Netflix is chock full of content, so much so that you’ll never reach the end of it. (And it keeps changing on us!) So a little curation is clearly warranted.
So that’s what we’ve done at TODAY. Here are 50 of the best movies currently on Netflix for your viewing enjoyment, in no particular order. Settle back, grab some snacks and get ready for your own home multiplex!
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (PG, 1975)
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A skewering of the King Arthur legend, courtesy of the anarchic Monty Python comedy troupe.
“The Irishman” (R, 2019)
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Hit man Frank Sheeran looks back at the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family in this Martin Scorsese film.
“The Social Network” (PG-13, 2010)
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Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg creates the world’s biggest social network, which draws legal problems and costs him friendships.
“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (R, 1991)
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Two Terminators (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick) travel from the future to track down Sarah Connor’s son, John (Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong), but only one has his best interests in mind. The other is a machine programmed to kill him.
“Fast Color” (PG-13, 2019)
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Pursued by malicious forces, a woman (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) with incredible supernatural powers returns to the one place she fears: home.
“True Grit” (PG-13, 2010)
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After her father is murdered, a teenager (Hailee Steinfeld) hires a crotchety U.S. Marshal (Jeff Bridges) to track down the killers in this Coen brothers film.
“Gremlins” (PG, 1984)
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Billy (Zach Galligan) has a cuddly new Christmas pet, but it comes with rules … which quickly are violated, unleashing mischievous — and malicious — monsters on his small town.
“Apocalypse Now Redux” (R, 1979)
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After a U.S. colonel (Marlon Brando) goes rogue in the jungle during the Vietnam War, another soldier (Martin Sheen) is sent to reel him in, traveling through the various absurdities of the conflict along the way. “Redux” is the longer version released in 2001 with 49 more minutes of footage.
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (G, 1971)
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Five children from around the world win golden tickets giving them access to an exclusive tour to an enigmatic candy maker’s (Gene Wilder) factory, but hidden dangers other than sugar abound. Though rated “G,” there are some scenes very young viewers may find too intense.
“The Lost Daughter” (R, 2021)
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A seaside vacation turns unsettling when a woman’s fixation on a young mother in a nearby villa awakens memories from her past. With Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Ed Harris.
“Stripes” (R, 1981)
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A smart-aleck cabbie (Bill Murray) loses his job, his apartment and his girlfriend and decides the next logical thing to do is enlist in the U.S. Army with his best friend (Harold Ramis). High jinks ensue.
“The Power of the Dog” (R, 2021)
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A domineering rancher (Benedict Cumberbatch) wages a war of intimidation on his brother’s (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) until some secrets of his own surface. From director Jane Campion (“The Piano”).
“Passing” (PG-13, 2021)
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In New York City in the 1920s, a Black woman’s (Tessa Thompson) life is intertwined with a former childhood pal (Ruth Negga) who’s now passing as white.
“Not Another Teen Movie” (R, 2001)
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This parody of teen rom-coms features a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as a hero at John Hughes High School (get the reference?) aims to turn a glasses-wearing artist into a prom queen.
“Looper” (R, 2012)
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It’s 2044 and a hired gun (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who earns his fortune by killing people sent back from another time is faced with a dilemma: What happens when his new target is his future self (Bruce Willis)? From “Knives Out” director Rian Johnson.
“Ali” (R, 2001)
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The life of the controversial, champion boxer who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee (Will Smith).
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (PG-13, 2016)
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Oscar-winning writer/director Taika Waititi helms this charming, eccentric story of an orphan teenage boy and a grumpy foster father (Sam Neill) in the New Zealand bush.
“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (R, 2020)
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A woman (Jessie Buckley) with misgivings about her new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) nonetheless comes with him on a road trip to meet his parents (David Thewlis, Toni Collette) on their remote farm. Directed/written by Charlie Kaufman, so you’ve been warned.
“Moneyball” (PG-13, 2011)
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When the Oakland A’s seem unable to win a game or afford big-money players, manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) links up with a numbers guy (Jonah Hill) to bring algorithms into the game.
“Silver Linings Playbook” (R, 2012)
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Football and ballroom dancing help a man with bipolar disorder (Bradley Cooper) and a widow (Jennifer Lawrence) heal in unique and quirky ways.
“Leon: The Professional” (R, 1994)
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Léon (Jeaon Reno) is a hit man based in New York and becomes an unwilling custodian to Mathilda (Natalie Portman in a very early role), who wants revenge after her family is killed by a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman).
“Dances With Wolves” (PG-13, 1990)
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A Civil War soldier (Kevin Costner) strikes out for the frontier and learns how to adapt to the Sioux way of life, despite growing threats.
“My Fair Lady” (G, 1964)
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A charming musical about a Cockney flower girl (Audrey Hepburn) who becomes the reluctant student of a pompous professor (Rex Harrison), who takes a bet that he can turn her into a lady.
“The Neverending Story” (PG, 1984)
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Spoiler alert: It does end. But before then, a bullied young boy (Noah Hathaway) hides out from school in the attic with a book about Fantasia, a land of luckdragons, racing snails and other magical creatures, which is slowly dying.
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (PG, 2021)
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Robots take over the world, which interferes with a family’s road trip, which means the Mitchells are the only ones who can save the human race.
“Blade Runner: The Final Cut” (R, 1982)
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This classic sci-fi film, about a dystopian Los Angeles that finds detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) chasing after synthetic androids (like Daryl Hannah and Rutger Hauer) and falling for one, too (Sean Young), comes in many versions. This restored cut from 2007 includes never-before-seen footage and is the only one director Ridley Scott had complete control over.
“Dick Johnson Is Dead” (PG-13, 2020)
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In this documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stages her father’s imminent death in inventive and comical ways to help them both face the inevitable.
“Rain Man” (R, 1988)
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A savant with autism (Dustin Hoffman) and his brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) take off across the country on an unexpected road trip so Charlie can fight his inheritance. Hoffman won his second Oscar for the role.
“Stand By Me” (R, 1986)
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Four boys (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell) take off to find a missing teenager’s dead body and discover a lot about themselves along the way. Based on the novella by Stephen King.
“Howard’s End” (PG, 1992)
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Class and social divisions in early 20th century England are shown through three families: the wealthy Wilcoxes (Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave), the idealistic Schlegels (Helena Bonham-Carter, Emma Thompson) and the lower-middle class Basts (Samuel West).
“Always Be My Maybe” (PG-13, 2019)
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After 15 years apart, chef Sasha (Ali Wong) and hometown musician Marcus (Randall Park) are attracted all over again, but find their worlds clashing.
“As Good As It Gets” (PG-13, 1997)
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He’s a grumpy author with OCD (Jack Nicholson), she’s a stressed out single mom (Helen Hunt), and his neighbor (Greg Kinnear) with a yappy dog has just gotten injured. It’s comedy heaven! (Also, both Nicholson and Hunt won Oscars for their portrayals.)
“Chocolat” (PG-13, 2000)
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Single mom Vianne (Juliette Binoche) scandalizes a small French village, but her chocolate shop confections stir their taste buds and their passions.
“Good Time” (R, 2017)
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A bank robber (Robert Pattinson) must get his mentally challenged younger brother out of jail while trying to elude capture.
“Jumanji” (PG, 1995)
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A boy trapped in an enchanted board game emerges all grown up (Robin Williams) when two siblings start playing the game that trapped him in a magical world.
“Philomena” (PG-13, 2013)
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An Irishwoman (Judi Dench) collaborates with a journalist (Steve Coogan) to find the son she was forced to give up for adoption five decades earlier.
“The Shack” (PG-13, 2017)
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Following a tragedy, Mack (Sam Worthington) looks for answers after a mysterious letter sends him to a deserted shack in Oregon.
“She’s Gotta Have It” (R, 1986)
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Artist Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) has relationships with very different men, including director Spike Lee. If you like this, Netflix also has the show as a TV series here.
“Awakenings” (PG-13, 1990)
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A doctor (Robin Williams) tests an experimental drug on a man (Robert De Niro) who’s been in an unresponsive state for decades. When the man wakes up, he has to deal with being an adult in the world.
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (R, 2020)
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A peaceful protest turns into a violent clash with police and leads to a trial of several dissidents (Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).
“The Two Popes” (PG-13, 2019)
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Controversial Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) forges a surprising friendship with future Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), in a film inspired by true events.
“A River Runs Through It” (PG, 1992)
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Two brothers (Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt) struggle to live up to their father’s high moral and fly fishing standards in Montana in the early 1900s.
“The Guns of Navarone” (NR, 1961)
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An all-star cast including Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn tell the story of World War II British forces launching attack to take the Nazi cannons that guard a critical sea channel.
“Don’t Look Up” (R, 2021)
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After two astronomers (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence) try to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet heading to Earth, they learn not everybody in the distracted world seems to care.
“Darkest Hour” (PG-13, 2017)
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As Naxi invasion looms in Britain, new Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) must rally the nation to fight for its survival.
“Casino Royale” (PG-13, 2006)
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James Bond (Daniel Craig) lands his license to kill and quickly must take down an infamous financier of global terrorism (Mads Mikkelsen) at the poker table, if he can survive long enough to win.
“The Polar Express” (G, 2004)
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A young boy boards a magical train on Christmas Eve and discovers the wonders of friendship and the holiday spirit. Starring Tom Hanks.
“Twilight” (PG-13, 2008)
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Bella (Kristen Stewart) moves in with her dad, starts school and meets Edward (Robert Pattinson), a 108-year-old vampire who changes her life.
“Happy Feet” (PG, 2006)
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Penguin Mumble can’t sing well enough to attract a mate, unlike his friends. But he can tap dance like a champ! Featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams and Brittany Murphy.
“Wind River” (R, 2017)
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A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker (Jeremy Renner) helps a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) investigate a teen girl’s murder on a remote Wyoming reservation.
Need more suggestions? Come back next month for updates!
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