With hundreds of films from around the world on the streaming giant that changed the game, how does one even know what to watch when they fire up their Netflix? Start here! We’ve gone through the many films available on the platform and pared down the selection to 10 must-see titles. This list represents the best of Netflix’s movie offerings, and it starts with a new rotating critic’s pick of the week.
Plane
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 47m
Director: Jean-François Richet
Plane is a movie for your lizard brain the part of you that craves basic sensations. The part that expresses itself in grunts. The part that wants to paw anxiously at a theater screen while muttering “Plane …” This is a good thing. The highest compliment I can pay the Gerard Butler action film is that it lives up to the conceptual purity of its title. Bilge Ebiri
Parasite
Year: 2019
Runtime: 2h 12m
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Remember when this incredible film actually won the Oscar for Best Picture? It felt like anything was possible. Already a half-decade old, take a chance to revisit Bong’s masterpiece, a scathing thriller that shifts issues of class and privilege into an unforgettable piece of storytelling.
Ali
Year: 2001
Runtime: 2h 36m
Director: Michael Mann
Michael Mann directed this 2001 biopic of one of the most important figures of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. Will Smith does possibly the best film work of his career as the legendary boxer, civil rights icon, and all-around role model, and Mann approaches the life of Ali with his own unique craftsmanship. This appears to be the original theatrical edition and not one of the alternate versions later released FYI.
The Place Beyond the Pines
Year: 2012
Runtime: 2h 20m
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Derek Cianfrance’s 2013 crime drama divided audiences when it was released but it’s definitely worth a reappreciation now. Anchored by a great ensemble, including Ryan Gosling, Ben Mendelsohn, Mahershala Ali, and Bradley Cooper, this is a story of the ripple effect of criminal behavior, and how it can impact across the generations. It’s smarter and better in every way than it got credit for when it was released.
American Gangster
Year: 2007
Runtime: 2h 36m
Director: Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott directed this epic gangster picture that saw two of the most charismatic actors of their generation work together on their first major project (no offense, Virtuosity fans). Denzel Washington plays this loose variation on the life of Frank Lucas, a legendary criminal who revolutionized the drug trade; Russell Crowe plays the detective who brought him down. Both men are great, but this is an awesome ensemble piece with great supporting work from a dozen or so character actors.
1917
Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: Sam Mendes
This Oscar winner doesn’t land on streaming services very often, so take this chance while you can. Sam Mendes directs a visceral recounting of a personal story told to him by his grandfather about his time in World War I, allowing the harrowing journey of a British soldier (George MacKay) to unfold in one unforgettable, unbroken shot.
Do the Right Thing
Year: 1989
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: Spike Lee
Over 35 years after its release, Spike Lee’s masterpiece feels as urgent and current as the day it was released. After the unrest in early 2020, many people seemed to revisit this classic, to discover it’s lost none of its power. In fact, every viewing of Do the Right Thing feels fresh and new again. It’s one of the best films ever made.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Year: 2024
Runtime: 2h 28m
Director: George Miller
One of the best films of 2024 has finally been added to Netflix, joining its partner Fury Road, which is also available on the streaming giant (consider this an entry for both). Ignore the haters, this is robust action filmmaking at its greatest, serving as a prequel to Fury Road but also a fantastic film in its own right. Anya Taylor-Joy captures Furiosa as a survivor in a desperate world, but it’s Chris Hemsworth who steals the movie, sketching a tyrant too power-mad to comprehend his own stupidity.
Sicario
Year: 2015
Runtime: 2h 1m
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve has become one of the biggest directors in the world on the back of beloved films like Blade Runner 2049 and Dune, but this was really his breakthrough, a 2015 thriller about an FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who gets drawn into the war between the U.S. government and the Mexican drug cartels. Benicio Del Toro gives one of the best performances of his career here.
Godzilla Minus One
Year: 2023
Runtime: 2h 5m
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Netflix stunned people when they stealthily dropped this worldwide hit on their service, making a movie that wasn’t even on VOD finally available at home. The winner of the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, Godzilla Minus One is a masterful blend of action and social commentary, considered by many to be among the best in this generations-spanning franchise.
