The Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (June 2023)

With so many streaming services out there (and more popping up by the day), it can be hard to know which one you can turn to in your time of streaming need. But really, all you need is the one that started it all: Netflix. Yes, Netflix still has plenty of streaming movies (both original and acquired) that rival the ones that you can catch in theaters. The only problem is that it’s tough to keep up with what’s being added to the service every month. Luckily you have us to sift through their extensive library and find the very best of the best. You’re welcome, by the way.

The reason that Netflix remains so successful and popular to this day is that there really is something for everyone. The past year saw the release of Oscar nominated dramas The Power of the Dog and Don’t Look Up, stylish war drama Operation Mincemeat and to the basketball comedy/drama Hustle. Their repertory library also stays stacked with favorites like Mission Impossible and Menace II Society that rank consistently high on the Netflix top ten most watched list.

So when you’ve had enough Peaky Blinders and before you find out what the Lincoln Lawyer is all about, why not dive into a movie? Here are the best movies on Netflix right now.

For a more in-depth look into our favorite titles available to stream by genre, check out The Best TV Shows on Netflix, The Best Movies on Hulu, The Best HBO Series, The Best Shows on Amazon Prime, and The Best Movies to See Before You Die.

Director: Dan Mazer

Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch

Genre: Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 42m

Rotten Tomatoes: 10% (Critics) 44% (Audience)

Before his wedding, a young man (Zac Efron) decides to take his newly widowed grandpa (Robert DeNiro) on a road trip through Florida. Remembering his grandparents’ yearly trip down there, Jason thinks it will be therapeutic for the old man. Little does he know that he has ulterior motives. His grandpa wants to head down there for spring break. He wants to see if he’s still got it. This raunchy comedy also co-stars Zooey Deutch and Aubrey Plaza as fellow spring-breakers.

Director: Florian Zeller

Cast: Zen McGrath, Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Anthony Hopkins

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2h 4m

Rotten Tomatoes: 29% (Critics) 63% (Audience)

Nicholas (Zen McGrath) has decided to leave his school. He is struggling with his mental health. Upset at this decision and unwilling to help, his mother (Laura Dern) decides to send him to his estranged father. Peter (Hugh Jackman) has not seen Nicholas in years. He’s moved on with a new wife and their newly born baby. Because Peter had a strenuous relationship with his own father, he decides to try to rebuild his relationship with his son. Florian Zeller’s drama focuses on the fallout of selfish choices that parents have made and the hope that they may be able to do better.

Director: Will Merrick, Nicholas D. Johnson

Cast: Storm Reid, Ken Leung, Nia Long, Daniel Henney

Genre: Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 51m

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Critics) 90% (Audience)

After her father died years ago, June’s mom (Nia Long) is starting to date again. This new guy is taking her on a Colombian vacation. After having the house all to herself, all June (Storm Reid) has to do is pick them up from the airport when they get back. Only they aren’t there. Her mom isn’t even answering her calls. With the internet at her disposal, June seeks to figure out who her mom’s new boyfriend really is and where they could be. This thriller utilizes screen-life to put us on the case, unveiling information along with our protagonist.

Director: Ursula Macfarlane

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 57m

Rotten Tomatoes: 40% (Critics) 60% (Audience)

For someone whose life was covered by every tabloid, there’s still much we don’t know about Anna Nicole Smith. That includes what the woman was actually like outside of the limelight. This documentary seeks to look at the woman behind the sensationalized storytelling. From her beginnings as Vickie Lynn Hogan through the Playboy cover that put her on the map to her tragic passing, director Ursula Macfarlane tracks Anna’s story through home movies and interviews. 

Director: Niki Caro

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Fiennes, Gael García Bernal, Omari Hardwick

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 56m

One of the government’s top assassins has become a liability after getting on the bad side of some big criminals. After she gives birth to a baby girl, she is forced into isolation. To protect both of their lives, the baby has been placed in the FBI’s care. Twelve years later she receives a threatening call. They know what happened and these men are going to kidnap her daughter. Despite not even seeing the child since her birth, the assassin knows a mother’s job is never done. Jennifer Lopez is primed to kick the asses of Gael Garcia Bernal and Joseph Fiennes in this action flick perfect for a Mother’s Day viewing. 

Director: Marc Foster

Cast: Tom Hanks, Mack Bayda, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2h 6m

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% (Critics) 97% (Audience)

In the suburbs of Pittsburgh, a widower (Tom Hanks) wakes up to another day. It’s been several months since his wife passed away and he’s finding little reason to continue on. He has become a reclusive pest to everyone who tries to help. A family moves in next door and begins to ask for his help, much to his annoyance. Despite his bad attitude, his new neighbors seem to enjoy Otto’s company. Maybe he’s starting to like it too. This adaptation of the runaway bestseller by Swedish author Fredrik Backman knows how to use Tom Hanks to its advantage. You love him even as a grump.

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer

Genre: Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 40m

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% (Critics) 77% (Audience)

Hospital nurse Ana (Sarah Polley) had a rough day in the ER. She heads home late from a strangely chaotic shift to finally enjoy time with her husband. With the two caught up in each other, they miss some important news. The dead are coming back to life. After narrowly avoiding death from a young neighborhood girl turned monster, she seeks refuge in the safest place… the mall. Stranded with other survivors, they are going to have to work together. It’s only a matter of time before these humans become the food court. Zack Snyder’s remake of the George Romero classic stands out in the 2000s fast zombie genre.

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 29m

Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (Critics) 77% (Audience)

In the most swinging dance spot in the late 60s London, England’s best spy has just thwarted world domination. His foe blasts into space, vowing to return when British Intelligence best won’t be there to stop him. To save humanity, Austin Powers (Mike Myers) decides to freeze himself cryogenically. Flash-forward to 1997. In the era of America Online dial-up and Oprah supremacy, Dr. Evil returns. Teamed with his former comrade’s daughter, Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), the pair must stop Dr. Evil from using nuclear weapons. The franchise’s first film features lines that entered the cultural lexicon and the iconic first appearance of fembots with “machine gun jubilees.”

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samuel L. Jackson, Walter Goggins

Genre: Western

Rating: 2h 48m

Runtime: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 74% (Critics) 77% (Audience)

It’s a blizzard outside and an assembly of cowboys, bounty hunters, and other ne’er-do-wells are stuck inside a cabin together. Reigning overall is Hangman (Kurt Russell) who just wants to collect his bounty for finally capturing Crazy Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh, in an Oscar-nominated performance). While all parties initially agree to be cordial during the snowstorm, they are a group of liars and backstabbers. Not everyone is going to make it through the night. Quentin Tarantino assembled an all-star cast for his eighth feature along with an Oscar-winning score by the legendary Ennio Morricone.

Director: Onur Saylak

Cast: Kivanç Tatlituğ, Funda Eryiğit, Gürgen Öz, Kerem Arslanoğlu

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 52m

Hoping to leave behind a traumatic event from their past, a couple heads to a small coastal town. As they begin to feel some sort of relief in their new home, they begin to notice their neighbors are acting strange. Not only does it feel like the townsfolk know what happened but they seem to be antagonistic, almost as if they want them to leave. It may be that in order to achieve peace, they’ll first have to fight back.

Director: Steven K. Tsuchida

Cast: Rachel Leigh Cook, Scott Ly, Missi Pyle, Ben Feldman

Genre: Romance

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 1h 34m

Amanda (Rachael Leigh Cook) and her boyfriend (Ben Feldman) have been together for five years. When his big news turns out to be that he’s relocating for work, she realizes she needs a change. Her job sends her to Vietnam under the guise of a business trip to help her heal. On vacation, she didn’t expect to find a spark with her hunky tour guide (Scott Ly). She also didn’t expect to be surprised in Vietnam by her ex. After years out of the spotlight, millennial rom-com icon Rachel Leigh Cook returns!

Director: Malcolm D. Lee

Cast: Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard

Genre: Comedy, Rama

Rating: R

Runtime: 2h 2m

Rotten Tomatoes: 70% (Critics) 83% (Audience)

There’s something about the holidays that brings everyone back together. After fourteen years, Harper (Taye Diggs) and his friends are spending Christmas together. He hasn’t seen them since his debut novel, inspired by the group’s dirty laundry, burned up the bestseller list. He hasn’t written anything since then, but they don’t trust him for the damage he’s caused. Though Harper has an ulterior motive for being there, he’s not the only one harboring a secret.

Director: Sitisiri Mongkolsiri

Cast: Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Nopachai Jayanama, Gunn Svasti

Genre: Drama

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 2h 10m

Rotten Tomatoes: 71% (Critics) 61% (Audience)

A thriller set amidst the Bangkok food scene. What drives a chef is the hunger for more. At least, that’s what Aoy (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) believes. While serving her family’s street food, her ambition is noted. A customer invites her to try out to apprentice under a master chef. The upscale restaurant Hunger is run with a firm grip by Chef Paul (Nopachai Jayanama). Despite his iron facade, he takes a liking to her. The world of culinary arts is cutthroat. If she doesn’t look out, she’ll be butchered.

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Maria Bello, Billy Burke

Genre: Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 21m

Rotten Tomatoes: 75% (Critics) 61% (Audience)

After a tragic accident, a family begins to see a mysterious woman every time they turn off the lights. As the mother (Maria Bello) tries to rationalize the apparition, it begins to take a toll. Her sanity is questioned and she’s about to lose what’s left of her family. There may be a secret from the past offering some insight. If she can live long enough to tell it. This ghost story started out as a short that caught the attention of The Conjuring director James Wan before being fully fleshed out here.

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen

Genre: Action, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 53m

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Critics) 93% (Audience)

An American (Matt Damon) is rescued by two Italian men. He has no idea who he is or why he has gunshot wounds. The man finds he has a safety deposit box in Switzerland. Once there, he finds his picture in a passport for Jason Bourne. As he leaves, the CIA learns that Bourne is back. They can’t have that. While Jason Bourne tries to remember who and what he actually is, he is pursued by agents who need him dead. It seems that he at one point knew way too much. The CIA won’t let it happen again.

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco

Genre: Action

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 56m

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics) 67% (Audience)

While on a school field trip, science-nerd Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten by a genetically altered spider. The bite causes him to develop spider-like powers which he uses to fight crime and wrestlers under the name The Human Spider. Later he takes up Spider-Man in a more serious attempt of fighting evil. This includes another modified being, scientist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). After an experiment gone wrong, Norman’s psyche has split in two. The murderous, pumpkin-bombing Green Goblin is out to destroy New York City. Sam Raimi’s comic book film set the scene for further Marvel cinematic blockbusters. It even includes a cameo from Stan Lee himself.

Director: Jeremy Garelick

Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong, Adeel Akhtar

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 30m

Nick (Adam Sandler) and his wife Audrey (Jennifer Aniston) were just mystery lovers. Their last vacation threw them into an actual one. When they receive a wedding invite, they are hoping this international vacation will be different. But as the wedding celebration is interrupted and the groom goes missing, they are thrown into another puzzle. These two will have to figure out who planned the kidnapping and why before it’s too late in this sequel to the original 2019 Netflix hit Murder Mystery.

Director: Tyler Perry

Cast: Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Tamara Taylor

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 56m

Rotten Tomatoes: 16% (Critics) 86% (Audience)

Helen (Kimberly Elise) thought she had it all. Then her husband, Charles (Steve Harris), breaks the news. Not only is he having an affair but he is kicking her out. Shamed, she returns to her grandmother’s house. Helen becomes rekindled with the family her husband never liked. Her grandmother shows her that maybe Charles kicking her out was an opportunity for her to finally live her life. This is the film that introduced Perry’s Madea to the world and ignited a phenomenon.

Director: Van Veronica Ngo

Cast: Dong Anh Quynh, Toc Tien, Thuan Nguyen, Van Veronica Ngo

Genre: Action

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 49m

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% (Critics)

Women are being targeted on the streets of Saigon. A group known as “The Big Four,” along with their vicious leader, Mad Dog Hai, are the culprits. Some have had enough. After witnessing their brutality first-hand, three girls decide they aren’t going to take it anymore. They are going to make the streets safe again for others. With the help of a woman, full of her own secrets, they are going to get revenge. Whatever the cost.

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy

Genre: Romance, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 58m

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (Critics) 74% (Audience)

To make ends meet, photographer Therese (Rooney Mara) works in the toy department of a large department store. Enter Carol (Cate Blanchett), a glamorous housewife looking for a present. When she leaves a glove behind, Therese goes out of her way to mail it back. The act of kindness does not go unnoticed. As they begin to see more of each other, soon they themselves fall in love. Despite their passion, can it be enough to endure the oppressive American high society of the 1950s? Acclaimed director Todd Haynes directs two Oscar-nominated actresses in a film based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt.

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 43m

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% (Critics) 57% (Audience)

Years after amateur superheroes and villains wreaked havoc in Staten Island, NY, vigilantes continue to clean up the streets. Except for two. When Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), formerly Kick-Ass, and Mindy (Chloë Grace Moretz), aka Hit-Girl, decide to restart their training, a new villain from their past re-emerges. Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who teased his revenge at the end of the first film, has assembled his own league of evil do-ers to care for Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl once and for all. While Mindy is initially reluctant, Dave joins a supergroup led by former Mafia hitman Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). As the city begins to crack down on masks, Mindy feels the call of her deceased father’s teachings.

Director: David Twohy

Cast: Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, Keith David

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 48m

Rotten Tomatoes: 59% (Critics) 77% (Audience)

A space transport makes a crash landing on a seemingly desolate planet. Among the nine passengers who survive is the dangerous criminal Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) who causes tension. Exploring the terrain, the survivors find the inhabitants are incredibly hungry for their flesh. Fortunately, they happen to be hyperlight-sensitive. All is safe… that is until the planet’s three suns experience their natural eclipse.

Director: Marc Foster

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Daniella Kertesz

Genre: Action, Horror

Runtime: 1h 55m

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 66% (Critics) 72% (Audience)

While sitting in stand-still traffic, a family soon discovers that they are witnessing a zombie outbreak in real time. As the virus runs rampant, they are saved by the government. The patriarch of the family, Gerry (Brad Pitt), is a former United Nations employee, thankfully. Unfortunately, his late employer coerces him into accompanying a young virologist to the outbreak’s source. They believe this is the only way to get it under control. For the future of his family and all of humanity, Gerry decides to risk his life.

Director: Jamie Payne

Cast: Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, Cynthia Erivo, Dermot Crowley

Genre: Crime, Drama

Runtime: 2h 8m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 68% (Critics) 85% (Audience)

John Luther (Idris Elba) was once a chief detective inspector for the Metropolitan Police. He was someone who always put his job first, for better or worse. Now he sits in a jail cell framed for several murders. As an unsolved murder spree resumes from a former adversary, Luther will do whatever it takes to catch him this time even if it means breaking out. Elba reprises his Golden Globe-winning role as the detective for Luther’s first feature-length outing.

Director: Gregory Jacobs

Cast: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 55m

Rotten Tomatoes: 65% (Critics) 55% (Audience)

Magic Mike had hung up his G-string and thought that his stripping days were in the past now that he has his furniture business. That’s when he gets a call from the guys. It seems like their former boss has taken off and they are headed to a male stripper convention in Myrtle Beach for one last show together. Unable to pass this opportunity up, Mike decides to join in the fun. Somehow it seems no one’s life is going as planned. What better time to add some more magic to not only their own lives but others as well?

Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% (Critics) 77% (Audience)

In this modern social media era retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, one girl’s reputation suffers a fall from grace. Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) tells a small lie to get her friend off her back. She tells another to save a closeted male friend. Soon, she puts her reputation on the line for all the other (male) outcasts of the school. While the boys find their popularity ascending, she is left with infamy. Olive sets out to reclaim her own story pulling out tricks she’s seen in all of her favorite 80’s movies. Every generation adds its own film to the high school comedy canon. With a star-making performance by Emma Stone, Easy A more than earns its place.

Director: Christopher Landon

Cast: David Harbour, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Anthony Mackie, Jennifer Coolidge

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2h 6m

A family unknowingly moves into a haunted house. Despite a ghost’s constant presence, they aren’t scared. Ernest (Stranger Things’ David Harbour) is a middle-aged man in a bowling shirt who happens to be dead. He’s not that scary. When the youngest son, Kevin, uploads a funny video of him, the internet goes wild. The public isn’t the only one who wants a piece of him though. As the government tries to exorcise Ernest from the house, Kevin takes him on a journey to find out who he was and maybe even how he got killed in this horror comedy from Happy Death Day and Freaky director Christopher Landon.

Director: Kim Tae-joon

Cast: Chun Woo-hee, Im Si-wan, Kim Hee-won

Genre: Thriller

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 57m

Nami loses her phone. She’s delighted to find that the person who found it has returned it safely to the store. Unfortunately, the guy who found it isn’t the nice guy he seemed to be. Nami and her loved ones are soon put at risk by this man. He has hacked his way into her life and won’t stop until he’s ruined it. This thriller questions the idea of our personal cybersecurity in our modern lives.

Director: Stiles White

Cast: Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth, Daren Kagasoff, Bianca A. Santos

Genre: Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 25m

Rotten Tomatoes: 6% (Critics) 24% (Audience)

The iconic sleepover game that has scared generations gets the horror movie treatment. When one of their own passes under mysterious circumstances, a group of friends decides to contact her from the beyond. They find out that the board they are using just appeared one day in their deceased friend’s house. Once she used it, she was cursed. Now they have all been marked. It’s up to them to find out what the board wants before it’s too late.

Director: Aline Brosh McKenna

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Steve Zachn, Jesse Williams

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 49m

Rotten Tomatoes: 35% (Critics) 63% (Audience)

Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) is a single mom who is overworked in Los Angeles. Peter (Ashton Kutcher) is a confirmed bachelor living it up in New York City. These two have been best friends for twenty years. When Peter suggests a swap as a means of vacation for Debbie, she is hesitant but agrees to it. When Debbie starts dating someone, Peter is confronted with the idea that he might actually have feelings for his best friend. This movie brings together for the first time two of the aughts biggest romcom stars, Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon, and uses their considerable charm to its advantage.

Director: Sam Pollard

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 3h 20m

Bill Russell was one of the most celebrated players of all time. As someone who was initially cut from his high school team, he initially wasn’t sure where he fit in on the court. But multiple NBA Championships, All-Star accolades, and MVP awards are only the tip of who he was. Russell was vocal in his political activism when it wasn’t advised for those with his fame to do so. He used his voice to uplift others. This documentary explores Russell’s life on and off the court to celebrate a one-of-a-kind icon. 

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: WIll Smith, Martin Lawrence, Téa Leoni, Theresa Randle

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 58m

Rotten Tomatoes: 42% (Critics) 78% (Audience)

Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) are celebrating their biggest bust. That is until $100 million dollars in evidence is stolen from the police vault. They have less than 72 hours to find the goods before the FBI shuts down their unit. The case throws them into the Miami gang scene where they encounter crooked cops, drug kingpins, and a bevy of murders. They’re going to have to keep it together to protect their families and themselves as they get closer to solving the case. The original film launched a still-going franchise and solidified Will Smith as an action star and Michael Bay as a master director of explosions. 

Director: Ryan White

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 52m

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Critics) 92% (Audience)

Pamela Anderson was everywhere in the 1990’s. From Baywatch to photoshoots, she was an icon. Because of this, her image and her story were taken away from her. To this day, her story is still being told without her involvement. Now she has decided she is reclaiming it. Pamela: A Love Story gives the camera back over to her. She is free to tell the stories from her side for the first time how she wants.

Director: Kenya Barris

Cast: Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 57m

Rotten Tomatoes: 46% (Critics) 49% (Audience)

A chance encounter brings Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) together. As they become more and more serious, they realize they can’t stay in their personal bubble forever. Before they can take the next step, they finally need to meet each other’s parents. Director Kenya Barris and Hill co-wrote the movie together, which chronicles the culture and ideological clashes that take place when you mix two very different families together. Eddie Murphy and Nia Long play Amira’s father and mother while David Duchovny and Julia Louis-Dreyfus star as Ezra’s progenitors.

Director: Kyle Balda

Cast: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1h 27m

Rotten Tomatoes: 70% (Critics) 89% (Audience)

The prequel that spawned the “Gentle-minions” trend arrives on Netflix. After unsuccessfully teaming up with some of the world’s most notorious villains, the Minions are feeling lost. That is until they encounter the person that will eventually change their fates, a young, pre-Despicable Me Gru (Steve Carell). He dreams of becoming a supervillain and joining the notorious supergroup, the Vicious 6. When a heist that was supposed to be his audition goes awry, Gru is kidnapped and it’s up to his minions to help save him. But first, they are going to have to learn some kung-fu and who better to teach them than a former master turned acupuncturist voiced by Michelle Yeoh?

Director: Stephen Herek

Cast: Johnny Berchtold, Rob Lowe, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Nick Peine

Genre: Drama

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 1h 34m

Rotten Tomatoes: 42% (Critics) 63% (Audience)

A college outcast, Fielding (Johnny Berchtold), finds his best friend in a similarly exiled puppy, Gonker. While on a trail, the dog chases an animal and goes missing. Besides missing his loyal companion, Gonker was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and needs his owner to give him medication monthly to live. With time vital, Fielding’s dad joins his son to find him. Little do they know that this story would capture the attention of the world. Based on a true story, Dog Gone portrays the lengths we will go to for our four-legged friends.

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Ed Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista

Genre: Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2h 20m

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% (Critics) 93% (Audience)

The world-renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns! During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blanc receives an invitation to join tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) on his private island. The retreat of his close friends happens to include a controversial starlet (Kate Hudson), an MRA twitch streamer (Dave Bautista), and the governor of Connecticut (Kathryn Hahn), just to name a few. Despite his reputation, Bron does not know who invited the sleuth but welcomes him. The reunion turns deadly when one of them is killed, leading to the unraveling of long-held secrets. It’s up to Blanc to peel back the layers to figure out which one of them it is before the killer can claim another victim.

Director: Edgar Wright

Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 52m

Rotten Tomatoes: 82% (Critics) 84% (Audience)

Director: Cameron Crowe

Cast: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Runtime: 2h 18m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Critics) 79% (Audience)

Tom Cruise gives a career-best performance in this Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) film. Jerry Maguire is a sports agent who wants to redefine the job. His manifesto causes his discharge but not before recruiting the empathetic office secretary, Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger). As the two fall in love during their close contact, Jerry constantly struggles with putting his professional career over his personal. Cruise may be known for his action films but his somber delivery of the iconic line, “You complete me,” shows he can handle any genre.

Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Cast: Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton

Genre: Musical, Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1h 57m

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (Critics) 85% (Audience)

Following the death of his son, a toymaker creates a marionette boy in his image. When it comes to life, the man finds, sadly, the puppet is nothing like his former son. Pinocchio follows the beloved wooden boy as he tries to integrate into society as a “real” boy and earn his papa’s approval. Guillermo del Toro’s take on the puppet finds him in the throes of Italy during the rise of Mussolini and fascism. Throughout it all, Pinocchio reminds us and the other characters what it means to be human in such a cruel world. While we are used to fairy tales having a darker edge, del Toro’s war setting brings out the cruelness of humanity.  The melancholy song, “Ciao Papa,” will be stuck in your head for weeks. 

Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Cast: Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell, Joely Richardson, Ella Hunt

Genre: Romance, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 2h 6m

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Critics) 100% (Audience)

After getting married, a woman finds boredom with domesticity. Unpleased by her aristocratic husband, she seeks pleasure from one of the handsome estate workers. As the affair heats up, the affair threatens her and her husband’s place in society. The Crown‘s Emma Corin stars as Constance Reid (aka Lady Chatterley) while Jack O’Connell (Skins) plays the object of her affection. Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawerence was controversial upon publication for its graphic depiction of sexuality between the two lovers. Publisher Penguin books were even brought to trial for obscenity charges back upon its English language publication.

Director: Chris Smith

Genre: Documentary

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 30m

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (Critics) 100% (Audience)

Robert Downey Sr. was not just the father of one of the biggest movie stars, he was also a prolific counter-cultural filmmaker. Due to the anti-establishment nature of his movies, he is often forgotten. As he battled Parkinson’s disease, his son decided to make a documentary honoring him. The documentary is not just a revealing look at its subject but a deeply personal film about the relationship between fathers and sons. Director Chris Smith (American Movie) was given complete access by the Downey’s of their lives, past and present, to tell the story.

Director: Sally El Hosaini

Cast: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Matthias Schweighöfer, Ahmed Malek

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 2h 14m 

Rotten Tomatoes: 75% (Critics) 85% (Audience)

Two sisters dream of swimming in the Olympic games but this seems like just a fantasy. They live in Syria where the war threatens their lives every day. When they are given the chance to escape to Greece, they take it. In a packed boat made only for six or seven people, they begin their journey. As the boat starts to sink, they use their swimming skills to help guide the boat to safety. This is only the beginning of this amazing true story. Based on the lives of Sara and Yusra Mardini, The Swimmers is an ode to dreams and the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Director: Charles Shyer

Cast: Justin Hartley, James Remar, Bonnie Bedelia, Essence Atkins

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 1h 39m

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% (Critics) 61% (Audience)

Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) is a successful novelist. After leaving his small town, he never looked back. That is, until he gets word that his mother has died. When he returns to his childhood home he meets a mysterious woman whose birth mother used to work for his family. She’s looking for answers as to why her mother gave her up all those years ago. While Jake is unsure how he can help, they find that an answer may lie with his estranged father. As they work together on healing old wounds during the holiday season, they find themselves unable to deny their mutual attraction. The Noel Diary is written and directed by romantic comedy legend Charles Shyer.

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Cast: Florence Pugh, Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 48m

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% (Critics) 72% (Audience)

Based on Emma Donoghue’s 2016 novel of the same name, this psychological drama takes a look at the religious fervor of a small Irish town. A skeptical nurse is asked to accompany a group of religious townsfolk to the residence of a young girl. Her family has claimed that she has not eaten in more than four months and that it is a miracle. Both the girl and her family claim that she is satiated by manna that comes from heaven. As the nurse investigates, she is met with pushback from the town who feel that she does not believe. Florence Pugh delivers a powerful performance as the nurse who just wants to save the innocent girl. The film is helmed by the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman director Sebastián Lelio with a screenplay by the novel’s author.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Cast: Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1h 57m

Rotten Tomatoes: 45% (Critics) 92% (Audience)

After the death of her father, Nemo (Marlow Barkley) is sent to live with her uncle. He shares with her stories of fictional adventures her father had gone on. Interrupted mid-sleep, Nemo finds herself floating off into Slumberland, her father’s old stomping grounds. Joined by her father’s old friend, the horned Flip (Jason Momoa), the two go in search of a treasure that grants one wish to whoever finds it. Nightmares in both the dream and real world try to keep her away but Nemo is determined to wish for her father back. Slumberland is a modern retelling of the famous Little Nemo comics from the early 20th century.

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Runtime: 1h 49m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (Critics) 79% (Audience)

Jason Reitman followed up his Oscar-winning film Juno with another Oscar contender, Up in the Air. George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham who travels around the country helping companies lay off staff. By traveling and living out of his suitcase, he doesn’t have to carry around much. In his spare time, he offers lectures on keeping life light. Two women enter his life, a protégé named Natalie (Anna Kendrick), and a frequent flyer with whom he enters a casual relationship with. Ryan begins to wonder if maybe he’s been escaping real life this whole time. Kendrick broke out with her role as the cold, newbie who would rather terminate employees over a video call.

Director: Janeen Damian

Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, Jack Wagner, George Young

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rating: TV-PG

Rotten Tomatoes: 58% (Critics) 80% (Audience)

Lindsay Lohan’s comeback tour begins with this Netflix holiday comedy. A hotel heiress known for her extravagance is found knocked out after falling down a mountain. Somehow, this small town has escaped the media frenzy surrounding her. As she is struck with memory loss, she is taken in for the holidays by a handy single lodge owner name Tad (Chord Overstreet). She finds herself falling deeper and deeper for the town and the man who saved her even as her memories and (twist!) fiancé return. Of course, Lindsay Lohan sings “Jingle Bell Rock” in a nod to her iconic role in Mean Girls.

Director: Scott Mann

Cast: Dave Bautista, Ray Stevenson, Pierce Brosnan, Alexandra Dinu

Genre: Action

Runtime: 1h 45m

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 69% (Critics) 37% (Audience)

In the middle of a soccer match, a stadium is taken over by terrorists. They are looking for someone and have taken the whole stadium captive. Unless one man finds who they are looking for, they are going to start by killing his daughter first. It just so happens that this hostage is the one person they shouldn’t have messed with. Dave Bautista stars as an ex-military man who just wants his daughter back safe while Pierce Brosnan is the target of the manhunt.

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter, David Thewlis

Genre: Mystery, Action

Runtime: 2h 9m

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (Critics) 69% (Audience)

Director: Henry Selick

Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 45m

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% (Critics) 83% (Audience)

The constant barrage of mediocre CGI makes acclaimed animator Henry Selick’s absence all the more regretful. Having brought to life our childhood nightmares of Coraline and James and the Giant Peach in beautiful stop-motion animation, he finally returns with his latest for Netflix, Wendell & Wild. Based on his own unpublished novel and co-written with Jordan Peele, the movie is full of the ghastly and haunting images we’ve come to expect. Kat is an outcast at her school. This makes her an easy target for two demon brothers who are trying to make their way back to the land of the living. When she is tricked into helping them, she’s going to have to learn that she can’t keep doing it alone. Peele not only had his hands busy with the script but also co-stars with his Key & Peele partner, Keegan-Michael Key, as the devilish duo.

Director: Tobias Lindholm

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Nnamdi Asomugha, Kim Dickens

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 56m

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% (Critics) 80% (Audience)

The Good Nurse continues the Netflix streak of star-studded true crime adaptations. Jessica Chastain stars as Amy Loughren, a run-down ICU nurse. As she suffers from a heart condition, the long shifts in the understaffed hospital are starting to get to her. Hope comes through by the way of a newly hired nurse named Charles (Eddie Redmayne). As things are finally looking up for Amy, a series of patient deaths sets off cause for concern when they are traced back to her new savior. When she begins to look into his mysterious past, it seems like this has happened with Charles before. Not only does this film explore the crimes of one of the biggest serial killers in history but it also indicts the broken United States healthcare system.

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, Kelly Rowland, Lauren Lapkus

Genre: Comedy

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 1h 29m

Rotten Tomatoes: 41% (Critics) 61% (Audience)

In the spirit of Halloween movies like Hocus Pocus or Hubie Halloween comes The Curse of Bridge Hollow. A family relocates from Brooklyn to the small New England (aren’t they all) town of Bridge Hollow, much to the dismay of their teenage daughter, Syd. They just so happen to have moved into the former residence of a local boogeyman named Stingy Jack. After being killed by the townspeople, he vows his revenge and awaits release from his cursed pumpkin. When Syd accidentally sets him loose, she has to convince her no-nonsense, scientist dad to believe in the supernatural to put Jack back in his place. There’s nothing better than a movie that relishes in not just Halloween but the small pleasures of the season like the fall foliage and the houses that go all out with decorations.

Director: André Øvredal

Cast: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams

Genre: Horror

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 1h 51m

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% (Critics) 72% (Audience)

Alvin Schwartz terrified generations of children with his book series, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. These were a collection of short stories based on folktales, urban legends, or games with spooky origins all accompanied by frightening illustrations. Rather than play out episodically as they do in the source material, the film presents the tales as curses brought forth by a woman accused of witchcraft. When a group of teenagers take her book of stories, they find themselves victims of what horror lurks in the pages. Director André Øvredal brings to life the images that have burned themselves into generations including the kindertrauma of the Pale Lady. 

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 23m

Rotten Tomatoes: 45% (Critics) 40% (Audience)

Director: Leigh Janiak

Cast: Kiana Madeira, Benjamin Flores Jr., Gillian Jacobs, Fred Hechinger

Genre: Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 1h 45m

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% (Critics) 62% (Audience)

Sarah Fier is a local urban legend: a woman unjustly hanged for the crime of being a witch who haunts Shadyside to this day. After accidentally disturbing her final resting place, a group of teens realize they have unleashed her curse upon their town. It is up to them to return her to her grave and maybe break whatever spell she has put on the town. The movie feels like a classic slasher straight out of the late ’90s with plenty of elaborate kills, cool masks, and a climactic mall scene. Fear Street Part One: 1994 is the first in a trilogy based on the classic Fear Street novels by the incomparable R.L. Stine. It’s a movie that reminds you of what it was like reading Stine with a flashlight in your childhood bed before you go to bed terrified. 

Director: Sam Macaroni

Cast: Josh Duhamel, Abbie Cornish, Nick Nolte, Lou Ferrigno Jr.

Genre: Thriller

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 1h 20m

Director: Remi Weekes

Cast: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Cornell John

Genre: Horror

Rating: TV-14

Runtime: 1h 33m

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Critics) 74% (Audience)

Horror has always been a genre capable of bringing real issues to the forefront. In His House, director Remi Weekes dives into the horror of trauma. A Sudanese couple is finally granted asylum to England. Despite being placed in a run-down shack, they promise to make the best of it. When both start to experience strange events in the house, they try not to speak of it. They don’t want to make a scene and risk deportation. As the spirit begins to physically manifest and destroy their new house, the couple have to question if it’s really worth it. The film takes a look at how much we will endure just to escape the horrors of our past. 

Director: Raja Gosnell

Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 1h 26m

Rotten Tomatoes: 32% (Critics) 39% (Audience)

Scooby-Doo brings the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon to life. After their latest mystery reveals long-running disputes within the team, Mystery, Inc. decides to call it quits. This leads the gang to discover more about themselves. When someone approaches Scooby and Shaggy about strange going-ons at a tropical resort, it’s up to these two to reunite the team and put a stop to the spookiness of Spooky Island. While it shouldn’t work, the fantastic cast and James Gunn screenplay allow for one of the few instances of live-action movies based on a cartoon being actually good, with Matthew Lillard making the perfect Shaggy.