Netflix: The 40 Best Movies Available to Stream Right Now (August 2023)

Best Action Movies on Netflix

Heat (1995)

"A heist gone wrong leads to a high stakes game of cat and mouse between a criminal mastermind and the hard-boiled detective obsessed with catching him."

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

"Trapped in a tenement building during a raid, a SWAT team must fight its way out against the forces of a drug lord they were trying to assassinate."

Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian

RRR (2022)

"A fearless warrior on a perilous mission comes face to face with a steely cop serving British forces in this epic saga set in pre-independent India."

Starring: NTR Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

"Two Terminators travel from the future to track down Sarah Conner's young son, John: One machine is programmed to kill him, the other to protect him."

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Triple Frontier (2019)

"Loyalties are tested when five former special forces operatives reunite to steal a drug lord's fortune, unleashing a chain of unintended consequences."

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

Best Drama Movies on Netflix

If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)

"Harlem of the '70s comes alive in this story of pregnant Tish and her crusade to free her fiancé, Fonny, who's in prison for a crime he didn't commit."

Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Brian Tyree Henry

A League of Their Own (1992)

"Recruited to join a women's baseball league in the 1940s, two sisters learn to love the sport with encouragement from a rough-around-the-edges coach."

Starring: Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell

The Irishman (2019)

"Digitally de-aging stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated epic about a crime family hit man spans decades."

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel

La La Land (2016)

"Career aspirations run up against bittersweet romance in modern-day Los Angeles, as two artists face a heartbreaking dilemma."

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

The Power of the Dog (2021)

"A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son — until long-hidden secrets come to light."

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Best Comedies on Netflix

The Nice Guys (2016)

"A private eye and a tough guy for hire get tangled up in the seamy side of 1970s Los Angeles as they investigate an adult film star's mysterious death."

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice

Groundhog Day (1993)

"Grumpy meteorologist Phil Connors lives the same day over and over after he arrives in the town of Punxsutawney for the annual Groundhog Day festivities."

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Bridesemaids (2011)

"Determined to outdo an overbearing bridesmaid, an inept but well-meaning maid of honor nearly ruins her best friend's wedding in this edgy comedy."

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne

Magic Mike XXL (2015)

"A few years after he quit baring it all onstage, Mike reunites with his old crew as they hit the road for one last steamy dance at a stripper convention."

Starring: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Kevin Nash

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

"A misadventure in the wilderness leads to life-changing discoveries for a troubled orphan teen from the city and his belligerent foster father."

Starring: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison

Best Animated Movies on Netflix

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

"Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents the classic story of a wooden puppet brought to life in this stunning stop-motion musical tale."

Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)

"Pack a bag, grab the dog and buckle up for a family road trip in this colorful adventure that pits one ordinary family against a robot uprising."

Starring: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph

Wendell & Wild (2022)

"Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living."

Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

"When his legendary feats bring his nine lives down to one, Puss in Boots sets out to find a magical Wishing Star in his most daring adventure yet."

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek Pinault, Harvey Gullien

Nimona (2023)

"A knight framed for a tragic crime teams with a scrappy, shape-shifting teen to prove his innocence. But what if she's the monster he's sworn to destroy."

Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movies on Netflix

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

"With Peter Parker's secret life as Spider-Man taking a toll, he considers hanging up his web, only to face another fight against supervillain Doc Ock."

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kristen Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina

Annihilation (2018)

"When her husband vanishes during a secret mission, biologist Lena joins an expedition into a mysterious region sealed off by the U.S. government."

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson

Gamer (2009)

"A death-row inmate forced to play in a lethal, real-life video game under the control of a spoiled teen sets out to win his freedom and save his family."

Starring: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Amber Valletta

Troll (2022)

"When an explosion triggers mysterious events in the Norwegian mountains, an unlikely group of heroes unites to defeat and awakened, mythical creature. But how do they stop something they thought only existed in fairy tales?"

Starring: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck

A Knight's Tale (2001)

"After a young squire finds a way to pass himself off as a bona fide knight, he becomes a jousting champion while romancing an admiring princess."

Starring: Heath Ledger, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon

Best Horror Movies on Netflix

Crimson Peak (2015)

"After marrying a mysterious British aristocrat, a young heiress moves into his crumbling, creepy ancestral home and finds it conceals sinister secrets."

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam

Paranormal Activity (2007)

"When repeated hauntings frighten a young couple in their new house, they set up a camera to capture proof of being haunted by an evil presence."

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

The Platform (2019)

"A slab of food descends floor by floor in a prison. The inmates above eat heartily, leaving those below starving and desperate. A rebellion is imminent."

Starring: Ivan Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor

The Ring (2002)

"After watching a cursed videotape, a reporter has only seven days to unravel the sinister mystery of its origin or suffer the consequences: death."

Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox

Creep (2014)

"When a videographer takes a job in a remote mountain town, he finds that the client has some unsettling ideas in mind."

Starring: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice

Best Documentaries on Netflix

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

"As her father nears the end of his life, filmmaker Kirsten Johnson stages his death in inventive and comical ways to help them both face the inevitable."

Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018)

"When Fred Rogers found his calling in television, his unassuming children's show was beloved by generations for his kindness, empathy and understanding."

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

"A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world."

Stutz (2022)

"In candid conversations with actor Jonah Hill, leading psychiatrist Phil Stutz explores his early life experiences and unique, visual model of therapy."

13th (2016)

"In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom."

Great Netflix Original Movies

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

"Four African American veterans return to Vietnam decades after the war to find their squad leader's remains — and a stash of buried gold. From Spike Lee."

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jonathan Majors, Chadwick Boseman

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

"World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends."

Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline

Okja (2017)

"A gentle giant and the girl who raised her are caught in the crossfire between animal activism, corporate greed and scientific ethics."

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, An Seo-hyun, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun

tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)

"On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out."

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

"In 1970s LA, struggling comedian Rudy Ray Moore hits it big with his raunchy alter ego, Dolemite, then risks it all to take his act to the big screen."