Best movies on Netflix
If you're new to Netflix and want to find the best movies to watch, or you're tired of browsing the app for 30 minutes before finding something to watch, you've come to the right place. With thousands of movies at your disposal, it's easy to get stuck in binge-watching mode, but finding the honest-to-goodness best films can be a bit of hassle.
In an effort to determine the best of the best, we've put together a list of the greatest possible films you can watch – curated by techradar editors and backed up with ratings from IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes – so that you don't have to sift through the muck. We'll keep this best-of list up to date with the latest movies that are must-watch, so you waste zero screen time searching.
Are TV shows more your scene? Here are the best TV shows on Netflix!
1. Blackfish
Blackfish, the controversial nature documentary that follows a misunderstood and often violent killer whale in captivity at SeaWorld, made a huge splash when it was released in 2013. Its story has moved audiences to take action in a way that few other films have ever done, going so far as forcing lawmakers' hands to introduce legislation that will demand that SeaWorld release killer whales back into the wild. It's an emotional ride through the highs and lows of the aquatic entertainment industry, one that reveals the real consequences of keeping animals where they don't belong.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
2. Pulp Fiction
There's no shortage of prolific Tarantino films on Netflix (see: Django Unchained, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Inglorious Basterds and Reservoir Dogs), but Pulp Fiction stands one bullet-riddled head and shoulder above the rest. Tackling questions of morality and social issues like racism and socioeconomic class, the film remains one of John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman's greatest works. Considering these people have been in half a dozen other flicks found in countless "greatest films of all-time" lists, it's really saying something.
IMDB Rating: 8.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
"Bueller? Bueller?" Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the epitome of '80s teen films, capturing the zeitgeist of ennui, unrest and anti-establishment. Starring Matthew Broderick as Ferris and his love interest Sloane Peterson played by Mia Sara, the film is a comedic, unrealistic romp through the daydream material we had growing up: cutting class, chasing girls and leading the Von Steuben Day Parade. (Yes, that was the really the name of the parade he crashed in the movie.)
IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
4. Good Will Hunting
No one can ever take Robin Williams's place in cinema. His ability to ad lib scenes and bring a palpable depth and realism to his roles is irreplaceable. Couple this with an endearing performance by Matt Damon and one of the most pivotal, transformative scenes in all of film, and you have a recipe for a classic that will live on forever. If you haven't seen Good Will Hunting yet, it's not your fault. It's not your fault...
IMDB Rating: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
5. Braveheart
Taken out of context, Braveheart is the story of a man born in the wrong place, at the wrong time and then forced to do something nobody else wanted to do, only to be – well, just watch it. In context, it's one of the best Mel Gibson films of all-time, winning five Academy Awards in 1996 for its gripping, insanely dark narrative and excellent performances. Whether it's your first time watching the men of Scotland stand up for their freedom or the tenth time, Braveheart is easily worth one of your Saturday movie nights.
IMDB Rating: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
6. City of God
City of God, like the city it depicts, is sublimely deceptive. Beneath the facade of beaches and lush rainforests in Rio de Janeiro lies the seedy underbelly where bloodthirsty children rob, steal and kill for a little extra cash. The story of one righteous man uncorrupted by his environment, City of God gives as well as it takes, giving you a hero for every villain and a triumph for every loss.
IMDB Rating: 8.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
7. The Hurt Locker
Before Jeremy Renner played a badass Hawkeye in Marvel's glorious Avengers films, he played an even better badass in The Hurt Locker. Following an explosives specialist on a tour in the Middle East, Renner's character stays cool under pressure while he almost nonchalantly disarms bombs day in and day out. Between a poignant, controversial setting that continues to linger in most American's minds and Renner's cockiness and recklessness that borders on suicidal, The Hurt Locker struck all the right notes in a way few war films in the last decade have done.
IMDB Rating: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
8. Apocalypse Now
Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now is an allegory, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It's possible to debate the poignant Vietnam War movie's themes for the entire run-time of the film. (The redux version is three-and-a-half hours in case you're wondering.) Even if you don't understand the deeper implications, you don't need to be Franz Kafka to appreciate the film's beautiful scenery, foreboding atmosphere and ultimately come to grips with Martin Sheen's decision at the end of the movie.
IMDB Rating: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
9. Big Fish
In its own profound way, Big Fish teaches us one way to accept death. The story's yarn starts when we learn that Will Bloom's father (Ewan McGregor), a well-known storyteller, is on the verge of death resulting in Bloom, played by Bill Crudup, then tasking himself with chronicling his father's illustrative life. Following his father's life, Bloom learns that his father's tall tales – though fake – teach important lessons about what it means to be a decent human being. You'll most likely have to watch the final scenes of the film through tears and then immediately call your parents to tell them you love them.
IMDB Rating: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
10. The Big Lebowski
Few movies are as quotable as The Big Lebowski. From lines like, "Has the whole world gone crazy?" to anything that "ties the room together," TBL is a font of famously hilarious dialogue. Peer deeper into the film's bloodshot eyes, however, and there's more to love. Excellent acting from Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, an off-the-wall plot that pits nihilist cronies against a burned-out Lebowski and a woman who causes more trouble in 10 minutes than most characters procure in a two-hour film culminate in a must-watch "cult" classic.
IMDB Rating: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
11. Forrest Gump
This list is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. On this page, though, what you get is one of the most quintessential movies in American cinema. Yes, Forrest Gump tells the story of a man who falls for a girl and becomes somewhat of a phenomenon from humble beginnings, but, more importantly, it's a history lesson in how America has grown and changed over the years. Heartwarming, uplifting and inspirational, Forrest Gump teaches us an important lesson: if you're kind and you work hard, amazing things will happen to you – eventually.
IMDB Rating: 8.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
12. The Babadook
Horror movies have fallen on hard times. There, I said it. Spending the past decade relying on jump shocks and excessive gore to win over new audiences, it's rare to find a film as well-made, thought-out and genuinely scary as The Babadook. Two parts horror, one part mind game, the film explores the feelings of guilt that come along with death, the darkest sides of parenthood and the sheer creepiness of kids' imaginations.
IMDB Rating: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
13. Annie Hall
Romance films tend to be predictable. Guy meets girl. Girl says she can never fall in love with the guy because he's too wild/different/cocky. Guy becomes less wild/different/cocky by being around the girl. Romance ensues. It's all a trite, pre-canned plotline designed to trick us all into thinking love needs to be pure and straightforward. It's unrealistic. Annie Hall is one of the few films to truly capture the subtle nuances of dating. From nervous conversations about sex and status to over-the-top declarations of love to feeling like utterly incompatible people, Woody Allen's greatest work takes the audience through a decade of trials and tribulations of modern dating.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
14. The Terminator
While other films from the same time period have struggled to stay relevant, The Terminator remains as interesting and unique as it was 30 years ago. Plenty of reboots and sequels have come out since the release and though some have actually transcended the original critically – ahem, Terminator 2 – many aren't worth the film they were printed on. If you're looking for a retro masterpiece that holds up to modern-day cinema standards, you can stop searching.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
15. The Naked Gun
Humor is subjective. Some of us are fans of dark humor while others get a kick out of a high-brow take on society. The Naked Gun has both in spades. The film transitions from scene to scene introducing new jokes at every turn, panning both the criminal justice system's inconsistencies while providing the audience with copious amounts of slapstick humor. If for no other reason, watch it to see O.J. Simpson, the former Buffalo Bills player and formerly accused murderer, act.
IMDB Rating: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
16. Amelie
If you haven't seen it, Amelie is pretty much the French equivalent of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Starring Audrey TauTou, it's a weird, quirky and all-around whimsical joyride around Paris as we see Amelie develop from a reserved waitress into a romantically involved extrovert. For introverts, Amelie is a spiritually moving film, taking on mental ailments like depression, social anxiety and agoraphobia head-on while still providing a solid rom-com foundation for all fans of the genre.
IMDB Rating: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
17. Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook is this generation's Annie Hall. The story of two mentally unsound people drawn together by circumstance after alienating everyone around them, Silver Linings Playbook becomes a heartfelt, entertaining and ultimately uplifting film once you sort through the main characters' seemingly never ending pile of emotional baggage.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
18. The Wolf of Wall Street
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Wolf of Wall Street can be watched in two ways: From a pure shock-and-awe point of view, wherein you enjoy the movie's use of debauchery and avarice to push forward the plot or, the more preferred way, as a thought experiment in how far someone is willing to go to stay in control. The former makes the film one of the best pictures of last year. The latter makes it one of the best films of the decade.
IMDB Rating: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
19. Almost Famous
Where Ferris Bueller fed our fantasies of cutting class for an epic day on the town, Almost Famous harnessed our ambitions and played with the idea of a kid writing for Rolling Stone. One part loss of innocence, two parts coming of age story, Cameron Crowe directs the story of a boy who lies about his age to go on tour with a band, falling in love with a groupie and realizing that, once you discover how the sausage is made, it never tastes the same again.
IMDB Rating: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
20. The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a horror film by definition and yet barely resembles anything from the genre. There's no ax murderer. People aren't hunted by a supernatural entity that crawls out of the TV/shadows/lake. The Sixth Sense is more deliberate in its process. Tension builds scene-by-scene without relying on anything other than great acting by Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis and Toni Collete. It's easily the best M. Night Shyamalan film – though Signs is a close second – and remains one of the best films not only of the horror genre, but of any genre.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
21. Snowpiercer
In the spirit of trying something new, Snowpiercer is a 2013 sci-fi flick from South Korea that, despite what it seems, is actually a profound commentary on class inequality. The film follows Chris Evans on a march from the derelict caboose of the last train on earth to the luxurious front car with the environments progressively becoming more lavish along the way. It's violent, beautiful and entirely bold in its message. Plus, it provides a good lesson of looking at the ingredients of everything you eat.
IMDB Rating: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
22. Rocky
Rocky, the 1976 film about a nobody boxer who got a chance to fight the world heavy-weight champion, Clubber Lang, almost didn't happen. Stallone wrote the story with himself as the lead actor and refused to sell it until he got his way. The movie companies thought it was good, and even offered him $238,000 for it so long as they could have someone else besides Stallone, who had virtually zero acting experience at the time, cast as the eponymous role. Stallone held out. He had $106 in his bank account when he filmed Rocky. But his real-life resilience translated to his on-screen performance, making Rocky a must-watch.
IMDB Rating: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
23. Moonrise Kingdom
Starting September 16, Moonrise Kingdom will be the only Wes Anderson film available on Netflix. And while that sounds somewhat depressing, it's anything but. By limiting us to a single Anderson flick at a time, Netflix is slowly building our palette for the director's dry wit, exceptional pacing and phenomenal casting that seems to permeate each film under his supervision. Wonderfully smart and expertly crafted, Moonrise Kingdom might not overtake The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Royal Tenenbaums as our favorite Wes Anderson films, but that doesn't make it any less of an excellent movie on its own.
IMDB Rating: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
24. Django Unchained
Quentin Tarantino is loved and revered for his work in American cinema, and lately his takes on classic '70s movies. Like his take on Inglourious Basterds before it, Django Unchained deals with role reversal in a historically controversial time. The story of revenge and justice, Django (played by Jamie Foxx) and Dr. King Schultz (played by Christoph Waltz) set off to hunt down a gang of felons before the ultimate promise of setting Django free. Like other Tarantino films, it doesn't shy away from the grotesque and gory or mind going against the grain, making it easy to recommend and easier to watch time and time again.
IMDB Rating: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
25. Indie Game: The Movie
Full disclosure: Almost all of us here at techradar love video games. If you couldn't tell from the hundreds of articles we write about the latest and greatest gaming hardware to the disappointment in our text when we hear that our favorite game has been delayed (again), one of the best parts of the job is getting to be so close to one of our favorite mediums. Not to sound all mushy, but Indie Game: The Movie is the culmination of that love into a single, two-hour film that illustrates perfectly the periods of heart-break and joy that go into each and every one of your favorite games. If you even remotely care about games, you should watch this film.
IMDB Rating: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
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