Netflix has changed the game when it comes to streaming movies and giving original ideas a platform, but that means a lot of great films end up not getting a proper theatrical release. Some of the best shows on Netflix are their original series, and while the same can be said about their movies, Netflix originals rarely get wide theatrical releases.

A theatrical run would not only have allowed viewers to see these certain films on the big screen but also for the movie itself to reach a wider audience. While movies like The Irishman and Glᴀss Onion: A Knives Out Story showed that Netflix is willing to give certain films a theatrical release, a lot of great Netflix original movies would have benefitted from a proper theatrical release and deserved to be seen on the big screen worldwide.

10

It’s What’s Inside (2024)

The Hook Of This Horror Thriller Would Be Perfect For The Big Screen

On the outside, It’s What’s Inside starts out as what seems to be the perfect fit for a film to be released on a streaming platform as opposed to having a theatrical release. Character-driven to the core, this horror mystery starts with a group of friends that is slowly torn apart by a mysterious machine that allows them to swap bodies. However, when friends begin to turn up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, the group must quickly decide how to handle the switch back.

Although the film itself is rather insular, like many films, it would have been improved by being watched on the big screen. This would have allowed viewers to really engage with the larger-than-life emotions of the characters, shown on a mᴀssive scale equal to the quality of the actors’ performances. The tension would have only been heightened, making an exciting and creative movie that much better.

9

Apostle (2018)

This Horror Film Would Have Been Tense In Theaters

Starring a variety of great actors, including Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey and Michael Sheen of Good Omens, Apostle is another grizzly Netflix horror movie. After his sister was kidnapped and brought to an island off the coast of Wales, a man named Thomas makes it his mission to save her life. Life on the island is more hellish than he could have ever imagined, as he quickly discovers an active God-fearing cult on the island.

There are plenty of horrifying moments throughout the film, and seeing them on the big screen would have made them even more gruesome. Apostle is a film focused on spectacle, slowly building to the horror and leaning into some of the gruesome deaths that can be found throughout its runtime. A theatrical run would also have allowed it the perfect setting to fully integrate the viewer into the movie’s terrifying cult setting.

8

Triple Frontier (2019)

An All-Star Cast That Deserved The Big Screen

With an all-star cast, Triple Frontier is an action thriller about a group of ex-military men. While working to suppress drug cartels in Columbia, a military man named Santiago Garcia develops an idea to steal money from one of the local crime lords. To do this, Santiago recruits a group of ex-military officers, then goes on to plan a heist and thinly-veiled military mission that is part Ocean’s Eleven and part Sicario.

Military-based films like Triple Frontier often draw a wide audience, something that would have allowed the film to benefit in a variety of ways. Aside from the picture improving and the setting allowing viewers to become more engrossed in the film, a movie with such a cast could have had a decent box office performance if released theatrically.

7

The King (2019)

Timothée Chalamet Portrays Henry V In This Epic

Based on Shakespeare’s Henriad words, The King follows the life of Henry V as he becomes the King of England, taking over a world that is full of conflict. Henry V must figure out how to navigate this conflict without looking like a weak leader, which inevitably leads to war. Despite this depiction of events, The King is more of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work than an actual depiction of what happened during Henry V’s reign.

Though the film did receive a very limited theatrical release outside the United States, it was still a streaming movie. The King would have profited from a proper theatrical release as the Timothée Chalamet film deserved to be seen in a theatrical setting fitting for the Shakespearean works it was originally based on. This would have been the preferred method of watching the film, allowing viewers to see the war depicted on a much wider, more fitting scale.

6

Roma (2018)

This Black And White Film Was Netflix’s First Award-Winner

Roma is a pᴀssionate look at the life of a live-in housekeeper named Cleo Gutiérrez and the higher-class family that she makes her living taking care of. The movie kicks off when she discovers that she is pregnant, only for her boyfriend to abandon her once he finds out. At its core, Roma is a film about family, finding both joy and pain in the depiction of the relatable struggles that so many people face.

Roma won several awards after its release, including three different Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Though the film is in black and white, something that many audiences wouldn’t necessarily find themselves drawn to, the positive word of mouth and the awards noise would have helped Rome at the box office. If given the opportunity, Roma might have done the same, allowing viewers to see this heartfelt movie in a grander setting.

5

Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Creative Marvel Deserved A Wider Audience

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is best known for his work on Hamilton and Moana, Tick, Tick… Boom! is a unique musical adventure through the mind of a real writer named Jonathan Larson, portrayed by Andrew Garfield. It shows the path of his life while being truthful about the fact that Jonathan might have embellished some of the details for the sake of storytelling. The result of this is a pᴀssionate tale of love and obsession, showing how Jonathan has consistently put his career and writing over his relationships.

Though Tick, Tick… Boom! is another film that received a limited theatrical run, as it was only in theaters for days before being placed exclusively on Netflix. This prevented many people from having the chance to see it on the big screen, a setting that allowed for the incredible music of the film to be fully appreciated. If Tick, Tick… Boom! were to have a full theatrical run, more people would be able to feel the music of the film in a way that simply cannot be replicated in the home.

4

Reptile (2023)

An Exciting Detective Story Would Benefit From Theaters

The crime thriller genre has always been one with an incredible draw, and the film Reptile is no different. When a girl is found murdered in a home that was put up for sale, it is up to detectives Tom Nichols and Dan Cleary to find the culprit. What the two of them find amid this mystery is a scandal that runs deeper than either of them could have ever predicted.

Reptile‘s release was tumultuous, with the scheduled release changing several times before its actual release. When Netflix originally purchased the film, it was set to release only on the platform, but it later received a limited release in a handful of theaters. With a set plan and a wider range of theaters, Reptile wouldn’t have found itself lost in the noise, caught up in a flurry of other Netflix properties.

3

Nimona (2023)

One Of The Best Animated Films In Recent Years

Some of Netflix’s best original movies are animated films, and among the best of them is a film called Nimona. Following a knight named Ballister Boldheart who was falsely accused of killing the queen, the film depicts a shape-shifting Nimona on her journey to becoming a real villain. Instead of finding villainy, Nimona eventually ends up finding community and kindness with Ballister, challenging the notion of what a villain is.

Originally a Disney property that was delayed and later canceled, Nimona was later given a chance at life by Netflix. A full theater run would have allowed this animated feature the recognition it deserves. Nimona is a film full of heart, wrapped in the sense of belonging that everyone should feel, something that so few movies can actually pull off.

2

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

This Sci-Fi Film Was Exciting And Creative

Taking place in a neighborhood called The Glen, They Cloned Tyrone is a sci-fi adventure that, while starting with a slow but immediately intriguing plot, eventually explodes into a mind-bending mystery with conspiracy at its core. After a drug dealer named Fontaine supposedly dies after being sH๏τ to death, he wakes up the next day with no memory of the previous night’s events. This mystery spirals out of control from then on, showing a world where mind control and cloning are the lifeblood of the small community.

With a 1970s vibe that can be best appreciated in a theatrical setting, They Cloned Tyrone is an amazing story that keeps viewers hooked from beginning to end. The smaller nuances of its plot are best experienced in a setting with as few distractions as possible, as viewers can miss important moments if they are not paying attention. For this reason, this compelling mystery is best experienced in a movie theater.

1

All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)

This Remake Is A Powerful Watch That Demands The Viewer’s Attention

An anti-war story at its core, All Quiet on the Western Front is a tragic tale of two soldiers who join the German military in World War I in the hopes of being heroes. Instead, what they find is death and destruction, shattering their dreams of being heroes and teaching them the brutal realities of war. The film itself is a work of art and a testament to the generational pain of war, something that it seems no era is free from.

Award-winning for a variety of reasons, including its production design and cinematography, All Quiet on the Western Front is a film that everyone should see in the theaters. Despite being played in local theaters overseas, the movie was only distributed worldwide on Netflix. The sheer scope of the film is reason enough to see it on the big screen, with the actors’ incredible performances highlighted by the size and sound only really produced in a theater.