50 BEST MOVIES ON NETFLIX, RANKED BY TOMATOMETER &gt;DECEMBER 2021

In our world of massive entertainment options, who’s got time to waste on the below-average? You’ve got a subscription, you’re ready for a marathon, and you want only the best movies no Netflix to watch. With thousands of choices on the platform, both original and acquired, we’ve found the 100 top Netflix movies with the highest Tomatometer scores!

You’ll quickly notice that none of the films featured here fall below 89% on the Tomatometer (with each score tallied from at least 20 reviews), meaning the overwhelming majority of critics who saw these gave them a favorable Fresh review. These movies run the gamut, from widely-seen popular movies (Uncut Gems) to arthouse hits (Snowpiercer, Pan’s Labyrinth).

The movies are by turns funny (Monty Python and the Holy Grail), dramatic (Marriage Story, Spotlight), and romantic (Always Be My Maybe). They’re the scariest horror movies out there (Under the Shadow), and the best documentaries ever made (13th).

And we’ve only just scratched the surface of Netflix’s growing stable of formidable originals, like Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, and Eddie Murphy comeback vehicle Dolemite Is My Name. And to make sure you’re only seeing the cream of the crop, every movie featured here is Certified Fresh, meaning it maintained a high enough Tomatometer score after crossing a minimum critics review threshold.

Time to get comfy on the couch because we’re not just throwing good movies on Netflix at you, not even just great ones, but the 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now, Ranked by Tomatometer!

PHILOMENA (2013

PHILOMENA (2013

Critics Consensus: Based on a powerful true story and led by note-perfect performances from Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, Philomena offers a profoundly affecting drama for adult filmgoers of all ages.

Synopsis: In 1952, Irish teenager Philomena (Judi Dench) became pregnant out of wedlock and was sent to a convent. When her... [More]

Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Michelle Fairley, Barbara Jefford

Directed By: Stephen Frears

2. HIS HOUSE (2020)

HIS HOUSE (2020)

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.

Synopsis: A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new... [More]

Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Cornell John

Directed By: Remi Weekes

3. CRIP CAMP (2020)

CRIP CAMP (2020)

Critics Consensus: As entertaining as it is inspiring, Crip Camp uses one group's remarkable story to highlight hope for the future and the power of community.

Synopsis: A groundbreaking summer camp galvanizes teens who have disabilities.... [More]

Starring: Dennis Billups, HolLynn D'Lil, Judith Heumann, Denise Sherer Jacobson

Directed By: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham

4. DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD (2020)

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD (2020)

Critics Consensus: Dick Johnson Is Dead celebrates a life with bittersweet humor and grace, offering a deeply resonant perspective on mortality in the bargain.

Synopsis: A filmmaker and her elderly father stage his death in various ways to help them face his inevitable demise.... [More]

Starring: Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson

Directed By: Kirsten Johnson

5. THE SQUARE (2013)

THE SQUARE (2013)

Critics Consensus: The Square offers an electrifying -- and edifying -- ground-level glimpse of life inside a real-life political revolution.

Synopsis: Egyptian revolutionaries battle their leaders and regime to build a new society.... [More]

Starring: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam

Directed By: Jehane Noujaim

6. ATHLETE A (2020)

ATHLETE A (2020)

Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses -- as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.

Synopsis: Reporters from The Indianapolis Star expose Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts.... [More]

Starring: Maggie Nichols, Jerry Moran, Jen Sey

Directed By: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk

7. COOL HAND LUKE (1967)

COOL HAND LUKE (1967)

Critics Consensus: Though hampered by Stuart Rosenberg's direction, Cool Hand Luke is held aloft by a stellar script and one of Paul Newman's most indelible performances.

Synopsis: When petty criminal Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play... [More]

Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon, Lou Antonio

Directed By: Stuart Rosenberg

8. STRONG ISLAND (2017)

STRONG ISLAND (2017)

Critics Consensus: Strong Island uses one family's heartbreaking tragedy to offer a sobering picture of racial injustice in modern America.

Synopsis: When filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young black man, it becomes an achingly personal journey since... [More]

Starring: Yance Ford, Harvey Walker, Kevin Myers, Lauren Ford

Directed By: Yance Ford

9. LADY BIRD (2017)

LADY BIRD (2017)

Critics Consensus: Lady Bird delivers fresh insights about the turmoil of adolescence -- and reveals writer-director Greta Gerwig as a fully formed filmmaking talent.

Synopsis: A teenager (Saoirse Ronan) navigates a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf) over the course of... [More]

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges

Directed By: Greta Gerwig

10. KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE (2019)

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE (2019)

Critics Consensus: A galvanizing glimpse behind the scenes of a pivotal election, Knock Down the House should prove engrossing for viewers of all political persuasions.

Synopsis: A young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner's daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada, and a... [More]

Starring: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Directed By: Rachel Lears

10. UNDER THE SHADOW (2016)

UNDER THE SHADOW (2016)

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

Synopsis: After Shideh's building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War, a superstitious neighbor suggests that the missile was... [More]

Starring: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian

Directed By: Babak Anvari