The 20 best original Netflix films

From writer-director Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story is one of Netflix’s most critically acclaimed movies of all time. The drama follows a married couple going through a divorce and its impact on their personal and creative lives. Baumbach’s script is raw, smart, and melancholic, elevated by two incredible lead performances by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Laura Dern also stars as an intense and bold lawyer and won an Oscar for her supporting role. 

While Martin Scorsese is known for championing the theatrical experience, one of his movies did indeed release on Netflix, and that was The Irishman. Scorsese returns to the world of gangsters, telling the true story of Frank Sheeran, Russell Bufalino, and Jimmy Hoffa. Goodfellas heavyweights Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci reunite with Scorsese, and Al Pacino also stars. Despite the film being released later in Scorsese’s career, it is just as impactful as his early work.

Another Netflix original that did extremely well at the Oscars is Alfonso Cuarón’s sprawling drama Roma, based on the filmmaker’s childhood in 1970s Mexico. The story follows Cleo, a maid who works for a middle-class family and looks after their four children. Featuring stunning black-and-white cinematography, Cuarón’s film is highly personal and moving. It is not only an incredibly meticulous recreation of time and place but makes the mundane completely mesmerizing. 

Glass Onion is the sequel to Rian Johnson’s 2019 murder mystery Knives Out , with Daniel Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc. Blanc is invited to a Greek island by billionaire Miles Brown, along with Brown’s eccentric wealthy friends. Like in any whodunnit, someone turns up dead, and our detective must solve the case. Featuring an all-star cast, the film has the perfect balance of thrills and laughs and keeps its audience guessing until the end. 

Comedy legend Eddie Murphy made his long-awaited return to the silver screen in 2019’s hilarious romp Dolemite Is My Name. The film tells the true story of performer Rudy Ray Moore, who creates the iconic 1970s Blaxploitation character Dolemite. Featuring flashy costumes, big hair, and groovy music, the comedy is surprisingly heartfelt, and Murphy creates a crazy character you can’t help but root for. Dolemite is a career-best and a reminder that Murphy's still got it. 

2018’s horror-thriller Bird Box is one of Netflix’s most-watched movies ever and is a harrowing thrill ride. The post-apocalyptic tale sees humanity collapse after an unseen entity emerges and kills everyone who lays eyes on it. A mother and her two children must make it to safety but do so blindly. Sandra Bullock gives a reliably strong and emotional performance, and the film makes effective use of its intriguing concept. You, too, as a viewer, will not be able to look away.

The King is a historical epic that tells the story of young Henry V as he begins his reign as King of England in the fifteenth century after the death of his tyrannical father. Timothée Chalamet sports a memorable bowl cut in the lead role but once again proves himself as one of the best young actors of this generation. The on-screen world is brought to life with gritty cinematography and direction, featuring an array of battle scenes that are shot with brutality and intensity. 

While films like Home Alone and Elf are considered Christmas classics, Klaus should be considered a modern Christmas classic. The animated film follows a mail carrier who befriends toymaker Klaus. An origin story of sorts for Santa, the film focuses on the power of simple acts of kindness and is full of heart and humor. As Netflix’s first-ever animated release, the artistry and craftsmanship displayed through hand-drawn animation are all the more impressive. 

Charlize Theron stars as an immortal warrior in the 2020 action flick The Old Guard. Andy, played by Theron, leads a group of mercenaries who have the ability to heal themselves and, therefore, cannot die. When their secret is exposed, they must fight for their survival. The film features impressive action pieces and a strong narrative that focuses on the burden of immortality. All the characters bring an emotional weight with them that the audience will invest in.

Before director Bong Joon-ho tackled class warfare with Parasite, he made Okja for Netflix. The film follows a young girl from South Korea who is best friends with a large creature called Okja. When a powerful, multinational company kidnaps Okja, she sets out to rescue her friend. Joon-ho’s film conveys sharp and direct messages surrounding environmentalism, capitalism, and animal rights while featuring kooky performances from Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Netflix has released its fair share of below-average rom-coms, but Always Be My Maybe is a pleasant surprise. The film follows childhood friends Sasha and Marcus, who reconnect after fifteen years. Everybody assumed they would wind up together, and now that might actually be true. Randall Park and Ali Wong are a delight together and have excellent chemistry. Keanu Reeves knocks it out of the park with a hilarious cameo role as a very exaggerated version of himself.

Beasts of No Nation was one of Netflix’s first films to garner major attention and remains one of its best to date. It tells the story of Agu, who is forced to become a child soldier in an African civil war after his village and family are massacred. Beasts of No Nation offers an uncompromising and shocking look at the brutality of war, especially when children are forced to become cold-blooded killers. Youngster Abraham Attah shines alongside co-star Idris Elba.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Nimona is an epic adventure with heart and substance. In a futuristic, medieval world, a knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. He then teams up with Nimona, a shape-shifter he’s been sworn to kill. The film features eye-popping and endlessly creative visuals but is really elevated by its emotional threads around acceptance. It works as a perfect allegory for the queer experience, presented in a fantastical and exciting form. 

Guillermo del Toro proves that animation isn’t just for kids with his darkly beautiful take on the classic Pinocchio story. Featuring meticulously crafted stop-motion animation, the film takes the narrative we know and love and sets it against the backdrop of wartime Italy and the rise of Mussolini. It’s an inspired choice, but it works exquisitely, bringing fantasy and reality together and breathing new life into an over-told tale. There is also incredible voice work from Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, and more.

The 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the most haunting and grim war films of all time. It follows a young German soldier during World War I who is initially excited by the idea of fighting for his country. However, he learns the true horror and bleakness of war on the battlefield. The gritty battle scenes and piercing music almost feel like an assault on the senses, genuinely immersing the viewer in the war experience and highlighting the human cost of it all. 

The Swimmers tells the extraordinary true story of Yusra and Sarah Mardini, two sisters who flee from war-torn Syria, become refugees, and end up competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The film is both inspiring and heartbreaking, with an emphasis on both the determination of the girls and the harrowing journey asylum seekers all around the world are forced to endure. While there is much turmoil along the way, The Swimmers will leave you smiling and believing anything is possible. 

Adam Sandler showcases his underused dramatic chops in Hustle, a feel-good sports drama. Sandler plays a basketball scout who discovers an incredible new talent in Spain and brings him back to the U.S. with hopes for the NBA. Hustle has all the ingredients that make for a great sports movie, the main one being an underdog to root for. The film features cameos from a number of NBA personalities and proves that Sandler should seriously consider taking more dramatic roles. 

Andrew Garfield plays Rent creator and composer Jonathan Larson in tick, tick… Boom!, which is based on Larson’s autobiographical musical and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Larson’s story focuses on the challenges of being in a creative career and the idea of a clock constantly ticking as we decide what to do with our time or if we’ll be successful. Garfield, in his Oscar-nominated performance, completely disappears into the role of Larson and is phenomenal on the singing front, too.

From the team who brought audiences the Spider-Verse films, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a wonderfully chaotic and creative ride. The animated sci-fi comedy follows the Mitchells, whose family vacation is interrupted by a robot apocalypse. The visual elements are a feast for the eyes, with crazy and colorful animation that pops right off the screen. The script is also ridiculously funny, and one very memorable (and slightly unsettling) scene features a giant Furby.

Based on the play by August Wilson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom sees tensions rise when blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a studio for a recording session. It is very dialogue-heavy due to its source material, but the outstanding performances and delivery make every line captivating and memorable. The film also marks the final performance from the late Chadwick Boseman, who was deservedly nominated for a posthumous Oscar for his playful, energetic, and devastating turn.