55 Best Movies Streaming On Netflix

You could watch nothing but movies on Netflix every day for a year and still not run out of things to watch. The streaming service is absolutely packed with options, from the latest romantic comedies to horror films to award-winning movies from major studios. There's truly something for everyone — but what if you're the viewer who's out to find the best of the best? Whether you're an aspiring cinephile looking to pad out your film education or you're just looking to fill some holes in your viewing history, these are the 55 best movies you can watch on Netflix right now.

Updated on July 5, 2022: Netflix makes changes to its catalogue every month, adding some films while removing others. We'll be keeping this list updated to reflect the best movies you can find on the service at this very moment. Be sure to check back every month for the very best in Netflix cinema.

Though best known for comedy films like "Big" and "A League of Their Own," Penny Marshall also directed this tremendous drama, based on a true story from the legendary Dr. Oliver Sacks. Starring Robin Williams as a fictionalized version of Sacks, "Awakenings" tells the tale of a group of comatose patients who are restored to awareness by an experimental treatment. It's a compelling, dramatic powerhouse, driven by wonderful central performances.

• Starring: Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner
• Director: Penny Marshall
• Year: 1990
• Runtime: 121 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Nearly 40 years after the original "Blade Runner" film arrived and promptly began building itself a place in sci-fi history, director Denis Villeneuve joined with original star Harrison Ford to craft a follow-up film about how the world has changed in the decades after Rick Deckard's last appearance. Featuring wonderful central work by Ryan Gosling as a new Blade Runner trying to solve a case with uncomfortable ties to his own life, the film lives up to its predecessor with some truly astonishing visuals, a great score, and more of the emotional gut punches that make the first movie so memorable.

• Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
• Director: Denis Villeneuve
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 163 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

The film that made Paul Thomas Anderson's name as an auteur, "Boogie Nights" chronicles the rise and fall of Dirk Diggler, a young busboy who's discovered by a director looking to make his masterpiece and thus catapulted into the glamorous world of 1970s adult movies It's a fast-paced, pleasure-driven industry, but what goes up must come down, and Anderson chronicles the meteoric trajectory of one man and his circle of friends with witty, magnetic intensity. It still ranks among his best movies.

• Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Year: 1997
• Runtime: 152 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

One of Steven Spielberg's most playful films, "Catch Me If You Can" purports to tell the true story of Frank Abagnale, a teenaged conman who jet-sets across the United States pulling off scheme after scheme, even as an FBI agent is in hot pursuit. Featuring fantastic lead performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and a scene-stealing turn by Christopher Walken, it's Spielberg's chance to fly through 1960s America with his trademark sense of wonder, and it remains a blast of a movie.

• Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 2002
• Runtime: 140 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Guillermo del Toro turned his knack for the supernatural to pure gothic romance with this sumptuous film, which follows a young woman's journey to uncovering the dark secrets of her new husband's dilapidated mansion, despite his sister's attempts to keep dead things buried. Gorgeously shot, impeccably designed, and packed with memorable visuals, it's an underrated entry in del Toro's filmography that deserves more attention.

• Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Year: 2015
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%

After the success of "Batman Begins," Christopher Nolan needed to go even bigger for his 2008 sequel. Through some bold casting choices and a uniquely ambitious Batman story, he managed it. "The Dark Knight" remains a superhero epic in every sense of the word, telling a globe-hopping story that still manages to stay anchored in Gotham City. Heath Ledger remains incredible in his Oscar-winning role as the Joker, whose attempt to crush Batman's sanity by attacking those he loves  is as brutal as it is entertaining. But Christian Bale is almost equally dynamic in the title role. Moreover, the film's central stunts remain jaw-dropping.

• Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 152 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Four friends leave the city to go on a relaxing canoe trip in the Georgia countryside. What's supposed to be a getaway to the wonders of nature soon turns nightmarish, as they're forced to confront backwoods horror and their own primal selves. Directed with cringe-inducing intensity by John Boorman and featuring frightening performances to match, "Deliverance" remains one of the most essential survival thrillers in all of cinema. It's the kind of movie that'll make you think twice about your vacation plans.

• Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty
• Director: John Boorman
• Year: 1972
• Runtime: 109 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Eddie Murphy reminded fans everywhere that he's more than just a guy who's great at funny voices with this electric biopic. Based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore, the comedian who decided to become a self-made blaxploitation star with "Dolemite," this film chronicles Moore's efforts to make and release the first film, against all odds. It's hilarious, but also a deeply moving story of a man who had to keep betting on himself, even when everyone else stopped believing. Murphy is great in the title role, but Wesley Snipes very nearly steals the whole movie.

• Starring: Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Kodi Smit-McPhee
• Director: Craig Brewer
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Well before she was an MCU star, Hailee Steinfeld starred in this coming-of-age comedy about a teenage girl whose entire life is upended when her best friend makes a decision that changes everything about their relationship. Funny, emotional, and driven by scene-stealing work from Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick, it's a terrific look at the awkward places our minds go at the border between childhood and adulthood.

• Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner
• Director: Kelly Fremon-Craig
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 104 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Sean Baker's "The Florida Project" is, like his later success "Red Rocket," a vivid and evocative portrait of a very specific kind of life. This film follows a group of kids and adults who all live in a motel near Disney World — which they never get to visit, because of their poverty. Over the course of the film, we follow their various emotional and financial struggles as they try to make ends meet and prove they can survive, even in a world that keeps trying to knock them down. Filled with beautiful visuals and memorable performances, it's an indie gem.

• Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite
• Director: Sean Baker
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

The true story of New York gangster Henry Hill, "Goodfellas" is one of Martin Scorsese's finest films, and it remains one of the prime examples of his exuberant filmmaking style. Narrated by Hill — played here by Ray Liotta — the movie chronicles his rise through the ranks of a crime organization, then subsequent fall as drugs, greed, and double-crosses send it all crashing down. It's got a killer soundtrack, great performances, and stellar editing from the great Thelma Schoonmaker.

• Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Year: 1990
• Runtime: 146 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

The story of two brothers who take to robbing banks to pay off family debts amid the financial crisis of the 2000s, "Hell or High Water" is an unforgettable movie experience for many reasons. For one thing, it's an incredible action film that thrills viewers through its twisty cat-and-mouse game. For another, it's full of incisive commentary on ordinary people suffering through the maneuvering of the financial elite. And then, of course, there's the way the cast makes the film feel like a classic Western, despite its present-day setting. It's a success on a great many levels.

• Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges
• Director: David Mackenzie
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Before his blockbuster breakthrough with "Thor: Ragnarok," writer-director Taika Waititi was making acclaimed films in his home country of New Zealand. One of his best is this little adventure gem about an orphan boy forced to flee to the wilderness with his reluctant foster father after a personal tragedy rocks them both. Beautiful, funny, and filled with moments of shocking poignance, it's a rewarding journey that proves just how much Waititi has to offer on a character-building level.

• Starring: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te Wiata
• Director: Taika Waititi
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 101 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Charlie Kaufman is known for his twisting, often surreal narratives, and "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" continues that trend in a very memorable way. On the surface, it's the story of a young woman who travels to meet her boyfriend's parents while having second thoughts about the nature of their relationship. As the story goes on, the writing, pacing, and power of the performances suggest something else at work. It's a beautifully executed piece of psychological tension, with a great central performance by Jessie Buckley.

• Starring: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette
• Director: Charlie Kaufman
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 134 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

This film chronicles the decades-spanning story of Frank Sheeran, the reputed mob hitman who made a career out of killing and eventually worked his way into the halls of American power. A spectacular achievement, "The Irishman" pours everything Scorsese knows about American crime cinema into its epic runtime, creating a powerful character drama about a man who sees his own redemption slowing slipping away. It's a masterpiece.

• Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 209 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut is recognized as one of the best films of 2021 for good reason. Leda, a successful professor, goes on vacation and has an unexpected encounter with a family, which makes her remember her own traumatic experiences of early motherhood. "The Lost Daughter" is an intimate, remarkable drama that manages to articulate many things often left unsaid about parenting. Olivia Colman is, as always, fantastic, and Dakota Johnson turns in work that proves she's one of the finest actors of her generation.

• Starring: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley
• Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Year: 2021
• Runtime: 121 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

"Marriage Story" charts the unraveling of a marriage between a director and an actress, and the resulting legal and personal battles that spin out of their divorce. It's an attempt to take an even-handed look at how these kinds of things can end, which means it's both brutal and brilliant. "Marriage Story" is particularly distinguished by spectacular performances from Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern, who hold absolutely nothing back.

• Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern
• Director: Noah Baumbach
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

The legendary Monty Python comedy troupe began their post-TV phase by sending up the Arthurian legend of the quest for the Holy Grail. Starring the Pythons themselves as iconic heroes, every cast member plays multiple characters. What results is a hilarious and endlessly quotable film about the Knights of the Round Table that's just as memorable now as it was in 1975.

• Starring: John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin
• Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
• Year: 1975
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Headlined by what might be Jake Gyllenhaal's best film performance ever, "Nightcrawler" tells the story of a Los Angeles drifter who becomes an unlikely freelance cameraman for a local news station led by a ruthless producer eager for more ratings. Starting with little more than a camcorder and desperation, he quickly becomes a prowler on the hunt for the city's darkest crimes, out to capture footage no one else will get, no matter what it takes. It's a tense, darkly funny descent into ruthless voyeurism.

• Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
• Director: Dan Gilroy
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 117 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Based on the comic book of the same name, "The Old Guard" follows a group of mercenaries who've found, over the course of many, many centuries, that they apparently can't die. So, they turn their years of skills into the chance to do something good ... only to find that their latest assignment is a double cross that could mean the end of their whole operation. Packed with fantastic action, "The Old Guard" is a thrilling action gem.

• Starring: Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, KiKi Layne
• Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Year: 2020
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Daniel Day-Lewis retired from acting after making this film, and if it remains his last role forever, it's a thrilling way to go out. The story of an eccentric dressmaker who takes a waitress as his muse and eventual lover, "Phantom Thread" is a haunting portrayal of genius, romance, and obsession. It's arguably Anderson's most visually beautiful film, and some might argue the best movie he's ever made.

• Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Tom Hanks played against his nice guy type in this beautifully directed film about a Depression-era mob enforcer who's forced to skip town with his young son when the family he works for starts to come apart at the seams. Along the way, they find themselves on the run from a terrifying hitman, all as the father and son learn more than a few things about each other. A gorgeous, bittersweet film with a crime drama hook, "Road to Perdition" is an underseen gem in Hanks' long career.

• Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law
• Director: Sam Mendes
• Year: 2000
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

One of Steven Spielberg's finest cinematic achievements, "Saving Private Ryan" follows a unit of Army Rangers as they conduct a mission to rescue a young private whose brothers have all died in the war. Headlined by Tom Hanks in one of his best performances, it's both a brutal look at the cost of war and a stunning visual journey into hand-held action chaos.

• Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1998
• Runtime: 169 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

The film that launched Spike Lee's career as one of the most vital American filmmakers, "She's Gotta Have It" unfolds like a modern "Rashomon." The story of one woman juggling three men in her life, "She's Gotta Have It" examines how each of them see her, and how it all ties into her own search for freedom. It remains a legendary cinematic landmark, and a film essential to both Lee's career and the American independent film movement at large.

• Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, Spike Lee
• Director: Spike Lee
• Year: 1986
• Runtime: 84 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Funny, unpredictable, and visually unforgettable, Boots Riley's "Sorry To Bother You" is a relentlessly satirical look at American commercialism, the telemarketing industry, and racism both overt and casual. The story of a young man who finds sudden and very strange success with the use of a "white voice" at a mysterious corporation, it's a film with something wild lurking around every corner.

• Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler
• Director: Boots Riley
• Year: 2018
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Paul Schrader wrote a film that was, at its core, about loneliness, and Martin Scorsese turned it into an American classic. The story of a lonely cab driver who befriends and eventually fights to save an underage sex worker, "Taxi Driver" remains a breakthrough moment in Scorsese's career, an all-time great De Niro performance, and one of the best New York City movies ever made. This vivid chronicle of a certain time and place is as brutal as it is compelling.

• Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Year: 1976
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Josh and Benny Safdie turn their unique lens on the story of a fast-talking jewelry dealer who happens to be deep in debt and in way over his head with a gambling problem. The result is one of the most taut experiences you're ever likely to have with a movie. Adam Sandler is incredible in the leading role, but the real star of "Uncut Gems" is the relentless tension, which will have you nervously laughing right up until the film's final moments.

• Starring: Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox
• Director: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 134 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%