As the year is headed to its end, people across the world are excited for the holiday season to arrive. With that in mind, it is also time to snuggle under the duvet, tuck yourself in for a few days and binge through the best films of this year on Netflix.
If we have to choose a favourite film from the streamer, it is indeed quite complex. Simply because of the sheer volume of production being filmed, produced, and wildly distributed daily. Netflix has blessed us with a variety of films and tv shows of various genres. With the holiday season approaching near and fast, Best of Netflix has also curated a list of the best Christmas movies for you to enjoy with your family.
However, if you are an explorer and curious to find the best finds of the year of the streamer when it comes to films, we also got you covered. Best of Netflix has carefully gone through all the content out there for you and come up with the ten best films of the year for you to watch over the much-wanted winter break! Don’t worry, the compiled list covers a wide variety of films that serve something for everyone just like Netflix!
So without further ado, let’s dive in!
10 best Netflix films of the year
10. Slumberland
The newly released Slumberland is a fantasy and adventure movie directed by Francis Lawrence. Netflix’s newest fantasy film was released only less than two weeks ago and has gained a lot of buzz. Jason Momoa stars as Flip, who is a flamboyant outlaw who befriends Nemo (Marlow Barkley) when she finds a map and walks into the dream world.
Nemo and Flip go on a crazy journey across the dream world and in life to find magic pearls to help Nemo find her father back. The whole movie is beautifully fabricated to highlight the power of connections and of grief. A must-watch for all fantasy lovers!
You can stream it on Netflix here!
9. The Adam Project
A star-studded sci-fi drama starring our favourite Ryan Reynolds playing the role of Adam Reed, who accidentally lands in 2022 and reunites with his younger self. Adam’s younger version has been portrayed by young and talented actor Walker Scobell.
The end mission? A final attempt at saving the future! You will find other gifted artists starring in the film, including Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña, and Jennifer Garner. A well-made film with great cinematography and an equally complex and well-written story.
Stream it on Netflix here!
8. Entergalactic
Created by the mind of Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris, Entergalactic is an animated genius. The story revolves around an ambitious artist called Jabari (Kid Cudi), who moves into his dream apartment in Manhattan. The film captures his best attempt at balancing the love and success that follows him.
All this happens when he falls in love with his neighbour and photographer, Meadow (Jessica Williams). A new era of animation is here to serve us, and we are here for it. All thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for opening the gates for an art form contrary to the pre-establish Pixar finishes. Other actors involved in the film include Timothee Chalamet, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, and 070 Shake.
Catch the trailer to the film here. You can also stream it on Netflix here!
7. The Good Nurse
The film covers the story of a serial killer Charles Cullen played by Eddie Redmayne. Eddie did a great job capturing the essence of the cold-blooded murderer. The film The Good Nurse is based on author and journalist Charles Graeber’s account of the whole situation in his book of the same name.
Cullen used to work alongside coworker Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) a single mother who worked several night shifts. Cullen used drugs to kill his patients, even the ones who had recovered. He worked at Somerset Medical Center in New Jersey when he was convicted of the murders. Loughren helped the police catch the murderer who killed endlessly and randomly. A nerve-chilling true story told with a brilliant presentation.
Stream it on Netflix here!
6. Pinocchio
One of the classics that continue to be retold in various ways possible over the decades. This time Guillermo del Toro chose to use the medium of stop-motion brilliantly to tell the same story with a different approach. A father’s wishes magically give life to a wooden boy in Italy.
Another choice of an interesting addition to the story is how the director chose to highlight the struggles of this not-so-familiar father and son during the era of fascism in the country. It blends the realms of fantasy and reality and evokes certain senses that force audiences to empathise with the duo even more than usual. A heart-warming and gorgeous take on a classic.
Stream it on Netflix here!
5. Bullet Train
A much-awaited comedy and action film starring Brad Pitt called Ladybug. Ladybug is an assassin whose projects are failing one after the other. His newest resolution is to finish his job in peace. However, when five assassins board the same train, they find out they have something in common, and that’s more than their job.
The entire team has targets that collide with each other. What happens next? Find out more about the trailer here! Other artists found alongside Pitt include Joey King, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny, and David Leitch.
Stream it on Netflix here!
4. Emily the Criminal
Starring one of the brightest and most brilliant artists of our times, Aubrey Plaza, Emily The Criminal covers the story of Emily Benetto. Emily has drowned in her own student debt and struggles to find any jobs that would help her repay them.
Not so far from the reality of stacking debts and high unemployment rates, Emily decides to wrongly get involved in high-risk credit card scams. She starts posing as a buyer and starts buying more and more interesting and quirky products with all the credit cards she manages to steal.
Catch the trailer to the film here.
3. Descendant
There have been parts of our history that have been left untold simply because books were written, not by the oppressors. However, with changing times, Descendant highlights the story of the descendants of Clotilda, the ship. The last ship of its kind that carried enslaved Africans to America right when they reclaimed their freedom.
This is a historical documentary covering the life of the descendants of those people who arrived in America on that ship. A very interesting and eye-opening documentary covering all sides of the story, even the parts unheard and unseen. A definite must-watch!
Stream it on Netflix here!
2. Wendell & Wild
We have all missed Hotel Transylvania and its eerie horror comedy take to describe the relationship of a protective father and his curious daughter. Wendell & Wild is the newest animated Comedy Horror directed by Henry Selick. Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) & Wild (Jordan Peele) is the story of two demon brothers who need to take on their arch-enemies.
Jumping onto the bandwagon of new-era animation, this is an American stop-motion film that manages to flow in a beautiful, almost melodic manner. The devious brothers need the help of Sister Kelly, who is known to expel demons, to overthrow their foes.
Stream it on Netflix here!
1. The Gray Man
Probably one of the most awaited and celebrated films of the year. Starring Ryan Gosling playing Six or Courtland Gentry, The Gray Man directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, is a non-stop thrill machine. The story revolves around the CIA’s highest prestige and asset, who finds out certain secrets that make the agency vulnerable.
As no one is aware of his true identity, the world breaks loose when a global manhunt is directed by his own colleagues. What happens next? You simply have to watch it today to avoid any more spoilers than there already are. Other gifted artists in the cast include Chris Evans, Dhanush, Ana de Armas, Julia Butters, and Jessica Henwick.
Stream it on Netflix here!
