The 25 best Netflix original movies

Netflix has been around since the late '90s, but in 2015, the streamer updated its resume to include production company and distributor. After debuting the company's first original film, Beasts of No Nation, Netflix went on to produce and release thousands of pieces of original content. As of 2022, original and exclusive Netflix titles make up 50% of the platform's available offerings in the United States. That's a lot of original work to sort through, so we here at EW took the liberty of selecting the best Netflix original movies available for your streaming pleasure.

<i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> (2022)

Based on the 1929 literary novel — which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning movie in 1930, a made-for-TV movie in 1979, and finally, a film released theatrically and on Netflix in 2022 — this German language World War I movie remains one of the starkest examples of anti-war sentiment in cinematic history. All Quiet follows Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) a young German recruit over the course of the 18 months he spends serving in Northern France on the frontlines of the war's Western Front. Director Edward Berger's film focuses on Paul's transformation; the longer the conflict rages on, the further the young man drifts from youthful, patriotic enlistee, to battle-hardened soldier, traumatized by what he's seen and those he's lost. An aesthetic experience, EW critic Leah Greenblatt writes that "the spectral score by composer Volker Bertelmann is gorgeously unsettling, and the cinematography achieves a kind of painterly, panoramic grandeur." —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch All Quiet on the Western Front: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review) 

Director: Edward Berger 

Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl 

Related reading: British Academy snubs Michelle Williams, All Quiet on the Western Front storms 2023 BAFTA nominations

<i>Beasts of No Nation</i> (2015)

Another war film, the powerful drama Beasts of No Nation follows a brutal civil dispute in Africa as told through the eyes of a child soldier. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Abraham Attah and Idris Elba, the film is a harrowing, confronting look at humanity in the face of the devastation of war. After its release on Netflix, it was a huge success on the platform, receiving over three million views in North American in just ten days. However, despite its critical and relative commercial success, the movie didn't receive any Oscar nominations. Beasts of No Nation may not be filled with A-lister Hollywood stars, but it is one of Netflix's greatest films to date. As EW's Leah Greenblatt notes, "It's a credit to Fukunaga as a filmmaker — and his outstanding cast, nearly all of them first-timers aside from Elba — that Beasts is both audaciously styled and heartbreakingly human in scale." —I.G.

Where to watch Beasts of No Nation: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga 

Cast: Idris Elba, Kurt Egyiawan, Jude Akuwudike, Emmanuel "King King" Nii Adom Quaye, Abraham Attah 

Related reading: Beasts of No Nation: Idris Elba and Cary Fukunaga on humanizing tragedy

<i>Da 5 Bloods</i> (2020)

Wars and wounds collide in Spike Lee's 2020 film Da 5 Bloods, a meditation on race, generational trauma, and American intervention. Toggling between the past and present, the film follows four Black war veterans as they return to Vietnam, intent on recovering a locker of gold bars and the body of their fallen friend and squad leader, Stormin' Norman (Chadwick Boseman), both of which were lost during a napalm strike. Guided in their quest by Tiên, the ex-girlfriend of one of the former soldiers, and forced to confront landmines — both real and emotional — the remainder of the squad must reconcile the horrors of their past with the difficulties of their present if they hope to escape Vietnam for a better future. Incorporating archival newsreel for additional context, Da 5 Bloods is a war film with action sequences, but many of the battles pit man against his memory. —I.G.

Where to watch Da 5 Bloods: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review) 

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr.   

Related content: The Awardist podcast: Delroy Lindo on his titanic performance in Da 5 Bloods

<i>Dolemite is My Name</i> (2019)

Los Angeles in the 1970s is a terrible place to live if you're struggling, and aspiring show business professional Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) can't seem to break in. After years of working a dead-end job as a record store manager and grinding for stage time, Rudy creates a character inspired (or stolen, depending on how literal you want to get) by a homeless man who wanders into his store. Armed with a new name, new vocabulary, and new wardrobe, Rudy as Dolemite starts taking over the comedy scene — but he's not content to stop there. Determined to turn Dolemite into a blaxploitation karate film starring himself, Rudy cobbles together a screenwriter (Keegan-Michael Key), a celebrated character actor (Wesley Snipes), and a comedian (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), and decides to do it himself. Based on the true story of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian, filmmaker, and godfather of rap, Dolemite is My Name is a period biopic that perfectly balances jokes and heart. —I.G.

Where to watch Dolemite is My Name: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess

Related reading: Dolemite Is My Name premiere hails triumphant comeback for Eddie Murphy

<i>Don't Look Up</i> (2021)

What will the end of the world look like? Don't Look Up has an answer to that question — and unfortunately, it doesn't look good. In Adam McKay's dark comedy, we see a depiction of how the modern world  — or in this film's case, a cavalcade of ineffectual politicians, livestreamers, and interfering billionaires  — reacts to the most dire of situations. While it may initially seem to be an over-the-top, fairly easy-going comedy, the film packs an emotional, intellectual punch. "This movie came from my terror about the climate crisis and the fact that we live in a society that tends to place it as the fourth or fifth news story, or even deny that it's happening, and how horrifying that is, but at the same time [how] preposterously funny," McKay tells EW. It's a darkly parodic film with a somewhat eerie message about humanity — that when the end of the world does come, we may be too busy to even notice. —Meg Walters

Where to watch Don't Look Up: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review) 

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Rylance, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothee Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Melanie Lynskey, Cate Blanchett

Related reading: Don't Look Up director says 'editing mistake' showing crew was 'on purpose'

<i>Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery</i> (2022)

Rian Johnson is a man who laughs in the face of genre: From fantasy blockbusters like Star Wars to whodunnit comedies, this writer and director gets around. And after a three year hiatus, he and everyone's favorite pastel-clad detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) are back with a second addition to their Knives Out franchise. Released both in theaters and on Netflix, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery tells the story of a friend group caught up in the allures of money, fame, power, and murder — but in all truthfulness, the film is just as effective as travel propaganda for the Greek island on which the story is set. Miles Bron (Edward Norton) is a tech billionaire prototype who organizes a murder mystery at his remote estate, but his weekend plans are interrupted by the appearance of an old friend and current enemy, Cassandra Brand (Janelle Monae), as well as the unanticipated arrival of Detective Blanc. —I.G.

Where to watch Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Joe Rogan, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline

Related reading: Why Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay

<i>Hustle</i> (2022)

"Guys in their 50s don't have dreams," says Adam Sandler's character, Stanley Sugerman, in the sports film Hustle. "They have nightmares and eczema." Sugerman is unwilling to admit it, but he hasn't given up on his fantasy of becoming an NBA coach, even though he's spent his life on the road working as an international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. After finally receiving a promotion to assistant coach, Stanley is able to realize his professional ambitions and spend more time at home with his wife (Queen Latifah) and daughter. But when Stanley's mentor dies, precipitating a changeup in the Philadelphia 76ers front office, Stanley finds himself demoted back to talent scout. During a trip to Spain, he discovers Bo Cruz (former Toronto Raptors player Juancho Hernangómez), an unknown baller with an undeniable gift. But if Stanley is going to convince the league to take Bo seriously, both he and the budding athlete will need to put in some serious work. —I.G.

Where to watch Hustle: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Jeremiah Zagar 

Cast: Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, Juancho Hernangómez, Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards, Robert Duvall

Related reading: NBA player Juancho Hernangómez wasn't an Adam Sandler fan — until their bromance making Hustle

<i>Mank</i> (2020)

A newer addition to Netflix's list of original films, Mank tells the story of the making of Orson Welles' famous 1941 classic, Citizen Kane. Directed by David Fincher, the movie stars Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz, or 'Mank', the "scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter," as he struggles to complete the screenplay of Citizen Kane on time. Written by Fincher's late father, the film was shot in black-and-white and aimed to recreate some of the cinematographic style of Welles' work. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and while the movie only took home two awards, it still won more than Citizen Kane. As Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt notes in her review of the film, Mank might not be for everyone, but it is the ultimate film for lovers of old Hollywood: "part love letter, part cautionary tale, and still somehow a mystery." —M.W.

Where to watch Mank: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: David Fincher 

Cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Tom Burke, Lily Collins, Charles Dance, Tom Pelphrey

Related reading: How the Mank cast tackled the behind-the-scenes story of Citizen Kane

<i>Ma Rainey's Black Bottom</i> (2020)

Chadwick Boseman could hardly have chosen a better vehicle to demonstrate his limitless talent than Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the film which ended up serving as the celebrated actor's final onscreen performance. Paired opposite the film's other star — Viola Davis, who disappears into the role of the eponymous Ma Rainey, a famous blues singer and force of nature — the two conjure up what our critic describes as an "acting masterclass" of a performance. Adapted from August Wilson's 1984 play, the film tells the story of Ma and her group of Black bandmates as they attempt to record in a Chicago studio during the 1920s. What should be a straightforward day of music grinds to a halt as the artists struggle to deal with personality clashes, an ambitious trumpeter named Levee (Boseman), and the band's mercurial front woman. Also starring Taylour Paige (Zola) as Ma's love interest, Ma Rainey is a must-see for its homage to the titular blues legend and its importance in the Chadwick Boseman acting canon. —I.G.

Where to watch Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: George C. Wolfe  

Cast: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige

Related reading: Viola Davis makes Oscars history as the most-nominated Black actress ever

<i>Marriage Story</i> (2019)

Marriage Story was a smash hit from Netflix that garnered six Oscar nominations and one win (for Laura Dern in the Best Supporting Actress category). Directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Dern, the film follows a married couple going through an increasingly thorny divorce. While it's not always an easy watch, Marriage Story offers an unflinching, heart-wrenching look at how the practicalities and legalities of divorce can tear apart the people involved. "They've lost their voices; they've lost a sense of who they are," Baumbach tells EW. "They're trying to figure out what they believe anymore. And that's a dangerous place, I think, for a couple to find themselves." —M.W.

Where to watch Marriage Story: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever

Related reading: Diane Ladd wanted Laura Dern to quit acting to become a lawyer years before she won an Oscar for playing one

<i>Mudbound</i> (2017)

Two families are mired in poverty, each with a son who fought bravely in World War II only to return to the Mississippi Delta with nothing but PTSD to show for their troubles. But the only difference between the Jacksons and McAllans is the color of their skin. Dee Rees' Mudbound follows the two families as they fight their wars both abroad and within the home, and discover that trauma bonds deeper than blood. Jason Mitchell is exceptional as Ronsel Jackson, bringing emotional honesty to a war hero who, because of the color of his skin, is treated like anything but. Also featuring an all-star ensemble that includes Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, and Garrett Hedlund, EW's critic writes that "Mudbound is never preachy, reductive, or undercut by its own good intentions. Just the opposite. It's a deeply felt American tale told with heart and humanity." —I.G.

Where to watch Mudbound: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review) 

Director: Dee Rees

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Banks

Related reading: How the Mudbound script forged its central relationship

<i>Okja</i> (2017)

Two years before Bong Joon-ho wowed the world with Parasite, the South Korean director partnered with Netflix to make Okja. A pig-centered movie that leans decidedly more towards Animal Farm than Babe, the movie follows Mija, a South Korean teen who bonds with Okja, the "super pig" she's helped raise — only to have Okja taken from her after he is crowned the winner of an agrochemical company's competition for best pig. With Okja headed for the slaughterhouse, Mija travels from South Korea to New York City on a mission to save her friend and to help expose the inhumane practices of the Mirando Corporation and its leader, Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton). A mixture of science, fantasy, action, and adventure, Okja is one of those movies you have to see to believe. As EW's critic writes, Okja is "the antithesis of cookie-cutter, made-by-committee filmmaking. Prepare to be amazed, grossed out, provoked, punchdrunk, and tickled." —I.G.

Where to watch Okja: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Bong Joon-ho 

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Ahn Seo-hyun, Byun Hee-bong, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Yoon Je-moon, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, Devon Bostick, Choi Woo-shik, Giancarlo Esposito, Jake Gyllenhaal

Related content: Okja cast on film's political parallels, 'wars' against nature and women

<i>Private Life</i> (2018)

Creating a baby can suck the life out of even the most stable of relationships — especially when the process doesn't go as planned. Richard and Rachel (Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn) are middle-aged artists living in New York City and struggling with infertility. As they submerge themselves in the process, juggling IVF procedures, adoption interviews, and researching other options, the couple's marriage becomes increasingly strained. Their lives are further complicated when the couple's college-aged niece Sadie (Kayli Carter) comes to stay with them and offers to assist with their conception issues. A nuanced, grounded look at living with infertility, Private Life brilliantly depicts the emotional journey that is struggling to conceive without pandering or offering convenient solutions. Hahn and Giamatti are brilliantly matched and director Tamara Jenkins guides the film with a deft hand, providing well-earned laughs to relieve the tension, but never at the expense of the heartache involved. —I.G.

Where to watch Private Life: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Tamara Jenkins

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch, Desmin Borges, Denis O'Hare 

Related content: Kathryn Hahn attributes success to 'complex' roles for women her age

<i>Roma</i> (2018)

Roma was arguably Netflix's first big original movie that really caught the attention of critics and film buffs alike. It was the first Netflix film to receive a Best Picture nod at the Oscars and ultimately won the award for Best Foreign Language Film. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) and starring a cast of relatively unknown Mexican actors, the black-and-white film follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housekeeper for an upper-class family in the 1970s where Cuarón himself grew up. Like life, Roma is a complex, sprawling film that is light on the plot and heavy on the atmosphere. With plenty of long, wide shots, it sends its viewers diving headfirst into Cuarón's version of 1970s Mexico City and ultimately, packs a weighty, emotional punch. —M.W.

Where to watch Roma: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Cast: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Jorge Antonio Guerrero

Related reading: Why Oscar nominee Marina de Tavira's Roma role hit close to home

<i>The Ballad of Buster Scruggs</i> (2018)

The Coen Brothers got tired of limiting themselves to one narrative in their projects, so for their Netflix film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they decided to mix it up and tell multiple stories. Set up as a six-part Western anthology, the film focuses thematically on the American frontier, and tells the stories of a cheerful cowboy, an unlucky would-be bank robber, a traveling promoter whose business is going downhill, a grizzled prospector, a woman headed West in search of a husband, and a group of passengers in a stagecoach. While the Coens mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice, which the pair previously deployed on projects like True Grit and No Country for Old Men. And while there are certainly frontrunner stories in terms of quality and effectiveness, the entire film is worth a watch. —I.G.

Where to watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast: Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits

Related content: The Coen brothers movies, ranked

<i>The Harder They Fall</i> (2021)

The traditional Western movie gets a shot of adrenaline and style in The Harder They Fall, one of the few cowboy films in which all the main cast are played by Black actors. Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) is a former slave turned cowboy hero whose tragic, Batman-esque origin story has led him down a path of vigilantism. Love uses his outlaw status to rob worse outlaws, and the biggest offender working is Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), supported by his loyal crew, including Trudy Smith (Regina King) and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield). When Love was a child, Buck murdered his parents in front of him, and all these years later, Love is still desperate for revenge. Aided by US Marshall Reeves (Delroy Lindo) and his former lover and current saloon owner Mary (Zazie Beetz), Love is ready to face off against Buck — only to learn the two have more in common than he could ever have believed. —I.G.

Where to watch The Harder They Fall: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review) 

Director: Jeymes Samuel

Cast: Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, Deon Cole

Related reading: Nominated for Nothing: The good, the bad, and the ugly truth of The Harder They Fall

<i>The Irishman</i> (2019)

You'd probably expect any film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring the legendary trifecta of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci to be nothing short of exceptional — and Netflix's The Irishman does not disappoint. The 2019 film is based on I Heard You Paint Houses, the 2004 memoir of Frank Sheeran, who found himself embroiled with a Philadelphia-based Italian mob. This is essential viewing for film fans of all kinds, but especially if your favorites include the likes of The Godfather, Goodfellas, or Taxi Driver. As EW's Leah Greenblatt puts it, it's "kind of caps-lock Scorsese — the greatest hits of his career revisited once more, with feeling." The film famously used CGI to 'de-age' its three stars, so The Irishman is one of the first films to follow its characters across several decades without having to cast multiple actors for the same role. Just make sure to set aside plenty of time, as this epic effort from De Niro and Scorsese clocks in at three-and-a-half hours. —M.W.

Where to watch The Irishman: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Bobby Cannavale

Related reading: Martin Scorsese brings a life's work to his starry, bloody, and very long drama The Irishman

<i>The King<i> (2019)

Based on Shakespeare's Henriad plays, The King tells the story of King Henry V (Timothee Chalamet) as he comes of age and reluctantly leads England into a brutal war with France in the pursuit of peace. While on the surface, The King is a typical muddy, bloody war film, it has many more layers with Chalamet's fierce moral compass as Hal, Joel Edgerton's cunning intelligence as Falstaff, and Robert Pattinson's caricature-like portrayal of the slightly deranged French Prince Louis. And while the film may be light on female characters, Lily-Rose Depp becomes "not just the film's conscience, she's the bellwether of a better king—and the woman who might one day come to rule him, too." —M.W.

Where to watch The King: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review) 

Director: David Michôd 

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton, Lily-Rose Depp, Ben Mendelsohn, Sean Harris

Related reading: Of battlefields and bowl cuts: How Timothée Chalamet became The King

<i>The Lost Daughter</i> (2021)

Complicated women take center stage in the stripped down plot of The Lost Daughter, a shimmering adaptation of author Elena Ferrante's 2006 novel. Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley bless us with their performances of protagonist Leda Caruso at different points in her life. The current version of Leda (played by Coleman) is an academic on a solo holiday in Greece, where she meets a young mother named Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to handle her active 3-year-old. Leda and Nina bond over the difficulties of motherhood, their interactions informed by the flashbacks of Leda's past history with her own two daughters. Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut  — which she also wrote — The Lost Daughter is a brilliant psychological drama that feeds on the fire stoked by our perceived failures as parents, and the shame that parents — especially mothers — feel when making choices to prioritize their own well-being over that of their children. —I.G.

Where to watch The Lost Daughter: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review) 

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal 

Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris, Paul Mescal

Related reading: Dakota Johnson says mom Melanie Griffith is still processing The Lost Daughter

<i>The Power of the Dog</i> (2022)

Directed by Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog is a 1920s western based on the book of the same name by Thomas Savage that follows Phil, a gruff cowboy, and his brother's new family who have recently moved onto the ranch. The film picked up a staggering 12 Oscar nominations and won Best Director, with Campion becoming the third female director ever to win the award. The four central actors each give remarkable performances and Benedict Cumberbatch is deeply complex and arresting as Phil. "He's really beautiful and also a little scary, and he's charismatic," Campion explained to EW. Unlike old-school westerns, The Power of the Dog is a dark, twisted, slow burn of a film that hinges on emotion, manipulation, secrets, and desire. —M.W.

Where to watch The Power of the Dog: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review) 

Director: Jane Campion 

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Genevieve Lemon, Keith Carradine, Frances Conroy

Related reading: Jane Campion calls Sam Elliott 'a bit of a bitch' for his anti-Power of the Dog rant at DGA Awards

<i>The Trial of the Chicago 7</i> (2020)

A 2020 Netflix original based (loosely) on a true story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 details the story of seven men who find themselves on trial after a large protest against the Vietnam War during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 bears his recognizable fast-paced, verbose style and features an almost impossibly starry ensemble cast. As Sorkin tells EW, The Trial of the Chicago 7 took 12 years to make after he first thought of bringing the famous court case to life on screen. Nevertheless, it still came at a remarkably appropriate political moment. "It's funny, I've been asked, did the script change at all to mirror the times?" he says. "And no, it didn't; the times changed to mirror the script." While this film may recount the story of a war and a group of protestors from over 50 years ago, it's surprisingly relevant to modern audiences. —M.W.

Where to watch The Trial of the Chicago 7: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review) 

Director: Aaron Sorkin 

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Frank Langella, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton 

Related reading: Aaron Sorkin on the timeliness of Trial of the Chicago 7 and his upcoming Lucille Ball movie

<i>The Two Popes</i> (2019)

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles mines heart and humor from the holiest places in his biographical drama, The Two Popes. In the wake of the real-life Vatican Leaks scandal, Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) hopes to abdicate the papacy but finds he must first convince his former rival, Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), not to pursue an early retirement so he might assume the role instead. Adapted from New Zealand writer Anthony McCarten's play by the same name — which is inspired by the 2013 papal transition — the film tracks the German Benedict and the Argentinian Bergoglio (soon to be Pope Francis) as the two wax philosophic on everything from God and their own perceived failings to soccer and the Swedish pop band ABBA. EW's Leah Greenblatt writes, "Together, Hopkins and Pryce lift Popes above its loose patchwork of monologue, flashback, and personal reckoning, and let the movie get down to its truest root: scaling the mystery that makes all men, even the most seemingly unknowable and sacrosanct, human." —I.G.

Where to watch The Two Popes: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Fernando Meirelles 

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce 

Related reading: Anthony Hopkins lights papal feud ablaze in gripping Two Popes trailer

<i>The White Tiger</i> (2021)

An Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama, The White Tiger's title refers to a special kind of person; a once in a generation thinker. The movie tells the story of Balram (Adrarsh Gourav), a successful entrepreneur whose career belies his impoverished beginnings. Adapted from a 2008 novel and nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, the Ramin Bahrani-directed film elevates the story from the classic tale of rags-to-riches by grounding itself in the moral and ethical sacrifices Balram must make to rise above the paralyzing circumstances into which he was born. Also starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Pinky — the American-raised wife of Balram's employer — The White Tiger handles heavy themes of class, caste, and what one owes family with a light touch. Of course, none of this would be possible without Gourav, who EW's critics says delivers a breakout performance: "Through his eyes, Balram's singular story — in all its wild, exuberant improbability — roars to life." —I.G.

Where to watch The White Tiger: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review) 

Director: Ramin Bahrani 

Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao 

Related reading: Oscar nominee Ramin Bahrani breaks down a turning point in The White Tiger

<i>Tick, Tick… Boom!</i> (2021)

A movie musical directed by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick…BOOM! is based on the stage show of the same name by Jonathan Larson, the composer of Rent. Starring Andrew Garfield in the leading role, the film loosely follows Larson's own life as a struggling songwriter as he turns 30 in 1990s New York City. Told in a series of flashbacks that come to life on screen during a performance of the stage version of Tick, Tick…BOOM!, the biopic of sorts takes you on a painfully relatable journey of friendship, heartbreak, and being an artist. With numerous Broadway cameos and Easter eggs, it's the perfect, heartfelt ode to musical theater, and the remarkable Jonathan Larson is at the center of it all. "He's a warrior for art and love and the soul, and he wants everyone to sing their song," Garfield tells EW. "He wants everyone to be their own particular note in this grand harmony of a truly meaningful life." —M.W.

Where to watch Tick, Tick…Boom!: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review) 

Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda 

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Jordan Fisher, Robin de Jesus, Bradley Whitford  

Related reading: The Stephen Sondheim cameo you didn't realize was in Tick, Tick...Boom

<i>Triple Frontier</i> (2019)

Why rob a bank when you can put your life on the line stealing money from the cartel? In Triple Frontier, the J.C. Chandor-directed and Netflix produced action/adventure movie, a group of former special-ops soldiers come to the realization that they have not been properly compensated for their years spent in military service, and decide to get what's theirs by robbing a drug lord. Chandor brings out the big guns to play his team of military men, enlisting an ensemble composed of Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal. A good, old-fashioned male bonding film with a lot of money on the line, EW's Chris Nashawaty writes, "There may be no honor among thieves, but Triple Frontier certainly makes watching them pretty entertaining." —I.G.

Where to watch Triple Frontier: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: J.C. Chandor

Cast: Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, Pedro Pascal

Related content: Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac are cash-stealing comrades in Netflix's Triple Frontier