The 25 Best New Movies Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Other streamers, especially those with close corporate ties to major film studios, may be able to show slightly more major theatrical releases than Netflix. However, Netflix beats them in the number of original films created specifically for the streaming service. At first glance, it may seem like the streamer is focusing on quantity over quality, but since 2019, they’ve produced nine Best Picture Oscar nominees. Oscar, of course, is not everything, but it’s not nothing either.
So here are some of the best recent movies streaming on Netflix, whether they’re wide theatrical releases you may have missed or originals.
Snow Society (2023)
The true story of the 1972 Uruguayan rugby team losing in the Andes to a local crash has been the subject of numerous documentaries and two previous dramas. Despite all this, this appears to be the best of the bunch: a thoughtful and tasteful take on what has sometimes been presented as a raunchy drama, with director J.A. Bayona emphasizing both the physical dangers the team faces and the spiritual toll . survival.
Thanksgiving (2023)
Patrick Dempsey stars in this funny but dark satire from Eli Roth, his first horror film since 2013. When an unruly mob storms Walmart (sorry: RightMart) on Black Friday, violence and bloodshed ensues, leaving one of the incident’s victims alone. seek revenge. It’s wild and bloody holiday fun.
Anyone but you (2023)
In a loose version of Much Ado About Nothing , Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell play a couple who date, hit it off, and then promptly piss each other off in a way that neither of them actually doesn’t want to see each other again. Until, of course, they need wedding dates and find themselves surrounded by devious friends. It’s not as wild as romantic comedies, but this film is fast-paced and boasts strong chemistry between the leads.
Orion in the Dark (2024)
Charlie Kaufman ( Being John Malkovich , Adaptation , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ) wrote the DreamWorks animated adaptation of Emma Yarlett’s novel. When Orion is visited by the literal embodiment of his fear of the dark, he embarks on a whirlwind journey across the globe to explore the world of night and help him face his fears.
Perfect Find (2023)
Numa Perrier’s film has plenty of traditional rom-com beats, but no matter: main character Gabrielle Union provides the spark that ignites the entire film (based on the novel by Tia Williams). She’s never been better than here, playing Jenna, a woman in her 40s who completely breaks off a long-term relationship and pursues a high-profile and important career in beauty journalism – only to end up in a one-night stand with Eric (Keith Powers). 15 years younger and the son of her boss.
Damsel (2024)
Netflix’s favorite action heroine, Millie Bobby Brown, returns in this dark fantasy from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ( 28 Weeks Later ). Brown plays Elodie, the damsel of the title who is offered an arranged marriage by her family, only to discover that she is marked as a sacrifice to the dragon. Which turns out to be bad news for her new relatives.
Rebel Moon , parts one and two (2023/2024)
Zack Snyder’s latest addition to the DC Cinematic Universe isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but his Army of the Dead , also for Netflix, was a fun variation on the zombie formula made into a heist movie. Its sequel is pure science fiction: a multi-part (it’s unclear how many parts there will be) space opera that combines Snyder’s signature visual style with Star Wars- style action. Sofia Boutella plays a former soldier who rallies warriors from across the galaxy to join a rebellion against the imperial Motherworld on the game’s remote agricultural moon.
The Miraculous Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
This short adaptation of the Roald Dahl story finally earned Wes Anderson his first Oscar. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title character Henry Sugar, a man who uses an inherited fortune to fund his gambling addiction. When he discovers a secret way to achieve victory by seeing the situation through the eyes of others, he begins to understand more than he perhaps expected. It’s cute and sweet, and one of Anderson’s most visually inventive works (and that’s saying a lot). At 39 minutes, it never wears out its welcome – even if you’re not a big fan of Anderson’s tweedy sensibilities. The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade.
American Symphony (2023)
Directed by Matthew Heineman, the film follows a year in the life of writer Souleika Jaouad and her husband, musician Jon Batiste, as she deals with a relapse of a rare form of leukemia while he composes his first symphony. This is a moving film that goes beyond obvious stereotypes and proves that there are things that only music can say. It generated a lot of buzz at the Oscars, but only received one nomination for best song.
Scoop (2024)
The great Gillian Anderson plays real-life British journalist Emily Maitlis, who heads the BBC2 team that secured the disastrous (for the prince) interview with Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) that exposed his links to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper also star.
We Have a Ghost (2023)
Christopher Landon, writer and director of innovative horror-comedy films such as Happy Death Day and Freaky (and, briefly, the follow-up Scream ), helms this equally fun, but more family-friendly effort. Anthony Mackie stars as Frank Presley, who buys a cheap fixer-upper with his family only to have his son Kevin (Jahi Winston) discover a ghost (played by David Harbor) unliving in the attic. Familiar territory so far, but Kevin wants to help their new ghost and Dad only wants to make money, so their ghost goes viral.
Super Mario Bros. movie (2023)
He may be America’s least favorite Chris, but Mr. Pratt still leads the cast of the year’s second-highest-grossing film: a colorful, silly animated adventure that pits proud Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi against Bowser (Jack Black), the king of Kupas.
May December (2023)
Todd Haynes directs this insightful and touching, yet deliberately campy story about an actress visiting the woman she will play in the film. The film’s deft and unexpected blending of tones makes it quite consistently exciting, and the lead performances by Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton are all top notch.
Nyad (2023)
Annette Benning plays the real-life Diana Nyad, who in her 60s sailed from Florida to Cuba. The film’s success is largely due to the acting and chemistry between leads Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, both of whom received Oscar nominations for their work here.
Killer (2023)
David Fincher’s latest film doesn’t seem to have generated his typical buzz, perhaps because it’s so action-oriented (unlike his last Netflix original, the scripted drama Mank ). Michael Fassbender plays the film’s nameless protagonist, a fastidious and ruthless killer who makes the first mistake of his career – accidentally shooting the wrong man – and then finds his carefully orchestrated life unraveling faster than he can keep up.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2023)
The sequel to one of the best superhero films ever is also excellent and even more visually innovative than the first. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is back, joined by Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) on a secret mission that puts them both at odds with virtually every Spidey in the multiverse.
Rustin (2023)
Colman Domingo gives a stellar performance (earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) as Bayard Rustin, the gay civil rights leader who planned the March on Washington. Not only is it a corrective to our very straightforward vision of the Civil Rights Movement, it is a stylish and moving biopic in its own right.
Nimona (2023)
Nimona , long in development and based on the equally delightful graphic novel by N.D. Stevenson, is a heartfelt, joyful and funny fantasy set in a futuristic world that is also entirely medieval in appearance. Ballister Baldheart, along with his boyfriend Ambrosius Goldenloin, is about to be knighted by the Queen, the first commoner ever to receive the honor. All is well until he is accused of murdering the queen and is forced to flee, becoming the criminal the snobs have already mistaken him for. Luckily (or not), he is joined by Nimona, a teenager who has become an outcast due to her shapeshifting abilities.
Wedding Season (2023)
Asha (Pallavi Sharda) has just broken off her engagement and left her Wall Street investment firm for a startup in Jersey City. Her concerned mother turns her daughter on to a dating app, and Asha agrees to one date with her first partner: Ravi (Suraj Sharma). Things aren’t going well, but they’re both under intense parental pressure to get married, and Asha has about a dozen weddings to attend over the course of the summer, most of them filled with busy people who want to see her in a relationship. So, naturally (for the film), Ahsa and Ravi decide to play the part of a couple to get people off their backs – and it works well, until it doesn’t.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
This smart and funny genre mash-up spins a lot of plates and, most of the time, manages to keep them from falling apart. John Boyega plays Fontaine, a drug dealer from a world not far from our own (there’s definitely some Blaxsploitation influence in the clothing styles). After a run-in with former pimp of the year (!) Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and then wakes up in his bed with apparently nothing changed. Teaming up with Slick Charles and sex worker Yo Yo (Teyonah Parris), he leads the three of them into an incredible web of scientific conspiracy.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Look at this cast: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Mikha’la Herrold ( Industry ) and Kevin Bacon are all in this apocalyptic thriller that has a Bird Box vibe without the alien overtones – all the monsters are here – People. . As technology begins to inexplicably fail, our protagonists find themselves in a final days of America scenario, including a scene where self-driving Tesla cars go out of control. It’s a little edgy at times, but it’s still a pretty gripping thriller.
City Hunter (2024)
The City Hunter manga about the famous detective agency has been adapted several times in the past with very mixed results. This latest film looks like it might be the best: a bright, fast-paced and mildly silly take starring Ryohei Suzuki as lead detective Ryo Saeba and Misato Morita as his murdered partner’s daughter, with whom he teams up for revenge. for this death. and find a missing teen runaway with deadly superpowers.
Cosmonaut (2024)
Adam Sandler makes one of his dramatic cameo appearances here, playing a Czech astronaut coming to terms with the potential end of his marriage. At the edge of the solar system. With some help from an arachnid alien creature trying to understand humanity. Carey Mulligan and Isabella Rossellini co-star.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
While it’s not quite on the same level as the animated original Aardman created back in 2000, it’s still a delightful and cheeky return for farm runaways Mr and Mrs Tweedy. Thandiwe Newton leads an impressive cast.
Down the Rabbit Hole (2024)
From House of Flowers creator Manolo Caro directs this whimsical and thoughtful drama about a meticulous and fussy boy, Tochtli (Miguel Valverde), who lives on a luxurious estate somewhere in rural Mexico. He is old enough to begin to question his privileged and sheltered life, gradually discovering that his father Yolkout (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is a major, well-connected drug lord. It’s a quiet, stylish drama that avoids the obvious.