25 Best Netflix Movies You Can't Watch Anywhere Else

Sometimes you wanna visit Netflix and watch something challenging, something that opens you up to a whole new way of cinematic storytelling. Other times, you just want something breezy and charming. Director Claire Scanlon's "Set It Up" has you covered on the latter front. It's the story of Harper (Zoey Deutsch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), two incredibly busy assistants who set their respective and dominating bosses up on a date. And while the story goes about where you'd expect, it still leaves you grinning by the end.

Ella Kemp from Little White Lies aptly summarized the charms of "Set It Up" by describing it as a "bouncy comedy with plenty to say about modern relationships." It definitely helps that the story is brought to life through two strong lead performances, with Glen Powell being particularly highlighted in the film's assortment of positive reviews. For those looking for something undemanding that doesn't sacrifice quality, "Set It Up" makes for a perfect cinematic meet-cute.

For its first foray into original feature films, Netflix wasn't looking to play it safe. Instead, they released "Beasts of No Nation," a harrowing look at a child soldier's experiences in West Africa under the leadership of an unnamed commandant (Idris Elba). Written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the project certainly served its purpose in establishing Netflix as a place for challenging cinema and filmmaking that can drum up widespread acclaim.

Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post noted that "crippling despair and the most fragile tendrils of hope battle for the human psyche in ... [this] grim, beautiful and achingly sad portrait of man's inhumanity to man." There was also widespread praise for the lead performances of Idris Elba and Abraham Attah and how they contribute to the films brutal tone. With such impressive talent involved — not to mention such a brutal, heartbreaking story — it's no wonder "Beasts of No Nation" is one of Netflix's best. 

Horror movies tend to make unnerving use of silence, but "Hush" takes this trend to the next level by placing viewers inside the perspective of a deaf-mute writer named Maddie Young (Kate Siegel). Her isolated existence is interrupted by the sudden presence of a masked killer. How will she get out alive? Director Mike Flanagan uses that tension to carry viewers throughout the whole film.

Anyone familiar with other works from Flanagan — like "Doctor Sleep" or Netflix's "The Haunting of" series — knows he's got the chops to deliver scares that are both frightening and unique. And critics by and large praised "Hush" for continuing Flanagan's streak of well-crafted horror films, with many paying special attention to the sound design. As Kalyn Corrigan of Bloody Disgusting put it, "'Hush' provides a pulse-pounding example of how silence can be the most frightening tool of all." With positive marks like that, it's no wonder "Hush" is one of Netflix's creepiest horror flicks.

Director Tamara Jenkins isn't a household name, but "Private Life" proves that more moviegoers should try to seek out her work. Released in 2018, it chronicles the trials and tribulations of a New York couple, played by Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, trying to have a kid. The story remains low-key, intimate, and consistently engaging. Jenkins has always shown a gift for painting complex human beings that audiences can see themselves in, and that talent is especially apparent here.

Among the many positive reviews heaped on "Private Life", K. Austin Collins' write-up for Vanity Fair pinpointed the best qualities of the production, praising "Hahn and Giamatti ... [as] a sterling central couple" and noting that "Jenkins can find the humor and bleached-out irony in something as sterile as a hospital's oppressively white walls — it's a true talent." Who could say no to a movie anchored by two insanely talented character actors? And after you reach the final credits, you'll definitely want to seek out the other titles in Tamara Jenkins' filmography.

Rom-coms aimed at teens have been a great launchpad for fresh, new leading performers. Alicia Silverstone, Shailene Woodley, Julia Stiles — the list goes on and on. So it is with "To All The Boy I Loved Before," which is the place Lana Condor first established herself as an engaging leading lady. Here, she provides a distinctly human anchor to this story of a high school girl grappling with how the secret love letters she's penned over the years have suddenly gone out to her various crushes.

The story isn't the most original, sure, but who comes to this genre for narrative innovation? Films like "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" live and die on their performers and by establishing a charming atmosphere. Both qualities work well here thanks to the capable direction of filmmaker Susan Johnson. Rather than try her hand at a cynical take on this genre, Johnson does the best traditional teenage rom-com possible. The result is something that you can't help but smile at, especially considering how good Lana Condor is in her first leading role.

It can be difficult to ask for help. Just ask "Rocks" protagonist Olushola "Rocks" Omotoso (Bukky Bukray), who's been suddenly given the responsibility of looking out for her younger brother when their mother suddenly vanishes. Not wanting to involve social services, Omotoso tries to continue on with her day-to-day existence while ignoring her friends' inquiries into what's going on. Omotoso is determined to look after herself and her sibling, but trying to juggle that would be a monumental task for any teenager. Under the director of Sarah Gavron, "Rocks" chronicles her struggles with an empathetic and thoughtful eye.

The universally positive reviews bestowed upon "Rocks" highlight — among many other qualities — how much the film renders its characters as three-dimensional people rather than just vessels for endless turmoil. In declaring it one of the best films of 2020, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai dubbed "Rocks" a "coming-of-age drama about an abandoned teen caring for her little brother [that] escapes the trauma porn trap by focusing on the hopes, strength, and sisterhood among her diverse characters." That kind of thoughtful screenwriting is rare, as are movies as good as "Rocks".

An adaptation of Hillary Jordan's novel, "Mudbound" is collection of wonderfully interwoven stories. It's about a couple (Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan) trying to make a living in the rough terrain of Marietta, Mississippi. It's also about the Jackson family (Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan) and their ambitions to one day own their own plot of land. And it's about Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell) coming home from fighting in World War II, only to be treated like an outsider in his own country. It's about so much, but filmmaker Dee Rees is careful to make sure the story doesn't feel too overstuffed for its own good.

Instead, the individual plotlines all work together to tell a story about class and race in the American South, a tale that works largely thanks to its ensemble cast. And with all its converging storyline lines, the film feels appropriately epic. As film critic Jason Fraley put it, "Dee Rees' masterpiece is the closest thing we've seen in a while to George Stevens' 'Giant' or John Ford's 'The Grapes of Wrath;' a salt-of-the-earth epic that rises to the level of tragic literature." Rees lends such a thoughtful gaze to each characters' plight, and her ability to juggle so much in one production makes "Mudbound" the kind of movie that earns every bit of the hype it's generated.

If there's one thing we know about Beyonce Knowles, it's that she can definitely put on a show. And that talent is on full display in "Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce." A recording of her 2018 Coachella performance, the musician pulls out all the stops in terms of lavish effects when performing her most iconic songs. These numbers are intercut with behind-the-scenes footage set to narration of Knowles explaining the creative inspiration for her songs.

Combine all of that into one movie and you get a production as insightful as it is extravagant. This mixture has made this film (directed by Beyonce Knowles to boot!) a widely acclaimed production, with Shannon Miller of The A.V. Club praising it for providing "an emotional reminder that Beyoncé accomplished this [performance] with a robust and, more importantly, intentional celebration of Blackness." Clearly, we can add "daring filmmaking" to Beyonce Knowles' long list of accomplishments!

One of the most memorable features at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, "The Forty-Year-Old Version" is the directorial debut of playwright Radha Blank. However, the thoroughly confident nature of the movie makes it seem like something from a filmmaking veteran. It's also that rare modern film that feels truly unique, an example of a movie filling a gap in the very art of cinematic language.

The story of a 40-year-old playwright who decides to become a rapper, the film "offers a refreshing, unpretentious, and often hilarious take on middle-aged Black womanhood," observed critic Soraya Nadia McDonald. The distinctiveness of the whole affair was aptly summarized by Robert Daniels on Polygon, who noted that "everything about 'The Forty-Year-Old Version' feels fresh. Especially Blank's down-to-earth acting and her unique vision." 

Plus, the film delivers stylish directing and memorable moments of comedy, especially from the students that our protagonist (Blank) is tasked with teaching. Netflix has lots of movies to offer, but few of them are as skillfully realized as "The Forty-Year-Old Version".

For the four aspiring politicians in "Knock Down the House," which includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the obstacles to achieving political victory are massive. However, the stakes of not running in the first place are even greater. Just the presence of these ladies running for office helps to reshape the possibility of who can engage in American politics. Director Rachel Lears takes viewers through the ups and downs of putting together a historic political campaign, and the end result is a documentary that's generated plenty of praise and conversation.

Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian, for instance, noted that "Knock Down the House" worked just as well as broad inspirational story as it did a documentary. "Everyone likes an underdog story," Hoffman observed. "And when the underdog is as eloquent, passionate, and righteous as these four women are, the final reels of this film feel like a 'Rocky' movie."

"Athlete A" isn't just a documentary about allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Larry Nassar. It's also, as Casey Cipriani wrote in her Bustle review, "hoping to expose a broader system of abuse and cover-up within USA Gymnastics (USAG) itself." Investigators, gymnasts and other figures are interviewed by directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk as the film looks at how this abuse happened and what can be done to prevent it in the future.

The heavy but urgently relevant material makes for a documentary that's turned into one of Netflix's most acclaimed features. Leslie Felperin for The Hollywood Reporter, for instance, praised the production for ensuring that "after seeing this film, you may never again watch archive footage of youngsters performing dazzling feats of acrobatics on the mat without feeling a little sick." The ability of "Athlete A" to make viewers recognize abusive practices hiding in plain sight has ensured it's a film that can actually make a real-world difference.

Movies can be used for thrills and for laughs ... and they can also be used to make the most harrowing parts of reality bearable. So it is with the documentary "Dick Johnson Is Dead" from director Kirsten Johnson. Her own father is the titular Dick Johnson, and his deteriorating mental health makes his own mortality apparent. So Kirsten opts to use cinema to cope with this inevitability. Specifically, she decides to film her dad dying in elaborate ways that range from falling down stairs to encountering an accident near a construction site.

These scenes of faux death are filled with amusing dark humor, especially in the glimpses of Dick and Kirsten preparing to shoot these segments. However, "Dick Johnson Is Dead" is firmly rooted in its most vulnerable moments, such as when Dick refers to himself as Kirsten's "little brother" because of how much he pesters her. And the home video footage we see of Kirsten's mom are equally emotional. They're not the most glorious films, but they do allow us a glimpse at a woman who's passed on. It's miraculous what cinema can accomplish, and an outstanding feature like "Dick Johnson Is Dead" reminds us of that.

Haunted house movies are super common, but how many tackle this subgenre with so much specific detail as "His House?" The film centers on South Sudanese refugees Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), who've been given asylum in London. Their new home is a crumbling place, and they endure bigoted behavior from local residents. Oh, and the house is also haunted. Turns out there's a spirit living in their home, and this supernatural being will require a debt to be paid before it can leave. To do that, Bol and Rial will have to go into their past and confront horrors greater than anything you'd find in your typical horror flick.

In addition to the ghosts and ghouls, "His House" works as a compelling horror story in a very real-world sense. Film critic Valerie Complex summarized this by writing, "The sense of alienation that comes with integrating into another culture is stressful. Pair that with immigrating to a country that doesn't value your existence as a human. You have to tread lightly, as every step you make can be seen as antagonistic and get you sent right back to the country you're fleeing from. ... That's the real horror." Capturing this with such insight ensures that "His House" lives up to its hype and then some.