The best movies on Netflix is a collection that’s always changing but somehow always getting a little bit better, making the platform one of the best streaming services to subscribe to these days. With new 2024 movies like Emilia Perez, classics like Graves of the Fireflies, and everything in between, there’s so much to watch.
With a massive library of movies that gets larger by the day (like all those 2025 Netflix movies soon to join the collection), keeping track of all those great classics and modern gems can honestly take up a ton of time, which may result in you missing out before one or two of them end up leaving Netflix. That said, let’s take a look at some of the best movies you can watch with a Netflix subscription as of December 2024.
Emilia Perez (2024)
The Director: Jacques Audiard
The Cast: Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez
What It’s About: After years of running a Mexican cartel with an iron fist, a ruthless drug lord puts a plan in motion to fake their death and transition into a woman.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: With powerful performances by the three leads, a genre-bending presentation (there are musical numbers), and a powerful story about identity and rebirth, Emilia Perez is an unforgettable tale.
Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
The Director: Isa Takahata
The Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara
What It’s About: With no one to turn to but one another, two young orphans attempt to survive the hellish conditions of post-World War II Japan.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the most iconic Studio Ghibli films, as well as one of the studio’s most heartbreaking stories, Grave of the Fireflies is a marvelous, emotional, and impactful story of survival. Though not as lighthearted as some of the other releases by the famed Japanese animation house, this endearing (and enduring) story is one you won’t want to miss.
The Piano Lesson (2024)
The Director: Malcolm Washington
The Cast: John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Dreadwyler
What It’s About: Tasked with deciding the fate of an heirloom piano that has been passed from generation to generation, a family uncovers new truths and learns about their ancestors’ fight for survival and freedom.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, The Piano Lesson is an incredibly powerful and moving exploration of family trauma and history.
Fast Five (2011)
The Director: Justin Lin
The Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson
What It’s About: After fleeing the United States, the Toretto crew plans a massive $100-million heist in Brazil.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Arguably the best Fast & Furious movie, Fast Five was a turning point for the franchise. Leaving the world of street racing in the rearview mirror, this 2011 action flick increased the stakes, the stunts, and the cast of beloved and new characters.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
The Director: Kathryn Bigelow
The Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton
What It’s About: A decade after the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, a CIA agent finally tracks down Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the terrorist act.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: With Kathryn Bigelow’s knack for action and drama, a talented cast, and the recounting of one of the most historical moments of the 21st century, Zero Dark Thirty is a riveting, white-knuckle military and political thriller.
Woman Of The Hour (2024)
The Director: Anna Kendrick
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto
What It’s About: A struggling actress appears on The Dating Game where she comes in contact with a sadistic serial killer.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Based on true events, Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour is her directorial debut, and one of the tightest and scariest movies of the year thanks to its captivating story and haunting performances.
The Whale (2022)
The Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink
What It’s About: On the brink of death, a morbidly obese and emotionally shattered father attempts to reconnect with his daughter before it’s too late.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: The movie that earned Brendan Fraser an Oscar and accelerated his return to the limelight, The Whale, one of Darren Aronofsky’s best films, is a moving story of redemption in the face of death.
Whiplash (2014)
The Director: Damien Chazelle
The Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
What It’s About: A talented and ambitious yet naive jazz drummer attends a prestigious New York City music conservatory where he is pushed to his breaking point by a temperamental teacher.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Whiplash, with its tight direction, masterful performances, especially J.K. Simmons’ terrifying take on Terence Fletcher, and a tremendous teacher-student story, is one of the best music movies of all time.
Remembering Gene Wilder (2023)
The Director: Ron Frank
Cast: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks
What It’s About: A moving and enlightening documentary about the life, career, and legacy of one of Hollywood’s funniest and most endearing stars, mostly told through his own words.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Remembering Gene Wilder is one of the funniest and most touching documentaries of the past few years and does a fantastic job of shedding light on the late actor behind those iconic Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory characters.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
The Director: Jeremy Saulnier
The Cast: Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson
What It’s About: A former Marine attempts to bail his cousin out of jail but instead uncovers a massive conspiracy by the local police department, setting up an epic confrontation.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Jeremy Saulnier’s Rebel Ridge defies action movie conventions while still being one of the best entries to the genre in years. Aaron Pierre, in a star-making performance, gives us a hero for the ages.
His Three Daughters (2024)
The Director: Azazel Jacobs
The Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon
What It’s About: Three sisters attempt to put their differences and resentments aside and take care of their dying father.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: His Three Daughters captures the very essence of family – the good, the bad, and the ugly. With three incredible performances by the lead actors and a touching story about past trauma and new beginnings, this is one for the ages.
The Karate Kid Movies (1984 - 1989)
The Director: John G. Avildsen
The Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita
What They’re About: A New Jersey transplant has a rough time adjusting to life in beautiful Reseda, California, but then meets an unlikely mentor and becomes a karate champion.
Why They’re Some Of The Best Movies On Netflix: The Karate Kid movies, at least the first three, are some of the best ‘80s movies you can watch and have a little bit of everything for everyone.
- Stream The Karate Kid on Netflix.
- Stream The Karate Kid II on Netflix.
- Stream The Karate Kid III on Netflix.
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
The Director: John Singleton
The Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube
What It’s About: After being sent to live with his father in South Central Los Angeles, a boy comes of age under the care of his strict yet caring father, who tries to keep him off the streets.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood is a movie that will break your heart in more ways than one. But despite that, it’s a moving coming-of-age story that captures the climate of the late 20th century better than most.
Stand By Me (1986)
The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix
What It’s About: A group of four friends embark upon an epic journey to locate the dead body of a missing boy in the final days of summer break.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: This direct and to-the-point coming-of-age drama is one of the best Stephen King adaptations and a timeless story about friendship.
Logan Lucky (2017)
The Director: Steven Soderbergh
The Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver
What It’s About: A down-on-his-luck and out-of-work construction worker puts
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: This hilarious and action-packed crime caper features some of the most over-the-top characters and perhaps the wildest heist location: the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
The Director: Gil Kenan
The Cast: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard
What It's About: After relocating to New York City, the new Ghostbusters take on a diabolical force of evil that could bring on the next Ice Age and wipe out humanity once and for all.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Combining elements and characters from the original films and those from 2021’s Afterlife, Gil Kenan’s paranormal adventure film is a hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes terrifying adventure like no other.
Wicked Little Letters (2023)
The Director: Thea Sharrock
The Cast: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman
What It's About: Two former friends become bitter enemies when a series of profane letters are sent out to the residents of a once quiet town.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: There were a lot of great movies in 2023, so much so that some may have slipped between the cracks. Such is the case for Thea Sharrock’s Wicked Little Letters, a quirky and biting comedy that’ll make you laugh, cry, and so much more.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
The Director: Mark Molloy
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Taylour Paige
What It's About: Axel Foley comes back to Beverly Hills to help his daughter get to the bottom of a wild conspiracy.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Released 30 years after the last installment in the franchise, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F brought Eddie Murphy’s iconic character back to the screen once more, and seemingly better than ever.
Hit Man (2024)
The Director: Richard Linklater
The Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona
What It's About: A psychology professor masquerading as a hit man finds himself in a delicate situation after falling for one of his clients.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: With a combination of Richard Linklater’s direction and Glen Powell’s charm, Hit Man is one of the funniest and wildest crime flicks of 2024.
Aftersun (2022)
The Director: Charlotte Wells
The Cast: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio
What It's About: A woman looks back on the last vacation she went on with her father before tragedy stuck.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: This transfixing and heartbreaking coming-of-age drama is one of those films that will leave you saying “wow.”
Big Daddy (1999)
The Director: Dennis Dugan
The Cast: Adam Sandler, Cole & Dylan Sprouse
What It's About: After he is mistaken for the child’s father, a habitual slacker becomes an unlikely father figure to a young boy.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: A surprisingly good Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy came out in 1999 and showed off the SNL alum’s more dramatic side.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
The Director: Takashi Yamazaki
The Cast: Ryunouke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe
What It's About: Still recovering from World War II, a former kamikaze pilot’s attempt at a new life are thwarted by the arrival of a massive and destructive sea monster.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the best Godzilla movies ever made, Takashi Yamazaki’s epic set in post-war Japan is an intense, terrifying, and incredibly emotional experience that’ll leave you in awe with both its story and eye-popping visual effects.
1917 (2019)
The Director: Sam Mendes
The Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman
What It's About: Two young British soldiers go behind enemy lines to prevent one of their superiors from sending thousands of men into an ambush.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the best movies set during World War I, and also one of the best war movies of all time, Sam Mendes’ Oscar-winning 1917 throws you smack-dab in the middle of the action on the frontlines of World War I and doesn’t let off the gas.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
The Director: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
The Cast: Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf
What It's About: A young man living with Down’s syndrome escapes his care facility with dreams of becoming a professional wrestler.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: If you’re looking for a great movie about wrestling, look no further. This uplifting, charming, and hilarious indie film is one of a kind.
Anyone But You (2023)
The Director: Will Gluck
The Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell
What It's About: Months after a first date goes sour, two people cross paths at a destination wedding where they have to act like a happy couple.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: A surprise 2023 box office hit, Anyone But You is a hilarious, raunchy, and modern take on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing that is now one of the best rom-coms on Netflix.
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar and Three More (2023)
The Director: Wes Anderson
The Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley
What It's About: A collection of short films based on some of Roald Dahl’s most unforgettable stories.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: With incredible performances by Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, and numerous others, this mix of shorts is charming, endearing, and fun to watch.
Society Of The Snow (2023)
The Director: J.A. Bayona
The Cast: Enzo Vogrincic, Matia Recalt
What It's About: The “Miracle of the Andes” is explored in great detail in this survival film about a rugby team that found themselves in a life-or-death situation after their chartered plane crashed in remote Argentina in 1972.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: A Best International Feature Film nominee at the 2024 Academy Awards, Society of the Snow is an emotional survival film about the lengths people will go to survive and get home.
Rustin (2023)
The Director: George C. Wolfe
The Cast: Colman Domingo, Jeffrey Wright
What It's About: The American Civil Rights movement is explored through the eyes of Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), a pivotal figure whose role was all but erased from history due to his homosexuality.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: This powerful and decorated biographical drama shows a different side of some of the biggest moments of the 1960s and helps paint a better picture of one of America’s most trying eras.
El Conde (2023)
The Director: Pablo Larrain
The Cast: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Muchmeyer
What It's About: A black comedy horror film in which one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century is portrayed as a 250-year-old vampire seeking nothing more than death.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: El Conde does hold back with its horror or politics, making it one of the funniest and most terrifying and unique comedies in recent memory.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
The Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
The Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld
What It's About: Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy go on a mind-bending journey through the multiverse to stop it from being destroyed by a new villain and an overzealous Spider-Man.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the most inventive and emotional takes on the Spider-Man character yet, this eye-popping adventure through space and time is honestly one of the best superhero flicks of all time.
All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
The Director: Edward Berger
The Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch
What It's About: A young, idealistic German soldier is exposed to the true horrors of war when he’s sent to the front lines of World War I.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Edward Berger’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the most beautifully shot yet gut-wrenching war epic in some time and will tear you in two.
The Best Movies Leaving Netflix Soon
Movies come and go from Netflix every month. Here are the best titles leaving the platform on or before December 31st.
Superbad (2007) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Greg Mottola
Cast: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera
What It’s About: Two longtime friends contemplate their futures while also trying to buy some booze to impress their crushes at an end-of-the-year party.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Superbad has a simple premise, but it’s the execution (and endless series of incredible jokes) that makes this 2007 extremely R-rated movie such a gem. It instantly became a classic high school movie.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Michel Gondry
Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet
What It’s About: Upon finding out his ex-girlfriend has undergone a procedure to wipe all memories of their relationship, a broken-hearted man takes a similar, devastating path.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Written by Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has an inventive premise and superb execution with one of Jim Carrey’s most transformative and unforgettable performances.
The Birds (1963) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Alfred Hitchcock
The Cast: Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor
What It’s About: A normally quiet California town becomes a dangerous and deadly place after birds mysteriously and violently begin attacking local residents.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films, The Birds is a masterclass in horror and also happens to be one of the scariest animal movies not involving dinosaurs or sharks.
Psycho (1960) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Alfred Hitchcock
The Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh
What It’s About: After a woman goes missing (see: violently murdered in the shower), her sister comes looking for her at a roadside motel and meets a polite yet strange man.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the best horror movies of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho weaves together a masterful story about a murder investigation that takes all kinds of twists and turns before major revelations leave the audience questioning everything.
Bridesmaids (2011) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Paul Feig
The Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph
What It’s About: A mess of a woman finds herself in a vicious competition against her soon-to-be-married best friend’s bridesmaid, setting up a collision course with disaster (and comedy).
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids became an instant classic when it hit the big screen back in 2011, and more than a decade later, it’s just as funny. Filled with incredible one-liners from the likes of Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, this raunchy comedy about love, marriage, and bitter rivalries between bridesmaids never gets old.
Scarface (1983) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Brian De Palma
The Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer
What It’s About: A Cuban refugee goes from rags to riches as he rises through the ranks of the Miami drug trade, making himself one of the most powerful and violent druglords in the process.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: A remake arguably better than the original, Brian De Palma’s 1983 crime epic, Scarface is sprawling epic that has long been considered one of the most iconic gangster films of all time.
Jaws (1975) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Steven Spielberg
The Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss
What It’s About: A New England sheriff, an opinionated researcher, and a hardened boat captain set off to find and kill a massive shark preying upon a beachside community.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Despite having a famously disastrous production, Jaws ended up being one of the best films of all time and the movie that made Steven Spielberg an all-time great.
Field of Dreams (1989) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Phil Alden Robinson
The Cast: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones
What It’s About: An Iowa farmer hears a mysterious voice in his cornfield, which sets off an epic story about baseball, redemption, and the bond shared by father and son.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the best sports movies ever made, Field of Dreams is an emotional and enchanting spectacle. With scenes that’ll make you laugh, others that’ll make you cry, and one that’ll have you on the phone calling your dad, this timeless classic is something magical.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Amy Heckerling
The Cast: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh
What It’s About: The lives of several high school students are explored as they deal with love, lust, daydreams, and everything else bothering the teenage mind.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Fast Times at Ridgemont High remains one of the most beloved (and hilarious) teen comedies of all time. Inspired by first-time director Cameron Crowe’s experiences, this raucous affair follows a handful of students as they try to make it through high school without too many embarrassing moments.
Midnight Run (1988) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Martin Brest
The Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin
What It’s About: A bounty hunter is hired to bring a mob accountant from New York City to Los Angeles, which proves to be no easy task thanks to the mafia, the FBI, and other unsavory characters.
Why It’s One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Midnight Run doesn’t get enough love despite being one of the best buddy action movies of the ‘80s, a decade that was well-known for the subgenre.
American Psycho (2000) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Mary Harron
The Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe
What It's About: A young Wall Street executive loses touch with reality and embarks upon a blood-filled exploration of New York City and the human psyche.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Featuring one of the scariest modern horror villains with Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman, American Psycho is a feverishly funny, sardonic, thrilling, and unforgettable cinematic experience that hits just as hard in 2024 as it did upon its release in 2000.
Call Me By Your Name (2017) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Luca Guadagnino
The Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer
What It's About: A teenager strikes up a summer romance with his father’s intern who’s staying with them at their Italian villa.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: Equal parts enchanting and heartbreaking, this emotional and intimate story will hit you right in the heart and gut by the time it’s finished.
Matilda (1996) - Leaving December 31, 2024
The Director: Danny DeVito
The Cast: Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito
What It's About: A young girl with incredible smarts and powers finds a new love for life when attending school, where she also comes face to face with pure evil.
Why It's One Of The Best Movies On Netflix: One of the best Roald Dahl adaptations, this Danny DeVito-directed fantasy film is one of the most charming and imaginative movies you can watch on Netflix.
This is just a small portion of the best movies on Netflix, as there are literally thousands of decorated films from all corners of the earth. If you want to see all of the good movies on Netflix that are set to come out this year, check out CinemaBlend’s guide to all the 2024 Netflix originals.
