The 8 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now

Key Points

• If you are a fan of PG offerings, Enola Holmes, How to Train Your Dragon, or Paddington Bear, will be excellent options for you or any youngsters around you as well.
• Inception, Looper, or Stand by Me, are ideal if you prefer action, or science fiction.
• If you prefer drama rooted in reality, the Social Network might just be an excellent place to begin.

There is no question that Netflix offers a variety of high-quality movies in a slew of different genres, including action, comedy, sci-fi, adventure, flicks for kids, and so much more. The subscription services for original and purchased movies, which are free if you have a subscription, can provide you with, quite literally, thousands of hours of viewing time. 

Of course, with the platform offering access to so many best-selling movies, it begs the question: What are the best movies that you can watch on it right now (especially if you already have access to Netflix, meaning that the price is free with a subscription)? There is no shortage of top-grossing options for your viewing pleasure, so we’re narrowing down the list. As such, here is a list of the top eight best movies that the great subscription service has available right now. 

#8: Inception

This classic, mind-bending action/sci-fi film earned an 87% rating from Rotten Tomatoes thanks to its twists, inventive plots, and superb acting. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page (credited as Ellen Page), Tom Hardy, and more, and features a remarkably twisting plot. 

DiCaprio is a thief who can invade people’s dreams, steal secrets, and leverage that information in the real world. He is a popular and wealthy thief, but one with a tortured past. In the movie, he’s given the chance to plant an idea in someone’s mind, leading to a series of adventures in the real and dream world that test the consciousness of both DiCaprio’s character and those around him. The film also offers one of the most widely debated endings of any movie to date and one that will absolutely have you screaming at your friends for hours. 

Inception is rated PG-13 for some violence, and its themes may be upsetting for kids. With a running time of 2:28, it may be a bit long for some viewers, so prepare yourself and get nice and comfy on your couch. Like all movies on Netflix, this one has the right price: Free, with a Netflix subscription. 

#7: How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon is an amazing, hilarious, and charming movie for kids, but also one that adults will enjoy.

It stars Jay Bruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, and Jonah Hill in voice acting roles, and it features the adventure of Hiccup, a village boy who wants to be more. When Hiccup accidentally captures a dragon, he quickly learns that dragons are not the enemies that his village has made them out to be. He then bonds with the legendary animal, starting a slew of adventures that make both the dragon and Hiccup realize that they can be so much more than fate has made them out to be.

This movie is actually one of the top-rated features on Netflix, earning a 99% rating on the website. It is rated PG and has a 1:38 running time, making it a great watch for kids. 

#6: Top Gun

I feel the need … the need, for speed.

Top Gun is one of the best-selling movie franchises of the 1980s — a cultural classic, and one that helped launch the careers of some of its stars (like Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer) into the stratosphere. This action-adventure stars Cruise as the reckless U.S. Navy Pilot who must navigate his controversial family past in order to build his own career. It features countless action scenes and makes flying look amazing. Indeed, the Navy reported a recruitment boom after the movie aired. With its sequel in theatres now, the movie is more relevant than ever.

It has a rating of PG-13 and a running time of 1:49. 

#5: Paddington

Paddington is the classic kid’s book series that was turned into a movie in 2014. With a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, this is a great one! 

This part CGI, part real-world acting film stars High Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Waters, and more. In the movie, Paddington the Bear — courtesy of some outstanding CGI — has to flee to England after his natural home is destroyed by an earthquake. He is taken in by a lovely British couple who cares for him, but also must flee from an evil Taxidermist.

The movie is cute, charming, and has just enough thrills and adventure to keep kids entertained while not scaring them to death. It has a PG rating and a running time of 1:38.

#4: The Social Network

This academy award-winning film is the dramatized version of the start of Facebook, the company that has unquestionably changed all of our lives … for better or worse. 

The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. It also features Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Armie Hammer, all of whom play important roles in Zuckerberg’s life. The movie follows Zuckerberg as a student at Harvard when he first founded “thefacebook.com,” designed as a social network to help Zuckerberg and his friends get girls. The narrative continues through the founding of the website and then its amazing success, as well as the insane legal challenges that came as a result, including a major lawsuit by the Winklevoss twins.

Rated PG-13, The Social Network has a running time of two hours and is available on Netflix. 

#3: Stand by Me

This is an all-time classic movie based on the hit Stephen King book, featuring the adventures of friends in broken homes who witness more than they ever should.

The movie stars then child stars River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell as four friends growing up in a variety of different circumstances. One of them hears about a dead body, and the boys go on a multi-day adventure to find the body, bonding with each other, evading bullies, and ultimately growing closer than before. This movie is a major hit that defined the coming-of-age genre for decades. 

This 1986 film runs 1:29, a shorter entry for non-kid movies on the list, but a nostalgic reflection of a different time when movies were much abbreviated but no less poignant!

#2: Looper

Looper is an action-adventure thriller featuring one of the more unique plots you’ll find on this list. 

Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt, the film takes place in the future — when time travel exists but is hard to access. People who have the money to do so can travel back in time to kill others, and Joseph Gordon Levitt is a hitman who time travels to eliminate targets for the mob. However, Gordon-Levitt becomes a target of the mob, who sends Willis back in time to kill him.

This film features some fascinating philosophy and heart-stopping action. It has a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a running time of a near-perfect 1:59. 

#1: Enola Holmes

Are you looking for a charming British film featuring a spunky and unstoppable female lead? Look no further than Enola Holmes, which stars Millie Bobby Brown, Sam Clafin, and Henry Cavill. Holmes is a British teen whose mother disappears, and the film follows her adventures in London, ranging from high society to the working-class core of the city. The film is witty, inventive, and has a style all its own.

It’s rated PG-13 thanks to some violence and adult situations, so this may not be completely appropriate for kids, though it works for teens. Rotten Tomatoes gives this one a 93% fresh score, and it has a running time of 2:03. 

The Moral of the Story …

For the price of a few bucks a month, you can gain access to all of these movies (and more) on the Netflix streaming subscription platform. It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer — whether you’re searching for the most popular movies, top-grossing movies, movies loaded with stars, or even an obscure foreign hit — Netflix has all the options that you can ask for. Find something you like, grab that popcorn, settle down for the run time of your choosing, and enjoy!

Up Next…

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