Netflix’s original movies may not have won Best Picture at the Oscars, but the streamer still has a great lineup of A-list movies.
It certainly helps that Netflix can borrow films from other studios for long periods of time, including many Oscar-winning options.
In March, Watch Us narrowed these options down to the five best Netflix movies you can watch right now, as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
Our selections include crime drama, musical biopic, independent film, legal drama and one of the best movies of the 21st century.
5. ‘Casino’ (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78
In 10 movies Robert De Niro and the director Martin Scorsese let’s do together, Casino fall somewhere in between. It’s still a crime epic in Scorsese fashion, even if it’s not as iconic as some of their previous collaborations. The film is set in the 1970s as Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro) is sent to Las Vegas to target the casinos for the mob.
Sam is very good at his job, but he can’t choose his friends. The woman he loves, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), can’t hide his disdain, while his old friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) quickly becomes more trouble than he’s worth. Sam has a knack for making new enemies, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s forced to give up his chips for good.
Casino is streaming on Netflix.
4. ‘Ray’ (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79
The real thing Ray Charles he died a few months earlier Ray in the theater, but this biopic was a fitting tribute to the legendary singer. Jamie Foxx he won an Oscar for his portrayal of Charles, and the film charts his rise from unknown to music star.
Nuremberg is slated for late 2025, possibly with an eye on the awards season. When the Oscar nomination eluded the film by writer and director James Vanderbilt, Nuermberg found a new broadcasting home. Unsurprisingly, Nuremberg is already climbing Netflix’s streaming movie chart despite the poignant title. Now, Watch Us is sharing […]
Charles’ talent was undeniable even early in his career as he began dating Della Beatrice Howard (Kerry Washington), Mary Ann Fisher (Aunjanue Ellis) and Margie Hendricks (Regina King). Unfortunately for Charles, his addiction to heroin may be stronger than his love for any of the women in his life. And it may cost him everything he has.
Ray is streaming on Netflix.
3. ‘Chef’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87
The cook it was Jon Favreaucleansing the palate after directing a series of intense films, as he writes, directs and stars in this indie drama about a man dealing with a self-inflicted mid-life crisis. Carl Casper (Favreau) is a respected chef who rivals food critic, Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt), is going viral and seems to be finishing his career.
Carl’s ex-wife, Inez (Sofia Vergara), and his colleague, Martin (John Leguizamo), inspired him to rediscover his passion for cooking by reinventing himself as a food truck owner. Freed from the constraints of restaurant management, Carl gets tested for his food offerings while mending his relationship with Inez and their son, Percy (Jay Anthony).
The cook is streaming on Netflix.
A dog named Messi, who became the breakout star of Anatomy of a Fall, is not expected to attend the 2024 Academy Awards. The 7-year-old border collie, who played Snoop in Justine Triet’s Oscar-nominated play, will not be at the Los Angeles Sunday, March 10, awards show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Messi was the best […]
2. ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96
It’s not a knock on human actors The Anatomy of a Fall to say that one of the best performances of the film was given to the dog named Messi. That adorable canine was put to great use as Snoop, the guide dog of a little boy named Daniel Maleski (Milo Machado-Graner). The two have the misfortune of finding the body of Daniel’s father, Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis), and family trauma begins.
Police and prosecutors soon focused on Daniel’s mother, Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller), as the main suspect in her husband’s death. The authorities ignore Sandra’s arguments that her husband committed suicide, and her case continues in court and in the court of public opinion. Did Sandra kill her husband, or is she his murderer? You’ll have to see the movie before you make up your mind.
The Anatomy of a Fall is streaming on Netflix.
1. ‘Boyhood’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97
You were a boy it was a cinematic test for the director Richard Linklater who wrote the lives of boys, Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), and his family during the decade by shooting small parts of the film once a year. Afterwards, the audience sees Mason and his sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), grew up before their eyes while their tired mother, Olivia Evans (Patricia Arquette), trying to raise them as much as he can.
Ethan Hawke costars as Mason Evans Sr., Olivia’s ex-husband, who comes in and out of her children’s lives. Arquette won an Oscar for best supporting actress and Hawke is absolutely gorgeous, but this movie belongs to Coltrane. His moral work as a Mason is completely believable. The film feels like a true coming-of-age story because, in many ways, it is – the film documents in real time Coltrane’s transition from child to young man, and it’s fascinating to watch.
You were a boy is streaming on Netflix.
