As Always, Netflix Released A Lot Of Bad Movies In 2025, But You Should Still Watch These 6 Good Ones

There's so many people in my life that I recommend movies to, and occasionally, if I bring up one of my new favorite movies came out on Netflix, they roll their eyes. It's understandable, because while the major streamer has released a handful of award-winning movies in recent years, it's also known for prioritizing quantity over quality.

Not every movie Netflix released in 2025 was great, and I would say a good number of them were bad. That said, having a Netflix subscription for these six movies alone was worth the price of admission. If you don't watch any other movies from the streamer this year, at least watch the six on this list.

Frankenstein

I still stand by my hot take that this is Guillermo Del Toro's best movie, and it's probably the movie on this list that will best stand the test of time. Frankenstein is a legendary character in Hollywood, and while Boris Karloff's look is iconic, the movie attached to the character was seriously dated. Now we finally have a worthy movie that brings the character to life in a more faithful adaptation to the novel, but also keeps it fresh with new themes and ideas.

2025 was a great year for horror films in general, with many acclaimed entries that will be remembered from this year. None of them, however, is classical horror like Frankenstein, which is operating in a league of its own this year. It's also one of the bigger budget horror entries of the year, and it shows in every glorious moment.

The Woman In Cabin 10

It's been a while since I've watched Keira Knightley in a movie, and I couldn't have picked a better one with The Woman In Cabin 10. Those who love figuring out the story of a movie before the big reveal will love the story of a journalist who witnesses a crime on the ship, only for there to be zero evidence that a crime had ever occurred.

It's a fantastic movie that will have you guessing until the end, which is exactly the type of thing I want in a thriller. I also have to give Knightley her flowers for the work she put in for this movie, as she delivered an amazing performance in spite of spending entire days on the ship trying not to touch anything between filming scenes.

Jay Kelly

Jay Kelly puts together George Clooney and Adam Sandler in a movie that dives headfirst into the cost of fame and what the trade-off can be for a movie star working in Hollywood today. Jay is forced to confront how his acting career impacted the people he cared about, from old friends to his daughters. His manager, Ron Sukenick (Sandler,) is meanwhile forced to think about how much of his own life he's sacrificed for his client, and whether the relationship they share is true friendship or transactional.

This movie made me think about so many things, including what I've done thus far in my life and my own relationship with my young daughter. You know a movie is good when you come out on the other side of it feeling like you've changed as a person, even if you were never an A-lister celebrity who got your big break by piggybacking off a friend's audition.

KPop Demon Hunters

As hard as it may be to believe, I still know quite a few people who still have yet to see KPop Demon Hunters. Yes, the same movie that became the most-watched movie on Netflix, topped the Billboard charts with songs from its soundtrack, and even won a box office weekend when it came to theaters. The story of a K-pop girl group that hunts demons on the side was a worldwide sensation and the movie of the summer.

I was early to the party on the movie, having the advantage of a young daughter who already loves K-pop. I feel like I've been waiting for the sequel since before it was officially announced to be happening, and I can't wait to look back at how this movie was promoted and rose to prominence, and how it'll be different when the sequel arrives.

Train Dreams

Train Dreams is a rare movie that is amazing for reasons I can only explain so well without someone having also seen it. It's a story about a man's life and work over 80 years. We see him witness everything from working on the railroads to seeing John Glenn's historic flight into space toward the end of his life. There's all that, plus the love, life and loss he experiences along the way.

It's a legacy performance from Joel Edgerton, and one that stuck with me because it's been a long time since I've seen anything like this. Part of the appeal is that it's just so far removed from any life that I've lived, but at the same time, I can relate to some of the thoughts, feelings and emotions that Robert (Edgerton's character) goes through in this movie. I feel like it wasn't given quite as much mainstream attention as some of these other movies, but it should be because I'd probably rank it in the Top 3 of movies I've seen this year.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, was perhaps my most anticipated title heading into 2025. I was excited for more of Benoit Blanc and murder-mystery, but at the same time terrified to actually see it. After all, it's rare that a trilogy can definitively say that all three movies are fantastic. I hoped the third entry would be as great as the first two, but was fully expecting it to underwhelm.

Fortunately, I would say the third movie ended up being my favorite of the bunch. It's a mix of me loving Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, and Thomas Haden Church, but also the fact that I was raised in the Catholic Church. There's a lot of religion worked into this plotline that really transforms the whole movie into its own thing, which gives a different vibe to the Knives Out movies. I enjoyed it and would love to see yet another radical shift in tone if a fourth movie ends up being made.

All of these movies are available to stream right now on Netflix. They're all fantastic, but that's not to say they're the only good movies that came out on the platform this year. So be sure to check out all the movies that came out this year, even if some of them end up being bad.