Top 13 Films On Netflix Right Now
Too many choices on Netflix? We've picked 13 must-see films—from hidden gems to modern classics—to make movie night easier. Skip the scroll and dive straight into something great.
By Hari Khan | Updated May 1 2025
Past Lives
Tender, profound, and quietly devastating, Past Lives explores the threads of connection across time, place, and possibility. Celine Song’s deeply personal debut follows childhood friends reuniting decades later in New York, wrestling with love, identity, and the lives they might have lived. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo deliver moving, restrained performances in a film that lingers like memory — fleeting yet unforgettable.
1h 46m | Romance/Drama | 12
Anatomy of a Fall
Winner of the Palme d’Or, this gripping French courtroom drama unpacks the complex layers of a marriage unraveling under the scrutiny of the law. Sandra Hüller gives a powerhouse performance as a writer accused of murdering her husband. Director Justine Triet balances the procedural with the personal, crafting a taut, cerebral thriller that’s as much about truth as it is about perception.
2h 30m | Thriller/Crime | 15
Asteroid City
Wes Anderson’s signature style reaches cosmic new heights in this vibrant, meta-textual comedy-drama set in a fictional 1950s desert town. Featuring a sprawling ensemble cast and meticulous production design, the film explores grief, performance, and the mysteries of the universe with a delicate, alienated charm. It’s a playful, multilayered puzzlebox—equal parts dazzling and disarmingly human.
1h 45m | Sci-fi/Comedy | 12A
Woman of the Hour
Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut with this razor-sharp dramatization of the true story behind serial killer Rodney Alcala's bizarre appearance on a 1970s game show. Mixing jet-black comedy with haunting social commentary, the film dissects how charm and misogyny intertwine. It's a chilling, unsettling watch anchored by strong performances and a quietly powerful script that lingers long after the credits roll.
1h 34m | Thriller/Mystery | 15
Rebel Ridge
In this taut thriller, Aaron Pierre portrays Terry Richmond, an ex-Marine who confronts systemic corruption in a small Southern town after his cousin's bail money is unjustly seized. Director Jeremy Saulnier blends gripping action with a sharp critique of institutional injustice, delivering a film that's both intense and thought-provoking. Pierre's compelling performance anchors the narrative, making Rebel Ridge a standout in contemporary action cinema.
2h 11m | Action/Thriller | 15
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited return is a surreal and beautiful meditation on grief, imagination, and legacy. Blending war-time realism with fantastical creatures and lush hand-drawn animation, this semi-autobiographical tale follows a young boy into a dreamlike world after his mother’s death. Both elegiac and awe-inspiring, it’s a testament to Miyazaki’s enduring magic.
2h 4m | Fantasy/Adventure | 12
The Outrun
Based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir, this lyrical drama stars Saoirse Ronan as a woman returning to Orkney after a stint in rehab. Through fragmented memories and rugged landscapes, the film weaves a story of self-discovery and the battle to stay afloat amidst addiction. With stunning cinematography and Ronan’s raw, magnetic performance, The Outrun is a haunting, redemptive journey.
1h 58m | Drama | 15
The Place Beyond the Pines
Derek Cianfrance's sweeping crime saga spans generations, exploring how the sins of fathers echo through the lives of their sons. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes lead a stellar cast in a triptych narrative that fuses bank heists, broken families, and moral reckoning. Moody and ambitious, the film’s cinematography and score enhance its operatic scope and emotional impact.
2h 20m | Crime/Thriller | 15
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Kelly Fremon Craig adapts Judy Blume's beloved coming-of-age novel with warmth, wit and a keen eye for emotional detail. Abby Ryder Fortson shines as Margaret, a sixth-grader navigating religion, puberty and the challenges of growing up. Rachel McAdams gives a nuanced supporting performance as Margaret’s mother, grounding the story in familial love. It's a tender, smart film that respects its young audience while offering plenty for adults too.
1h 46m | Comedy/Drama | PG
A History of Violence
David Cronenberg’s noir-tinged thriller explores identity, family, and buried pasts. Viggo Mortensen plays a small-town diner owner whose heroic act of self-defense pulls him into a violent spiral of revelation. With its tight script, haunting direction, and complex morality, the film is both a gripping crime drama and a meditation on the inescapability of violence.
1h 36m | Thriller/Crime | 18
Pig
In this quietly powerful drama, Nicolas Cage gives one of his most affecting performances as a reclusive truffle forager who embarks on a journey through Portland’s culinary underworld to recover his kidnapped pig. Far from a standard revenge tale, Pig is a meditative exploration of grief, memory, and connection—tender, surprising, and emotionally resonant in all the right ways.
1h 32m | Thriller/Drama | 15
Talk to Me
This chilling Australian horror from Danny and Michael Philippou follows a group of teens who unlock the terrifying world of spirits through a mysterious embalmed hand. Stylish and visceral, the film combines pulse-pounding scares with poignant themes of grief and addiction. It’s a nerve-jangling, emotional ride that cements the directors as fresh voices in modern horror.
1h 35m | Horror | 15
Hell or High Water
Gritty, gripping, and quietly political, Hell or High Water is a neo-Western crime drama that pits two desperate brothers against a crumbling system. Chris Pine and Ben Foster are electric as bank-robbing siblings, while Jeff Bridges delivers a standout turn as the aging ranger on their trail. With sharp writing, sun-scorched cinematography, and a haunting score, it’s a modern classic of moral ambiguity and survival.
1h 42m | Western/Action | 15