Netflix’s output of original movies has been a mixed-bag in the last few years, but there are some masterpieces that should be seen as must-watch material for any film lover. Netflix still makes more original movies than any other streaming platform, including some gems that outlive the normal shelf-life for streaming features.
Netflix has often been willing to back high-profile directors in whatever ventures they desire, whether this is a black-and-white drama from Alfonso Cuarón, a series of short films from Wes Anderson or a behemoth crime epic from Martin Scorsese. These movies often rank among the platform’s very best.
10
Roma (2018)
Cuarón’s Semi-Autobiographical Drama Hums With Life
Alfonso Cuarón’s movies span many genres, but Roma is his most intimate and personal. Taking inspiration from his own childhood, Cuarón crafts a spell-binding drama set in Mexico City that manages to touch on universal themes while retaining its specificity and authenticity.
Cuarón’s masterpiece is worth rewatching multiple times.
Roma is disarmingly funny at times and intensely tragic at others. It can navigate its tonal shifts with ease because it’s such a keenly-observed portrait of human life. Cuarón’s masterpiece is worth rewatching multiple times to pick up on all the seemingly minor moments that contribute to a vibrant patchwork of life.
9
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Del Toro Breathes New Life Into A Classic Fairy Tale
Netflix has produced a few great animated movies, albeit with a number of forgettable duds in between. The Sea Beast, Nimona and Klaus all show that Netflix can challenge the stylistic hegemony of animation in recent years, but Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio stands above the rest.
Guillermo del Toro brings his inexhaustible creativity to Pinocchio, showing a more mystical side to the popular tale that fans might not be so familiar with. Pinocchio incorporates elements of real-life history, but it fuses these with dark fantasy just like Pan’s Labyrinth.
8
All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
The German War Drama Is Another Worthy Adaptation Of A Classic Novel
There have been three film adaptations of All Quiet on the Western Front so far, and Edward Berger’s 2022 version is probably the most viscerally powerful retelling of Erich Remarque’s classic anti-war novel so far. The scale and authenticity of Berger’s work creates a harrowing immersive experience.
All Quiet on the Western Front benefits from the technological advancements of the last 90-or-so years, but there are also some unforgettable scenes that are bold in their stripped-back simplicity. The image of uniforms being stripped off of ᴅᴇᴀᴅ soldiers on the battlefield, washed, mended and sent out with new recruits is just one remarkable visual about the industrial churn of war.
7
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Eddie Murphy’s Best Movie In Decades Is A Departure From The Norm
Netflix has had more misses than hits when it comes to original comedy movies, but Dolemite Is My Name was a critical success. It’s one of Eddie Murphy’s best movies, although it has a much different style to his ’80s classics like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America.
Dolemite Is My Name tells the true story of Rudy Ray Moore’s attempt to bring his Dolemite character from the stage to the big screen. It’s a love letter to the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s, and Dolemite Is My Name has the same fun-loving, rough-around-the-edges appeal, but with a more refined emotional arc.
6
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar & Three More (2024)
Wes Anderson’s Short Films Highlight The Unique Appeal Of Streaming Platforms
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More showcases one of the great positives of the streaming model. Netflix has consistently given high-profile directors a platform to do things that other major studios might not be able to justify with one eye on box office receipts. The streaming service gave Wes Anderson the budget and the platform needed to bring his short films to life.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More is an anthology film that combines Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl adaptations, which were originally released in 2023. Wes Anderson’s movies have been experimenting more with the director’s unique form in the last few years, and his Dahl adaptations use elements of stagecraft to draw attention to the artifice of the medium.
5
The Power Of The Dog (2021)
Jane Campion Reinvents The Western
Many of the best Westerns from the 21st century have been those that question the genre’s place in modern society. The Power of the Dog perfectly captures this idea, as Jane Campion brings nuance and humanity to a story that subverts many of the genre’s oldest tropes.
The Power of the Dog is a masterful interrogation of gender roles in America, suggesting that traditional ideas of masculinity are just as harmful and restrictive to men as they are to women. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers an outstanding performance, partly because he never seems like a natural fit for the role of rough-hewn rancher.
4
Rebel Ridge (2024)
Action Can Still Work On Streaming
Some movies are simply more effective on big screens, and this has restricted the genres that streaming platforms have been willing to invest in. Sci-fi, superhero movies and action thrillers tend to have more of an impact in theaters, but Rebel Ridge provides the formula for a kind of action movie that’s just as powerful at home.
Rebel Ridge doesn’t do anything too revolutionary with its premise, since the idea of a highly-skilled veteran applying his skills to civilian situations has become its own subgenre in recent years, but it executes on the basics superbly. Aaron Pierre’s performance has a lot to do with this, but it’s also down to the way the story enhances the urgency of the fight scenes.
3
The Irishman (2019)
Martin Scorsese’s Gangster Epic Is One To Be Savored
The Irishman may put some people off with its mammoth runtime, but Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama is well worth watching. Its slow pace requires audiences to soak in every frame of Frank’s story, culminating in one of the most tragic and unforgettable finales of Scorsese’s career, which shatters the romantic illusion that many other crime movies perpetuate.
The Irishman sees Scorsese working with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci once again, but it’s his first and only collaboration with Al Pacino, who plays Jimmy Hoffa. Pacino is electric as Hoffa, blending elements of dark humor into his portrayal of a controversial union boss with just as much confidence as any gangster.
2
Glᴀss Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
The Second Knives Out Movie Brought A New Franchise To Life
After Rian Johnson shook up the mystery genre with 2019’s Knives Out, he took his sequel to Netflix. This isn’t the only time Netflix has delivered sequels to pre-existing movies, as they did with Beverly Hills Cop and as they’re about to do with Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore. The difference is that Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man is set to continue the franchise.
Glᴀss Onion already looks like a time-capsule from a hyper-specific era, as the story takes place during the pandemic. It may be the only mainstream movie that has faced the pandemic head on and gotten it mostly right, but the subversive mystery and the wonderful ensemble cast are timeless.
1
Marriage Story (2019)
Noah Baumbach’s Intelligent Drama Presents A Relatable Slice Of Life
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson hit top form in Marriage Story, bringing Noah Baumbach’s intensely relatable script to life with pathos and warmth. Baumbach has always had a well-trained ear for naturalistic dialogue, and Marriage Story is just as resonant as the likes of Frances Ha or The Meyerowitz Stories.
Movies like Marriage Story show what’s possible for Netflix.
Marriage Story was one of Netflix’s first Best Picture nominees, proving that the streaming service’s practice of giving freedom to the industry’s leading filmmakers was a path to success. While Netflix has also produced plenty of high-profile flops in recent years, movies like Marriage Story show what’s possible.
