Special Report

The 50 Best Movies Available on Netflix

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Every month, as Netflix retires films and series that have entertained viewers for months or even years, the streaming service makes room for exciting new content. While April saw the last of several great films – for instance, Edgar Wright’s graphic-novel-based action comedy “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” – May has welcomed such treasures as Ridley Scott’s crime biography “American Gangster” and Reginald Hudlin’s “Marshall,” starring the late Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court. (Here’s a list of the best films by Black directors.)

And that’s just the start of what’s available. To determine the best movies to stream on Netflix this month, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of early May 2023, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes, and ruled out documentaries. Data on streaming availability, also current as of early May, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.

Click here to see the best movies to stream on Netflix this month

Among the best films Netflix currently has on offer are comedies including the 1978 classic fraternity film “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” the 2016 neo-noir buddy action comedy “The Nice Guys,” and the 2019 biographical comedy “Dolemite is My Name,” which stars Eddie Murphy as real-life stand-up comedian and blaxploitation film star Rudy Ray Moore.

Popular dramas on the list include the 1995 crime film “Heat,” the coming-of-age drama “Call Me By Your Name,” and Noah Baumbach’s moving divorce film “Marriage Story.” Several sports films are featured, including the original “Rocky” and the football drama “Friday Night Lights” – inspiration for the award-winning TV series of the same name and an entry on our list of the greatest football movies ever made.)

Courtesy of Netflix

50. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (50,782 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (2,029 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (99 reviews)
> Directed by: Nahnatchka Khan

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Courtesy of Focus Features

49. Phantom Thread (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (120,047 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (7,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (355 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Courtesy of GEM Entertainment

48. American Hustle (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (482,276 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (176,085 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (294 reviews)
> Directed by: David O. Russell

Courtesy of Open Road Films

47. Marshall (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (24,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (8,710 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (149 reviews)
> Directed by: Reginald Hudlin

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Courtesy of Level 33 Entertainment

46. Copenhagen (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (12,929 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (1,093 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Mark Raso

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

45. Friday Night Lights (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (64,155 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (185,883 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (173 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Berg

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Courtesy of Netflix

44. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (133,130 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (3,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (234 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen

Courtesy of Fathom Events

43. Mirai (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (14,186 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (945 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

42. Carol (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (122,012 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (29,764 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (313 reviews)
> Directed by: Todd Haynes

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Courtesy of Netflix

41. Okja (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (112,707 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (10,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (239 reviews)
> Directed by: Bong Joon Ho

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

40. The Hangover (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (742,607 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (943,368 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (241 reviews)
> Directed by: Todd Phillips

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Courtesy of Focus Features

39. Darkest Hour (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (205,576 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (14,148 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (318 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Wright

Courtesy of The Orchard

38. Blue Jay (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (16,105 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (2,427 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (32 reviews)
> Directed by: Alex Lehmann

Courtesy of Netflix

37. The White Tiger (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (54,128 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (1,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (170 reviews)
> Directed by: Ramin Bahrani

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Courtesy of Netflix

36. The Night Comes for Us (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (23,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Timo Tjahjanto

Courtesy of Focus Features

35. A Monster Calls (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (84,573 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (25,354 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (267 reviews)
> Directed by: J.A. Bayona

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Courtesy of StudioCanal

34. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (12,504 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (358 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (78 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Phelan & Will Becher

Courtesy of Netflix

33. Private Life (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (18,066 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (1,065 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (106 reviews)
> Directed by: Tamara Jenkins

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

32. The Nice Guys (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (299,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (56,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (320 reviews)
> Directed by: Shane Black

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Courtesy of Netflix

31. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (205,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (5,048 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (129 reviews)
> Directed by: Vince Gilligan

Courtesy of United Artists

30. Rocky (1976)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (539,768 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (33,403,994 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (67 reviews)
> Directed by: John G. Avildsen

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Courtesy of Netflix

29. Roma (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (148,393 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (5,701 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (400 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

Courtesy of Netflix

28. The Half of It (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (32,458 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (101 reviews)
> Directed by: Alice Wu

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

27. American Gangster (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (430,167 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (831,085 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (216 reviews)
> Directed by: Ridley Scott

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Courtesy of Netflix

26. Paddleton (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (12,659 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (568 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Alex Lehmann

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

25. Inside Man (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (354,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (351,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (208 reviews)
> Directed by: Spike Lee

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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

24. The Raid 2 (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (118,592 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (24,310 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (175 reviews)
> Directed by: Gareth Evans

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

23. Prisoners (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (637,815 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (108,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (253 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Courtesy of Netflix

22. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (96,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (4,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: Susan Johnson

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

21. Zombieland (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (541,908 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (643,581 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (257 reviews)
> Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Courtesy of Lionsgate

20. La La Land (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (537,558 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (71,726 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (464 reviews)
> Directed by: Damien Chazelle

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

19. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (116,311 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (185,688 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (52 reviews)
> Directed by: John Landis

Courtesy of Film & TV House

18. Mudbound (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (46,035 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (5,906 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Dee Rees

Courtesy of Netflix

17. I Lost My Body (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,388 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (633 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Jérémy Clapin

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Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

16. Philomena (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (101,025 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (52,457 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Frears

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

15. Léon: The Professional (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,081,769 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (274,510 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (65 reviews)
> Directed by: Luc Besson

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Courtesy of Rocket Science

14. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (179,508 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (2,455 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (331 reviews)
> Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

Courtesy of Netflix

13. Marriage Story (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (272,813 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (184 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (391 reviews)
> Directed by: Noah Baumbach

Courtesy of Netflix

12. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (61,771 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (113 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: Craig Brewer

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

11. Rush (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (482,996 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (79,330 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (235 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Howard

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

10. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (236,339 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (16,258 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (363 reviews)
> Directed by: Luca Guadagnino

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

9. Captain Phillips (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (465,186 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (152,646 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (279 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

8. Heat (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (606,225 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (222,169 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann

Courtesy of Filmarti

7. Dangal (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (193,082 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (2,333 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (17 reviews)
> Directed by: Nitesh Tiwari

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

6. Inception (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2,171,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (571,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (361 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Courtesy of Miramax

5. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (958,136 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (446,711 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

4. The Departed (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,241,061 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (738,191 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (283 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

3. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (693,881 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (312,983 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (212 reviews)
> Directed by: Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois

Courtesy of Netflix

2. Klaus (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (119,752 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (2,481 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: Sergio Pablos

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1. Psycho (1960)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (630,728 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (240,418 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

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