As far as streaming subscriptions go, Netflix has earnt its place at the top of the leaderboard, however the movies they now offer are not the range and quality that they used to be. They are now trying to focus their attention towards more original content as opposed to offering subscribers higher quality movie options. Undoubtedly the quality of the movies they produce is still very good but it doesn’t do much for those wanting to take in a movie that wasn’t produced by Netflix itself.
Apart from the reduced selection of movies available, Netflix does still provide subscribers with a wide range of fantastic films, from recently released superhero adventures to worldwide award winning classics. Below is a selection of 25 of the top rated best movies available on Netflix now.
The following selection of films is regularly updated to ensure the movies listed are available. Also, the selection below is not rated from most to least popular, therefore a smaller number does not mean it is a higher quality film. It is simply a selection of 25 excellent movies.
Just to make you aware, Netflix provides a varied range of films/movies in all countries which use its services, and the list below focuses its attention purely on what is available to subscribers in the United States. With that in mind, those who reside outside of the U.S. are advised to still keep their eyes peeled on their country’s movie list, as some of the selection below may also be available to them. Finally, the movies listed below are all ready to stream/download as of this text being published. When a movie title has been removed from Netflix listings, the list below will provide you with new movies that are available in its place.
25.Kill Bill:
Director Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 and Vol. 2 were practically released as individual movies, it’s difficult to comprehend the idea of seeing one Kill Bill without the other. Uma Thurman plays The Bride, who is on a mission of revenge after she was betrayed by the other members of her assassination crew and their leader, Bill (David Carradine). Michael Madsen, Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, and Daryl Hannah also star.
24.Black Panther:
After creating his significant debut in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) got a film to name his own with the monumental 2018 hit Black Panther. To call the director Ryan Coogler’s film a huge success would do it a disservice compared to how well it performed, bringing in over $1 billion at the box office, and receiving critical raves (97% on RT).
23.Scarface:
While some parts of Scarface are now extremely outdated, director Brian De Palma’s story of the rise and fall of a big time Cuban drug runner Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is still rated as one of the best films of the 1980s. Scarface has proceeded have an influence in music culture in many different ways, especially when it comes to hip hop music. With an awesome 82% score on RT, Scarface is one of those films that should be seen by all at least once by any dedicated movie fan.
22.The Godfather:
What is there really to say that hasn’t been said about The Godfather (98% on RT), director Francis Ford Coppola’s creation about the demise of mafia don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and the ascent to power of his son Michael (Al Pacino) to the blood-stained chair of power. Worldwide this film is thought of as one of the best films of all time. The Godfather is an amazing film and one that it is nion impossible to name yourself as a film buff without having watched it. Diane Keaton, John Cazale, James Caan, and Robert Duvall also star.
21.Star Wars: The last Jedi:
This is most probably the most debated and conflict-ridden entries in the whole of the Star Wars canon amongst its biggest fans, director Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi was none the less a massive success with critics, earning an incredible 91% rating on RT. The sequel also brought in a massive amount at the box office, raking in over $1.3 billion worldwide, and effortlessly topped the list of the biggest-grossing films of 2017. No matter what anyone thinks of The Last Jedi, it is undeniable that the movie is worth watching at least once, in order to be part of the controversy that surrounds it.
20.The Godfather Part 2:
Why not blend this with its predecessor like Kill Bill you ask? well, the answer is that even though this is an extension of The Godfather’s story, it is also in its own right, its own movie. With Brando’s Vito now out the picture, the venture of Michael as Corleone crime family don is interconnecting with the growth of young Vito, brilliantly performed and executed by Robert De Niro. Rated at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is very difficult to pick between Godfather and Godfather II for the award of best mafia film, and not just one of the greatest movies on Netflix, but one of the greatest movies ever produced. Don’t pick one, watch them both for the best experience.
19.Moana:
Moana features the talented voice of Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and is without a doubt Disney’s most celebrated non-Pixar animated films to date . It focuses its attention towards the young teenager’s mission to reinstate the heart of the goddess Te Fiti to the sea. Moana was a huge success, and has a 95% rating on RT. Moana was awarded two Oscar nominations, one for Best Animated Feature, and the other for Best Original Song.
18.No country for old men:
The Directors Joel and Ethan Coen reached their all time peak with 2007’s No Country for Old Men. As well as being an extremely tense thriller and a very gripping drama, the film has an incredible cast which includes the incredible Woody Harrelson, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and a then-rising Javier Bardem as scary and threatening hitman Anton Chigurh. Sporting a 93% RT score, No Country wiped the floor at the Oscars, getting awards for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Bardem.
17.Schindlers list:
This film won seven Oscars which included Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg. Schindler’s List (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) is worldly thought of as one of the best movies ever made. However, it is also one of the most difficult to view, as the subject on whom it is based is so very sad and heartbreaking. Liam Neeson plays the role of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who rescued and saved the lives of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust by giving them employment in his factories. Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes also star.
16.Thor: Ragnarok:
This is one of the latest instalments into Marvel Studios’ MCU canon, director Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok illustrated a massive change in tone and style from the previous Thor films. Luckily this new, not so serious version of Thor went over well with the majority of viewers. Critics also enjoyed it, with the sequel getting a 92% rating on RT. Ragnarok sees Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian champion set out to rescue his land from Hela (Cate Blanchett), also known as the Goddess of Death. Helping Thor in his mission is Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
15.The conjuring:
One of the spookiest movies created in recent memory, director James Wan’s The Conjuring was set to impress both critics and fans, earning an 86% RT score and earning plenty of money at the box office. The Conjuring has since created its own mini-cinematic world of sequels and spinoffs, about Annabelle who is a possessed doll. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren who are ‘demonologists’ in real life, while Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston star as the heads of the family who are tortured by supernatural horrors.
14.The sixth sense:
The director M. Night Shyamalan’s profession has not quite lived up to what many had expected, but his 1999 breakout hit (85% score on RT) The Sixth Sense was such a huge success that he’s arguably been riding on its waves to date. Bruce Willis plays the character Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a psychiatrist who tries to help a confused young boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who is struggling with the power to be able see and speak to ghosts. For those of you who are wondering, we aren’t going to spoil this for you by revealing the big twist to the small amount of people who don’t already know what it is.
13.Clerks:
The director Kevin Smith’s road to his existing elevated status among geek-dom began with 1994 indie Clerks, his film debut. Filmed in dark black and white and made with a very small budget, the movie introduced Smith’s quick fire, bad-mouthed, funny style of writing to the world, whilst staying focused on a day in the life of best friends and work colleagues Dante (Brian O’Halloran), and Randal (Jeff Anderson). This was also the debut of Smith’s well known characters Jay and Silent Bob, which were played by Jason Mewes and Smith himself.
12.Blazing saddles:
This is undoubtedly the best film to be made by the legend and comedy director Mel Brooks (although there are many others worthy of that title), 1974’s Blazing Saddles to this day still remains a laugh a minute, despite having some jokes that would prove a problem in today’s society and political standards. Still, those who are able to watch the movie through the lens of when it was produced and directed are likely to end up having a good time especially beings the mass of Brooks’ material is extremely silly and clearly not meant to be hurtful or malicious in any way. Little, Cleavon and frequent Brooks muse Gene Wilder star.
11.Blade:
Black Panther was the initial superhero movie to star an African-American lead which then went on to become a huge blockbuster, but nobody should discredit the impact that was created by Wesley Snipes’ in Blade in 1998, which helped to make way for black cinematic superhero’s like T’Challa. The movie by Director Stephen Norrington was not really a massive box office hit (even though it did perform above an average rating), but Wesley Snipes adapted to the Blade role so well that a majority of fans still wanted him to play it in the MCU. Blade II – a sequel which only some think is better than the original – this can also be found on Netflix.
10.Seven:
As the most highly rated crime thriller of the 90s, Seven has plenty of class to go round, and subsequently was the main film to establish David Fincher as a director not to be messed with. Seven has an amazing cast with Brad Pitt starring as bulshy young detective, who teams up with an almost retired detective William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) with a mission to try and catch a serial killer who commits his murders based on the seven deadly sins. Seven was a box office sensation.
9.The shining:
As everyone knows, Jack Nicholson has starred in numerous roles and played many a different character in his career, but none have come close to his role as The Shining’s Jack Torrance, an amazing writer who happens to be a recovering long term alcoholic. Jack finds himself on the brink of lunacy by the abundance of spirits living inside the secluded Overlook Hotel. The story is based on the book written by Stephen King, but the author never found himself very keen on the movie even though viewers didn’t come to the same conclusion. There are not many horror movies that even come close to The Shining, and it usually rates close to the top in any horror movie listing.
8.Rogue one: A star wars story
Your cinema experience wouldn’t be the same without the existence of the Star Wars movies, and one of the only movies in the Star Wars Saga that Netflix has available is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Having had an extremely difficult process with the production, many were very impressed by this prequel which rated 85% higher than Felicity Jones’ Rotten tomatoes which proved that this star wars movie is most definitely worth a watch.
7.The Truman show:
Jim Carrey is extremely well known for his comedy acting but he can also play a serious role when the need arises. The very first film that really showed viewers his capabilities were 1998’s The Truman Show. This was Directed by Peter Weir and came in at 94% when rated on RT, The Truman Show in every avenue showed the increase in what was becoming a reality TV culture. It had a lead role of a man whose life had been broadcasting across the world for everyone to see as a new form of amusement and entertainment.
6.Groundhog Day
Bill Murray is still thought of as one of the most popular actors tv/film has to offer, and holds a resume that makes most performers turn green with envy. One of his best roles came in 1993’s Groundhog Day, where he played weatherman Phil Connors. To brand Phil a massive idiot would be an understatement, but fate thought it would be a nice idea to make him endure the same mundane day over and over, until he decides to make himself a better person. The film was produced by Bills old Ghostbusters friend Harold Ramis.
5.The breakfast club:
When there is a film that is based on teenagers – or films set in high schools – there isn’t many film titles with more stature than writer/director John Hughes. It is without dispute that his most popular creation is 1985’s The Breakfast Club, which sparked the famous “brat pack” era. The concept is simple to say the least, five academics all from dissimilar backgrounds are made to spend time together whilst enduring school detention on a Saturday, which turns into them discovering a lot of things about each other themselves at the same time. Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, and Ally Sheedy, also star.
4.Hellraiser:
Any massive fan of horror movies has most definitely had their soul ripped to pieces many times by Hellraiser’s Pinhead (which was played spectacularly by Doug Bradley). Clive Barker who was the director, created one of the best horror tales in the 1980s, which in the end became one of the best and longest running franchisesl. Hellraiser might only have a low 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is most definitely one of the all time classics of the genre, and needs to be seen by anyone and everyone who likes a good fright film. The direct sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II are also part of Netflix’s line up.
3.V for Vendetta:
A lot of parts of dystopian fiction have had a peek at what the residents of a so-called democracy will put up with to keep things secure, and V for Vendetta walks that fine line to a great extent. Based on the very graphic novel which was written by the comic’s legend Alan Moore, the Wachowskis’ movie manages to project new life into the thought and prospect of a dystopian future. Based in a differently run UK which is ruled by a neo-fascist regime, V for Vendetta stars Natalie Portman as Evie, and Hugo Weaving as the purported mysterious revolutionary.
2.Jurassic park
The sequel to Jurassic Park- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has been a huge blockbuster in 2018 however Netflix subscribers can travel back in time and enjoy again the Steven Spielberg classic that was first to launch in the franchise. Everybody knows the Jurassic Park story: a successful businessman John Hammond has the idea of opening up his very own theme park that is home to living, breathing dinosaurs and other attractions. Sadly though, as Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) later said, it all started well with oohs and ahhs and finished with some serious running and screams. This is still as brilliant as it was in 1993, Jurassic Park remains a truly fantastic film.
1.IT follows:
This very classy visit back to the terrifying movies of the 80s stars Maika Monroe as Jay, a young lady who makes a bad decision by getting it together with the wrong man and contracting an infection of supernatural origin. Jay then finds herself being followed and stalked by a demonic creature that can appear and disappear whenever it wants, and appear to even those that she is closest to. Directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows has a rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
