The 7 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Trying to find the best movie to watch on Netflix can be a daunting challenge. We’ve all been there. You've decided you’re going to watch something. You have the entirety of Netflix at your disposal, including even a pared-down list of films you’ve already bookmarked to watch at a future date. But then there’s the choosing. You’ve gotta find something that fits your mood, or something you and your friend/significant other/couch companion can agree on. You spend hours browsing, and by the time you stumble on something you think maybe is the one, it’s too late, you’re too tired, and indecision has won out.
Never fear, though, because we here at Collider have a guide to help you find the perfect Netflix movies available in the U.S. We’ve thumbed through the library and assembled a list of some of the best films currently available for streaming, from classics to hidden gems to new releases and beyond. This list of the best movies on Netflix is updated weekly with all-new choices, so be sure to return the next time you're looking for something great to watch.
The Power of the Dog
Director/Writer: Jane Campion
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee
The Power of the Dog is a slow, sly movie that reveals itself to you in subtle, measured glimpses at tenderness that are otherwise caked in grit, cruelty and crudity. Set in 1920s Montana, Jane Campion's awards contender stars Benedict Cumberbatch, giving one of his best performances yet as Phil Burbank; a gruff and bitter cowboy who takes an immediate disliking to his brother's (Jesse Plemmons) new wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst). In turn, her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) takes a disliking to him, determined to protect his mother, setting the stage for fascinating, subtle power plays and dynamic shifts as the contentious new family attempts to settle in together. As with all Campion films, you can expect exquisite shots and stunning glimpses into small moments of human vulnerability, but The Power of the Dog is also a challenging, often caustic film about tracing the ripples of toxicity. It certainly isn't your average Neo-western, so don't go in expecting standoffs our shootouts, but even without those flashy calling cards, The Power of the Dog makes a striking impact that seems to land all in one final blow.
Argo
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Written by: Chris Terrio
Cast: Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Tate Donovan, Scoot McNairy
Argois one of those Best Picture winners that has gained more criticism as a result of its success. While it may not have deserved to take home the top prize over Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, or Django Unchained, Argo is hardly a safe crowd pleaser like The Artist or Green Book. Ben Affleck tells the fascinating story of Tony Mendez, a real CIA operation to rescue American Embassy employees in Iran. Mendez disguises the hostages as the crew of a fake science-fiction film, and courts in some Hollywood names to help him make the premise believable. While there are sequences of unbearable tension, Affleck mixes in a good deal of Hollywood satire as well.
The Nice Guys
Director: Shane Black
Writers: Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, and Kim Basinger
Between Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, writer/director Shane Black has proven himself to the be the king of crackling neo-noir. In The Nice Guys, you have private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and fixer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) teaming up to investigate the disappearance of a young woman (Margaret Qualley), but it's all about how Black plays with genre conventions and film tropes to constantly upend expectations. Gosling has never been funnier, and in an alternate, better universe, The Nice Guys would have been a massive hit and we'd have an amazing comic franchise. As it stands, we only have this movie, so at least we can treasure this outing of March and Healy.
Tick, Tick... Boom!
Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Writers: Jonathan Larson and Steven Levenson
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, Vanessa Hudgens
Hamilton and In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda directs the long-awaited film adaptation of RENT creator Johnathan Larson's Tick, Tick... Boom! The result is an excellent movie musical that's every bit a love letter to theater itself as much as it is to Larson and his tragic tale of short-lived genius. Which is perhaps what makes Miranda such an exceptional fit for the material in his filmmaking debut, and not just because his every-damned-award-winning musical Hamilton is all about capturing the beauty and tragedy of short-lived genius: the Broadway polymath has also been vocal about how Tick, Tick... Boom! influenced and inspired him as a creator, and he even starred in a production of the show several years ago. Equally at home is Andrew Garfield as Larson himself, showcasing a hell of a singing voice and yet another outstanding performance that will lift you up, rake you through the anxiety of excellence, before absolutely breaking your heart. It's a beautiful film based on a beautiful piece of writing, and whether you're a fan of Garfield's, Miranda's, Larson's, or just the theater dahling, it's a moving testament to those who openly embrace ambition, earnestly love performance, and believe that both give them the power to change lives.
Collateral
Director: Michael Mann
Writer: Stuart Beattie
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, and Javier Bardem
Tom Cruise so rarely plays “the bad guy” that his performance in Michael Mann’s masterful 2004 thriller Collateral remains a unique thing of beauty. The story takes place largely over one night in Los Angeles when an average cab driver (played by Jamie Foxx) gives a ride to a sharply dressed man (Tom Cruise), only to realize after the fact that he’s an assassin and he just drove him to a hit. The destiny of these two men becomes intertwined, but Mann laces the thriller with touches of beauty throughout, elevating above a simple “assassin movie” and into one of the best films of the 21st century, full-stop.
The Imitation Game
Director: Morten Tyldum
Writer: Graham Moore
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, and Mark Strong
One of the most highly acclaimed films of 2014, The Imitation Game has largely faded into obscurity in the years since its release. This is a shame because it really is a pretty great movie. The Imitation Game draws a portrait of the life and times of Alan Turing, one of the most brilliant scientists of his time. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing, it shows how the mathematician and computer scientist was recruited by the British government to crack the German Enigma code during World War II. It also, perhaps more importantly, shows how despite his contributions, Turing was ostracised and subjected to a horrible fate after it came out that he was gay. Is it a truly accurate historical piece? Not really, but this Academy Award-winning film is certainly a great watch and deserves praise for bringing Turing's once-forgotten story to a global audience.
The Lost Daughter
Director/Writer: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Cast: Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jack Farthing, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ed Harris
In her directorial debut, Maggie Gyllenhaal has to handle a complex balance in telling the story of Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman). Leda takes a holiday to Greece and upon watching young mother Nina (Dakota Johnson) with her child, Leda reflects back on her own struggles with motherhood. Adapting ElenaFerrante's novel of the same name, Gyllenhaal presents a lead character whose impulsiveness could easily have been seen as selfish, but instead, Gyllenhaal and Colman present Leda as an intricate and extremely complicated character. The Lost Daughter provides not only another great Colman performance, but a fantastic introduction to Gyllenhaal as a commanding filmmaker.
THE END
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