The best movies on Netflix: Action, comedy, horror, and more

Netflix is still the biggest premium streaming video service worldwide, with over 200 million subscribers. However, its massive content library can sometimes be a little intimidating. It can be hard to find what to watch on Netflix. We’ve rounded up what we think are the 10 best movies on Netflix. Each movie is in a different genre category, like action, comedy, and more. Let’s dive in.

Read more: The best TV shows on Netflix

The very best movies on Netflix, by genre

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best movies on Netflix regularly as new ones make it to the streaming service.

Action

• Extraction – Chris Hemsworth stars in this action-packed Netflix original movie He plays a mercenary hired to rescue a drug lord’s son, who has been kidnapped and held in Bangladesh. A sequel is in the works.
• Red Notice –  Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, and Gal Godot star in this globe-hopping action-comedy about art smuggling.
• 6 Underground – Reynolds is back, in charge of a team of millionaires who fake their deaths so they can go after the bad guys undercover.
• Olympus Has Fallen – North Korean terrorists take over the White House in this action-packed thriller starring Gerald Butler.
• Casino Royale – Daniel Crag’s first movie as superspy James Bond may be his best, and one of the best Netflix movies.

Read more: The best action movies on Netflix

Comedy

• Thunder Force – Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer play former childhood friends who turn into superheroes.
• Don’t Look Up – This satirical movie about how humanity deals with its end via an asteroid impact may be one of the best Netflix movies ever.
• My Best Friend’s Wedding – Julia Roberts plays a woman who tries to stop her best male friend from getting married to someone else in this classic rom-com.
• The Hangover – A group of friends black out while partying in Las Vegas, and then have to retrace their steps when one of them goes missing.
• Stripes – This classic comedy stars Bill Murray who joins the US Army after his real-world prospects come crumbling down.

Read more: The best funny movies on Netflix

Horror

• Gerald’s Game  –  A woman is handcuffed to a bed after her husband dies during a sex game. Based on a Stephen King novel, it’s definitely one of the best movies on Netflix.
• Army of the Dead – In a zombie-filled Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries is on a mission to take the remaining money from a casino’s vault.
• The Exorcist – The classic horror movie about a girl possessed by a demon is a must-watch on Netflix.
• Christine – A car with an evil spirit has found a new owner in yet another great Stephen King-based movie.
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula – The classic vampire talk gets adapted by Francis Ford Coppola.

Read more: The best scary movies on Netflix

Sci-Fi

• Bird Box – Sandra Bullock tries to survive and keep her kids safe while all are blindfolded due to an alien invasion.
• The Midnight Sky – George Clooney has a mission to perform but he has to fight a nearly inhospitable Earth to do it.
• The Adam Project – Ryan Reynolds has to go back in time to meet his younger self in this sci-fi thriller.
• Starship Troopers – Humans in the future fight an alien bug invasion in this satirical sci-fi movie.
• The One – Jet Li battles with his double from a parallel universe in this multiverse action film.

Read more: The best sci-fi movies on Netflix

Kids and Family

• Yes Day – A married couple decides to have a “Yes Day” where they will do whatever their kids want. It’s one of the best movies on Netflix to enjoy with the whole family.
• Enola Holmes – The young sister of the great detective Sherlock Holmes has her own case to solve.
• Annie – Here’s the movie version of the popular musical about an orphaned girl that’s adopted by a millionaire.
• Paddington – An intelligent bear from Peru arrives in London and finds a family to love.
• The Christmas Chronicles  – Santa Claus has lost his sleight and needs the help of some young kids in this holiday family movie.

Read more: The best kids and family movies on Netflix

Classic

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail –  This film, a warped retelling of the King Arthur legend, isn’t just one of the best movies on Netflix; it’s also one of the best comedies of all time.
• My Fair Lady – This classic musical still is entertaining, as a London street girl gets educated to become a high society lady.
• White Christmas  – Here’s another classic musical, and a holiday tradition for many people.
• Stand By Me – Here’s another movie based on a Stephen King story, as four teens go in search of a dead body.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street – This classic horror movie about a man who kills inside people’s dreams started a massive franchise.

Read more: The best classic Movies on Netflix

Animated

• Canvas – This short animated film (it’s just nine minutes long) focuses on a painter who spends time with his granddaughter.
• The Mitchells vs The Machines – This Oscar-nominated Netflix exclusive film tells the story of a family dealing with an AI takeover of Earth.
• Shrek – An ogre who just wants to be left alone is asked to rescue a princess in this classic animated tale.
• Happy Feet – A penguin who is expected to sing instead become a dancer in this family movie.
• Wish Dragon – A young boy comes upon a wish dragon and uses him to get close to his former female friend.

Read more: The best animated Netflix movies

Teen

• To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – A young teen girl discovers that her secret letters to secret admirers are no longer a secret.
• The Kissing Booth – A girl who has been best friends with a boy all her life suddenly finds herself falling in love with his brother.
• Tall Girl – A teenage girl who happens to be over 6 feet tall tries to adjust to her life at home and school.
• Moxie – A young girl emulates the rebellious teenage life of her mother by becoming rebellious herself.
• A Week Away – A troubled boy is sent to a summer camp in this teenage musical movie.

Read more: The best teen films on Netflix

War

• Outlaw King – Chris Pine plays Robert the Bruce, the leader of Scotland in the 14th century that engineered an uprising against England.
• Dunkirk – The true World War II story of how hundreds of thousands of British forces escaped from the Nazis from the occupied beaches of Dunkirk, France.
• The Guns of Navarone – A British commando unit has to destroy a massive Nazi artillery gun emplacement in World War II.
• The Outpost – US soldiers in Afghanistan fight off a huge force of Taliban fighters in this true story.
• Apocalypse Now Redux – An extended version of the classic Vietnam War drama from director Francis Ford Coppola.

Read more: The best war movies on Netflix

International

• The Bar – In Madrid, Spain, customers who witnessed a murder are holed up in a bar, and then paranoia sets in as they turn on each other.
• The Wandering Earth – A Chinese movie set in a future where the Earth has been turned into a powered spaceship to avoid the death of the sun.
• Leon The Professional – A French assassin befriends a young girl in this action film.
• How I Became a Superhero – The title says it all of this movie set in France.
• Space Sweepers – A group of space-based trash collectors discovers an android in this sci-fi tale.

Read more: The best gangster movies on Netflix

That’s a look at just some of the excellent films on Netflix. Here are a few more movie categories on Netflix you can also check out:

• Anime on Netflix
• Sexy movies on Netflix
• LBTG movies on Netflix
• Spanish language movies on Netflix
• Christian movies on Netflix
• Hindi movies on Netflix