Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now (April 2025)

Critics Consensus: Comforting as cheese and crackers, with some gentle ribbing of modern technology sprinkled on top, Vengeance Most Fowl revives this lovable pair with all their charm intact.

Critics Consensus: Featuring genuine scares through every corridor, His House is a terrifying look at the specters of the refugee experience and a stunning feature debut for Remi Weekes.

Critics Consensus: With engaging human stories anchoring the action, Godzilla Minus One is one kaiju movie that remains truly compelling between the scenes of mass destruction.

Critics Consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.

Critics Consensus: The Forty-Year-Old Version opens a compelling window into the ebbs and flows of the artist’s life — and announces writer-director-star Radha Blank as a major filmmaking talent with her feature debut.

Critics Consensus: Under the Shadow deftly blends seemingly disparate genres to deliver an effective chiller with timely themes and thought-provoking social subtext.

Critics Consensus: Like a pageant winner walking across the stage, Miss Juneteenth follows a familiar path — but does so with charm and grace.

Critics Consensus: Schindler’s List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg’s signature tender humanism to create the director’s dramatic masterpiece.

Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn’t just create modern horror, he validated it.

Critics Consensus: In dramatizing Rudy Ray Moore’s stranger-than-fiction story, Eddie Murphy makes Dolemite Is My Name just as bold, brash, and ultimately hard to resist as its subject.

Critics Consensus: Mudbound offers a well-acted, finely detailed snapshot of American history whose scenes of rural class struggle resonate far beyond their period setting.

Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated and utterly unique, I Lost My Body takes audiences on a singularly strange journey whose unexpected contours lead to a wholly satisfying destination.

Critics Consensus: Framed by a pair of powerhouse performances, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom pays affectionate tribute to a blues legend — and Black culture at large.

Critics Consensus: In recreating the troubled space mission, Apollo 13 pulls no punches: it’s a masterfully told drama from director Ron Howard, bolstered by an ensemble of solid performances.

Critics Consensus: Roma finds writer-director Alfonso Cuarón in complete, enthralling command of his visual craft – and telling the most powerfully personal story of his career.

Critics Consensus: An intelligent and gripping vehicle for Aaron Pierre’s star-making performance, Rebel Ridge lays down the law on its action-thriller contemporaries.

Critics Consensus: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before plays by the teen rom-com rules, but relatable characters and a thoroughly charming cast more than make up for a lack of surprises.

Critics Consensus: Brilliantly brought to life by tenderly empathetic performances from Jay Duplass and Edie Falco, Outside In tells a sobering — yet thoroughly absorbing — story.

Critics Consensus: An unpredictable supernatural drama rooted in real-world social commentary, Atlantique suggests a thrillingly bright future for debuting filmmaker Mati Diop.

Critics Consensus: Beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative make Klaus an instant candidate for holiday classic status.

Critics Consensus: Just as visually dazzling and action-packed as its predecessor, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse thrills from start to cliffhanger conclusion.

Critics Consensus: A deceptively dark thriller that’s also loaded with laughs, Hit Man is an outstanding showcase for leading man Glen Powell — and one of the most purely entertaining films of Richard Linklater’s career.

Critics Consensus: An epic gangster drama that earns its extended runtime, The Irishman finds Martin Scorsese revisiting familiar themes to poignant, funny, and profound effect.

Critics Consensus: Observing a splintering union with compassion and expansive grace, the powerfully acted Marriage Story ranks among writer-director Noah Baumbach’s best works.

Critics Consensus: They Cloned Tyrone is provocative, clever sci-fi with an exceptional cast.

Critics Consensus: With The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson returns to the world of Roald Dahl — and proves his distinctive style is a comfortable fit for one of the author’s sweetest stories.

Critics Consensus: Hustle doesn’t have any fancy moves, but it doesn’t need them — Adam Sandler’s everyman charm makes this easy layup fun to watch.

Critics Consensus: An original animated tale that’s often as daring as its characters, The Sea Beast sends audiences on a voyage well worth taking.

Critics Consensus: A taut thriller that contains a wealth of social commentary, Emily the Criminal is stolen by Aubrey Plaza’s terrific work in the title role.

Critics Consensus: Private Life uses one couple’s bumpy journey to take an affecting look at an easily identifiable – and too rarely dramatized – rite of adult passage.

Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation’s finest filmmakers.

Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and above all entertaining, You Hurt My Feelings finds writer-director Nicole Holofcener as sharply perceptive as ever.

Critics Consensus: A strikingly assured debut for writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter unites a brilliant cast in service of a daringly ambitious story.

Critics Consensus: Boasting an entertaining villain and deeper emotional focus, this is a nimble sequel that improves upon the original.

Critics Consensus: Building on its predecessor with boisterously entertaining flair, Enola Holmes 2 solves the mystery of how to make a satisfying sequel — and makes it look positively elementary.

Critics Consensus: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical brings the classic story back to the screen with a delightful Emma Thompson, dazzling dancing, and a suitably irascible take on the source material.

Critics Consensus: Smart and suspenseful, CAM is a techno-thriller that’s far more than the sum of its salacious parts — and an outstanding showcase for Madeline Brewer in the leading role.

Critics Consensus: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery brings back Benoit Blanc for another wildly entertaining mystery rounded out by an outstanding ensemble cast.

Critics Consensus: Dallas Buyers Club rests squarely on Matthew McConaughey’s scrawny shoulders, and he carries the burden gracefully with what might be a career-best performance.

Critics Consensus: Tapping a rich emotional vein with its splendid animation and thoughtful allegory, Nimona is a deeply lovable animated adventure.

Critics Consensus: Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee’s most fully realized efforts — and one of the most important films of the 1980s.

Critics Consensus: Led by outstanding work from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, Sicario is a taut, tightly wound thriller with much more on its mind than attention-getting set pieces.

Critics Consensus: Entertaining if not essential, El Camino adds a satisfying belated coda to the Breaking Bad story — led by a career-best performance from Aaron Paul.

Critics Consensus: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) observes the family dynamic through writer-director Noah Baumbach’s bittersweet lens and the impressive efforts of a remarkable cast.

Critics Consensus: Set It Up follows the long-established outlines of the rom-com template — and in the process, proves there’s still substantial pleasure to be wrought from familiar formulas.

Critics Consensus: An appealing animated adventure whose silliness is anchored in genuine emotion, The Willoughbys offers fanciful fun the entire family can enjoy.

Critics Consensus: An uncommonly ambitious animated film, Orion and the Dark benefits from a Charlie Kaufman screenplay that isn’t afraid to tangle with existential ideas.

Critics Consensus: Thanks to director Zak Hilditch’s patient storytelling and strong work from lead Thomas Jane, 1922 ranks among the more satisfying Stephen King adaptations.

Critics Consensus: Fierce energy and ambition course through Da 5 Bloods, coming together to fuel one of Spike Lee’s most urgent and impactful films.

Critics Consensus: A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart.

Critics Consensus: Beasts of No Nation finds writer-director Cary Fukunaga working with a talented cast to offer a sobering, uncompromising, yet still somehow hopeful picture of war’s human cost.

Critics Consensus: This is a piercingly honest, acidly witty look at divorce and its impact on a family.

Critics Consensus: The sweetly nostalgic Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood finds Richard Linklater reusing visual and thematic ingredients in a deeply personal, freshly inspired way.

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and beautifully made, The White Tiger distills the strengths of its source material into a grimly compelling drama.

Critics Consensus: Carla Gugino carries Gerald’s Game‘s small-scale suspense with a career-defining performance.

Critics Consensus: Deftly directed by star Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour uses an incredible true story as the foundation for a powerful examination of the intersection between systemic misogyny and violence.

Critics Consensus: Swaddling its difficult fact-based story in a blanket of campy humor, May December is a seductively discomfiting watch.

Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age comedy that sidesteps simple nostalgia, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah finds fresh humor in adolescent anxiety — and suggests a bright future for star Sunny Sandler.

Critics Consensus: High Flying Bird takes a thoughtful and engrossing look at professional sports that sees Steven Soderbergh continuing to test the limits of new filmmaking technology.

Critics Consensus: Both timely and timeless, All Quiet on the Western Front retains the power of its classic source material by focusing on the futility of war.

Critics Consensus: Society of the Snow brings masterful technical skill to bear on its tale of real-life tragedy, but none of that spectacle comes at the expense of its simple, powerful message.

Critics Consensus: Tender performances and a strong sense of style combine to create an eccentric, dreamy portrait of love and loneliness in On Body and Soul.

Critics Consensus: Hereditary uses its classic setup as the framework for a harrowing, uncommonly unsettling horror film whose cold touch lingers long beyond the closing credits.

Critics Consensus: Not only does Spider-Man provide a good dose of web-swinging fun, it also has a heart, thanks to the combined charms of director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire.

Critics Consensus: Elevated by a bravura performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Kindergarten Teacher is one American remake that retains its impact the second time around.

Critics Consensus: An actors’ showcase enlivened by its topical fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 plays squarely — and compellingly — to Aaron Sorkin’s strengths.

Critics Consensus: It takes its time coming together, but the quietly effective Paddleton pulls off a tricky tonal balancing act, thanks largely to the strengths of its well-chosen leads.

Critics Consensus: Carried by the infectious charms of Ali Wong and Randall Park, Always Be My Maybe takes familiar rom-com beats and cleverly layers in smart social commentary to find its own sweet groove.

Critics Consensus: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs avoids anthology pitfalls with a consistent collection tied together by the Coen brothers’ signature blend of dark drama and black humor.

Critics Consensus: I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. transcends its unwieldy title to offer timely, intoxicatingly dark observations on gender dynamics and social norms in modern America.

Critics Consensus: Mary and the Witch’s Flower honors its creator’s Studio Ghibli roots with a gentle, beautifully animated story whose simplicity is rounded out by its entrancing visuals.

Critics Consensus: Anchored by smart, sensitive direction and strong performances, Complicance is a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that’s equal parts gripping and disturbing.

Critics Consensus: The Breaker Upperers brings the laughs early and often, thanks to the dry wit — and effervescent chemistry — of writer-director-star duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami.

Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.

Critics Consensus: Led by outstanding performances from its well-matched leads, The Two Popes draws absorbing drama from a pivotal moment in modern organized religion.

Critics Consensus: Field of Dreams is sentimental, but in the best way; it’s a mix of fairy tale, baseball, and family togetherness.

Critics Consensus: A smart and subversive twist on slasher horror, Fear Street Part II: 1978 shows that summer camp has never been scarier thanks to stellar performances from Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, and Ryan Simpkins.

Critics Consensus: Equal measures romantic and wistful, Martin Scorsese’s elegant adaptation of The Age of Innocence is a triumphant exercise in both stylistic and thematic restraint.

Critics Consensus: Sure, it’s another adaptation of cinema’s fave Jane Austen novel, but key performances and a modern filmmaking sensibility make this familiar period piece fresh and enjoyable.

Critics Consensus: If The Breakfast Club‘s gestures towards authenticity are occasionally undercut by trendy flourishes, its blistering emotional honesty and talented troupe of young actors catapult it to the top of the teen comedy class.

Critics Consensus: My Father’s Dragon will soar particularly high with very young viewers, but this animated adventure has something to offer audiences of all ages.

Critics Consensus: With a tidy plot, clean animation, and humor that fits its source material snugly, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie is entertainment that won’t drive a wedge between family members.

Critics Consensus: With assured style that’s at times reminiscent of the best ’90s nail-biting thrillers, Fair Play juxtaposes premarital disharmony with greed and gender politics in the cutthroat finance world.

Critics Consensus: A compelling documentary that can feel like a thriller, The Deepest Breath couples real-life tragedy with stunning footage of the ocean’s depths.

Critics Consensus: Randall Park’s directorial debut has humor and heart, giving star Justin H. Min a swoonworthy starring vehicle with few Shortcomings.

Critics Consensus: Taking full advantage of Julia Roberts’s considerable talent and appeal, Erin Brockovich overcomes a few character and plot issues to deliver a smart, thoughtful, and funny legal drama.

Critics Consensus: Despite sometimes sitcom-like execution, Meet the Parents is a hilarious look at familial relationships that works mostly because the chemistry between its two leads is so effective.

Critics Consensus: A rom-com with the right ingredients, Notting Hill proves there’s nothing like a love story well told — especially when Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are your leads.

Critics Consensus: Sharp direction and some outstanding performances make Munich: The Edge of War a gripping historical drama, even though the ending’s no secret.

Critics Consensus: Though Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share but a handful of screen minutes together, Heat is an engrossing crime drama that draws compelling performances from its stars — and confirms Michael Mann’s mastery of the genre.

Critics Consensus: Despite its thin plot, Liar Liar is elevated by Jim Carrey’s exuberant brand of physical humor, and the result is a laugh riot that helped to broaden the comedian’s appeal.

Critics Consensus: Benefiting from Saoirse Ronan’s deeply committed performance in the central role, The Outrun proves a moving portrait of addiction in spite of its somewhat shapeless narrative.

Critics Consensus: Mr. Peabody & Sherman offers a surprisingly entertaining burst of colorful all-ages fun, despite its dated source material and rather convoluted plot.

Critics Consensus: Ambitious to a fault, The Place Beyond the Pines finds writer/director Derek Cianfrance reaching for — and often grasping — thorny themes of family, fatherhood, and fate.

Critics Consensus: Though undeniably sentimental and predictable, Rudy succeeds with an uplifting spirit and determination.

Critics Consensus: Despicable Me 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs.

Critics Consensus: A sort of Avengers for the elementary school set, Rise of the Guardians is wonderfully animated and briskly paced, but it’s only so-so in the storytelling department.

Critics Consensus: Wedding Crashers is both raunchy and sweet, and features top-notch comic performances from Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.

Critics Consensus: The Mauritanian takes a frustratingly generic approach to a real-life story that might have been inspirational in other hands, but Tahar Rahim’s performance elevates the uneven material.

Critics Consensus: Thanks to a suitably raunchy script and a pair of winning performances from Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek is one of the year’s funniest comedies.