The 50 Best Netflix Original Movies, Ranked

30. Ravenous (2017, Canada)

Just another zombie tale? Not so fast, bub, as this is instead an engaging take on the familiar subgenre that pairs its flesh-tearing terrors with some truly beautiful cinematography. Writer/director Robin Aubert also adds a dense wonder to the plot — something that’s typically missing from zombie flicks — which adds texture not just to this changing world but to the infected themselves. Strong character work leaves viewers concerned, suspenseful sequences raise the heart rate, and the questions raised compel us forward into the night.

29. Beasts of No Nation (2015, France)

Every war has its victims, and sometimes that includes those forced into the fight. Writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga‘s adaptation of the bestselling novel explores just such a scenario with its tale of an African child soldier conscripted through violence to partake in more violence. Idris Elba commands the screen in terrifying fashion as the man in charge of this ragtag child army, and we’re made witness to endless cruelties designed to shape these children into monsters — and we’re left hoping that young Agu can escape the madness with his soul intact.

28. Lost Bullet (2020, France)

You have to love unassuming little thrillers that just get the job done exceptionally well without an ounce of bloat or fat. This French tale is just that with its story about an ex-con framed by dirty cops — timely! — and forced onto the run to prove his innocence. Terrific character work and performances elevate the genre thrills alongside strong car action and one hell of a fight scene. Seriously, Alban Lenoir’s Lino escapes from an interrogation room and fights his way out in a crazy, ten-minute sequence of brawls, near failure, breaking furniture, and more. It’s great stuff.

27. The Little Prince (2015, France)

The classic tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry gets its first animated feature adaptation, and it is every bit as beautiful as the source material. The filmmakers embed the tale within an original framework, but it works to enhance the story’s themes and ideas about growing up and finding your way. The CG animation for the frame story is solid enough, but it’s the stop-motion used to tell Saint-Exupéry’s direct tale that fills the screen with tangible characters and actions. Paper itself comes alive like pages in an enthralling, captivating book, and you’re carried along for the journey in unexpected ways.

26. Private Life (2018)

Comedy can be mined from just about any topic in the right hands, and that theory is put to the test here with a story about a couple struggling with their inability to have a baby. Happily, the right hands belong to writer/director Tamara Jenkins who brings wit and candid honesty to the tale. Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti play the couple, and both do fantastic work with characters hanging on through the toughest times in their relationship. It’s funny, but it hurts too watching good people suffer, and the result is an intimate story about an aspect of many people’s lives that we typically don’t talk about.

25. The Babysitter (2017)

You’re damn right McG‘s unexpectedly fantastic home invasion movie has made the cut here — it’s legitimately one of Netflix’s best. (But definitely ignore the terrible sequel…) Credit goes mostly to writer Brian Duffield and lead Samara Weaving for delivering a funny, bloody, highly unconventional good time as a boy discovers his babysitter’s friends are planning his demise. McG unleashes some energetic direction complimenting Duffield’s sharp script, and Weaving is just one of the most likable villains in ages. Toss in a great turn by Robbie Amell, fun with Leslie Bibb and Ken Marino, and some terrifically gory demises, and you have a hell of a good time.

24. Sunday’s Illness (2018, Spain)

A wealthy woman is visited by the daughter she gave away years prior, and while she expects a request for money she instead is asked only for her time. Ramón Salazar‘s engaging, slowburn drama teases everything from genre thrills to a touching reunion between a mother and daughter, but he finds something in between that ticks all the right boxes for a new to you film discovery. The performances are spot on, and the growing relationship finds emotional beats both expected and otherwise.

23. Paddleton (2019)

Sometimes you just want to cry, and if you can manage it through sharp writing and stellar performances rather than your own misery all the better. Mark Duplass and Ray Romano headline this story of friendship in the face of illness, and while both are funny guys who manage some laughs here, it’s their dramatic chops that seal the deal for your tear ducts. We don’t get very many movies about adult male friendship, but Duplass, Romano, and director/co-writer Alex Lehmann embrace the opportunity here to deliver something that lifts your heart even as it crushes it.

22. The Decline (2020, Canada)

Genre movies are too often discounted by cinema purists, but crafting one well is every bit as difficult as delivering a compelling drama or character piece. This Canadian effort is as straightforward as they come — a survivalist training camp descends into violence — but even at under ninety minutes the film delivers its fantastic suspense and action alongside a fascinating conversation about militias, the “need” for guns, and an over-stepping government. It’s a timely film that values its entertainment above any self-important messaging.

21. The Two Popes (2019, UK)

The Catholic Church, like every organized religion, is burdened by all manner of sins and causes more harm than good, but there is still room for growth and improvement. This gorgeous two-hander is built around the conversations, debates, and arguments between the pope and a cardinal looking to retire early as he finds himself growing away from the Church. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce are both excellent in those respective roles, and the two banter their way through conversations about the Church’s responsibility in a changing world. It’s an engaging, witty, and interesting watch as different facets of a similar ideology clash.

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