There’s never been a better time to chill out on the couch and put on a great movie. People are ditching traditional free-to-air TV and cinema, instead staying at home both to save a buck and avoid the hassle of having to go out. This has given rise to subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix. But we all have horrific stories about searching for hours for something to watch on Netflix, and just because you’re strapped for time doesn’t mean you should be stuck watching something you hate. So where should you begin? Check out the top 20 movies on Netflix with this Canstar Blue article. Prefer to start a new series instead? See our list of the best Netflix shows.
Top 20 Movies on Netflix
In no particular order, here are some of the best movies currently streaming on Netflix:
- The Invisible Thread
- The Tinder Swindler
- My Best Friend Anne Frank
- Red Notice
- The Guilty
- The Lighthouse
- Beckett
- Vivo
- Fear Street
- Inside Man
- Army of the Dead
- The Woman in the Window
- Super Me
- And Tomorrow the Entire World
- Coven of Sisters
- Pieces of a Woman
- Death to 2020
- Rebecca
- The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Top End Wedding
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The Invisible Thread
The Invisible Thread is an Italian film that follows Leone as he creates a school project about LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, using his own home and upbringing as part of the project. Raised by two fathers, Leone’s home life quickly begins to unravel, with societal views, a cheating scandal and legal proceedings all twisting his views of what being a family means. However, thanks to his new love interest Anna, and his surrogate mother Tilly, Leone manages to keep his head above water to navigate life and the message of his project.
The Tinder Swindler
Finding love can be tough, particularly when you run the threat of catfishes out there. But the Tinder Swindler puts that on a whole new level, with a group of women losing thousands of dollars, all from one simple swipe right. Shimon Hayut – who portrayed himself as the son of a diamond mogul – would seduce and trick women out of their money, before vanishing from their lives. If you were scared of online dating before, you will be now.
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| Brand | Subscription Type | No. of Screens/same time viewing | Advertised Cost^^/month | |
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min. cost $10 over one month |
1 | $10 |
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min. cost $19 over one month |
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My Best Friend Anne Frank
Based on the book Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend, My Best Friend Anne Frank follows the friendship between Anne Frank and Hanneli Goslar, from growing up together, to living in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam through to their sombre reunion in a concentration camp. It might not be the movie for those after some light entertainment, but does give some insight into the world of Anne Frank, as well as the troubles of the time.
Red Notice
They say the Devil works hard, but not as hard as The Rock it seems, with the WWE-turned-actor (and apparently rapper as well?) racking up the acting credits with another movie. This time starring alongside Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson does something a little bit different and plays law enforcement agent (shockingly) John Hartley, who is assigned the case of a missing artifact, and has to team up with art thief Nolan Booth (played by Reynolds) to catch the real criminal mastermind: Sarah Black (played by Gadot). It’s nothing new from each of the cast members, but if you’re looking for a bit of fun, Red Notice may be some good comfort-food for your movie night.
The Guilty
The world of an emergency call centre dispatcher must be a tough one, being on the other end of disastrous, dangerous and heart breaking scenarios, often unable to do anything but talk people through it. But a detective who has been demoted to a dispatcher isn’t going to just sit around as a woman calls emergency services to say that she’s been kidnapped and doesn’t have long to live, instead taking matters into his own hands to save her before it’s too late.
The Lighthouse
If you’re after something that’s a little bit different, The Lighthouse may be the film for you. Starring Willem Dafoe alongside Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse operators in a bleak environment. Pattinson plays newcomer Ephraim who struggles with the increasingly difficult tasks that Thomas (Dafoe) gives him on a daily basis, as well as struggles with the eerie nature of the island where they’re stationed. It’s a bit of a wild ride, with the movie all in black and white, but worth it if you don’t mind having no idea about what’s happening.
Beckett
John David Washington seemingly cannot do any wrong, with another blockbuster movie coming to Netflix. Beckett follows Beckett, an American tourist who is visiting Greece with his girlfriend, before the threat of political unrest cuts short their holiday. However, Beckett ends up in a car accident, which kills his girlfriend (or so he thinks), and when he awakens, he is hunted down by a man and a woman claiming to be police officers. He tries to evade the two killers and make his way to the US Embassy for safety, with his path blocked at every turn.
Vivo
One for the whole family, Vivo is an animated film that follows Andres and his kinkajou Vivo on an adventure from Cuba to Florida. Andres and Vivo are street performers, before Andres receives a letter from an old friend asking him to come to Florida. However, Andres passes away in his sleep before he can leave, with Vivo honouring Andres’ commitment, and travels to Florida with Andres’ daughter and niece. What follows is enough musical numbers to give Disney and Pixar a run for their money, with plenty of good vibes along the way.
Fear Street
Based on another set of books from Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine, Fear Street has been reimagined and split into three movie-sized pieces, each set to give you a few frights. Following strange happenings in the town of Shadyside, the Fear Street trilogy is split into Part One: 1994, Part Two: 1978 and Part Three: 1666, with a new part released weekly on Netflix in the month of July. And Part One is a doozy, featuring the undead, witches and teenage romance – the ultimate combo.
Inside Man
Spike Lee is criminally underappreciated, which is funnily enough, because that’s what his movie Inside Man is all about. Inside Man is a bank heist movie like you’ve never seen before. The plot jumps back and forth in time, leaving you a tad frazzled as the heist master narrates his every move. The result? You have all the clues but no idea how the bank heist happened. Inside Man is a fast moving, exhilarating puzzle with dazzling performances by the giants of early 2000 cinema, Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster and Chiwetel Ejiofor. And just like the plot moving back and forth, Netflix likes to go back and forth with this title appearing and disappearing from its library, so watch it before it disappears again.
Army of the Dead
What makes a heist more high-stakes than zombies? Not much. That’s what director Zack Synder reckons, who is no stranger to zombie films, with his debut the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake. The Army of the Dead sees Las Vegas turned into a zombie-filled wasteland, with a group of mercenaries assigned to retrieve $200 million from a casino vault before the city is destroyed by nuclear warhead, with plenty of backstabbing, zombie-biting action to be had.
The Woman in the Window
Like Amy Adams? Like thrillers? Like Amy Adams looking through windows? Do we have the movie for you! The Woman in the Window follows Dr. Anna Fox (Adams), an agoraphobic psychologist who struggles to leave the safety of her home for fear of the outside world. But when she witnesses a murder from her window, she must make a decision to leave the safety of her home to find the killer.
Super Me
Ever had a really good dream but woke up too soon? Then settle in and let someone else live out your dreams with Super Me. Sang Yu (played by Talu Wang), is a struggling writer who suffers from insomnia, which causes him to have a chance encounter with a demon. But, when he wakes up, Sang realises he now has a superpower – to grab anything he wants from a dream, and bring it back with him to his real life. But as it usually does, the dream starts to wear out, and Sang’s life begins to change, and potentially not for the better.
And Tomorrow the Entire World
Another foreign entrant on the list, And Tomorrow the Entire World follows Luisa, an idealist who wants to change Germany for the better through peaceful protests. But when she meets Alfa, her views start to change, becoming more violent and dangerous, starting her down a dark path. An ode to the current state of the world, the movie begs the question as to whether violence is best met with peace, or with more violence?
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| Brand | Subscription Type | No. of Screens/same time viewing | Advertised Cost^^/month or year | |
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min. cost $13.99 over one month |
4 | $13.99 |
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4 | $139.99 |
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Coven of Sisters
If you’re after a history lesson with a sinister undertone, then Coven of Sisters might be the next flick on your ‘to-watch’ list. Set in the 1600s at a time where witches (or the thought of witches) was beginning to take flight, Coven of Sisters is set in Spain, and follows a judge who travels the countryside to persecute those charged with witchcraft. However, a group of women form a plan to escape burning at the stake, and attempt to lure their inquisitor into the sacred witches’ Sabbath. The film won five Goyas – Spain’s film awards – and has an ending that will leave you spellbound.
Pieces of a Woman
This surprise-hit movie will have you reaching for the tissues within the first three-and-a-half-minutes. Pieces of a Woman tells a true story of filmmakers Kata Wéber and Kornél Mundruczó’s experience of losing a child and the emotional fallout that comes with trauma. Starring Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) and Shia LeBeouf, Pieces of a Woman follows a young couple on the verge of parenthood whose worlds are broken after their baby is pronounced dead during their home birth. The traumatic event results in the downward spiral of Kirby’s character as she grapples with grief, her relationship with her partner, and the role her midwife played.
Death to 2020
If you feel like having a laugh at the year-that-not-be-named, then Death to 2020 is for you. From Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, the British mockumentary unleashes on the year 2020 through a combination of archival real footage from the year and fictitious characters. The cast includes the likes of Samuel L. Jackson as a reporter for the New Yorkerly News, Hugh Grant as a historian, Lisa Kudrow as a “non-official conservative spokesperson” and Kumail Nanjiani as CEO tech billionaire Bark Multiverse. Hey, if you can’t laugh — you’ll cry.
Rebecca
If you loved Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name or Lily James in Mamma Mia! then you’ll be pleased to hear that the two of them have teamed up for the Netflix Original remake of the iconic 1938 gothic novel, Rebecca. James stars as a young, naïve and unnamed woman who, after a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo, agrees to marry wealthy widower Maxim de Winter. She moves into his famous estate in England, where she finds herself trapped in the shadow of the former Mrs de Winter, Rebecca, whose mysterious death haunts the manor. Above all that, she also has to deal with the cruel Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas) who was obsessed with Rebecca and refuses to accept that there is a new lady of the house.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin’s new Netflix production is one of his best — and he’s done a lot (The Social Network, The West Wing, just to name a few). The fourth film adaptation of one of the most publicised and well-known court trials, Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is based on the true story of, yep, you guessed it, the trial of the Chicago 7. The 2020 American legal drama follows a group of activists on trial in 1969 for various charges relating to the riots that followed demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The film also boasts an impressive ensemble, including Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-levitt, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and best of all, Sacha Baron Cohen. With whispers of Oscar nods already circulating, this is one not to miss.
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| Brand | Subscription Type | No. of Screens/same time viewing | Advertised Cost^^/month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Kayo One Subscription
min. cost $25 over 1 month |
1 | $25 | Go To Site |
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min. cost $30 over 1 month |
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Top End Wedding
There’s nothing better than a movie celebrating the beautiful country of Australia, and there’s not many movies that do it better than Top End Wedding, the rom-com from director Wayne Blair (The Sapphires). Set in the Northern Territory, the story follows Adelaide couple Lauren (Miranda Tapsell, The Sapphires, Love Child) and Ned (Gwilym Lee, Bohemian Rhapsody) as they plan to wed in Lauren’s hometown in the Territory. When the couple return home however, they discover that Lauren’s mother has pulled a runner, sparking a search hunt to bring her home before the wedding.
What movie should I watch on Netflix?
While this list is incredibly subjective, we hope it gives you some idea as to what to watch next time you fire up Netflix. If you’ve got a spare weekend or three, these movies are well worth a look into. And if you’re really strapped for ideas, check out our guides below for some genre-specific options:
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