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Netflix movies have emerged as a distinct subgenre, garnering critical acclaim and financial success on a scale that would put Hollywood studios on edge. It might feel like new Netflix Original movies are released every week, and sometimes more frequently than that.
Any changes to this list of the top films to bear the Netflix Original logo will be reflected in subsequent iterations.
Best Netflix Original Movies
We’ve compiled a list of Netflix movies, including horror, comedy, family, and overall films. These are all original movies of all time.
13th
The man behind Selma directed this blistering look at the U.S. jail business, and it’s the first excellent Netflix documentary. It takes its title from the constitutional amendment that outwardly stopped slavery. Instead, the film looks at how some of the worst aspects of slavery survived through the criminal justice and policing systems.
There was a Best Documentary Oscar nomination for it. It was a sure-fire victory. This can be considered one of the best Netflix movies.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
This Western-themed anthology film by the Coen brothers is one of their most creative and entertaining works. Tim Blake Nelson’s opening line about a singing cowboy sets the tone perfectly. Several other actors steal the show, including Harry Melling, Tom Waits, and Bill Heck.
It’s a great Western that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. This is indeed one of the best Netflix movies.
Beasts of No Nation
The original critical favorite on Netflix is still one of the best movies you can watch. The story of a young boy who volunteers to fight for his nation during a bloody civil war is adapted from Uzodinma Iweala’s novel. Idris Elba’s finest performance is in this film, which is emotionally resonant and harsh. This is one of the best Netflix original movies.
Gerald’s Game
One of the best Netflix Original horror films was adapted from a novel by Stephen King in 1992. Mike Flanagan directed it before he took the helm on The Haunting of Hill House.
Carla Gugino performs superbly as a lady whose husband poisons her and then dies of a heart attack while she is shackled to her bed. She recalls her prior tragedy as she tries to devise a plan for her survival. This one from the best Netflix original movies list is unique.
Glass Onion
In late 2022, the writer/director of the Netflix original hit Knives Out returned with a sequel. In this comedy/mystery, Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, a haphazard detective who finds himself up on a billionaire’s private island. However, this one from the best Netflix original movies list differs significantly.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
It is the cinematic adaptation of Iain Reid’s novel of the same name. It is one of the most imaginative works by the Oscar-winning writer of Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Stunning as the young woman who accompanies her merely adequate lover (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents, Jessie Buckley is a revelation. Maybe she doesn’t, though. When a film’s plot starts to fall apart, it becomes less of a story and more of a commentary about stereotypes in filmmaking.
The Irishman
This epic drama, also titled I Heard You Paint Houses, is one of the most daring and magnificent works by possibly the best American filmmaker ever. Frank (Robert De Niro, in his best late-career performance) is a humble truck driver who becomes entangled in the mob during the Jimmy Hoffa era.
Scorsese and Steven Zaillian adapted the nonfiction book by Charles Brandt (Al Pacino). It’s a stunning piece of work that weaves together the criminal underworld of the twentieth century in a compelling tapestry.
Klaus
This animated holiday tale was so well received that it went against industry heavyweights like Pixar and DreamWorks for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s a sweet little tale about a mail carrier named Jack who happens to cross paths with Klaus, a recluse toymaker living in the far north.
An account of how Santa Claus came to be, yes. Beautifully shot in a classic style, this is the kind of upbeat movie that the whole family will enjoy no matter the season.
The Lost Daughter
This adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name received two Oscar nods for its actors, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley. In addition, it marked the directing debut of the talented actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. Colman gives one of the best performances of her career as a woman on holiday in Greece who unexpectedly becomes part of a large family.
The young mother (a fantastic Dakota Johnson) recalls her insecure feelings about becoming a parent. This is the kind of adult drama that audiences have been clamoring for years, and it finally arrived.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Sony had planned a theatrical release (with the much worse title Connected), but the studio sold the rights to Netflix during the flu epidemic. This is a comedy about a father and daughter’s intimate relationship that is as much about them having to save the world together.
It is about their wonderful family vacation together, and it’s one of the most critically and commercially acclaimed animated films of 2021. This can be considered the most awesome and one of the best Netflix original movies.
Mudbound
Netflix shelled out big money to acquire “Mudbound,” a historical drama directed by Dee Rees (Pariah) and starring Mary J. Blige. It went on to receive four Oscar nominations and two wins.
This group effort revolves around two World War II veterans (Garrett Hedlund and Jason Mitchell) who return to the America South. They experience contrasting receptions upon their arrival. However, the ensemble has no weak link, making this a stunning and vivid look at racial violence in America.
Okja
Before winning all those prizes for Parasite, the renowned Korean director Bong Joon-ho supervised the quirkiest picture of his career, Okja. The creature’s best buddy embarks on a mission to rescue him when he is taken from his home and forced into the dangerous world of the meat industry.
This is an underestimated comedy with loads of character, largely thanks to the eccentric performances of Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The Power of the Dog
The movie that earned Jane Campion an Oscar for best director is widely considered to be among the service’s finest moments. The director Campion adapted Thomas Savage’s novel about a cruel landowner (Benedict Cumberbatch). Who terrorizes his brother’s new bride (Kirsten Dunst) (Jesse Plemons).
Stunningly shot and edited, this period drama unfolds themes of toxic masculinity. And manipulation in a way that makes it impossible to look away. As a result, it’s among the best movies of the 2020s and the best Netflix Originals.
Private Life
Starring Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti, this intimate and emotionally resonant narrative. It follows a middle-aged New York couple as they decide to start a family. Never before has a dramatic feature film so accurately depicted the truth about fertility treatments. And the anguish surrounding what it takes to have a baby late in life.
Suppose you fell in love with Hahn because of her Emmy-nominated performance in WandaVision. In that case, you owe it to yourself to see the tremendous variety she displays in her career-best performance here.
Procession
This 2021 film is about abuse survivors who stage theatrical acts. About their pain is by the same brilliant documentarian responsible for Kate Plays Christine.
Although Greene’s portrayal of the men’s eventual bonding and mutual support isn’t a picnic, the film is uplifting. It takes a village to raise a child, and Greene demonstrates that sometimes you need someone to lean on to get back on your feet.
Roma
This intimate drama took home several awards at the Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Director. It may be the most laud movie ever on a Netflix Original. It’s the narrative of a Mexican family in the Colonia Roma district of Mexico City in the early 1970s.
It is told from the housekeeper’s perspective. (and has been nominated for Best Film, Actress, and Supporting Actress, among other awards) (Yalitza Aparicio). It’s a short film, but it’s stunningly shot in black and white, and it will leave you feeling profoundly moving.
The Swimmers
This Netflix original depicts the narrative of Syrian refugees Yusra and Sarah Mardini’s journey from their homeland to Germany. In the first half, Yusra and her fellow members of the Refugee Olympic Team are thrust into a scary, dramatic thriller about survival in harsh conditions. Unfortunately, it drags on for too long, but the emotional impact is undeniable.
Wrap Up
The above are the best Netflix original movies of all time. You can also check fantasy shows on Netflix. Of course, you can also take time and watch these Netflix movies.
