The 20 Best Netflix Original Films, Ranked
It has been 10 years since Netflix released its first original series — the Steve Van Zandt-fronted Lilyhammer — in 2012. Today, the streaming giant spends billions of dollars on original content each year, releasing hundreds of its own feature films, documentaries, specials, and TV series annually.
In many ways, Netflix’s investment in original content has paid off. The company’s movies have earned accolades from all of the major awarding bodies, including at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys, SAG Awards, and more. It’s also the biggest streaming service on the globe, boasting more than 221 million users worldwide.
It should be no surprise, then, that Netflix has released some highly-regarded films. In the following list, we’ve highlighted the service's 20 best original movies, ranging from crime thrillers to psychological dramas to period pieces to animated flicks.
Many of these movies have been nominated for or received major awards, feature performances from hugely popular actors, and have been created by accomplished directors, writers, and producers. For instance, last year’s Western drama The Power of the Dog is the latest film to win Best Director at the Oscars (from a total of 12 nominations).
All of the titles have Metascores of 80 and higher, indicating generally favorable reviews or universal acclaim. No matter what type of films you like to watch, you’ll almost certainly find one (or more) movies on the list that appeal to you.
Here, Metacritic highlights Netflix’s best-reviewed original films, ranked by Metascore. Documentaries and films with fewer than 7 reviews from professional critics are excluded.
All photos courtesy of Netflix.
Director, writer, and co-producer Radha Blank created The Forty-Year-Old Version roughly based on her real-life experiences as a struggling playwright in New York. She plays a version of herself in the 2020 film, highlighting the challenges of growing older and not finding much success in her chosen field. Needing a change, she decides to pivot and begin a rap career under the stage name RadhaMUSPrime. As she tries to forge a new path in music, she finally starts to make some progress as a playwright as well. For her performance, Blank was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the BAFTA Awards.
“Blank uses humor to make her points and they are all-the-more memorable as a result.” —James Berardinelli, ReelViews
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