The Netflix catalog contains many exciting new releases such as Remarkably Bright Creatures, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and The Electric State. Each film has received loads of praise and includes excellent casts. If you’re in the mood for a comedy, check out Swapped. But for those of you looking for a riveting true-crime documentary, streaming The Crash is a must.
Searching for the right movie to watch can be a pain, especially with Netflix’s extensive library of films. They have everything from high-energy science fiction to rom coms. The enormous variety is exciting, however, choosing a film takes patience that most movies goers simply don’t have.
To help avoid this problem, we created this guide. We sifted through Netflix’s current and future films to bring you the best movies available. Our choices spotlight films with amazing stories and phenomenal acting along with brilliant directing.
This guide reveals the current most popular films. We outline everything from casts to release dates and critic scores. After reading this guide, you can stop wasting time and watch the film that best matches your preferences.
How to Measure the Best Movie on Netflix
We put a lot of thought into our selections and several criteria separate a good film from a truly great one. These criteria help us ensure our followers an incredible viewing experience.
Positive reviews are crucial to our selection. Ratings on sites such as IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes not only show that a movie is appreciated by moviegoers, but that it is also appreciated by critics, reflecting a movie’s good writing, good pacing, and good cinematography.
Moviemaking is both an art and a science. Millions of subscribers watching a title indicates a well-crafted commercial. A movie having an interesting concept, good direction, and a story that is never seen before puts a movie ahead of its competition.
Lastly, where a movie plays also puts a movie in its own tier: Netflix films almost always have an A list cast and a subscription is needed to watch it making it a must watch for subscribers.
Below are the 10 best movies On Netflix
which includes some of the most acclaimed films that are coming soon and have recently been released.
1. Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Release Date: May 2026
- Director Olivia Newman
- Writer: Olivia Newman, John Whittington, Shelby Van Pelt
- Cast: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Colm Meaney
- Production Companies: Netflix, Peter Craig (Producer)
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Available On: Netflix
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a character-driven melodrama about a clever octopus that is based on a novel. In an aquarium in a small town, a widow develops strong ties with a smart octopus and an aimless young man. Remarkably Bright Creatures is an emotionally uplifting story about the human connection that has an incredible performance by Sally Field. The drama is going to be on Netflix and impressively is emotionally uplifting with heartwarming moments.
2. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- Release Date: 2025
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Writer: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin
- Production Companies: T-Street, Netflix
- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
- Available On: Netflix
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, returns in the third installment of this new Knives Out franchise. Hired by an earnest new cast, he investigates a very intricate case of murder once again. Considering that the previous Knives Out movies were massive hits is a good reason to believe that this new one will be as well. This franchise is perfect for an audience who enjoys a good whodunit that has outstanding actors. Available on Netflix, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is a movie not to be missed.
3. The Electric State
- Release Date: 2025
- Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo (Directors)
- Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Simon Stalenhag
- Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Woody Harrelson, Woody Norman
- Production Companies: AGBO, Netflix
- IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
- Available on: NETFLIX
The Electric State, a Russo brothers film, is a sci-fi action-adventure film that caters to diehard fans of the genre. The film’s crisp visuals, cast of Pratt & Brown, and many thrilling details, will be sure to dominate the box office. This film is perfect for fans of sci-fi and flawless visual effects.
4. Swapped
- Release Date: May 1 2026
- Director: Nathan Greno
- Writer: John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes, Robert Snow
- Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Cedric the Entertainer, Tracy Morgan
- Production Companies: Netflix Animation
- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
- Available on: NETFLIX
Swapped is a brilliant, new, animated, buddy comdy, centered around an excellent cast. Jordan & Temple star in the film alongside a cleverly animated bright world and surprisingly dark humor. This great, animated film, targeted at children, will surely keep adults entertained. This is a must for fans of new and good animation.
5. People We Meet on Vacation
- Launch Date: January 9, 2026
- Director: Brett Haley
- Writer: Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo (based on the book by Emily Henry)
- Stars: Tom Blyth, Emily Bader, Sarah Catherine Hook
- Production Companies: Netflix
- IMDB Score: 6.6/10
- Streaming on: Netflix
An adaptation of the book Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation, details Poppy and Alex’s friendship. This film is fast paced and fun, and captures the essence of a summer romance film. It also includes a fantastic performance from both Tom Blyth and Emily Bader. If one were to wish to indulge in a summer romance film, this would one undertake to view.
6. The Crash
- Launch Date: May 15, 2026
- Director Gareth Johnson
- Writer: N/A
- Stars: Mackenzie Shirilla, Dominic Russo, Davion Flanagan
- Production Companies: Rebecca North, Angharad Scott (Producers)
- IMDB Score: 6.7/10
- Streaming on: Netflix
The Crash is a captivating true crime documentary that explores a tragic and sensational legal case. Gareth Johnson directs this film that examines the Mackenzie Shirilla case involving an Ohio car crash. The documentary observes the evidence of the crash and analyzes the aftermath and emotional consequences. This documentary is definitely a must watch for true crime fans as it is very interesting.
7. The Perfect Neighbor
- Release Date: October 17, 2025
- Director: Geeta Gandbhir
- Writer: N/A
- Cast: Susan Lorincz, Ajike Owens, Franklin Baez-Colon
- Production Company: Netflix
- IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
- Available On: Netflix
The Perfect Neighbor’s Rotten Tomatoes critic rating sits at 99%, and its audience score is at 80%. Though specifics about the story are locked down, the high critical scores are a proof of its potential quality. Considering its genius and high scores, if you are into high-quality, drama/thrillers, The Perfect Neighbor is a must-see.
8. Apex
- Release Date: April 24, 2026
- Director: Baltasar Kormakur
- Writer: Jeremy Robbins
- Cast: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana
- Production Company: Netflix
- IMDB Rating: Unrated (Rotten Tomatoes Page: 66% Rotten Tomatoes Critic, 47% Audience)
- Available On: Netflix
If you are into action and suspense, Apex is a good option for mid-week entertainment. Though the audience rating is a bit lower than expected, Apex is still one of the most popular new offerings in 2026. Movie lovers of the genre will appreciate Apex.
9. One Piece Fan Letter
- Release Date: 2024
- Director: Megumi Ishitani
- Writer: Eiichirô Oda, Tomohito Oosaki, Momoka Toyoda
- Cast: Kokoro Kikuchi, Yasuyuki Kase, Hiroki Takahashi, Anime Voice Cast
- Production Company: Toei Animation
- IMDB Rating: Highly Rated
- Available On: Netflix
One Piece Fan Letter is a great option available on Netflix because of its high scores. Highly rated on lists and films that are must-see for fans of Anime, this film captures the broad franchise at the appeals and delivers an emotional and satisfying narrative. If you enjoy Anime Fan Letter is a brilliant movie to watch.
10. The Apothecary Diaries
- Releasing Date: 2024
- Director: Norihiro Naganuma
- Production Company: OLM
- IMDB: 8.6/10
- Streaming on: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Cracking the best 10 movies on Netflix is The Apothecary Diaries. This all-age movie is an animated feature and a detailed masterpiece of mystery, historical fiction, and dystopia combined with drama. The film traces a path of a brilliant, clever girl in the imperial court whose specialization is solving medicinal mysteries. This is a visually brilliant and an extremely intelligent anime film.
Honorable mentions for Netflix original movies
It is difficult to narrow down a top ten list of the most remarkable movies Netflix has to offer. So, here are some of the other must-see films.
Kian’s Bizarre B&B and Grave of the Fireflies are two films that consistently maintain incredibly high ratings on IMDB. As mentioned, they provide very different movie-going experiences. One is a quirky comedy and the other a historical drama.
There are also a number of films that have recently been available for pre-order and are generating interest, such as Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins and Madea’s Destination Wedding. There are many selected opportunities to watch movies that can be explored and become your new fav.
How do you select the right Netflix movie for movie night?
Even getting down to just the best Netflix movie collection can still leave the decision feeling impossible. That is, unless you implement a few strategies.
To screen options from the appropriate mood, the best bet is to use Netflix’s internal category filtering. Hidden film categories can be unearthed with specific search codes and those will expose niche films that would otherwise be missed.
Prior to subscribing to a film for a 2 hour watch, cross-compare some external app ratings. Those will be sufficient to manage expectations of viewing quality with a film’s collected app rating. Release years should divide between modern Netflix originals and classic films from yesteryear.
Start streaming these cinematic masterpieces today
If nothing else, from the emotional depths of Remarkably Bright Creatures to the thrilling mystery of Wake Up Dead Man, Netflix offers unparalleled variety.
Before your next movie night spend time considering the 10 best movies available to rent from Netflix. Popcorn is not provided so your snack is on you. Ticket in and vote with your view. We’d love for you to experience the remarkable storytelling these films provide. Trust us!
If you have best Netflix movie favorites, comment! Don’t forget to forward this article to friends — to help with their movie night.
FAQ
Q1: What is the cost to watch the best movies on Netflix?
You need to have a standard Netflix account to watch the movies. Price varies based on your location. Most of them allow you to watch all the movies without additional rental costs.
Q2: Are all movies in this list available to everyone?
Many of the original Netflix movies like The Electric State and Wake Up Dead Man, are available to everyone at the same time. However, some of the other movies like One Piece Fan Letter may be regionally restricted based on the license of the movie.
Q3: Which genres should I watch if none of those listed above appeal to me?
If you’re not interested in finding the 10 best movies on Netflix, Netflix provides access to movies of every genre; such as stand-up comedy films, interactive features or long television series.
