From The Dark Knight to Dune and They Cloned Tyrone, here are our picks for the best movies on Netflix for everyone to enjoy this month.
What are the best movies on Netflix? A simple question answered by a huge catalog of movies ranging from unappreciated hidden gems to most of the most celebrated, Awards-nominated movies of all time. Ranging across the decades and almost every conceivable genre, Netflix subscriptions include some of the best movies of all time, and whether you’re looking for a family film everyone will enjoy, a sci-fi to challenge you, or a comedy to just leave your face sore from laughing, we have the best Netflix movie recommendations.
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Subscribers can enjoy new movies on Netflix every week, with the platform seeking to give the broadest, richest entertainment experience for its monthly cost. From Oscar-winning dramas to stunning animations and the greatest comic book movie of all time, there’s something for everyone. And we will update this article regularly to make sure all recommendations are fresh.
Related: 10 Best Horror Movies On Netflix Right Now
15 Dune (2021)
Dune
Release Date October 22, 2021 Director Denis Villeneuve Cast Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Chang Chen, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Timothee Chalamet, Josh Brolin Runtime 155 minutes
It took 56 years, multiple failed attempts, and a budget of around $165 million, but Dune finally got the adaptation it deserved in 2021. Well, half of one at least. There’s no getting away from the fact that Dune is, at the time of writing, incomplete. Dune‘s ending confirms it’s absolutely a true two-parter, but that does not detract at all from the incredible work from director Denis Villeneuve et al on display here. Dune is a monumental Sci-Fi movie; the kind of film that they “don’t make like this anymore,” except Villeneuve clearly does.
Dune is a masterclass of world-building; not since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings has a movie begun what feels like such an epic cinematic journey that perfectly combines storytelling and filmmaking. Dune’s cast is great, the movie looks and sounds incredible, but it wouldn’t mean as much if audiences couldn’t invest in the characters, or get their heads around its grander themes and high concepts – the movie ensures that’s not a problem, or even close to it. Dune is a thrilling step into a bigger world, one that leaves you desperate for more, yet completely satisfied with what you’ve just experienced. Watch On Netflix
14 The Wolf Of Wall Street (
The Wolf of Wall Street
Release Date December 25, 2013 Director Martin Scorsese Cast Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Kyle Chandler Runtime 3hours
Martin Scorsese and muse Leonardo DiCaprio reunited once more for The Wolf Of Wall Street, telling an obscene, obnoxious story of a different breed of gangsters to the director’s usual wise guys. A heady mix of overwhelming excess and DiCaprio’s exhausting charm, The Wolf Of Wall Street is, like Goodfellas before it, a moralizing wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to sell an aspirational amoral tale that all comes crashing down. The greatest trick of the movie is that it worked too well, with a breed of fans actually seeking to emulate DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort, missing the point entirely.
DiCaprio’s Belfort comes across as a chancer, exploiting a system set up for anyone brave enough to ask why not, whose escalation is only matched in scale by Scorsese’s precise distaste for the world he builds. It’s as grotesque as American Psycho and as utterly watchable, and features arguably DiCaprio’s most off the wall performance (other than in Django Unchained) as it’s clear he’s having a lot of fun in the role. Jonah Hill’s supporting turn is just as impressive, but really, The Wolf Of Wall Street’s cast is great in its entirety.
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13 You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
Release Date August 25, 2023 Director Sammi Cohen Cast Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Dylan Hoffman, Sarah Sherman, Dan Bulla, Ido Mosseri, Jackie Hoffman, Luis Guzmán Runtime 103 Minutes
Adam Sandler tends to make the most at the box office when he’s surrounded by those closest to him in real life (whether the critical reception of those movies matches or not). In Netflix Original You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah he goes one step further, starring alongside his wife and daughters, with Sunny Sandler taking center stage. In fact, this is not his movie at all, though he is good in it.
Related: Every Adam Sandler Movie Ranked Worst To Best
Culturally informed and sensitive, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a smart portrait of a landmark celebration, finding comedy and charm in its authenticity, but also in the universality of teenage life. Crucially, it understands and never talks down to the condition of adolescence, and the younger Sandler is the pick of You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah’s cast– a fledgling star who clearly learned a lot from the better comedies of her co-star father.
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12 Gladiator (2000)
Gladiator
Release Date May 5, 2000 Director Ridley Scott Cast Russell Crowe, Derek Jacobi, Oliver Reed, Connie Nielsen, Joaquin Phoenix, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris Runtime 155 minutes
Ahead of both Napoleon and the long-awaited Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott’s original, epic ode to the last days of the Roman Empire is still a stunning achievement in blockbuster film-making more than 20 years on. From its grimy, spectacular opening battle, right through to its smaller-scale, but just as explosive final showdown, it is a historical epic of the finest type. Russell Crowe is excellent as the stoic Spaniard, Maximus, who is the epitome of still waters running deep and a hero who feels as timeless as he is essential. Alongside him, Joaquin Phoenix offers the performance that arguably launched him as the intense A-list chameleon he is these days, as the despicable, snake-like Emperor Commodus.
Gladiator is great both when it’s showing off set-pieces in the Gladiatorial arena, but also in its quieter moments, as Scott expertly balances a huge story about revenge with an even bigger one about politics, at the same time as showing the painful turmoil of a father whose life is ripped from him by bloody betrayal. The effects still hold up seamlessly, there are eternally quotable lines of dialog, and Crowe has never been better.
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11 The Mitchells Vs The Machines
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Release Date April 30, 2021 Director Mike Rianda Cast Eric Andre, Maya Rudolph, Abbi Jacobson, Beck Bennett, Mike Rianda, Fred Armisen, Conan O’Brien, Olivia Colman, Danny McBride, Sasheer Zamata, Charlyne Yi Runtime 117 minutes
Netflix subscribers looking for a family-friendly animated movie should look no further than The Mitchells vs. The Machines. The comedy stars Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, and Maya Rudolph as members of a dysfunctional family whose cross-country road trip becomes tangled up in a plot by an evil AI to take over the world. Particularly pertinent storytelling in 2023. Blending both 3D and traditional animation, The Mitchells vs. The Machines is one of the most visually impressive animations on the platform (and indeed of recent years, generally) and it deservedly picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Full of heart, funny and featuring a wonderfully unhinged villain turn from Olivia Colman, The Mitchells vs. The Machines offers something for everyone. It can surely only be a matter of time before Netflix cements plans for The Mitchells vs. The Machines 2. It can’t come soon enough.
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10 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Release Date December 23, 2022 Director Rian Johnson Cast Dave Bautista, Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, Ethan Hawke Runtime 139 minutes
The 2020s are a great time to be a fan of big movie sleuths, with Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot carving out his own surprise shared universe and Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc standing just on the other side of the parody line. Both detectives owe a lot of Agatha Christie, but Blanc is all the creation of Rian Johnson and Craig’s performance, with is joyful. After Knives Out‘s success, Netflix brought the sequel, Glass Onion, to the platform, proving that their expensive acquisition model can still include absolute gems.
Here, Blanc is back as he’s invited to a billionaire’s personal island (a thinly veiled nod to Elon Musk, played by Ed Norton), to play along with a murder mystery. Naturally, participants – and Glass Onion‘s cast is another barn-stormer, like its predecessor – start dying for real, and Blanc is called into action. An Oscar nominee, Glass Onion is a great fix for anyone looking for a complex but rewarding mystery to get their teeth into.
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9 They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
They Cloned Tyrone
Release Date July 21, 2023 Director Juel Taylor Cast John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx, Kiefer Sutherland, David Alan Grier, J. Alphonse Nicholson Runtime 119 Minutes
Marrying high-concept science-fiction with fantasy, satire and all manner of other genres, The Cloned Tyrone is one of the best Netflix Original movies released in 2023. Set in a drab retro-futuristic world, it stars John Boyega as the titular drug dealer, who drags himself through the same cycle of everyday life, in a grim Groundhog Day-style mundane nightmare that not even being shot repeatedly seems to interrupt.
Delightfully twisty, and featuring a walking homage to Blaxpoitation movies in Jamie Foxx’s pimp Slick Charles, They Cloned Tyrone is fast-paced, occasionally bizarre and a great way to spend a couple of hours. Come for the sci-fi, but stay for the Mary J Blige elevator scene.
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8 RRR (2022)
RRR
Release Date March 24, 2022 Director S.S. Rajamouli Cast S.S. Rajamouli, Ram Charan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Ray Stevenson Runtime 187 Minutes
One of the most hotly talked-about international movies in recent years, RRR is the bombastic, brilliant Indian action movie that turned a lot of heads towards that part of the industry. Drawing very loosely from real history, RRR follows two politically opposite revolutionaries from different backgrounds who come together to fight the British occupation of India during the 1920s. So far, so straight-forward, but that’s really not what RRR is about, or why it’s so great.
Related: RRR Movie Ending Explained (In Detail)
Part Braveheart, part superhero epic, RRR was the most expensive Indian movie ever made, and glories in its opulent size and commitment to superrealism. Netflix sadly doesn’t have the original Telugu-language audio, but even dubbed it’s hard not to get swept up in the momentum of the global box office hit. And if it means more Western attention to more movies like RRR, that can only be a good thing.
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7 The Deepest Breath (2023)
The Deepest Breath
Release Date July 19, 2023 Director Laura McGann Cast Alessia Zecchini, Stephen Keenan Runtime 108 Minutes
A stunning, provocative look at one of the world’s most dangerous, barely fathomable sports, documentaryThe Deepest Breath is a fascinating profile of free diver Alessia Zecchini. As well as exploring Zecchini’s quest to set a world record in freediving, the documentary chronicles her relationship with her safety diver partner, Stephen Keenan, as well as the personal toll and associated dangers with the sport. The Deepest Breath is the perfect pick for anyone looking for Netflix’s best documentary.
The documentary culminates in Zecchini’s attempt to freedive Blue Hole’s arch, a notorious tunnel 56m down into a sinkhole, which previously took the lives of other divers, including Natalia Molchanova in 2015. The shocking tragedy that unfolds is as compelling as the portrait of the sportswoman herself and the sport had been intriguing. It’s a strangely intoxicating film, whose most important message is arguably the final message Zecchini was sent before her attempt to dive through the arch: “Live for today for you never know what’s coming down the line.”
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6 Paddington (2014)
Paddington
Release Date January 16, 2015 Director Paul King Cast Hugh Bonneville, Ben Whishaw, Nicole Kidman, Sally Hawkins Runtime 95minutes
Given Hollywood’s fascination with eking as much money out of nostalgic properties as possible, it was only a matter of time before someone turned their attention to the famous marmalade sandwich-loving bear from Darkest Peru. Luckily, that someone was Paul King, who made Paddington, an achingly British delight that has as much heart as it does slapstick comedy. Essentially a found family comedy, the beloved movie is the perfect answer for anyone looking for a unifying family watch.
Based on the original book series by Michael Bond, Paddington sees the wholesome bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, invited (somewhat reluctantly by certain parties) to live with a family in Notting Hill. The very definition of a gentle, cozy comedy, Paddington carries a deeper meaning of acceptance and love, and boasts easily one of the highest rewatchability scores of all of Netflix’s best movies.
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5 All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Release Date September 29, 2022 Director Edward Berger Cast Daniel Brühl Runtime 143minutes
Deservedly handed a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, Netflix’s 2022 adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel All Quiet on the Western Front is a remarkable, stark meditation on the reality of war. Telling the story of World War I from the German perspective – typically not the side of the trenches cinema’s light shines on – it is the first adaptation to be told in the original German.
It is an important movie, showing the harrowing experience of young soldiers thrown into battlefields, but it is also thoroughly entertaining thanks to its moving central performances. Even with the military genre potentially limiting wider audience interest, All Quiet on the Western Front is a genuinemust-see for Netflix subscribers.
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4 Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Release Date December 21, 2022 Director Joel Crawford Cast Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Olivia Colman, Harvey Guillen, Samson Kayo, Wagner Moura, Anthony Mendez, John Mulaney, Florence Pugh Runtime 102 minutes
It would be perilously easy to dismiss a Shrek movie spin-off from 2022 as a bit of a cash grab, but to do so would be a fatal error when it comes to Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Directed by Joel Crawford and ingeniusly dropping the traditional Shrek animation style for something more dynamic and beautiful, The Last Wish is not only the best Shrek franchise movie, but also one of the best animated movies of all time.
It may have taken a decade to get to cinemas after the first Puss spin-off, but Puss In Boots: The Last Wish proves the age-old adage that good things come to those who wait. It’s funny, family-friendly, and packs in Paddington levels of heart, along with a surprisingly deep message about mortality. Once more starring Antonio Banderas as the perfectly-cast felien mercenary, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is the perfect propaganda for the future of the Shrek movie franchise.
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3 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Saving Private Ryan
Release Date July 24, 1998 Director Steven Spielberg Cast Tom Sizemore, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon Runtime 169 minutes
Arguably the greatest war movie ever made, Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan is a triumph of awesome spectacle and the harrowing reality of war. Thanks to an incredible opening battle scene, Saving Private Ryan sets the bar at a seemingly impossibly high level, but the escalating drama – built on the back of Tom Hanks’ subtle, brilliant performance – delivers on the early promise. Telling the story of Hanks’ small squad of soldiers sent on a goodwill mission to bring Matt Damon’s Private Ryan out of the battlefield after the deaths of his three brothers, it’s a stunning story with incredible highs and crushing emotional blows.
Saving Private Ryan‘s excellent cast – including a pre-fame Vin Diesel and a career-high performance from Ed Burns – sell the bond of brothers and duty in a way that avoids becoming empty propaganda, and as bad things start to happen to them all, it really leaves a mark. That’s the over-riding story of Saving Private Ryan: not only is it an epic triumph of cinematography and large scale battle staging, but it has one of the most provocative emotional stories at its heart.
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2 The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight
Release Date July 18, 2008 Director Christopher Nolan Cast Nestor Carbonell, Morgan Freeman, Ritchie Coster, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts, William Fichtner, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, David Dastmalchian, Michael Caine, Anthony Michael Hall, Heath Ledger Runtime 152 Minutes
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is so good that it’s almost a cliche to say it’s one of the best movies ever made. Long-considered the best comic book or superhero movie of all time, the second movie in Christian Bale’s Batman trilogy is a masterpiece precisely because of its willingness to challenge expectations. Yes, at its heart it’s another good vs evil story of Batman vs the Joker, but it’s way more compelling than that, weaving Bruce Wayne’s personal relationships into his heroic philosophy in a way that explores precisely the cost of superheroism.
Heath Ledger’s Joker portrait is the benchmark against which all Jokers will be ranked for everyone who watches The Dark Knight, but alongside him, Bale is measured and brilliant, Aaron Eckhart is deeply compelling, and Batman’s world is perfectly captured. And the fact that Nolan managed such a feat while making a movie that appeals to even broader demographics than most Batman movies is something that should never be overlooked.
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1 Marriage Story (2019)
Marriage Story
Release Date December 6, 2019 Director Noah Baumbach Cast Ray Liotta, Merritt Wever, Kyle Bornheimer, Alan Alda, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Mark O’Brien, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern Runtime 136 minutes
In a close-run race, Marriage Story is the best Noah Baumbach movie, which hits all of his hallmarks as a film-maker and is an incredible advert for the craft of directing. Even beyond those achievements, which matter less to Netflix viewers than the simple question of quality, Marriage Story is an incredible, much-watch movie that is easily one of the best movies on Netflix. If not the undisputed champion.
Starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in twin career-best performances, Marriage Story is horribly compelling, showing the harrowing story of a couple whose initially amicable separation becomes a bitter divorce. It’s like watching a world crumble in slow motion, with Driver and Johansson’s on-screen son the tragic middle ground of a battle that is propelled almost accidentally towards catastrophe. And while it’s very, very sad, Marriage Story‘s overall message about failure and future is a very important one.
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