We get it, there are a lot of good movies on Netflix; so much so that deciding on just one is no easy task and we end up spending an hour going through our queues and every random genre in the streaming giant’s massive library. To make the most out of our streaming, maximize our movie-watching time and prevent ourselves from getting caught in the infinite abyss, we’ve put together a list of the best movies on Netflix, with a little something for everyone.
But, you may want to get on these movies sooner rather than later before they end up on the list of titles leaving Netflix. Let’s take a look at some of the best movies to watch for anyone with a Netflix subscription as of September 2023. Remember to check back later in the month as there is always something new on Netflix worth checking out.
Arrival (2016)
After mysterious spaceships appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and her team are given the seemingly impossible task of communicating with the extraterrestrials as the world’s armies grow more terrified and eager to attack the visitors. Years later we’re still thinking about the Arrival ending and Denis Villeneuve’s knack for impressive visual style.
Stream Arrival on Netflix.
Field of Dreams (1991)
One of the all-time great baseball movies, Field of Dreams follows Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) as plows his valuable Iowa cornfields and constructs a baseball diamond after hearing a voice telling him “If you build it, he will come.” The baseball field in the middle of the heartland is just the beginning, as the obsessed baseball fan embarks upon a road trip that ends with an incredibly emotional reunion.
Stream Field of Dreams on Netflix.
Jaws (1975)
Following a string of shark attacks near Amity Island, the town’s chief of police Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) teams up marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and hardened ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) to bring the fight to the monster fish. Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, one of the best horror movies of all time, still has a ferocious bite nearly 50 years after it terrified audiences around the world.
Stream Jaws on Netflix.
Stand By Me (1986)
If you want to go back and rewatch Stand By Me as an adult, now is the perfect time to revisit Rob Reiner’s classic adaptation of Stephen King’s The Body. This coming-of-age drama follows four friends as they embark upon a journey over the last weekend of summer to find the body of a boy who was supposedly hit by a train deep in the Oregon forest. The remains of the poor soul aren’t the only thing these childhood buddies will discover in the fading days of childhood.
Stream Stand By Me on Netflix.
Up In The Air (2009)
Jason Reitman’s Golden Globe-winning dramedy Up in the Air centers on Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a man whose job is to tell people that they no longer have a job of their own. Criss-crossing the continental United States, the jaded and cynical downsizer takes young co-worker Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) under his wing to show her the ropes in this cut-throat industry.
Stream Up in the Air on Netflix.
Vice (2018)
Not your conventional biopic, Adam McKay’s Vice pieces together the life, career, and legacy of former United States Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) as climbs corporate and political ladders to become arguably the most powerful man in the country during the early days of the 21st century.
Stream Vice on Netflix.
Superbad (2007)
One of the best movies of the 2000s, Superbad was one of those watershed moments for the comedy genre and cinema as a whole, and helped usher in a new era and fresh faces. In the final days of their high school experience, Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) have one goal on their minds: secure booze in order to impress their crushes. Tasked with getting the alcohol for the blowout, the lifelong best friends soon discover this will be no easy task.
Stream Superbad on Netflix.
U-571 (2000)
Set in the early days of the United States’ involvement in World War II, the 2000 military action drama U-571 follows a group of American submariners as they embark upon a perilous mission to capture Nazi Germany’s elusive Enigma machine, a mission that could change the course of the global conflict. Though it takes some liberties with history, it’s time to revisit this intense military affair starring Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi.
Stream U-571 on Netflix.
Matilda (2000)
After years spent growing up in a house that looks down upon education and critical thought in general, Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson), a girl with extraordinary intelligence and telekinetic powers finally gets her wish to go to school. Upon arriving at Crunchem Hall Elementary School, the young inquisitive mind soon discovers that while her teacher is a ray of sunshine, the no-nonsense principal is anything but. Danny DeVito’s 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda is a kids movie the whole family will enjoy.
Stream Matilda on Netflix.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
Juel Taylor’s sci-fi infused love letter to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s, They Cloned Tyrone follows Fontaine (John Boyega) as he teams up with Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) as they accidentally uncover a clandestine government operation involving clones, drugs, and control of the Glen neighborhood. From the movie’s humble beginnings all the way to its conspiracy-heavy ending, this Netflix original is one hell of a ride.
Stream They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix.
Coming To America (1988)
Perhaps the best Eddie Murphy movie, John Landis’ 1988 comedy, Coming to America, centers on Akeem Joffer, the prince of the African nation of Zamunda, as he travels to Queens, New York in hopes of finding a woman who loves him for his character and not because he will one day assume his father’s throne. With career-defining performances from Murphy, Arsenio Hall as Akeem’s friend, Semmi, and the rest of the movie’s cast, as well as some of the funniest scenes of the ‘80s, there are plenty of reasons to go back and revisit this classic.
Stream Coming to America on Netflix.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
An all-time great Chicago movie, John Hughes’ 1986 classic comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is well-remembered for a myriad of reasons, including its top-notch cast, unforgettable scenes, all those hilarious quotes, and mass appeal. If you haven’t played hooky and explored the “Windy City” with Matthew Broderick’s iconic character in some time, now’s your golden opportunity to revisit one of the best ‘80s movies.
Stream Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Netflix.
Lost In Translation (2003)
Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, with its ambiguous cliffhanger ending, remains one of the best movies to come from Focus Features in the early 2000s for multiple reasons. This somber and moving experience follows Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a fading Hollywood actor who has turned to starring in Japanese commercials, and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the wife of a celebrity photographer, as they strike up an unlikely friendship in Tokyo and create an unforgettable experience.
Stream Lost in Translation on Netflix.
The Jerk (1979)
After coming to the realization that his entire life has been a lie, the dimwitted Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) sets out on a series of misadventures that sees him leave his rural Mississippi hometown to reinvent himself in Carl Reiner’s The Jerk. Self-discovery isn’t the only thing that awaits Navin, as he soon discovers that the big world is full of danger, mystery, and even more danger.
Stream The Jerk on Netflix.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Based on a script by Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’s Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Paul Feig’s raunchy 2011 comedy, Bridesmaids, follows Annie Walker (Wiig) as she prepares to serve as the maid of honor at her best friend’s (Maya Rudolph) wedding. Between Annie’s financial and romantic issues, the over-the-top wedding plans, and an intense competition with Helen Harris (Rose Byrne), this movie is pure chaos.
Stream Bridesmaids on Netflix.
Titanic (1997)
Eighty-four years after an “unsinkable” ship hit an iceberg and ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, James Cameron revisited the maiden (and only) voyage of the massive ship with Titanic. Part disaster movie and part romantic drama with the love story of Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), this Academy Award-winning film checked all the boxes and remains just as popular more than a quarter-century after its release.
Stream Titanic on Netflix.
Uncle Buck (1989)
One of the best John Candy movies, John Hughes’ 1989 comedy classic, Uncle Buck, follows Buck Russell (Candy) as he is called to the suburbs to watch after his nieces and nephew while their parents are out of town on a medical emergency. The cigar-smoking, and wise-cracking bachelor learns a lot about his family, and himself, over the course of his stay, one that is filled with its fair share of hilarious and tender moments.
Stream Uncle Buck on Netflix.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s literary classic, Pride & Prejudice, centers on Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightley), the oldest and most outspoken of five sisters as her life, and that of Mr. Darcy’s (Matthew Macfadyen), become interconnected after meeting one another at a party. The timeless romance story involving a strong-willed young woman and a snobbish man of high-society has its twists and turns along the way.
Stream Pride & Prejudice on Netflix.
Warm Bodies (2013)
One of the more chipper movies set during a zombie apocalypse, Jonathan Levine’s 2013 romantic comedy, Warm Bodies, is essentially Romeo and Juliet, but with the armies of the living and dead taking the places of the Capulet and Montague families. When a zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) meets and falls for a still alive Julie (Teresa Palmer), the flesh-eating ghoul begins to notice major changes to virtually every aspect of his being.
Stream Warm Bodies on Netflix.
Ray (2004)
Released in 2004, Taylor Hackford’s biographical musical drama, Ray, sees Jamie Foxx take on the role of legendary R&B pioneer Ray Charles as he goes from being a young blind boy with an impoverished upbringing in the American South to one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century. One of Foxx’s best on-screen performances, this Academy Award-winning film is still just as great nearly 20 years later.
Stream Ray on Netflix.
The Karate Kid Movies (1984 – 1989)
Between 1984 and 1989, audiences went on an adventure with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as he goes from being an out-of-place transplant in Reseda, California, to one of the best martial artists in the greater Los Angeles area. With the help of his mentor and trainer, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), Daniel rises to the occasion time and time again.
Stream The Karate Kid on Netflix.
Stream The Karate Kid Part II on Netflix.
Stream The Karate Kid Part III on Netflix.
The Star Trek Movies (2009 – 2013)
Before turning his attention to the Star Wars franchise several years later, J.J. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek movies in 2009 with a pair of movies centering around James Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña), and other key members of the Enterprise crew. From finding their respective places in the galaxy to taking on one of the property’s most iconic villains, these Starfleet heroes have quite a time in the final frontier.
Stream Star Trek on Netflix.
Stream Star Trek Into Darkness on Netflix.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
John Hughes’ 1985 “Brat Pack” classic, The Breakfast Club, follows four high school students from completely different backgrounds as they spend the day together in Saturday detention. A troublemaker (Judd Nelson), a jock (Emilio Estevez), a rich girl (Molly Ringwald), a closed-off loner (Ally Sheedy), and a nerd (Anthony Michael Hall) learn more about each other in a single day than in their entire high school experience up to that point.
Stream The Breakfast Club on Netflix.
The Spider-Man Movies (2002 – 2007)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies follow Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as he goes from a regular high school student to New York City’s premier superhero, facing off with some of the comic book world’s most iconic villains. From Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) to Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) to Venom (Topher Grace), the Web-Slinger has his work cut out for him in this cinematic journey.
Stream Spider-Man on Netflix.
Stream Spider-Man 2 on Netflix.
Stream Spider-Man 3 on Netflix.
Heat (1995)
Fans of The Dark Knight’s opening bank robbery, Grand Theft Auto’s most daring heist missions, and practically any movie about gangs of highly-skilled thieves should check out Michael Mann’s 1995 classic, Heat. The movie features a tremendous cat-and-mouse game between a veteran detective (Al Pacino) and criminal mastermind (Robert De Niro) as the former attempts to catch the latter after a big score ends multiple murders. And with Heat 2 in the works, now’s the perfect time to go back and watch this crime epic.
Stream Heat on Netflix.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Some would consider Harold Ramis’ 1993 comedy classic, Groundhog Day, to be the funniest Bill Murray movie, and they wouldn’t be wrong. This hilarious and impactful fantasy comedy follows Murray’s Phil Connors, a grumpy, crass, and belligerent meteorologist who finds himself trapped in a time loop while covering the Groundhog Day festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. With each day crazier than the one before, Phil is left to his own devices to figure out how to get out of this maddening predicament,
Stream Groundhog Day on Netflix.
To Leslie (2022)
Years after winning nearly $200,000 in a local lottery, Leslie Rowland (Andrea Riseborough) returns to her hometown penniless, disgraced, and in need of some redemption. Over the course of To Leslie, the broken woman attempts to rekindle relationships with 20-year-old son, mother, and everyone else she’s hurt over the years with her drinking and thieving, which is a task easier said than done.
Stream To Leslie on Netflix.
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Even if it didn’t feature one of the best Gary Oldman performances (which it does), Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional would still be considered one of the best action thrillers of the ‘90s. The movie, which follows a hitman named Léon (Jean Reno) as he protects a young girl named Mathidla Lando (Natalie Portman) after her family is gunned down in their apartment.
Stream Léon: The Professional on Netflix.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Set over the course of multiple years, Herbert Ross’ 1989 dramedy Steel Magnolias centers on a group of Louisiana women as they navigate life’s ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, new beginnings and unforeseen endings. With iconic performances by Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and a pre-Pretty Woman Julia Roberts, this hilarious, dramatic, and three-dimensional story (like its characters) comes to life in spectacular fashion.
Stream Steel Magnolias on Netflix.
A League Of Their Own (1992)
More than 30 years after its release, A League of Their Own remains one of the best baseball movies ever made. Penny Marshall’s landmark sports classic follows the first and only season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, as told through the eyes of the Rockford Peaches. From the movie’s outstanding cast to its incredible story to its empowering message, there’s a lot to love.
Stream A League of Their Own on Netflix.
The Negotiator (1998)
After being implicated in a murder he claims he didn’t commit, Chicago Police negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) holds an investigator hostage in an attempt to clear his name in F. Gary Gray’s 1998 thriller, The Negotiator. It’s up to Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey), another top negotiator, who tries to talk him off a ledge.
Stream The Negotiator on Netflix.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Nominated in the Best Animated Feature category at the 2023 Academy Awards, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, not to be confused with the Disney+ exclusive that was also released in 2022, serves as a reinvention of the timeless story of a wooden puppet with dreams of becoming a real boy. This painstakingly crafted stop-motion musical was all the rage upon its release thanks to its animation, dark story, and outstanding performances by the likes of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Chrisoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton.
Stream Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix.
La La Land (2016)
Years before turning his attention to the Apollo space program or 1920s Hollywood, writer-director Damien Chazelle gave cinema one of the most beloved musicals in recent memory with 2016’s La La Land. Centering on jazz pianist Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling) and actress Amelia Dolan (Emma Stone), the award-winning romantic musical tells a story of a couple faced with a difficult and unavoidable truth: you can have love or your aspirations, not both.
Stream La La Land on Netflix.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
In the follow-up to his 2019 whodunit, Rian Johnson introduces audiences to a new set of characters, an exotic location, and a multi-layered murder mystery that can only be solved by Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the first of at least two movies in the franchise exclusive to Netflix, is full of thrills, chills, and hilarity around every corner.
Stream Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix.
The Raid 2 (2014)
Gareth Evans’ 2014 crime epic The Raid 2 picks up almost immediately after the events of the filmmaker’s 2012 instant classic, The Raid, further expanding the story of elite police officer Rama (Iko Uwais) as he goes undercover to bring down a powerful and dangerous crime syndicate in one of the best action movies of the past decade.
Stream The Raid 2 on Netflix.
The Rocky Movies (1976 – 1990)
In 1976, a little movie titled Rocky was released in theaters and went on to launch one of the biggest sports movies franchises of all time. Centering on Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, the movies follow the skilled boxer as he goes from a relative nobody to a major force in the world of professional fighting. Facing off with legendary opponents like Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Clubber Lang (Mr. T), and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), Rocky just keeps rolling with the punches.
Stream Rocky on Netflix.
Stream Rocky II on Netflix.
Stream Rocky III on Netflix.
Stream Rocky IV on Netflix.
Stream Rocky V on Netflix.
Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Now a detective in her own right, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) is given her first major case: a matchstick girl who has gone missing in Victorian era London. With the help of her older brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), the young sleuth attempts to get to the bottom of a vast criminal conspiracy (and matters of the heart) in the wonder Enola Holmes 2.
Stream Enola Holmes 2 on Netflix.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)
Killer rabbits, an unflinching Black Knight, and other dangers aren’t enough for King Arthur (Graham Chapman) or the men in his company as they embark upon a quest to find the mythical holy grail. Released in 1975, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is certainly a comedy that will cheer you up when in a funk.
Stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Netflix.
All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his school buddies think they are in for the adventure of a lifetime upon joining the German army at the height of World War I, but they soon find out that claims of “Paris in six weeks” are nothing more than false hopes given to new recruits. In Edward Berger’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, boys become men as they face one hellish day after another while members of the government attempt to broker a peace deal with France and its allies.
Stream All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix.
The Power Of The Dog (2021)
Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch), a closed-off and abrasive rancher in 1920s Montana, becomes even more cruel when his brother, George (Jesse Plemons) brings home a new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) in Jane Campion’s Academy Award-winning drama The Power of the Dog.
Stream The Power Of The Dog on Netflix.
Mank (2020)
David Fincher’s Mank (which was written by his late father in the 1990s) serves a flashy history lesson of 1930s Hollywood (and society as a whole) as experienced by alcoholic and sometimes unlikeable screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he writes Orson Welles’ crowning achievement Citizen Kane and deals with the fallout from the people on which his characters were based. This black-and-white affair is classic Fincher but with a “Golden Age of Hollywood” feel to it.
Stream Mank on Netflix.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
It is hard to say who is the protagonist and who’s the antagonist in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but that doesn’t matter to the two leads (played by Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman) as their performances go above and beyond in this 2020 adaptation of a stage play about a high-tempered and heated recording session in 1920s Chicago. The biggest tragedy of this film is the fact that Boseman tragically passed away before he became aware of the universal acclaim his portrayal of Levee Green would receive upon its release.
Stream Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix.
Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 black-and-white drama Roma follows the lives of domestic workers and the families whose lives they tend to set in 1970s Mexico City. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards (winning three) following its release, Roma is a touching and daunting feat in filmmaking, and helped further cement Cuarón’s place in movie history.
Stream Roma on Netflix.
This is just a small portion of the best movies on Netflix, as there are literally thousands of decorated films from all corners of the earth. If you want to see all of the good movies on Netflix that are set to come out this year, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 Netflix Movies guide.