You’re in the mood for a movie. You make yourself some popcorn. You turn on your TV. You start scrolling through Netflix movies. Twenty minutes later, your popcorn is empty and you still have no idea what to watch, dammit! You turn to your trusty mate Google and type in “best movies on Netflix”. You find this handy Man of Many guide. You breathe a sigh of relief. All is right in the world again.
Best Netflix Movies at a Glance
- Best for Drama: Parasite
- Best for Action: Mad Max: Fury Road
- Best for Sci-Fi: Everything Everywhere At All Once
- Best for Comedy: What We Do In The Shadows
- Best for Horror: Barbarian
Best Movies on Netflix
Now you can safely stop scrolling and instead, find all the best movies on Netflix Australia right here and now. Because honestly, there are so many killer options, it’s easy to get scroller fatigue. We’ve done the hard work for you, so you can just sit back and watch the best Netflix has to offer.
1. Barbarian
- Genre: Horror
- IMDB rating: 7.0
- Starring: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, Justin Long
- Release date: 28 October 2022
- Director: Zach Cregger
- Box office: $45,000,000
We’re kicking off this list with a spook ’em up. Barbarian was released in 2022 to near-universal praise, and for a good reason, as it takes the sometimes-tired horror genre and makes something fresh while still being incredibly unsettling.
A young woman, Tess (played by Georgina Campbell), realises the Airbnb she is staying in has been double booked, with a man already staying there. Though put off, she decides to stay at the property as well, and soon after, things start going very wrong.
We won’t say anything else in case you are going into this one fresh, but Barbarian really goes in some wacky directions that you’ll likely not see coming. Definitely one to add to the watch list ahead of Halloween, or just watch it on a random Tuesday. We don’t judge.
2. David Farrier’s Mister Organ
- Genre: Documentary
- IMDB rating: 6.6
- Starring: David Farrier, Michael Organ
- Release date: 10 November 2022
- Director: David Farrier
- Box office: $314,000
One of the more interesting documentaries we’ve seen in a long time, David Farrier’s Mister Organ, gives you a bird’s eye view into what happens when a journalist gets a bit too close to his subject. Farrier, who has been called a ‘wanna-be Louis Theroux’, sets his sights on a story: someone has been clamping cars that park outside of an antique store in Auckland and charging people to have the boot taken off. Farrier wants to figure out what is going on and, in the process, runs afoul of the titular Mr. Organ.
The following hour-and-half takes you on a journey through the pair’s complex relationship as Farrier becomes more engrossed and grossed out by the impact Organ is having on his life and learns about the damage the man has caused to others in the past. It’s absolutely fascinating and, at some points, leaves you fearing for Farrier’s life.
3. Django Unchained
- Genre: Western
- IMDB rating: 8.5
- Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christopher Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson
- Release date: 18 January, 2013
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Box office: $426,000,000
What can you say about Django Unchained? It’s one of the most entertaining movies ever made, with one of the best casts, written and directed by one of the best directors. Absolutely dripping with Tarantino’s incredible filmmaking, Django Unchained is a certified banger.
Set in 1858, Django Unchained follows Django, an African-American former slave searching for his wife, Broomhilda, who was sold separately to him. Django teams up with a German bounty hunter named Dr King Schultz to track down his wife and, once they determine her location, they enact a plan to get her out. In typical Tarantino fashion, there is a lot of humour, a lot of swearing, and a whole lot of death. The only reason this movie isn’t higher on the list is because the list is alphabetical. Watch it.
4. Don’t Look Up
- Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi
- IMDB rating: 7.2
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep
- Release date: 24 December 2021
- Director: Adam McKay
- Box office: $791,000
A comedy and disaster film rolled into one, Don’t Look Up has a killer all-star cast. Two low-level astronomers (DiCaprio and Lawrence) embark on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. And, with Meryl Streep as the President who’s truly indifferent to this cosmic catastrophe, you can imagine how much chaos (and anger) will ensue.
We really love the casting of Meryl, and while Leo and Timothee Chalamet are criminally underutilised, Cate Blanchett comes out of nowhere and absolutely steals the show as Brie Evantree. Absolutely amazing. The movie bombed commercially, though. According to IMDB Don’t Look Up cost about $75 million to make, and earned less than $800,000. Ouch.
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once
- Genre: Comedy, Action
- IMDB rating: 7.8
- Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan
- Release date: 13 May 2022
- Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
- Box office: $143,000,000
Everything Everywhere All at Once is probably the hardest movie to explain on this list. It’s a coming-of-age story mixed with a multidimensional family feud, some incredible action scenes, and some of the most absurd humour you’ll find outside of something like Adventure Time or The Mighty Boosh.
Michelle Yeoh masterfully plays a middle-aged Chinese immigrant stuck in a rut. She is firmly in a mid-life crisis, struggling to connect with her husband and daughter and constantly wondering where she went wrong and what could have been.
Some shenanigans occur and, wouldn’t you know it, she is swept up in events that threaten to literally end everything that has and ever will exist. You don’t get stakes much higher than that, and yet the movie somehow manages to feel personal.
6. Get Out
- Genre: Horror
- IMDB rating: 7.8
- Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford
- Release date: 17 March 2017
- Director: Jordan Peele
- Box office: $255,000,000
I thought Jordan Peele would have made a comedy for his directorial debut, but I’m glad I was wrong. The set-up to the movie could easily be used in a comedy, to be fair: a boyfriend visits his girlfriend’s family, and some wacky stuff happens. It’s just that the stuff that happens is awful, and you’ll be kept on the edge of your seat the entire time by some masterful performances.
Though Peele has gone on to create a few more bangers, Us and Nope, Get Out’s impact still stands undefeated. The movie is a modern classic, and though the horror is universal, there’s a throughline of othering and objectification to it that stems from Peele’s experiences as a Black American. Plus, it’s a horror movie that doesn’t rely on jump scares and loud banging to keep your attention, which is always a winner in our book.
7. Gladiator
- Genre: Action, Drama
- IMDB rating: 8.5
- Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielson
- Release date: 12 May 2000
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Box office: $465,000,000
Why yes, Mr. Crowe, we are entertained. When you think about this epic action film directed by the legendary Ridley Scott, it’s hard not to hear Hans Zimmer’s eponymous Gladiator theme song. Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix truly cemented themselves as Hollywood royalty in this incredibly powerful movie.
After his wife and son are murdered, Crowe’s Maximus is sold into slavery and sent to the arena. With a burning desire for revenge, however, Maximus eliminates every enemy before him and wins over the hearts of the captive audience (us included). There’s a sequel launching later in 2024 featuring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Morgan Freeman, so if you haven’t watched this absolute masterpiece yet, now is the time.
8. In Bruges
- Genre: Comedy, Crime
- IMDB rating: 7.9
- Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds
- Release date: 18 April 2008
- Director: Martin McDonagh
- Box office: $39,000,000
After a hit gone bad, two assassins have been ordered to lie low in the sleepy Belgian town of Bruges. Waiting for their next set of instructions, Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Gleeson) get accustomed to the town and, in their own ways, start coming to terms with the accidental murder of an innocent.
In a style reminiscent of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, In Bruges goes off the rails as stories begin interweaving and character motivations clash. I don’t want to say too much if you haven’t already seen it, but it’s an incredibly well-written, hilarious, and memorable film.
9. Joker
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- IMDB rating: 8.4
- Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz
- Release date: 4 October 2019
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Box office: $1,000,000,000
A somewhat fresh take on the beloved supervillain, Joker takes an incredibly grounded look at the man under the make-up. A failing comedian, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) struggles under the weight of crippling poverty and mental instability as he attempts to support his sick mother. And, when pushed to the edge, he lets the Joker out.
It’s bold for a movie in the Batman universe to exist without the man himself, but by telling a much more personal story of one man struggling through the famously crime-ridden Gotham City, Joker shows a new side to the city, and the people that live in it.
It tries to reflect some of the more pressing socio-economic issues of our time, with huge disparities in wealth felt across the world and a social structure that tries to push aside the mentally ill. How well it succeeds is up to you, but there is a distinctly anti-capitalist view that permeates the film’s events. Also, who doesn’t like clowns?
If you’re going to watch the upcoming sequel, which is set to add Lady Gaga to the mix, you better get reacquainted with this gem.
10. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- Genre: Mystery, Comedy
- IMDB rating: 7.1
- Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson
- Release date: 23 December 2022
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Box office: $13,000,000
I’ll be honest, I’d have rather had the original Knives Out on the list, but Netflix has done that shitty thing where they take a movie off the streaming platform. We’re assuming it’ll be put back up just before the third movie, Wake Up Dead Man, comes out next year, but for now, you can check out Benoit Blanc’s sophomore story.
Glass Onion focuses on a completely different tale than the original film, with Blanc invited to tech billionaire Miles Bron’s private island to solve a murder mystery alongside a number of other guests, each of which have their own reasons to respect, love, and hate Bron. It’s a layered story (like an onion), with the kinds of twists and turns you’d expect from a mystery movie elevated by the incredible writing and performances.
If you weren’t already excited about the third entry in the Knives Out series, check this one out and then find a way to watch the original.
11. The Lost Daughter
- Genre: Drama
- IMDB rating: 6.7
- Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
- Release date: 31 December 2021
- Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Box office: $703,000
The first directorial effort from Hollywood A-lister Maggie Gyllenhaal is a seriously impressive run and undoubtedly one of the best films on Netflix Australia. The Lost Daughter sees Oscar-winner Olivia Colman as a college professor who is forced to reconsider her unsettling past after meeting a woman and young daughter while on holiday in Italy.
Slowly, admiration turns to obsession, and her life begins to unravel before our very eyes. While The Lost Daughter is a deeply tense film that tackles some tough issues, it’s entirely engrossing as a plot device. I really found myself lost in the characters, and Colman brings a certain level of empathy to an otherwise highly-strung character.
Honestly, with a complex plot that isn’t always easy to watch, Colman and co-star Dakota Johnson’s ability to carry the story speaks to their immense onscreen talent.
12. Mad Max: Fury Road
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- IMDB rating: 8.1
- Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
- Release date: 14 May 2015
- Director: George Miller
- Box office: $380,000,000
A non-stop spectacle, Mad Max: Fury Road asks the question of ‘how could you make a movie that is almost constantly in motion’. Literally. That was one of the key ideas behind George Miller’s concept for the movie, and it really does answer the question: once Fury Road puts its foot on the gas, it doesn’t stop.
Set in an undefined time after the original Mad Max movies, Fury Road follows two protagonists: Max, now played by Tom Hardy, and Furiosa, played perfectly by Charlize Theron. The pair team up to escape the clutches of a gang of raiders led by Immortan Joe, a crazed marauder that rules The Citadel – a ‘safe’ haven among the desert wasteland.
What follows is an incredible chase scene across a dangerous desert, almost entirely shot using practical effects rather than relying on CGI, which is a rarity in today’s film industry. If you’re like us and you love this movie, keep an eye out for the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which gives more context to the titular character.
13. Parasite
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- IMDB rating: 8.5
- Starring: Soon Hang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong
- Release date: 7 February 2020
- Director: Bong Joon Ho
- Box office: $262,000,000
One of the most original films in recent memory, Parasite tackles the universal issues of social inequality and class divides, but sets its story firmly in South Korea. The Kim family are destitute, living day by day in slums, and are understandably bitter about their place in the world. When the family’s youngest daughter is given the chance to tutor a rich family’s child in their multi-million dollar mansion, she takes the opportunity by the horns and starts finding work for her family around the house.
The movie takes some decidedly dark turns and doesn’t shy away from pushing the limits of believability to tell its story, and it’s all the better for it. Parasite delivers something unique, a personal story amid an impersonal world, with believable characters put in unbelievable situations. If I could watch it for the first time again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
14. Se7en
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- IMDB rating: 8.6
- Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey
- Release date: 5 January 1995
- Director: David Fincher
- Box office: $327,000,000
A masterpiece of modern cinema, David Fincher’s psychological thriller Se7en isn’t just one of the best movies on Netflix Australia, it’s one of the best movies ever made. Period. Starring Morgan Freeman as a bitter investigator paired with a young and brash Brad Pitt, the film sees the odd couple attempt to track down an insatiable serial killer who murders his victims according to the seven deadly sins.
An unplugged performance from Kevin Spacey as the unhinged killer is absolutely perfect, creating a sense of terror with every carefully chosen word. We’ve watched Se7en a million times by now and it’s still a shocking and horrific exploration of modern horror and crime. A real ‘out-of-the-box’ title.
15. What We Do In The Shadows
- Genre: Comedy, Horror
- IMDB rating: 7.6
- Starring: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Cori Gonzales-Macuer
- Release date: 21 November 2014
- Director: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement
- Box office: $7,400,000
Have you ever wondered how living as a vampire would work? Like, if you take away the castles and coffins and the theatre of it all, how would a vampire live in today’s world? (No? Just me?) Well, What We Do In The Shadows shows us what life is like in the dark, and it turns out it’s hilarious.
Viago, Deacon and Vladislav are roommates, living in a sharehouse, and struggling with mundane tasks such as paying their rent, having an active social life, and knowing what to wear: something made infinitely more difficult without a reflection. The trio are vampires, and we follow them in a mockumentary showcasing the banalities of everyday life extend even to the undead.
If you like Kiwi humour and are a fan of Taika Waititi or Flight of the Conchords, you’ve probably already seen this one. But if you haven’t, check it out—Halloween is coming up!
Things to Consider for Netflix Movies
When boredom strikes and you find yourself knee-deep in the streaming service archives, it’s worth taking the time to consider your options. While other platforms may have great options, Netflix is arguably the biggest and most well-endowed, revered for producing some of the biggest titles in recent memory. When you are considering a subscription or you just want to know what to watch on Netflix, here are some considerations to keep front of mind.
Netflix Subscription Plans
In order to watch new Netflix series and movies, you will need to subscribe to the platform. That being said, you can see what is out there before you sign up as it is possible to browse Netflix without subscribing. You can browse Netflix’s full catalogue of titles without subscribing by visiting netflix.com/watch-free. With this site, you can watch the first episode of many popular series without needing to sign up.
Netflix Cost
Netflix currently has three monthly subscription plans for you to choose from. The cheapest option comes with ads and offers two screens and HD streaming. Conversely, the ad-free plans will set you back a little more, with the top-of-the-line option allowing you to watch on four screens at a time at up to 4K resolution. Here are Netflix’s subscription plans, at the time of writing:
- Standard Plan with Ads – AUD$7.99 per month
- Standard Plan – AUD$18.99 per month
- Premium Plan – AUD$25.99 per month
Originals
While the streamer is best known for its extensive collection of original series, Netflix has made its presence felt in the film arena in recent years. New releases such as Glenn Powell’s Hit Man, the blockbuster smash Glass Onion and the David Fincher serial killer title The Killer are all examples of Netflix’s original film credentials. Unsurprisingly, these in-house productions receive the biggest marketing push on the platform, so it’s likely that you have tuned in or unwittingly seen one or two.
Streaming Services Price Comparison
Why Trust Our List?
This list of Netflix films was selected by our dedicated team of entertainment editors and journalists. Authors Dean Blake curated the list based on personal experience while also taking into account IMDb reviews, Rotten Tomatoes rankings and critic reviews. The Man of Many entertainment and technology expert has personally chosen every film on this list, providing extensive first-hand details and insights related to each title. For more information on how we select these lists, view our editorial guidelines.
