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Streaming platforms make up some of the most lucrative businesses in the world, and they deserve all the attention they get. There was a time when movies didn’t exist, and when they did, sound didn’t.
The world of film and television has come a long way since, and now, we are lucky enough to have brilliant content on our phones, laptops, and any other device for that matter and one of the most popular streaming platforms to exist right now is Netflix.
Netflix has given us a chance to stream some brilliant movies over the years, and on this website, we have had a chance to review a lot of them too.
We decided to go ahead and compile a list of the top ten movies streaming on Netflix that we think deserve a watch! Hopefully, this list helps you figure out what you need to watch this week!
1. Luther: The Fallen Sun
Based on the British television series Luther by Neil Cross, Luther: The Fallen Sun is a psychological crime thriller film. When a serial killer blackmails and kidnaps a young cleaner, Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther makes it his mission to find him and bring him home to his mother.
However, the serial killer can learn about and publicize several illegal acts Luther has committed during his time as a police officer, and instead of finishing his search, Luther ends up in prison. When the killer commits another heinous act and finds a way to taunt Luther inside his prison cell, Luther breaks out and is determined to make the killer pay for his atrocities.
The film stars Idris Elba as Luther and Cynthia Erivo as DCI Odette Raine. Andy Serkis co-stars as David Robey, the millionaire by day and serial killer by night. Elba also served as one of the film’s producers. Luther: The Fallen Sun was released in select theatres across the United States on February 24, 2023, and became available to stream on March 10, 2023.
2. The Strays
One of Netflix’s newest horror films is The Strays, marking Nathaniel Martello-White’s directorial debut. Ashley Madekwe (Salem) stars as Cheryl, a Black woman who, after a phone call discussing experiencing discrimination, starts to reject her husband’s calls. She leaves a note on the refrigerator saying she’s gone to the hair salon.
Sometime later, a fair-skinned Black woman named Neve is introduced. She is married to a white man named Ian and has two children with him named Sebastian and Mary. Neve shuns anything having to do with her being Black and often has visions of Black people, which cause her to be visibly disturbed.
She serves as the deputy headmistress at her children’s school and is confronted by two individuals claiming she is their mother. It turns out that Neve is actually Cheryl, and her children whom she abandoned have not taken kindly to their mother’s new choice of lifestyle, to say the least.
The cast of The Strays includes Bukky Bakray, Maria Almeida, Jordan Myrie, Samuel Small, and Justin Salinger. The film began streaming on February 22, 2023.
3. You People
If you’re looking for a romantic comedy that will have you struggling to catch your breath from laughing so hard, look no further than Netflix’s You People. Directed by Kenya Barris, who co-wrote the film with Jonah Hill, You People tells the love story of Ezra and Amira, played by Jonah Hill and Lauren London.
The two come from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, so when they decide to get married, they need to impress each other’s families and learn to deal with their in-laws. David Duchovny and Julia Louis-Dreyfus co-star as Ezra’s parents, who are very white and very Jewish, while Eddie Murphy and Nia Long play Amira’s parents, who are African-American and devout Muslims.
Comedian Sam Jay also appears as Ezra’s best friend and podcast co-host Mo. Hilarity ensues as the lovebirds attempt to force their families to get along and Amira’s father does everything in his power to keep them from going through with the wedding.
It was released in select theatres on January 20, 2023, and released on Netflix on January 23, 2023, debuting at number one on Netflix’s English-language Top 10.
4. Pamela: A Love Story
In response to Hulu’s fictionalized Pam & Tommy, Pamela Anderson worked with Netflix to release Pamela: A Love Story, a documentary about her life and experiences. The film features her journals as well as never-before-seen archival footage with appearances from Tommy Lee, Fran Drescher, David Hasselhoff, and Kelly Slater. The documentary, released in January 2023, was co-produced by her eldest son, Brandon Thomas Lee.
Pamela: A Love Story has allowed Anderson to tell the story of her relationship with Tommy Lee from her point of view, especially since Pam & Tommy’s depiction of their marriage and sex tape debacle mostly favored her ex-husband’s take on it all. While Anderson is still considered a sex symbol, this film shows that there is much more to her than her Playboy Bunny status.
5. Your Place or Mine
Another sweet romantic comedy is Your Place or Mine, released on Netflix on February 10, 2023. The film was written and directed by Aline Brosh McKenna, co-creator of the musical television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and writer of films such as 27 Dresses, The Devil Wears Prada, and Cruella. Debbie Dunn and Peter Coleman, played by Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, are longtime best friends who slept together only once on the night they met 20 years ago. Debbie is a single mom living in Los Angeles. She is planning to travel to New York City, both to visit Peter and to complete the final course for her business degree.
When Debbie’s babysitter flakes on her at the last minute, Peter steps in and flies to California, offering to stay with her adolescent son Jack. Debbie goes to New York, and the two switch homes, learning more about each other – and their hidden feelings for each other – in the process. The film also features Jesse William and comedian Tig Notaro. For a heartwarming 111 minutes, give Your Place or Mine a try.
6. Dog Gone
Released in January 2023, Dog Gone is a biographical drama film. It is based on Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home by Pauls Toutonghi. The film stars Rob Lowe and Johnny Berchtold as a father and son struggling with their relationship when the son comes home from college without a plan or a job.
While away at school, the son – named Fielding – adopts a yellow lab puppy and names him Gonker. Gonker comes home with Fielding to his parent’s house and is diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, a rare endocrine disorder, soon afterward.
To maintain his health, Fielding must take Gonker to get a shot every month. While out on a hike with Fielding and one of his college friends, Gonker runs off to chase a fox, and the young men are unable to find him.
Fielding and his father John must work together and put their differences aside to find Gonker and bring him home before his next shot is due in three weeks. This heartwarming film also features a score by Emily Bear, composer of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.
7. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
One of our recent favorite films is Glass Onion, the 2022 sequel to the 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out. Daniel Craig, former James Bond, returns in the role of Benoit Blanc, a private investigator who, as pointed out in the first film, talks with a “Foghorn Leghorn drawl”. He is invited to a murder mystery party on a billionaire’s private island, except what’s supposed to be a game during a weekend getaway develops into an actual crime. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, it was released in theatres in November 2022 and available to stream on Netflix just a month later in December 2022.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as several Golden Globe Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards. The film has quite a star-studded cast, including Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kathryn Hahn, and Dave Bautista. It also features cameos by Hugh Grant, Natasha Lyonne, and the late Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury. Netflix holds the film rights to at least one more sequel, so we’re anxious to see what’s next for Benoit Blanc!
8. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Just this past weekend, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio became the first animated film from a streaming service to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Released on December 9, 2022, for streaming, the film is based on the Italian children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Del Toro’s musical adaptation is a bit darker than the original tale, telling the story of the wooden boy who comes to life set in Fascist Italy prior to the start of the Second World War. The score and original songs were composed by French composer and conductor Alexandra Desplat.
Amazingly, del Toro has been working on the film in some way or another since 2008. The film stars Gregory Mann as Pinocchio, Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, and David Bradley as Master Geppetto. Other stars include Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, and Finn Wolfhard. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is hosting a multi-floor exhibition called “Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio” through April 15, 2023.
9. I’m Thinking of Ending Things
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is described as a surrealist psychological thriller. The film is written and directed by Charlie Kaufman and is an adaptation of Iain Reid’s novel of the same name. The film stars Jesse Plemons as Jake, a young man bringing his new girlfriend home to meet his parents at their farm.
Jessie Buckley, from the newly-minted Oscar-winning film Women Talking, portrays Young Woman, Jake’s girlfriend who is called by different names throughout the film. The stories that Young Woman tells Jake’s mother and father are inconsistent, and throughout the night, Mother and Father – played by Toni Collette and David Thewlis – transform into their younger and older selves, but the transformation is not acknowledged.
The main story is intercut with footage of an elderly high school janitor, sometimes watching scenes of students rehearsing for musical Oklahoma! The couple also shares several philosophical debates and discussions throughout.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things has a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics have praised the uncomfortable feelings it evokes. If you enjoy thrillers and good storytelling, it might be worth checking out this film!
10. Enola Homes
Enola Holmes is the first in an ongoing series of mystery films starring Millie Bobby Brown. Brown portrays the title character, who just so happens to be the younger sister of famed detective Sherlock Holmes.
Based on The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer, the film follows Enola’s journey to make a name for herself as a detective, escaping from the shadow cast by her brother’s career.
When her mother Eudoria disappears, Enola is determined to seek her out, following a series of clues that coincidentally aid her in saving the life of the young Viscount Tewkesbury.
Henry Cavill portrays Sherlock himself, and Helena Bonham Carter is featured as Eudoria. The cast is rounded out by Sam Claflin, portraying Tewkesbury. The film was directed by Harry Bradbeer and released exclusively on Netflix on September 23, 2020. The sequel, Enola Holmes 2, premiered on November 4, 2022, and we’re sure at least one more film is to come because there are more books in the series, as well as a teaser in the after-credits scene of the sequel. But for now, audiences have at least two films to watch!
Conclusion
If you saw any of your favorite movies on this list, do let us know in the comments below.
We would also like to know which one of these has made it to your life because we will be re-watching Dog Gone very soon!
