50 Best Movies Available to Stream That You've Never Seen

Co-writer and director Albert Brooks stars alongside Debbie Reynolds (“Singin’ in the Rain”) in this mother-son comedy that at times may hit too close to home. Though the film failed to amaze audiences, it received a 90% Freshness score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes who appreciated Brooks’ biting insights.

Tom DiCillo directed this whimsical story of a deadline-obsessed engineer whose life is changed when he meets a free-spirited young man who lives in a trailer in the woods. With a strong cast that includes John Turturro, Sam Rockwell, and Catherine Keener, “Box of Moonlight” has an audience approval score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This art house drama follows a cast of characters — including ones played by Matthew McConaughey, David Connelly, and John Turturro — whose lives cross paths in New York City. One of three directorial efforts from filmmaker Jill Sprecher (the others being “Clockwatchers” and “Thin Ice”), “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” received an 83% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it is described as “intelligent and poignant.”

Barry Levinson, whose movie canon includes coming-of-age film credits such as “Diner” and period motion pictures including “Bugsy,” directed this movie. The film tells the story of a Jewish family in Baltimore witnessing the changes in 1950s America, such as desegregation, the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, and the impact of automobiles and greater mobility on society. The film stars Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth, and Joe Mantegna and holds an 85% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, with 76% of audiences enjoying the movie.

Barry Levinson (“Rain Man,” “Wag the Dog”) wrote and directed this drama about a Polish-Jewish family immigrating to the U.S. in the early 1900s. Critics describe the movie as slow, melancholy, and ultimately rewarding, giving it a Freshness rating of 83%.

The directorial debut of Jeff Nichols, “Shotgun Stories” is about two families in the South linked by the same father whose rivalry explodes into violence after his death. The film holds a 90% Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 80% of audiences like the film.

This tale of an unlikely friendship between two young outcasts boasts an eclectic cast that includes Harry Dean Stanton, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, and James Gandolfini. The movie received positive reviews from 75% of critics and 79% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, though it may appeal most to pre-teen viewers.

Julianne Moore stars in this eerie social drama about a suburban housewife who enters a dubious new-age retreat while suffering from undetermined illness from the environment. “Safe” was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 1995 and debuted that summer after being acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. The movie was directed and written by Oscar nominee Todd Haynes and received an 86% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 75% of audiences enjoyed the film.

A homosexual Castro critic and a heterosexual Communist in Havana develop a relationship in this Oscar-nominated coming-of-age story. The movie “movingly depicts” the friendship “against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in Cuban history,” according to Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus. Critics on the site gave the flick an 81% Freshness rating, while 84% of audiences liked it.

Ira Sachs directed this piercing look at how a dispute between adults can impact the friendship of young children. The film stars Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, and Paulina García, and holds a 96% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics. Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times said, “as a picture of ticking intergenerational lives and their complex movements, it’s as exact as a watch.”

This movie about a downtrodden 12-year-old Irish boy’s retreat into fantasy and delusion is at times both humorous and horrific. Though some viewers may find it unsettling, 77% of critics and 82% of viewers on Rotten Tomatoes gave it positive reviews.

“James White” was the directorial debut of Josh Mond, who also wrote the screenplay. The film is about a young man living in New York and battling self-destructive impulses who is forced to take control of his life when his mother falls ill. The movie had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and won the “Best of Next” Audience Award. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 92% Freshness score, citing the performances of Cynthia Nixon and Christopher Abbott.

Peter Fonda leads the cast of this 1997 drama about a beekeeper struggling to pull his broken family together. Fonda won the 1998 Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in “Ulee’s Gold” and was nominated for an Oscar. The film also stars a young Jessica Biel as Ulee’s granddaughter. It currently has a Freshness rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Entertaining, witty, and not totally factual, the film is about Queen Victoria’s scandalous friendship with a Scottish groom who helped the monarch emerge from the doldrums following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes appreciated the John Madden-directed effort that stars Judi Dench as Victoria for its look at the rarely explored chapter in Victoria’s life, awarding it a Freshness score of 92%.

“Clean, Shaven” follows a schizophrenic man as he attempts to retrieve his daughter from her adoptive family following his release from a mental institution. Roger Ebert described it as “a harrowing, exhausting, painful film, and a very good one.” The majority of critics and viewers agree that the highly disturbing movie is indeed very good, giving it 90% and 83% approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

Jeremy Irons stars as disgraced New York socialite Claus Von Bulow who is accused of poisoning his wife Sunny with an overdose of insulin after she ends up in a coma. The movie was directed by Barbet Schroeder and is based on the book by Von Bulow’s defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes hailed the screenplay from Nicholas Kazan and gave the movie a Freshness score of 94%.

Produced in part by Showtime Networks, this portrayal of a bullied adolescent explores the topic of violence in schools. Though it premiered on television, the movie has since garnered a rating of 90% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes with more than 8,000 users voting.

Helen Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech” “The Crown”) stars in this story about the class divides in Europe at the turn of the last century and the experiences of star-crossed lovers. Iain Softley directed the story based on a Henry James novel. Carol Buckland of CNN.com called the movie “exquisite — and very adult — entertainment.”

“Saving Face” tells the story of two young Chinese-American women who fall in love despite the stigma of homosexuality in their culture. The character-driven film’s mix of drama, romance, and comedy was a hit with most of the critics and audiences who saw it, earning ratings of 86% from the former and 88% from the latter on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt play a couple that take in a teenager with Down syndrome who has been abandoned by his mother. But their attempt to adopt him is opposed by the legal system. The film received a Freshness score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 76% of audiences liked the movie.

This underseen indie comedy follows the unconventional relationship between a pregnant high school student and a perpetually unemployed electronics repairman. Of the slightly more than 5,000 viewers to rate it on Rotten Tomatoes, 94% enjoyed the film, which critic Harriet Waugh of The Spectator describes as “a bizarre little love story.”

River Phoenix stars in this film about a group of Marines about to be shipped out to Vietnam in the early 1960s who make a bet to see who can have sex with the ugliest girl they can find. Lili Taylor plays a young woman who shames Phoenix over the misogynistic behavior. Critics liked the casting of the film and gave it a Freshness score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, while 87% of audiences like the movie.

Following a decade of separation, troubled Krisha joins her family for an ill-fated Thanksgiving dinner in this debut film from writer and director Trey Edward Shults. While the drama received above average reviews from audiences, it wowed critics who gave it a 95% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus describes it as “raw, bracingly honest, and refreshingly unconventional.”

“Sunshine” is a sprawling motion picture that follows the tragedies and triumphs of a Hungarian Jewish family over 150 years, with Ralph Fiennes playing three roles in the film. István Szabó’s three-hour epic, whose name is the English translation of the family name, holds a 74% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 81% of audiences like the movie.

Jimmie Fails stars in this movie about a young man struggling to get by in the Bay Area city where he was raised. Co-produced and distributed by the popular indie film company A24, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” has been well received since its release in June 2019, earning a Freshness rating of 93%.

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave “The Tale” a Freshness score of 99%. In particular, they hailed the performance of Laura Dern as a filmmaker who, while filming a documentary about childhood rape victims, is forced to revisit her first sexual encounter with her riding instructor and running coach. The movie was directed and written by Jennifer Fox.

This biographical sports movie tells the story of famous Olympian runner Steve Prefontaine and his relationship with coach Bill Bowerman. Billy Crudup and Donald Sutherland — who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role — lead the film’s cast, helping it earn a 91% approval rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mike Leigh directed and wrote the entertaining romp of how Albert Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan averted the dissolution of their musical partnership and wrote their comic opera “The Mikado.” The film that stars Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner as Gilbert and Sullivan has an 89% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 79% of audiences were entertained by the movie.

John Singleton (“Boyz n the Hood,” “2 Fast 2 Furious”) directs Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, and Don Cheadle in this film about a 1923 racist attack on an African American community in Florida. Though the movie was a box office bomb, failing to gross even half of its reported $31 million production budget at the box office, it was a critical success with a Freshness rating of 86%.

Neil LaBute directed and wrote the screenplay about two business executives — one a misogynist and the other a man rejected by his love interest — who seek the most innocent girl they can find and ruin her life. But their sophomoric prank leads to tension between them. Critics hailed Aaron Eckhart’s “breakout” performance, and gave it an 89% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes.

John Cho (“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” “Star Trek”) stars in this story about a young man who finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana, after his father falls ill. There he meets a woman who plans to stay in the small city to care for her mother. The quiet drama was described by the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw as “a challengingly intelligent film” and won over 97% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hal Hartley’s twist on the Oscar’s Wilde Pygmalion tale is about an aimless trash hauler named Simon who befriends a witty though talentless novelist (Henry Fool) who enlightens the garbage collector to the world of literature. The movie holds an 89% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 82% of audiences like the film.

“Waves” is the third feature film from writer-director Trey Edward Shults, whose debut “Krisha” landed at No. 28 on this list. The movie portrays a family’s journey following a loss. It has a Freshness rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and was selected as one of the top films of 2019 by the National Board of Review film organization.

David Mamet directed and co-wrote “The Winslow Boy,” a remake of the 1948 film set in early 20th-century England about a prominent attorney asked to defend a 14-year-old naval cadet accused of theft. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes found “The Winslow Boy” to be “smart and engaging,” and 97% of critics gave the motion picture a Freshness score of 97%, with 77% of audiences applauding the movies.

“The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete” is about two boys living in low-income housing in Brooklyn who must fend for themselves after their mothers are arrested. With its gritty setting and impressive lead performances the movie is a creative success that earned positive reviews from 86% of critics and 88% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert Duvall wrote, directed, and produced “The Apostle.” Duvall plays a Pentecostal preacher trying to run from his past. He changes his name and begins preaching on the radio in Louisiana. Critics called Duvall’s performance a tour de force, and he was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award. The film received a Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes of 90%, and 79% of audiences like the movie.

From Walt Disney Studios comes this true life tale of a young Ugandan girl whose life changes dramatically as she learns the game of chess. The feel-good flick has a Freshness rating of 93% from critics thanks in part thanks to the exceptional performances of Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Black Panther”) and David Oyelowo (“Selma”).

Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton wrote and starred in his gripping story about a small-town police chief in Arkansas awaiting a confrontation with a group of killers. Critics hailed the action and sly humor of the film, helmed by Carl Franklin in his directorial debut. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 96% Freshness score, and 75% of audiences approved of the film.

Prior to directing movies such as “Pineapple Express” and the 2018 “Halloween” remake and HBO shows including “Eastbound & Down,” David Gordon Greene wrote and directed this drama about a group of small town friends who become involved in a tragic event. On Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of critics liked it, with the Houston Chronicle’s Eric Harrison praising its “quiet verbal and visual poetry.”

Whit Stillman’s “Metropolitan” is an incisive and biting look at young Park Avenue socialites gathering for what they fear is their last debutante season and bemoaning the decline of their privileged class. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a Freshness score of 91%, and 85% of audiences liked the movie.

Dramatic Western “The Rider” has won numerous awards from film festivals across the world and has a 97% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its critical success, the film was only played in 224 theaters at its widest release, according to Box Office Mojo. It can now be viewed on multiple streaming platforms, including Amazon Video.

Ramin Bahrani directed and co-wrote this heartwarming story about friendship. The movie is about a Senegalese taxi driver living in North Carolina hired by an aging white Southerner to drive him to a mountaintop where he plans to jump to his death. It’s up to the driver to try and change his mind. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes appreciated the “thoughtful human drama” and the film holds a Freshness score of 94%.

“An Angel at My Table” is based on the autobiographies of acclaimed New Zealand writer Janet Frame, who was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia as a child. The movie, which was described by Roger Ebert as “strangely engrossing” and “simply the record of a life as lived,” received ratings of 94% from critics and 90% from users on Rotten Tomatoes.

Kasi Lemmons made a memorable directorial debut with the film “Eve’s Bayou” that starred Samuel L. Jackson and Jurnee Smollett-Bell. The film is about a daughter witnessing her father having an affair and the impact it has on their family. Critics lauded Lemmons’ take on disillusionment and forgiveness and gave the movie a Freshness score of 82%, while 90% of audiences liked “Eve’s Bayou.”

An all-star British-American cast is topped off by Ian McKellen in the title role of Shakespeare’s blackhearted monarch as reimagined in 1930s England as fascism looms. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave “Richard III” a 94% Freshness score, and 85% of audiences liked director Richard Loncraine’s depiction of one of Shakespeare’s greatest villains.

Ang Lee’s hilarious rom-com is about a gay landlord in New York who wants to please his traditional Taiwanese parents by marrying his female tenant in a marriage of convenience. Then a series of farcical situations ensue. The film has a 96% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 87% of audiences enjoyed “The Wedding Banquet.” Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Tribune called the movie “a very adroit and entertaining social comedy.”

This coming-of-age film tells the story of a 17-year-old African American woman from Brooklyn as she finds her way through adolescence. The movie — described in its Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus as “pulsing with authenticity” — has a 95% Freshness rating from critics. Audience members were slightly more reserved, with 82% enjoying it.

Peter Sollett directed and co-wrote this film about a teenage Romeo living on Manhattan’s Lower East Side trying to balance his life with an eccentric grandmother, a new girlfriend, and a bothersome brother. The film resonated with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who gave “Raising Victor Vargas” a Freshness score of 96%, and 83% of audiences liked the movie.

The directorial debut from filmmaker Boaz Yakin (“Remember the Titans”) portrays a 12-year-old drug courier who devises a plan to free himself and his family from the clutches of his criminal employers. The urban drama impressed 87% of the critics who reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes and did even better amongst audience members, with a 92% approval rating.

Critics hailed the direction of John Sayles’ “The Secret of Roan Inish.” The movie tells the story of a young girl staying with her grandparents in Donegal, Ireland, who believes a wild child on the island of Roan Inish is her long-lost little brother. The family film is considered one of the best movies of the 1990s. It has a 95% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 87% rating among audiences.