Comment
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Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier in 'Train Dreams'; Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter in 'Anatomy of a Fall'; Godzilla in 'Godzilla Minus One'. Credit:
Netflix has gradually become one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, with its vast library of movies and TV shows keeping people glued to their screens for far longer than they'd care to admit. On the movie front, the streamer continues to acquire and license more and more titles while also cranking out homegrown originals.
Among its collection of films are Oscar-winning dramas like *The Power of the Dog* (2021) and *I'm Still Here* (2024), as well as recent crowd-pleasing favorites like *Godzilla Minus One* (2023) and *28 Years Later* (2025). Ahead, we've selected the best movies streaming on Netflix for your viewing pleasure.**
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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
20th Century Women (2016)
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Elle Fanning as Julie Hamlin, Annette Bening as Dorothea Fields, and Greta Gerwig as Abbie Porter in '20th Century Women'.
Writer-director Mike Mills takes us back to his childhood in this warm coming-of-age dramedy. It's 1979, and single mother Dorothea Fields (a rarely better Annette Bening) is trying her best to raise her son, Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann), with help from her tenants. But Dorothea and Jamie aren't the only ones going through problems, as the film tenderly explores how each person is on their own individual life journey. As EW's critic writes, Mills "captures the shaggy, sun-dappled essence of ’70s Southern California in nearly every frame — a wry, tender tribute not just to a beloved parent, but a lost era." —*Kevin Jacobsen*
Where to watch *20th Century Women*: Netflix
**EW grade:** A–
**Director:** Mike Mills
**Cast:** Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup
28 Years Later (2025)
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Alfie Williams as Spike, Jodie Comer as Isla, and Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian 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." Its own sequel, *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple*, is also streaming on Netflix. —*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
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
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Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter in 'Anatomy of Fall'.
A European woman's husband falls to his death from the second story of their French chalet. The question is: Was this an accident, or did she have something to do with it? Justine Triet's riveting legal drama doesn't offer easy answers; she's far more concerned with the trickiness of perception, and star Sandra Hüller delivers a stunningly complex, Oscar-nominated performance. "With its Hitchcockian premise and our steady contemporary diet of shocking premium cable series and thrillers like *Gone Girl*," EW's critic writes,* *"viewers will likely expect a twist ending, but Triet is more interested in letting audiences sit in the not knowing." —*K.J.*
Where to watch *Anatomy of a Fall*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B+
**Director:** Justine Triet
**Cast:** Sandra Hüller, Milo Machado-Graner, Swann Arlaud
Blue Moon (2025)
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Margaret Qualley as Elizabeth Weiland and Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart in 'Blue Moon'.
This witty dramedy from director Richard Linklater transports the audience back to a booze-soaked night in 1943 New York City. Ethan Hawke stars as famed theater composer Lorenz Hart in the aftermath of his creative breakup with Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott). Bitter about the success of Hammerstein's latest musical, *Oklahoma!*, Hart gabs with anyone who will talk to him about various grievances, coming to terms with how people really feel about him. Hawke delivers a striking, transformative performance that earned him an Oscar nomination, tapping into Hart's deep well of insecurity. —*K.J.*
Where to watch *Blue Moon*: Netflix
**Director:** Richard Linklater
**Cast:** Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott
Boyhood (2014)
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Ellar Coltrane as Mason Evans Jr. and Ethan Hawke as Mason Evans Sr. in 'Boyhood'.
Richard Linklater's experiment of filming four actors over the course of 12 years paid off spectacularly with this bittersweet coming-of-age dramedy. Ellar Coltrane stars as Mason, a boy growing up in Texas and learning various life lessons from his divorced parents (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke). What distinguishes *Boyhood* from other coming-of-age stories is its focus on the seemingly small incidents in between significant milestones (graduations, weddings, etc.). As EW's critic writes, "its smattering of moments — bike rides and bowling alleys, first loves and bad haircuts — become, lyrically, the stuff that life is made of." —*K.J.*
Where to watch *Boyhood*: Netflix
**Director:** Richard Linklater
**Cast:** Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater
Ex Machina (2015)
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Alicia Vikander as Ava in 'Ex Machina'.
With the morality and ethics of AI becoming more of a hot topic in recent years, this indie sci-fi thriller has only become more prescient. Domhnall Gleeson stars as Caleb, a programmer given the opportunity to spend a week at the home of his company's CEO, Nathan (Oscar Isaac). The CEO reveals that he's been developing an AI robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander), and asks Caleb to assess her human qualities. As Caleb develops a connection with Ava, he hopes to free her from Nathan's nefarious plans. EW's critic calls *Ex Machina* "beautiful and ominous," and praises Isaac for delivering "another delicately nuanced performance." —*K.J.*
Where to watch *Ex Machina*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director:** Alex Garland
**Cast:** Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac
Frances Ha (2013)
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Greta Grewig as Frances Halladay in 'Frances Ha'.
Greta Gerwig, now an acclaimed writer-director and frequent Oscar nominee, became a true indie darling with *Frances Ha*, which she starred in and co-wrote with her partner, Noah Baumbach. Gerwig plays Frances Halladay, a millennial dancer living in Brooklyn whose best friend/roommate decides to move to Tribeca, forcing Frances to find a more affordable living arrangement.
As Frances struggles to make ends meet, she grapples with the changing nature of her relationship with her best friend. Infused with quirky, observational humor and its main character's wayward spirit, *Frances Ha* is a film about reckoning with young adulthood in all of its messy, beautiful complications.
Where to watch *Frances Ha*: Netflix
**Director:** Noah Baumbach
**Cast:** Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Frankenstein (2025)
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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 *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)
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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 the 2024 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)
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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 Paiva 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 Paiva, 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)
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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 23. 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
The 25 best movies to watch on Hulu
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The 30 best Netflix original movies — including Best Picture nominees
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Nyad (2023)
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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. *—Declan Gallagher*
Where to watch *Nyad*: Netflix
**Directors: **Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
**Cast:** Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
The Power of the Dog (2021)
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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
RRR (2022)
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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)
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(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)
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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 calls *Shiva Baby* "blithely ruthless," saying it's "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
Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)
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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*. Before his untimely death, 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)
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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)
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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 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)
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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)
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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 through-line, 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
Source: "EW Movie"
Source: Movie
Published: May 12, 2026 at 05:38PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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