Top 25 Netflix Original Movies Of All Time, Ranked
25. Leave the World Behind (2023)
With Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke headlining and Barack and Michelle Obama behind the scenes, ‘Leave the World Behind’ serves as an unsettling apocalypse thriller exploring our over-dependance on technology. Directed by Sam Esmail, the film dissects societal collapse after a cyberattack through the lens of privilege, race, and family.
24. Okja (2017)
Before ‘Parasite’ became an Oscar-winning phenomenon, Bong Joon Ho gave Netflix one of its strangest and most daring originals. ‘Okja’ is a wild ride that swings from whimsical fantasy to gut-punching reality. It’s a film that questions corporate greed and animal ethics without ever losing its heart, or its eccentric soul.
23. Don’t Look Up (2021)
Led by Hollywood’s biggest stars, ‘Don’t Look Up’ is a satirical meteor of a movie that polarizes as much as it entertains. Adam McKay offers a dark comedy about political incompetence in the face of extinction, and the result is loud, on-the-nose, and often hilarious. It’s a rare movie that became a conversation piece, whether you loved it or not.
22. Mudbound (2017)
This haunting post-WWII epic explores race, trauma, and class in the Jim Crow South with devastating nuance. ‘Mudbound’ deserves applause as an early indicator that Netflix could do more than entertain…it could produce award-worthy, serious cinema.
21. The Lost Daughter (2021)
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut based Elena Ferrante’s 2006 novel is a fierce meditation on motherhood and regret, only elevated further by a no-holds-barred performance from Olivia Colman. Unflinching, intimate, and painfully real, ‘The Lost Daughter’ lingers long after the credits roll.
20. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Leave it to Guillermo del Toro to turn a childhood fairytale into a Gothic fable of loss, fascism, and found family. Gorgeously crafted in stop-motion animation, this ‘Pinocchio’ is not for kids, it’s for the dreamers and the broken-hearted.
19. Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Spike Lee’s war drama doubles as a treasure hunt and a soul-searching odyssey about Black veterans reckoning with ghosts both literal and metaphorical. Chadwick Boseman’s role is small but unforgettable; Delroy Lindo’s is monumental.
18. Uncut Gems (2019)
Adam Sandler weaponizes his chaos energy in the Safdie Brothers’ electrifying pressure cooker. As jeweler Howard Ratner spirals through debt, danger, and delusion, you are bound to forget to breathe. ‘Uncut Gems’ is nothing short of gambling addiction distilled into cinema.
17. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
Adapted from August Wilson’s play, this taut chamber piece is a showcase for powerhouse performances. Viola Davis is absolutely magnetic, but it’s Chadwick Boseman’s searing final role that makes the film feel like a memorial in motion.
16. The Two Popes (2019)
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce deliver a surprisingly funny and profound exploration of faith, change, and friendship in the most unlikely of places in ‘The Two Popes.’ Yes, the location is Vatican City. This is a film that questions, without ever preaching.
15. Society of the Snow (2023)
This harrowing survival story, based on the real-life Andes plane crash, is deeply empathetic and unflinchingly visceral. Expect emotional intensity, and horror turning into human triumph, without sensationalism.
14. The Power of the Dog (2022)
If you don’t mind a psychological Western, you must give this slow-burn masterpiece a chance. With breathtaking landscapes and a tightly wound Benedict Cumberbatch at the center, ‘The Power of the Dog’ unravels masculinity, repression, and isolation with a scalpel.
11. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Eddie Murphy roars back to form in this joyous tribute to outsider creativity. ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ chronicles Rudy Ray Moore’s story of underdog persistence. It is both hilarious and inspiring—a celebration of the misfits who carve out space in Hollywood history.
10. Mank (2020)
David Fincher’s ode to Old Hollywood isn’t just a biopic, it’s a hypnotic, boozy waltz through the back alleys of creative ambition. With Gary Oldman at his cranky best, ‘Mank’ explores whether brilliance and compromise can ever coexist.
9. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The Coen brothers serve up six tales from the Old West in ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’—from absurdist song-and-dance duels to haunting morality plays. It’s as gorgeous as it is unpredictable, and a reminder of how short stories can leave lasting scars.
5. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Aaron Sorkin’s courtroom drama blends fiery rhetoric, political commentary, and wry humor with ease. Timely and electrifying, ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ captures a moment in history that still echoes loudly. Never before were the protests against the Vietnam War and its aftermath dramatised so audaciously.
4. Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón’s black-and-white love letter to his childhood maid is more than a memoir; it’s an epic of the everyday. Intimate, political, and visually ravishing, ‘Roma’ deftly uplifts quiet moments to operatic beauty.
