How often do you find yourself scrolling through Netflix for an hour trying to find something to watch? The next time that happens, put down the remote for a second and bring up this list.

We’ll be updating this guide to the best movies on Netflix monthly, so all of you aspiring filmmakers out there can keep up with what you need to watch next.

From horror to comedy and everything in between, it’s all gathered right here. We’ll rank each film based on its acting, filmmaking, writing, and overall entertainment value for people bored on Friday night.

Of all the top Netflix movies available to stream, who knows? One of them may well inspire your next project.

Great Netflix Movies

Chef (2014)

Chef  •  Trailer

While Jon Favreau is mostly known for blockbuster entertainment these days (directing the likes of Iron Man and The Lion King), he returned to his indie roots for the 2014 passion project Chef. The personal film follows a chef who loses his cool while dealing with a troublesome critic. He has to find his passion for cooking again by getting into the food truck business. In addition to Favreau in the lead role, the film also stars Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, and Scarlett Johansson.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

The result is a small, unashamedly feel-good film that makes up for what it lacks in dramatic jeopardy with gentle comedy, heartwarming family scenes, ladles of food porn, and time spent among characters you like. Full Review - Independent

Inclusive Short Films on Netflix

Canvas (2020)

Canvas  •  Trailer

Canvas is one of the best short films you can find on Netflix. The nine-minute film follows a grandfather who has suffered a terrible loss, but he manages to discover the passion to paint once again. This emotional, lovely story is sure to pull at your heartstrings.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Netflix’s Canvas brings a lighter perspective to tragedy in a touching, emotional short. Full Review - Ready Steady Cut

What Movies Are on Netflix This Month?

The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)

The Forty-Year-Old Version  •  Trailer

Radha is a New York-based playwright. She’s desperate for a breakthrough before she reaches the age of 40, so she decides to reinvent herself as a rapper. This comedy that explores aging and success stars Radha Blank and Peter Kim.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

This movie doesn't follow the Hollywood-friendly narrative of suddenly experiencing great success against all odds. It is more interested in the little details and is all the better for it. Full Review - The Atlantic

Best Netflix Original Movies of 2020

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

The Trial of the Chicago 7  •  Trailer

Based on the (still timely) true story of how a group of anti-Vietnam protestors were unjustly charged with inciting riots, this film has all the impressive dialogue one has come to expect out of an Aaron Sorkin film. It also boasts an outstanding cast consisting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Mark Rylance among many others. Sacha Baron Cohen is perfectly cast as political activist Abbie Hoffman.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the ultimate Sorkin film, filled with intelligent, over-the-top characters battling within a civil structure over the ideals of America. Full Review - VitalThrills.com

Indie Movies on Netflix

Yes, God, Yes (2020)

Yes, God, Yes  •  Trailer

Alice is a sexually-inexperienced girl at Catholic school who can’t help but be curious. Her faith and temptations are put to the test when she goes on a weekend retreat with her classmates. This coming-of-age dramedy offers a unique perspective into growing up Catholic and features a stellar lead performance from Natalia Dyer, whom viewers may recognize from Stranger Things.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Karen Maine's script confronts Catholicism's bare-faced hypocrisy with satirical aplomb. Full Review - Time Out

Movies to Watch on Netflix for Film Enthusiasts

Super Dark Times (2017)

Super Dark Times  •  Trailer

Two teenage friends share what seems like an unbreakable bond, but an accident threatens to drive a wedge between what they have. This psychological thriller offers more than what it seems on the surface with performances from Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, and Elizabeth Cappuccino.  

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

An effective thriller, anchored by great performances and a strong visual language for a debut film. Full Review - RogerEbert.com

Best Netflix Original Movies

To the Bone (2017)

To the Bone  •  Trailer

20-year-old Ellen suffers from anorexia nervosa. She goes through a harrowing journey to overcome her illness in a tale that’s sometimes dark and sometimes humorous. This Netflix original stars Lily Collins and Keanu Reeves. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Ultimately the most resonant message To the Bone has to offer is that there is no one certain way to heal from anorexia, and no one right way to tell stories about it either. Full Review - BuzzFeed News

Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (2020)

Mank (2020)

Mank  •  Trailer

Mank is essential viewing for any cinephile. It follows the journey of Herman J. Mankiewicz as he writes Citizen Kane. But that story is intercut with scenes from Herman’s life where we get a glimpse into the societal and political structure of 1930s Hollywood through his eyes. The film features incredible performances from the likes of Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, and Charles Dance.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

More than a magnificent technical achievement, Mank is hypnotically entertaining. Full Review - News.com.au

Funniest Movies to Wtach on Netflix

Easy A (2010)

Easy A  •  Trailer

Easy A is a classic teen comedy that helped launch Emma Stone’s career. Taking a cue from the novel The Scarlet Letter, a high schooler allows boys to lie about sleeping with her to boast both of their reputations. The cast also includes the likes of Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow, and Thomas Haden Church. It also has Amanda Bynes’ last acting role as of this writing.  

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

The script shrewdly boosts its IQ by working in parallels to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and piling on 80s teen movie references.  Full Review - The Guardian

Must-Watch Netflix Films for Directors

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

A Clockwork Orange  •  Trailer

The dystopian film follows an antisocial delinquent who leads his gang to commit horrific crimes. He’s eventually captured, rehabilitated, and allowed back into society. One of Stanley Kubrick’s seminal works, the film stars the immense talents of Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, and Michael Bates.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

What our nightmares have accustomed us to see in dreams, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange shows us in broad daylight. It is one of the most unsettling films in the whole of cinema. Full Review - London Evening Standard

Great 21st Century Films on Netflix

Loving (2016)

Loving  •  Trailer

Loving follows the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who want to marry. But in 1958 in Virginia, interracial marriage is outlawed, so they take their case to the Supreme Court to fully express their love. The thoughtful, understated film stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as the couple with knockout performances.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

What is radical about Nichols's film is the extent to which he focuses not on the legal fight and ensuing national attention but on the Lovings themselves. Full Review - Newsweek

Amazing Original Netflix Movies

His House (2020)

His House  •  Trailer

His House is an original horror film from Remi Weekes. It follows a refugee couple as they settle in their new house in a predominantly white English town. In addition to adjusting to this new life, they must also contend with an evil lurking in the abode. Starring Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, and Matt Smith, this is one horror flick that gets under your skin and stays there.  

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

His House is a strong debut, and exciting -- even as its horrors risk redundancy as the film wears on -- for its uncanny merging of political experience and the usual, perilous haunted-house thrills. Full Review - Rolling Stone

Netflix Original Short Films

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)

If Anything Happens I Love You  •  Trailer

Netflix seems to be investing more in incredible short films from talented filmmakers on the rise. One of its most recent, If Anything Happens I Love You, details parents struggling with the loss of their daughter, who was killed in a school shooting. It’s a film that hits close to home but instills a message of hope about moving on after tragedy.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

It's pitch perfect in its look at struggling to move on, and looking for some kind of light in the darkness. Full Review - Cinema Crazed

Important Movies to Watch on Netflix

I Am Not Your Negro (2017)

I Am Not Your Negro  •  Trailer

I Am Not Your Negro is a visual essay based on James Baldwin’s influential book. The film chronicles various stories of racism concerning figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Samuel L. Jackson narrates this memoir.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Raoul Peck's visual telling of writer James Baldwin's unfinished final novel "Remember This House" articulates another story of race in modern America. Full Review - Cambridge Day

Popular Movies on Netflix to View

Free State of Jones (2016)

Free State of Jones  •  Trailer

Matthew McConaughey leads this film about a farmer who brings together a group of escaped slaves and Civil War deserters to lead a rebellion against the Confederacy. The film also stars Mahershala Ali, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Keri Russell. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

It's a powerful, moving story, but that doesn't mean it moves quickly. [It's a] very serious and often grim film. Full Review - At Home in Hollywood

Netflix Original Comedies

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga  •  Trailer

A duo of small-time singers finally get their big chance at stardom when they have an opportunity to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Hilarious hijinks ensue, but the songs are actually incredibly catchy, standing on their own as great tunes to listen to in your own time. This comedy stars Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, and Pierce Brosnan. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Dobkin's film is impressively self-aware and hugely respectful of its subject. Expect hilarity, high camp and the usual Ferrell silliness. Full Review - The Jewish Chronicle

Great 90s Movies on Netflix

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Boyz n the Hood  •  Trailer

Director John Singleton’s magnum opus sees Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) be sent to live with his father in South Central Los Angeles. As such, he comes of age in the neighborhood’s ever-increasing gang culture. The film’s been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, so future generations can enjoy the acting talents of Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, and Nia Long.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Like a jazz ensemble, Singleton and his actors slowly involve us in an almost sensual melange of moods, images and situations that take us inside the ghetto in a way mainstream films almost never do. Full Review - The Los Angeles Times

Best Netflix Dramas

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Fruitvale Station  •  Trailer

Ryan Coogler, who’d go on to direct Black Panther, made his feature-length directorial debut with Fruitvale Station. It chronicles the true-life story of Oscar Grant III, played by Michael B Jordan, on the last day of his life before he was unjustly murdered by a BART police officer. The socially-relevant film won Best First Film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Fruitvale Station offers no social remedies, but by recreating Grant's final hours, it actualizes him as a man, not just a rally cry. Full Review - indieWire

Top Rated Netflix Movies This Month

Babel (2006)

Babel  •  Trailer

A single event connects four groups of people across three continents. The psychological drama, directed by Academy Award-winner Alejandro González Iñárritu, follows an American couple, a deaf Japanese teen, a Mexican nanny, and two young Moroccans as their lives are forever changed. The poignant film stars Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Gael García Bernal.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

See Babel while it still illuminates a big screen, for all the clues it contains about our times, as we babble more and more about less and less. Full Review - Bay Area Reporter

Netflix Movies Based on Real Stories

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Searching for Bobby Fischer  •  Trailer

After you’ve binge-watched all of The Queen’s Gambit, you can dive further into the world of chess with this biographical film. It follows chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, starting when he’s a child discovering he has a proclivity for playing chess. His father hires a tutor to teach him how to play the game like a champion. The movie stars Max Pomeranc and Joe Mantegna. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

It makes for a good old-fashioned inspirational story, absorbing and pointed. Full Review - Chicago Reader

Horror Films on Netflix

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

The Autopsy of Jane Doe  •  Trailer

In this gory horror film, a father-and-son duo of coroners come across an unidentified corpse. As they study the body further, they discover it holds a horrifying secret. Watch this film with the lights on as you take in performances from Emile Hirsche and Brian Cox. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Fans of the genre will rejoice in the rare sight of a new kind of threat. They will celebrate further at the director's success in satisfactorily exploiting a challenging premise. Full Review - Irish Times

New Original Netflix Movies

#Alive (2020)

#Alive  •  Trailer

A gamer finds himself trapped in his family’s flat when the zombie apocalypse breaks out around him. He forms a connection with a woman across the way, and the two work together to survive. The film stars Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye, and Lee Hyun-wook.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

"#Alive" is a nifty little thriller that proves that you can always find signs of life in the most undead of genres. Full Review - The New York Times

Best Netflix Original Movies for You

The Other Side of the Wind (2018)

The Other Side of the Wind  •  Trailer

Director Orson Welles tried to make The Other Side of the Wind his big Hollywood comeback in the ‘70s. However, due to legal issues, he never completed the film before his passing. It’s now been completed, and the movie, which follows a director in a mockumentary format, is now available on Netflix for all to see. John Huston and Oja Kodar star in the remarkable film.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Overall, Wind magnificently displays Welles' filmmaking brilliance while baring the aging auteur's frailties and frustrations. Full Review - USA Today

Best Netflix Original Movies Ever

Platoon (1986)

Platoon  •  Trailer

Oliver Stone made a career for himself directing politically-charged films, and that’s on full display with Platoon. The movie follows a volunteer in the U.S. Army who travels to Vietnam and becomes embroiled in an inner conflict over the morality of the war. Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and Tom Berenger star in what’s arguably Stone’s best work. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

This film is an act of courage. Stone, the gutsy writer-director, records in a devastating barrage of images the relentless horror and the senseless carnage experienced by far too many Americans in Vietnam. Full Review - New York Daily News

Must Watch Movies on Netflix Right Now

Carol (2015)

Carol  •  Trailer

This touching love story follows a married woman who begins having a forbidden romance with a photographer. They must keep the affair hidden or risk having their lives changed forever. It’s one of the best films to come out in 2015 and features stunning performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

A showcase for the towering talents of Blanchett and Mara, Carol is a sumptuous watch. Full Review - Scroll.in

Your Complete Netflix Movies List

Blue Jay (2016)

Blue Jay  •  Trailer

Blue Jay focuses on a story that may be all too familiar to some. It depicts two high school sweethearts who meet back up in their hometown and discover a bond is still there. Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass deliver fantastic performances in this warm, underrated film. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

It's to the credit of both the movie and its stars that the easy sense of naturalism isn't undone by the eventual revelations. These people are believable, and so are their conversations, and so is their shared past. Full Review - TheWrap

Netflix Originals You Should Watch

The Incredible Jessica James (2017)

The Incredible Jessica James  •  Trailer

Jessica is a struggling playwright still vying for her big break. On top of that, she’s dealing with a nasty breakup all while striking up an unlikely friendship with a divorced app designer. This quirky rom-com features a star-making performance from Jessica Williams as well as great turns from Chris O’Dowd and Lakeith Stanfield. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

This movie is surprisingly sweet, bright, and optimistic in all the right places. Full Review - Autostraddle

Best Netflix Original Movies Ever

Swimming Pool (2003)

Swimming Pool  •  Trailer

In the mood for an erotic thriller? Then check out Swimming Pool, a film about a British crime novelist who goes away to a summer home to work on her next book. However, the arrival of her publisher’s daughter brings complications. Starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier, this film had to be edited extensively to avoid an NC-17 rating, so definitely don’t watch it with the kids. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

This is a very well directed with a good story, great characters, and involving engrossing performances from Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier. Full Review - Cinema Crazed

Popular Movies on Netflix for Filmmakers

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy  •  Trailer

For a twisty spy thriller, this is the film to watch. Set in 1970s London, the film follows the hunt for a double agent who’s managed to infiltrate the British secret service. Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Colin Firth star in this film that will leave you guessing until the very last moment.  

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

The movie is riveting in the exact sense of the word: We feel nailed to the screen in the impossible task of working out what is going on-let alone why it matters. Full Review - The New Republic

Best Films on Netflix Right Now

Wildlife (2018)

Wildlife  •  Trailer

Actor Paul Dano made his directorial debut with 2018’s Wildlife. The film follows a 14-year old boy whose father decides to become a firefighter after losing direction in life. He goes off to combat wildfires, and the boy is left to watch his mother pick up the pieces. It’s an intensely emotional film featuring stunning performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

A quiet film, but it sneaks up on you, gaining in emotional urgency as it goes on. Full Review - Baltimore Magazine

Older Movies to Watch on Netflix

Howard’s End (1992)

Howard’s End  •  Trailer

Taking place in Edwardian England, a husband refuses to accept his wife’s dying wish, believing he’s acting in his family’s best interests. As such, he must accept the consequences of such an action. Featuring first-class performances from Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Helena Bonham Carter, this film is a must-watch for fans of classic literature as it’s based on an old E.M. Forster novel.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

From start to finish, Howards End is a sumptuous visual delight. But the beauty of this film is far more than skin deep. Full Review - The Hollywood Reporter

Netflix Documentaries

Icarus (2017)

Icarus  •  Trailer

This documentary chronicles how Russian scientists used doping to make their athletes perform better at the Olympics. It’s a gripping true tale that ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

If you want insight into cheating in sports and the complicated reasons why it happens over and over, Icarus will open your eyes as never before. It is essential viewing for anyone interested in athletics or competitive sports of any type. Full Review - Globe and Mail

Best 2020 Netflix Originals

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

Dick Johnson Is Dead  •  Trailer

Dick Johnson Is Dead is the most inventive documentary in recent memory. It follows Kirsten Johnson and her father, Dick, as he nears the end of his life. Kirsten stages various “deaths” for her father to experience to help them both face the inevitable. It’s comical and tragic at the same time, making for a unique viewing experience that challenges the ideas of what’s possible in a documentary. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Fortifying this film throughout is Dick's commitment to it as an eccentric project that's worth all the effort, from which we intuit a beaming sense of paternal pride and pleasure in collaboration. Full Review - Daily Telegraph

Underrated Films on Netflix

The Hummingbird Project (2018)

The Hummingbird Project  •  Trailer

This film is perfect for anyone who loves high-concept thrillers. Two cousins discover an advantage that gives them an opportunity to make a ton of money, that is if they don’t end up in prison first. The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg and Salma Hayek.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Although sometimes it gets bogged down in the details of drilling, The Hummingbird Project extracts enough entertainment value from an unpromising premise, greatly helped by Jesse Eisenberg finding the humanity in his hustler. Full Review - Empire Magazine

Top Rated Netflix Movies Now

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest  •  Trailer

Considered by many to be one of the greatest movies of all time, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest follows a group of misfits trapped at an Oregon psychiatric hospital under the tyrannical rule of Nurse Ratched. With an award-winning cast consisting of Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and Brad Dourif, the film is must-watch viewing for anyone who loves the Netflix original series Ratched.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

A dark vision of the American psychiatric system which incorporates a tragic seam of comedy. Full Review - Little White Lies

Great Documentaries on Netflix

Bully (2012)

Bully  •  Trailer

This documentary follows several teenagers as they try to navigate the social hierarchy in the 21st century. The film highlights the way kids these days are bullied like never before, and it sometimes leads to tragic consequences. It stars a slew of children all playing themselves and being heartbreakingly honest in their portrayal of what it’s truly like to grow up these days.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

If Bully doesn't make you angry, then you're not paying attention. Full Review - TheIndependentCritic.com

Best Underrated Movies on Netflix

Kon-Tiki (2012)

Kon-Tiki  •  Trailer

The movie follows Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl as he and his companions set out from Peru to explore the South Sea Islands. The ambitious adventure film stars Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, and Tobias Santelmann.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

It is beautifully shot and has the same fierce intelligence about it that you find in its producer's other epic "quest" movies. Full Review - Independent

Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (2020)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople  •  Trailer

A father figure and his stepson end up as part of a manhunt after venturing into the New Zealand bush. Taiki Waititi’s film stars Sam Neill and Julian Dennison as the primary duo in this understated comedy.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

Hunt for the Wilderpeople has been a huge audience favourite at festivals this year and you can see why, with its brand of dark New Zealand humour, coupled with a boy's own adventure story that goes not merely off the rails, but off-road and off-grid. Full Review - Times (UK)

Best Netflix Original Movies Ever

Enola Holmes (2020)

Enola Holmes  •  Trailer

You know Sherlock Holmes, now see what his sister is capable of. Millie Bobby Brown plays the titular character who finds herself in a mischievous plot to locate her mother. Also starring Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter, the film was originally planned for a theatrical release but ended up on Netflix for all to see.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

"Enola Homes" is the kind of movie that the preteen set will surely delight in and watch over and over. I know I would have. Full Review - Associated Press

Popular Movies on Netflix Right Now

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Stranger Than Fiction  •  Trailer

Will Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal star in this absurdist comedy. Ferrell plays an IRS agent trapped in an author’s novel. The only problem is that she plans on killing him off.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

The actors and the filmmakers all take a more restrained approach than you might expect, keeping the humor gentle, and the jokes mostly as literary as the premise. Full Review - NPR

Awesome Animated Film on Netflix

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

The Pirates! Band of Misfits  •  Trailer

Aardman Animations brings another delightful stop motion animated romp to your television screen. Featuring the voice acting talents of Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, and David Tennant, the film follows a sorry crew of amateur pirates doing everything they can to win the coveted Pirate of the Year award.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Purists will no doubt be bothered by Aardman's decision to incorporate digital imagery and 3-D, but they use it well here. Full Review - TheIndependentCritic.com

Original Netflix Movies to Watch

The Social Dilemma (2020)

The Social Dilemma  •  Trailer

This docudrama follows the rise of social media. It shows the dark side of Facebook, Twitter, and other sites and how they’ve brought about an increase in conspiracy theories. You’ll learn how all these mega-companies are actually using your data, and you may not like the answer.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIEs

Critic Review Highlight

The film reveals much more than why you go from Googling the best sofa one minute to finding sofa ads on your Facebook stream the next. Full Review - Associated Press

Fantastic Movies to Watch on Netflix

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

The Squid and the Whale  •  Trailer

The Squid and the Whale follows a simple story of two kids dealing with their parents’ divorce. Starring Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and Jesse Eisenberg, the film takes an unflinching look at what it’s like to grow up in such toxicity.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

The Squid and the Whale is essentially about how we grow up by absorbing what is useful in our parents and forgiving what is not. Full Review - Chicago Sun-Times

Must Watch Movies on Netflix for Romantics

About Time (2013)

About Time  •  Trailer

Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson star in the romantic film about a man with the ability to travel back in time to correct the mistakes of the past. Ultimately, the film’s about learning to love the life you have and the people you share it with.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

You may as well check your cynicism at the door, because Curtis & Co. are going to find a way to trample all over it - adorably. Full Review - ChristyLemire.com

Thought-Provoking Netflix Movies

The One I Love (2014)

The One I Love  •  Trailer

Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass star in this captivating thriller. They play a married couple who have a surreal experience while on vacation, and the less that’s said about it before watching it the better.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

The film owes everything to its actors and particularly to Moss, who is capable of constantly surprising reactions, like the flurry of little nods Sophie gives to express delight. Full Review - The Sydney Morning Herald

New Original Netflix Movies

A Ghost Story (2017)

A Ghost Story  •  Trailer

A24 presents this supernatural drama. Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star in the story of a woman who becomes haunted by the ghost of her deceased husband. But there are no major scares here, just a rumination on grief and loss.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

The unconventional narrative structure seems more beguiling the more you think about it - this is a film designed to expand in your memory. Full Review - Chicago Reader

Female-Led Movies to Watch on Netflix

My Week With Marilyn (2011)

My Week With Marilyn  •  Trailer

As the name of the movie suggests, the film follows a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe when she was filming The Prince and the Showgirl. Michelle Williams brings Monroe to life while the cast is rounded out by Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh, and Emma Watson.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

I believe the heart of the film, and the cleverest stroke of all, is Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark, someone few of us will have heard of. Full Review - New Republic

Horror Films on Netflix for Halloween

Holidays (2016)

Holidays  •  Trailer 

Holidays is a horror anthology consisting of various short films, each one centered around a different holiday. From Valentine’s Day to New Year’s, and of course Halloween, Holidays is a great watch for budding horror filmmakers with the likes of Seth Green and Harley Quinn Smith in the cast.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

Some of the films are haunting, some of them more macabre, but all of them play with holiday symbolism in way that will make viewers rethink a lot of their favorite celebrations. Full Review - Entertainment Weekly 

Best Netflix Original Movies

13th (2016)

Full Feature  •  13th

A great deal of social upheaval has taken place over the last year. And if you’re interested in learning more about the root of that unrest, just watch 13th from director Ava DuVernay. The film explores mass incarceration in the United States and how it disproportionately impacts Black Americans. It all can be traced back to the passage of the 13th Amendment, which most people learn in high school abolished slavery but actually just altered the definition. The 13th Amendment still allows for slavery except for punishment of a crime. It’s eye-opening, shocking, and will make you want to protest for a better tomorrow.

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

13th is arguably the most essential documentary to watch in the 21st century. It shows just how much farther we have to go as a country to right the wrongs of the past.

Action-Packed Netflix Originals

The Old Guard (2020)

The Old Guard  •  Trailer

A team of immortal warriors get sent on a quest for revenge right around the time they discover another one of their own. This Netflix original shows how the streaming service isn’t afraid to invest in big-budget blockbuster entertainment with the likes of Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne in the cast. 

BEST NETFLIX MOVIES

Critic Review Highlight

It's a film that's rewarding to spend time with, with a substance-over-style approach that's entirely commendable, and all too rare in films of this type. Full Review - The Telegraph

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Best Movies of the Decade

Just a few more Netflix binges and your inner film encyclopedia should be up to date (until it’s time to update it all over again). Then, after you’ve seen everything on this list, take your streaming adventures a step further by consulting our list of the best films of the 2010s.

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