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Netflix has plenty of movies to watch. Maybe too many. Sometimes finding the right film at the right time can seem like an impossible task. Let us help you. Below is a list of some of our favorites currently on the streaming service—from dramas to comedies to thrillers.
If you decide you’re in more of a TV mood, head over to our collection of the best TV series on Netflix. Want more? Check out our lists of the best sci-fi movies, best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best flicks on Disney .
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Mary and the Witch’s Flower
When Mary Smith moves to her great aunt’s estate in rural England, she finds herself unspeakably bored—until she finds a rare flower that blooms only once every seven years, coveted by witches for its magical properties. Soon, she’s transported to Endor College, an academy for witches hidden in the clouds—but the warm welcome she receives from the fanciful faculty hides sinister secrets, and a dark ambition on the part of headmistress Madam Mumblechook that puts Mary’s only friend, Peter, in danger. Adapted from Mary Stewart’s novel The Little Broomstick and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (Arrietty, When Marnie Was There), Mary and the Witch’s Flower is a wonderful piece of family viewing, thrilling for kids with enough complexity for older viewers, and gorgeously animated from start to finish.
The Old Guard
Netflix’s The Old Guard—based on the comics by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández—broke records on release and remains one of the streaming service’s most watched original films ever, reaching a whopping 72 million households in its first four weeks. With the long-awaited sequel set to arrive in July 2025, now’s the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with Charlize Theron’s immortal soldier Andromache of Scythia—Andy to her friends—and her group of similarly unkillable mercenaries, who use their powers to help those in need. The Old Guard’s action scenes are its strongest, with Theron and new recruit KiKi Layne having some serious fun dishing out and taking their fair share of hits. It may not be especially original in its plot, but The Old Guard delivers exactly what it promises.
Bullet Train Explosion
Kazuya Takaichi (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) is conductor of the Hayabusa 60 shinkansen, zooming from Shin-Aomori to Tokyo. A perfectly normal job—until a terrorist reveals a bomb onboard, which will explode if the train slows below 100 kmph. As authorities race to stop the attacker and rescue the passengers, Kazuya is forced to keep everyone onboard safe. What’s that? It’s just Speed on a Japanese train? Nah, Speed was just the original 1975 The Bullet Train on an American bus—and this modern-day version is equal parts remake and sequel to that Sonny Chiba-starring classic. It’s more than an entertaining action thriller though—director Shinji Higuchi relishes the opportunity to poke fun at point-scoring politicians crippled by bureaucratic process in responding to the crisis (no surprise to anyone who’s seen 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which he codirected with Hideaki Anno). High-speed, literally explosive action, with a satirical edge, Bullet Train Explosion is a blast (sorry).
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
You either “get” the Eurovision Song Contest or you don’t—and chances are, if you’re outside of Europe, you don’t. But whether you can list every winner back to 1956 or have only maybe-sorta heard of ABBA, this Will Ferrell passion project (his wife, Swedish actress Viveca Paulin, hooked him on the contest) will entertain you. Following Icelandic singer-songwriter duo Fire Saga—Ferrell as Lars Erickssong and Rachel McAdams as his besotted bandmate Sigrit Ericksdóttir—as they aim for superstardom, Song Contest is a loving nod to the long-running Eurovision music competition, packed with gleefully camp in-jokes and scene-stealing cameos. To the uninitiated, it’s a wild, weird comedy with plenty of hilariously farcical turns and enough catchy tunes to convert newcomers into Eurovision acolytes. Bonus: You’ll finally understand the “shut up and play ‘Ja Ja Ding Dong’!” meme.
The Two Popes
At first glance, The Two Popes is not a gripping proposition: a film where two very old men in dresses talk a lot, walk around a little bit, and then talk some more. But two top-notch performances from Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins and a stellar script from Anthony McCarten turn this prosaic premise into a film worth watching. Set in the wake of the Vatican leaks scandal and loosely inspired by true events, it follows Cardinal Bergoglio as he tries to convince Pope Benedict XVI to accept his resignation. The two men couldn’t be more different—Benedict is an archconservative desperate to cling to tradition while Bergoglio is seen as a dangerous liberalizer who might erode the Church’s authority. While the two men battle out their differences, the future of Catholicism hangs in the balance. If you enjoyed the recent Conclave, this is worth your time too.
Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things the First Shadow
If there’s a Stranger Things–shaped hole in your life thanks to the approximate 4,738-year wait between seasons, this behind-the-scenes documentary focused on production of the West End stage show The First Shadow might go some way to filling it. While the film doesn’t give the whole production away—itself a prequel, set in 1959 and exploring how the sleepy town of Hawkins became ground zero for all things spooky—it’s a fascinating look at the technical wizardry that went into bringing the show to life and how director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, Netflix’s The Crown) and legendary theater producer Sonia Friedman worked with the Duffer Brothers to root everything in the lore and history of the series.
The Imaginary
This gorgeously animated take on the concept of imaginary friends is a whimsical fable full of stunning visuals and big ideas. Adapted from the book by A. F. Harrold, The Imaginary follows young Amanda and her best friend Rudger—brought into being by her own mind—as they share countless adventures. But as Amanda ages, Rudger faces the fate of all Imaginaries: fading away as their humans forget them. The latest film from director Yoshiyuki Momose (Mary and the Witch’s Flower) and Studio Ponoc—spiritual successor to the mighty Studio Ghibli—this is a stunning ode to the power of imagination and friendship.
Dead Talents Society
When keeping the living terrified is the economy of the afterlife, death becomes a literal capitalist hellhole. Dead Talents Society sees warring “ghostresses” Catherine (Sandrine Pinna) and her former protégé Jessica (Eleven Yao) battling for glamour and prestige in the great beyond by innovating new ways of scaring mortals, while a newcomer known only as Rookie (Gingle Wang) struggles to make her mark with any scares at all—and risks fading away entirely if she can’t earn her undead keep. A sharply satirical horror comedy poking fun at everything from reality TV to hustle culture, this Taiwanese outing from writer-director John Hsu beats Beetlejuice at its own game.
Leave the World Behind
A weekend getaway at a luxury vacation rental property for Amanda and Clay and their kids, Archie and Rose, takes a sinister turn in the wake of an inexplicable blackout. When the house’s owner, George, and his daughter Ruth return early, suspicions mount—but a growing herd of deer lurking outside the house, failing vehicles, and scattered reports of attacks across the US force the two families to rely on each other in the face of what may be the end of the world. Adapted from the novel of same name by Rumaan Alam, and with a star-studded cast including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon, this relishes in keeping the audiences as uncertain as its characters, explaining little, and leaving questions you’ll be mulling for days.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales’ (Shameik Moore) growth as Spider-Man continues in this phenomenal sequel to the Academy Award–winning Into the Spider-Verse—but this time, the web-slinger’s neighborhood is a lot bigger and a lot less friendly. Introduced to a multiversal “Spider Society” led by the imposing Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Miles finds he’s the only Spider-Man not invited—and that an unavoidable tragedy lies in his future.