The 52 Best Movies on Netflix to Watch
Netflix is chock full of content, so much so that you'll never reach the end of it. (And it keeps changing on us!) So a little curation is clearly warranted.
So that’s what we've done at TODAY. We're giving you a curated list of 54 of the best movies currently on Netflix in 2022, which include family-friendly movies perfect for kids, romances, comedies, action movies and more.
Settle back, grab some snacks and get ready to create your own home multiplex! (And be sure to come back here regularly for updates and additions!)
'Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness' (2022)
Yes, this is the silliest title for a film you've heard of in a long time, but stick with us, because things get both sillier and more meaningful. When a critter who's half-hare and half-chicken decides to follow his adventuresome spirit (despite incredible clumsiness), he finds not just fellow outcast friends but a sense of being loved because of his differences, not just in spite of them.
'Hustle' (2022)
No, it's not a history of awesome disco moves. Instead, this new film features Adam Sandler (in a giant beard!) as a basketball scout who finds an incredible street ball player while traveling in Spain, and decides this discovery will be his way to get back into the NBA. It's got a great cast including Robert Duvall and Queen Latifah, with LeBron James producing, so we're gonna say this film definitely has it on the ball.
‘A River Runs Through It’ (PG, 1992)
Two brothers (Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt) struggle to live up to their father’s high moral and fly fishing standards in Montana in the early 1900s.
'To All the Boys I Loved Before' (2018)
Based on a YA novel by Jenny Han, the first movie in a trilogy inspired a fanbase. Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) experiences the worst kind of high school humiliation when letters she wrote to all her crushes are sent out to them.
'Ip Man' (2008)
Relish in every fight scene in this legendary martial arts film. Set in the 1930s and '40s, this is the semi-biographical account of Yip Man, a martial arts master.
'Margin Call' (2011)
Fans of "Billions" and "Succession" may enjoy this drama set in the world of finance.
‘Leon: The Professional’ (R, 1994)
Léon (Jean Reno) is a hit man based in New York and becomes an unwilling custodian to Mathilda (Natalie Portman in a very early role), who wants revenge after her family is killed by a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman).
'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1975)
A skewering of the King Arthur legend, courtesy of the anarchic Monty Python comedy troupe.
'The Irishman' (2019)
Hit man Frank Sheeran looks back at the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family in this Martin Scorsese film.
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (1986)
A charismatic teenager (Matthew Broderick) skips school, bringing along his depressed friend and girlfriend for a day of play around Chicago, all while dodging his parents and principal.
'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga' (2019)
Will Ferrell stars in this exuberant and loving satire about the annual song contest, playing one half of an Icelandic duo that's big on enthusiasm and low on know-how.
'Fast Color' (2019)
Pursued by malicious forces, a woman (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) with incredible supernatural powers returns to the one place she fears: home.
'Steel Magnolias' (1989)
A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold. (Starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton and Shirley MacLaine, for starters.)
'Bird Box' (2018)
A sensation when it dropped on Netflix, "Bird Box" is an imaginative rendering of the end of the world and the lengths a person will go to protect people when there are no longer safeguards, only flying evil creatures.
'I Am Mother' (2019)
A teenager raised by a maternal droid finds her world shaken up when she encounters another human (Hilary Swank). If you like human-robot movies like "Blade Runner" and "Ex Machina," this is a good choice.
'The Lost Daughter' (2021)
A seaside vacation turns unsettling when a woman's fixation on a young mother in a nearby villa awakens memories from her past. With Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Ed Harris.
'The Power of the Dog' (2021)
A domineering rancher (Benedict Cumberbatch) wages a war of intimidation on his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) until some secrets of his own surface. From director Jane Campion ("The Piano").
'Passing' (2021)
In New York City in the 1920s, a Black woman's (Tessa Thompson) life is intertwined with a former childhood pal (Ruth Negga) who's now passing as white.
'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' (2016)
Oscar-winning writer/director Taika Waititi helms this charming, eccentric story of an orphan teenage boy and a grumpy foster father (Sam Neill) in the New Zealand bush.
'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' (2020)
A woman (Jessie Buckley) with misgivings about her new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) nonetheless comes with him on a road trip to meet his parents (David Thewlis, Toni Collette) on their remote farm. Directed/written by Charlie Kaufman, so you've been warned.
'Rambo' (2008)
In Thailand, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn Burma, and rescue a group of Christian aid workers who were kidnapped by the ruthless local infantry unit.
'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' (2009)
A local scientist is often regarded as a failure until he invents a machine that can make food fall from the sky. But this strangely does not make life more delicious.
'The Mitchells vs. the Machines' (2021)
Robots take over the world, which interferes with a family's road trip, which means the Mitchells are the only ones who can save the human race.
‘Philomena’ (PG-13, 2013)
An Irishwoman (Judi Dench) collaborates with a journalist (Steve Coogan) to find the son she was forced to give up for adoption five decades earlier.
'Dick Johnson Is Dead' (2020)
In this documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stages her father's imminent death in inventive and comical ways to help them both face the inevitable.
'Sorry to Bother You' (2018)
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green (LaKeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.
'Always Be My Maybe' (2019)
After 15 years apart, chef Sasha (Ali Wong) and hometown musician Marcus (Randall Park) are attracted all over again, but find their worlds clashing.
'tick, tick ... BOOM' (2021)
On the cusp of his 30th birthday, a promising young theater composer (Andrew Garfield) navigates love, friendship and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)
Over the course of 12 years, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) go from mutual dislike to unexpected friendship as they slowly realize they might be made for each other.
'The Gift' (2015)
A chance encounter with a former classmate (Joel Edgerton) means an up-and-coming executive (Jason Bateman) has to contend with dark secrets in his past.
'The Adam Project' (2022)
After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future.
'The Shack' (2017)
Following a tragedy, Mack (Sam Worthington) looks for answers after a mysterious letter sends him to a deserted shack in Oregon.
'She's Gotta Have It' (1986)
Artist Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) has relationships with very different men, including director Spike Lee. If you like this, Netflix also has the show as a TV series here.
'The Trial of the Chicago 7' (2020)
A peaceful protest turns into a violent clash with police and leads to a trial of several dissidents (played by Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II among others).
'The Two Popes' (2019)
Controversial Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) forges a surprising friendship with future Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), in a film inspired by true events.
'The Dirty Dozen' (1967)
During World War II, the U.S. government signs up 12 convicts to go behind German lines and kill their high-ranking military officers. Cast includes Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson and Ernest Borgnine.
'Don't Look Up' (2021)
After two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence) try to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet heading to Earth, they learn not everybody in the distracted world seems to care.
'Darkest Hour' (2017)
As Nazi invasion looms in Britain, new Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) must rally the nation to fight for its survival.
'Casino Royale' (2006)
James Bond (Daniel Craig) lands his license to kill and quickly must take down an infamous financier of global terrorism (Mads Mikkelsen) at the poker table, if he can survive long enough to win.
'Da 5 Bloods' (2020)
Four Black veterans return to Vietnam decades after the war to find their squad leader’s remains — and a stash of buried gold. From Spike Lee.
'Donnie Brasco' (1997)
Johnny Depp plays a cop who infiltrates the mafia under the name Donnie Brasco and cozies up to a hit man (Al Pacino).
'Hell or High Water' (2016)
While trying to save their farm, two brothers (Chris Pine, Ben Foster) commit bank robberies, but a lawman (Jeff Bridges) has them in his sights.
'Paddington' (2014)
The little bear from Darkest Peru who loves marmalade has arrived in London, specifically at the station he's named for. Now all he needs to do is find his forever family.
‘Moneyball’ (PG-13, 2011)
When the Oakland A’s seem unable to win a game or afford big-money players, manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) links up with a numbers guy (Jonah Hill) to bring algorithms into the game.
'All Quiet on the Western Front' (2022)
A young German soldier faces terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I. Based on the classic novel.
'Labyrinth' (1986)
Sixteen-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is given thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother Toby when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie).
'Men in Black' (1987)
'Clueless' (1995)
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other.
'The Good Nurse' (2022)
An infamous caregiver (Eddie Redmayne) is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients. Also starring Jessica Chastain.
'Ocean's Eleven' (2001)
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' (1997)
A world-class playboy and part-time secret agent (Mike Myers) from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.
'Call Me By Your Name' (2017)
In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student (Timothée Chalamet) and the older man hired as his father’s research assistant (Armie Hammer).
Need more suggestions? Come back next month for updates!
This article was originally published on TODAY.com