Do you remember when Netflix DVDs arrived in those small red envelopes? Fast forward to today, and the platform has transformed into a major force in Hollywood, collecting awards, topping charts, and regularly delivering films that can leave audiences delighted—or deeply moved—without much warning. With so many original releases each year, though, it can be hard to figure out what’s actually worth your time. This list highlights ten of the standout Netflix original movies, ranked from the lower end up to the most essential watch at the top.
10. Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is the movie that caused everyone to text their ex (don’t do it). Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver unflinching, painfully honest performances as a couple navigating a divorce, and Laura Dern takes over as a ruthless lawyer. With six Oscar nominations and one win, it’s beautiful and heartbreaking all at once—a film that feels like listening in on real life.
9. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Coen Brothers brought their dark humor to Netflix with The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a quirky six-part Western anthology. From singing cowboys to unlucky bank robbers, each chapter balances absurd comedy with existential bleakness. It earned three Oscar nods and delivers exactly the mix of weirdness and artistry you’d expect from the Coens.
8. Mudbound
Dee Rees’ Mudbound is the story of two families, one Black and one white, struggling to get by in the Mississippi Delta post-WWII. Confronting racism, trauma, and survival, it’s both powerful and emotionally devastating. Mary J. Blige delivers a standout performance, and the film made history with multiple first-time Oscar nominations for Black women for adapted screenplay and cinematography. It’s a hauntingly resonant work of Americana.
7. Maestro
Bradley Cooper commits fully—prosthetics and everything—in Maestro, a grand examination of Leonard Bernstein’s life, marriage, and music. With Carey Mulligan in an Oscar-worthy turn as Felicia Montealegre, the film combines romance, heartbreak, and artistry. With seven nominations, it’s a rich and dramatic plunge into love and legacy.
6. The Irishman
Martin Scorsese brought De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci together for The Irishman, a sweeping gangster epic that covers decades. Weighing in at three and a half hours, it’s an investment, but the reward is huge—ten Oscar nominations and a poignant goodbye to Scorsese’s crime cycles. The de-aging technology will get some raised eyebrows, but the tale packs a punch.
5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Benoit Blanc returns! Daniel Craig again plays the world’s most eccentric detective, this time investigating a killing on a tycoon’s private island. Full of celebrity aplomb, crisp dialogue, and ample twists, Glass Onion is a smart, chic whodunit that’s at once old-school and new. Great for party-watching so everyone can yell theories at the screen.
4. Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is not your usual war movie. It is about four veterans traveling back to Vietnam to reclaim a lost brother (Chadwick Boseman) and hidden riches. What comes out is a mix of action, history, and gut-punch emotion, Lee’s trademark combination of politics and heart. It’s emotional, intense, and unforgettable.
3. Roma
Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma is a visual poem—shot in black-and-white, filled with sweeping long takes, and grounded in a deeply personal story about a housekeeper named Cleo in 1970s Mexico City. The film became Netflix’s first critical darling, winning Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. It’s artful, intimate, and lingers long after the credits roll.
2. All Quiet on the Western Front
This World War I drama is a searing, haunting retelling of Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war classic. Directed by Edward Berger, it follows young soldier Paul Bäumer as his visions of glory disintegrate in the face of bloody trench warfare. With breathtaking cinematography, a spine-tingling score, and several Oscar and BAFTA awards, it’s as lovely as it is frightening.
1. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Del Toro’s stop-motion wonder, “Pinocchio,” is right at the top of the list. With the story taking place in Italy under the fascist regime, the movie tells the same old fairy tale with sparkle, new feelings, and brilliant artistry. This was the Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, and it really puts del Toro’s statement “animation is cinema” across. It is one of the best Netflix originals, both dark and beautiful at the same time, and very moving.