The last time I posted this guide was several months ago and while a number of the movies in this list remain the same, some have shifted in rankings, some have dropped off the list (or off Netflix altogether) and new arrivals have added some flavor.
It’s remarkable how many kids and family films are in the Top 20, including the #1 spot. While we tend to focus on movies for adults, the best kids movies are often great for audiences of all ages. One recent family movie, Kpop Demon Hunters, was on the list last time but dropped to the #21 spot this time around.
The films on this list span decades, with classics from Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg, and modern indie films from overseas and here at home. Some are very much geared toward adult audiences who can stomach tough topics, while others are just top-notch entertainment. Some are glimpses into important moments in history, either in our own inner cities or overseas wars. Others are about adorable bears or chickens.
All share one thing in common: These are beloved films made by talented directors and you could do worse than spend your Netflix-and-chill time watching them. Be sure to also check out my weekend streaming guide below:
20. The Hurt Locker (2008) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie aren’t just MCU actors. First, they starred in the award-winning Iraq War movie The Hurt Locker from acclaimed director, Kathryn Bigelow. The movie follows an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team targeted by insurgents. The film was written by Mark Boal, who was embedded as a journalist during the war.
19. Boyz N The Hood (1991) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Still one of the most important and critically acclaimed films ever made about the black urban experience in America, Boyz N The Hood was written and directed by John Singleton and stars Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr. Laurence Fishburne and Morris Chestnut. It tells the story of Tre Styles as he navigates the tough streets of South Central LA with his friends Doughboy and Ricky and Tre’s father, Furious Styles.
18. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
I haven’t seen this one, but if you’re in the mood for a really well-received teen rom-com, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before follows a teenage girl’s struggles after all her love letters are made public.
17. Paddington (2014) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
The original Paddington movie, about the adorable and oh-so-polite bear with a passionate love for marmalade, is charming and wonderful and a great movie for the entire family. It is still one of those incredible films that, incredibly, is nevertheless overshadowed by its sequel. Paddington 2 is one of the greatest movies ever made. Alas, it is not on Netflix (in the US) but you can’t go wrong with the original, either.
16. Tangerine (2015) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Definitely not a kids movie, this one follows a transgender sex worker out to get payback on a cheating pimp/boyfriend. I haven’t seen this one, but Sean Baker has made some terrific films like The Florida Project and Anora.
15. The Lego Movie (2014) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
I was so pleasantly surprised by The LEGO Movie when this came out over a decade ago. It was surprisingly funny, the music was hilarious, and the story was really well-written, with a heartwarming ending that really tied it all together. Still the best of the LEGO movies.
14. Roma (2018) – 96% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Alfonso Cuarón is one of the best directors in the movie business. He directed one of my favorite movies of all time, the powerful and gripping Children of Men, and basically anything he does is worth watching. Roma takes place in homeland, Mexico, following an upper middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s, during a time of change and upheaval. It’s filmed in stunning black and white.
13. I Lost My Body (2019) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
One of a handful of animated films on this list, I Lost My Body is the story of a severed hand that escapes from a dissection lab and goes on a quest to find its body. Certainly a very unique premise, and one that critics and audiences give a high-five.
12. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
One of the greatest action movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road just blasted its way back to Netflix last week. It doesn’t matter if you’re into post-apocalyptic films or if you’ve seen any of the other Mad Max movies. This is one you simply can’t miss. It’s a genuine masterpiece, and it shocks me this isn’t at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
11. Psycho (1960) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
I’ll be honest, as much as I love Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, it’s probably not even in my top five. Don’t get me wrong, it’s terrifying and suspenseful and brilliantly shot, but the ending just drives me crazy. I swear, next time I watch it I’m just going to turn it off before that final god awful scene with the psychologist. Other than that, it’s a masterpiece!
10. Jaws (1975) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
The classic monster movie turns 50 this year. That’s pretty crazy to think about. Jaws pretty much created its own suspense drama, leading to all sorts of great films from Jurassic Park to The Meg. You can’t beat the cast or what Spielberg did with the special effects back in the 70s. This is one of the few movies I have a poster for up on my wall.
9. Chicken Run (2000) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Another great family film, Chicken Run follows Rocky (Mel Gibson) an American rooster who crashlands into a prison-camp-like chicken farm in Yorkshire, run by the cruel Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson). Here, Rocky encounters the rebellious chicken, Ginger (Julia Sawalha) and the chickens begin to hatch their escape plan.
8. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) – 97% Rotten Tomatoes Score
I’ll be honest, I hadn’t even heard of this movie until compiling this list. The logline reads: “Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session.” I do love period pieces and 1920s blues music, though!
7. Under The Shadow (2016) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
A woman’s building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War and one of her neighbors suggests that the missile was cursed, and that it was carrying a malevolent spirit. The woman, Shideh, becomes convinced that the now-haunted building is attempting to possess her daughter, Dorsa. It’s an interesting blend of horror and war story.
6. Rear Window (1954) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
When this first came to Netflix, I called it “one of the best thrillers ever made” and that’s just the cold, hard truth. Not only that, it’s one of the best Jimmy Stewart movies ever made, and I say that as a massive superfan. (My other favorites include It’s A Wonderful Life, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Philadelphia Story and Harvey).
5. The Forty-Year Old Version (2020) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Perhaps the only movie on this list that is also a pun, playing off the wildly different 40-Year Old Virgin, this one is about a down-on-her-luck playwright named Radha trying to catch a break before she turns 40. She turns to hip hop instead, and the worlds of rap and the theater collide.
4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
One of the greatest family movies ever made, and certainly a Top 5 Steven Spielberg film, E.T. holds a special place in my heart. I was only one-year-old when it came out, but I watched it many times as a boy and whenever I come back to it I’m reminded of how special those old Amblin Entertainment pictures were. (My other Spielberg favorites include Saving Private Ryan, Indiana Jones 1 and 3, Schindler’s List, Hook, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, and Jaws. I’ve seen lots of people rank Hook at the bottom of their lists and to those people I say, you didn’t learn anything from Hook).
3. Godzilla Minus One (2023) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
I’ve never really been a huge fan of Godzilla movies outside of the classics. Most American Godzilla films are all about the big special effects and massive destruction and seem to lack the kind of important social commentary that’s always been at the heart of these films. Godzilla Minus One is a modern Japanese take on the monster movie, and it’s brilliant. What they did on a shoestring budget is just remarkable.
2. Parasite (2019) – 99% Rotten Tomatoes Score
The brilliantly unsettling Parasite is a must-watch film for anyone who enjoys dark comedy and suspense, though I have to say this really defies genres in so many ways it’s almost hard to pin down. It’s a story about family and class and the ways disparity can create suffering. The South Korean film really defies all expectations. You just have to watch it, honestly.
1. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) – 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
This lovely, hilarious, charming family movie tops our list today. Wallace & Gromit, our claymation dog and farmer duo, return for yet another wonderfully eccentric romp involving vengeful penguins and a “smart gnome.” The return of Feathers McGraw (after more than three decades) and our two heroes make this one of the more delightful family movies out there.
That’s all folks! Are any of these in your top picks? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
