Best Netflix movies: 20 great films you should watch in February 2020
We've picked what we believe are the 20 best Netflix movies available right now in the US. While we could've filled this list with dozens of movies, the point of lists like this, we figure, is to save you time. That's why we've gone with a concise list of 20 Netflix movies, so you can choose something fast and get watching.
In this ever-updated article, you'll find the best Netflix movies you can watch in February 2020, featuring a mix of the streaming service's own original films and great pictures available from other studios. We cycle entries in and out to keep this list fresh – Blade Runner: The Final Cut is now on Netflix, for example, and we've re-added Okja after Bong Joon Ho's Best Picture win for Parasite.
Here are our 20 best movies on Netflix, across every genre. Enjoy!
- The best Netflix shows
- The best Netflix UK movies
- How to watch Parasite and Bong Joon Ho's other movies
Okja
Genre: Oddball creature movie
Who's it for? Animal lovers.
If you've enjoyed Bong Joon Ho's Best Picture winner Parasite, you might want to check out his last movie, Okja, which is one of the best Netflix originals so far. It's the bizarre tale of a young girl and her best pal, an enormous creature called Okja. Their friendship is under threat when a nasty CEO (Tilda Swinton) has evil plans for Okja. It's a refreshing movie with a nice angle of animal activism – a very different proposition to Parasite, for sure, but one that also demonstrates the director's ability to blend genres.
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Genre: Sci-fi
Who's it for? Cyberpunk fans (and everyone else).
New to Netflix this month, Blade Runner is still one of the best movies ever made. In Ridley Scott's near-future Los Angeles (technically the past, since it's set in 2019), a group of outlawed artificial humans called replicants arrive on Earth, hoping to extend their lives beyond their fixed expiration date. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a blade runner, a special type of cop charged with 'retiring' the replicants. But Deckard's perception of what counts as human life will be profoundly challenged before he can take out all of his targets.
Moonlight
Genre: Generational drama
Who's it for? Awards buffs and independent cinema fans.
The last great movie to win the Best Picture Oscar before Parasite, Moonlight follows a boy through three stages of an incredibly difficult life: childhood, his teenage years and adulthood. Chiron has to deal with his own struggles of identity and sexuality, while also contending with his emotionally toxic mother. Mahershala Ali won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a mentor and much-needed father figure in this picture, but equally great is actor Trevante Rhodes, who plays Chiron in his adult life with a palpable repressed pain.
The Dark Knight
Genre: Superhero-infused crime epic.
Who's it for? Fans of refined action movies (and Batman).
The first two movies of director Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy are on Netflix US, and they're always worth a rewatch. The Dark Knight is a twist-y crime thriller that's more of an ensemble piece than Batman Begins or The Dark Knight Rises – indeed, at times it feels like good guy DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is the protagonist as much as Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). The highlight, of course, is Heath Ledger's multi-layered performance as Gotham-terrorizing villain The Joker, for which he posthumously won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
The Irishman
Genre: Crime drama
Who's it for? Cinema buffs and Scorsese fans (which is the same group of people).
This threateningly long Scorsese pic attracted attention for the extensive effects work used to de-age its old stars, and it's a creative decision that's occasionally distracting. But there's no denying the appeal of seeing De Niro, Pesci and Pacino in the same movie together for likely the last time, and this life-spanning, extremely rewarding crime epic is a suitable tribute to their collective talents. The Irishman is about the life of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), as he recounts his long association with the Bufalino crime family. It's arguably the biggest awards play Netflix has ever made, and soon we'll see if it pays off.
Inception
Genre: Science fiction/heist movie
Who's it for? Fans of Heat who also enjoy high-concept sci-fi.
This is arguably still the perfect Christopher Nolan movie. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, the most acclaimed actor of his generation, it features an intense Hans Zimmer score and boasts a winning high-concept idea, where it's possible to enter people's dreams in order to manipulate them and steal their secrets. As the movie escalates that premise into dreams within dreams, it pulls in more and more bizarre, memorable imagery. And the ensemble cast here is outstanding, with Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Mario Cotillard rounding it out. Nolan's next picture, Tenet, looks like it's in a similar vein.
Marriage Story
Genre: Character drama
Who's it for? Awards buffs and the emotionally resilient.
Ensure you're in the right mindset to watch Marriage Story – i.e. skip this if you're in the middle of a break-up – because this sympathetic movie about a failing marriage and the resulting fallout can be tough viewing. It's the latest picture from director Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha), and features actors Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson at the top of their game in what are surely emotionally draining roles. Watch it before it gets memed and gif-ed to death on social media, and you only see Marriage Story as that movie where Kylo Ren cries a lot.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Genre: Adventure
Who's it for? If you don't like this movie, we cannot be friends.
The first Indiana Jones movie remains the best. It's a beautifully-made, funny and exciting adventure, deliberately recalling George Lucas's pulpy favorites from the first half of the 20th century. The entire trilogy is on Netflix US right now (that's right, trilogy). Don't stop and think too hard about Indy's ethos that ancient artifacts belong in a museum, or the fact he dated his former student, or the generally eyebrow-raising stuff in The Temple of Doom. Instead, enjoy the wicked set pieces and the gorgeous locations of these three classics, before they inevitably move to Disney Plus forever someday.
Roma
Genre: Period drama/Foreign film
Who's it for? Cinema buffs
An astonishing ode to motherhood in all forms, Roma is the most personal film to date from visionary director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Gravity). On paper, Roma is not the easiest sell – a subtitled black and white film about a live-in housekeeper spoken almost entirely in Spanish and the indigenous Mixtec language, Cuarón's latest is nonetheless riveting from a cinematic standpoint. More a series of vignettes than a traditional three-act story, Roma examines the life of a Mexico City family in the early 1970s during a time of great social upheaval.
Described by Cuarón as 90% autobiographical, the film provides some insight into the famous director's early life, although the story is witnessed primarily through the eyes of his caretaker, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), who would become a loved member of the family. One of the most gorgeously photographed films in years, Roma deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible. Shot entirely in 65mm, Roma would make for an ideal theatrical experience. However, if that isn't an option, you won't be disappointed by the Roma's breathtaking 4K Ultra HD presentation on Netflix – just make sure you keep tissues on hand, because it's very likely you'll shed a few tears during the film.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Genre: Animated superhero film
Who's it for? Fans of the famous wall-crawler, super heroes in training
There's little doubt that Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse is the best animated Spider-Man film ever made but, in all honesty, it might even steal the title as the best Spider-Man movie ever made. A harrowing tale that takes place across universes and timelines, the original Spider-Man Peter Parker must teach a new Spider-Man how to save the world one web at a time. As more Spider-Men (and Spider-Women!) get involved in Miles' training, everyone involved soon realizes that it's not the mask that makes the hero, it's the hero that makes the mask. Inspiring, heart-warming and extremely well-written, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse is worth the watch.
Zodiac
Genre: Crime drama/thriller
Who's it for? True crime fans.
The most underrated movie directed by David Fincher, Zodiac focuses on the titular serial killer that confounded police and terrified San Francisco residents during the late '60s and early '70s. Jake Gyllenhaal players journalist Robert Graysmith, who unpicks the coded messages and follows the trail well past the point of reason, and ultimately to a conclusion of sorts (even though the case was never solved). Yet this chilling mystery thriller is perhaps most memorable for its genuinely terrifying murder scenes by the unidentified assailant, which really lay the groundwork for Fincher's later Mindhunter series on Netflix. Also of note: Zodiac features a pre-MCU Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.
Always Be My Maybe
Genre: Romance
Who's it for? Fans of romance fans and the one who got away
You may know Always Be My Maybe's leading lady Ali Wong from her raucous Netflix stand-up specials but it's as a successful celebrity chef that she really hits her stride. After a failed engagement Wong's character Sasha Tran heads to her hometown of San Francisco to setup a new restaurant only to run into her old bff played by Randall Park. Through the turbulence of the relationship, a sudden fling with actor Keanu Reeves and despite the differences in careers, the two try to make it work, and the journey from old friends to lovers is a joy to watch.
Bird Box
Genre: Thriller
Who's it for? Hardworking moms who aren't afraid of suspense.
Horror movies have fallen on hard times. There, we said it. Spending the past decade relying on jump shocks and excessive gore to win over new audiences, it's rare to find a film as well-made, thought-out and genuinely suspenseful as Bird Box. While the film draws some obvious comparison to 2018's The Quiet Place, Bird Box pits survivors against post-apocalyptic horrors who cause people to commit suicide when they're seen. Cue copious blindfolds to keep the monsters out of sight, but never are they out of mind for a mother tasked with ferrying two kids to safety.
Beasts of No Nation
Genre: War Drama
Who's it for? Joseph Conrad enthusiasts.
Beasts of No Nation stars Idris Elba as a war lord, and follows the story of Agu, portrayed by child actor Abraham, who is forced to become a child soldier during the civil war of an unnamed African country. What follows is a nightmare: boys stolen from their families are forced to kill and through blood take their vengeance on the world. It's a war movie with a profound message, and is probably the closest equivalent of Apocalypse Now that we're likely to see in the 21st century.
The Incredibles 2
Genre: Animated Action
Who's it for? The kids and kids-at-heart in your house.
While there's no shortage of endearing animated films on Netflix (see: Coco, Moana, Spider-Man, etc...) The Incredibles does something none of the others do by building a successful sequel on a fondly remembered original film. The second Incredibles film might not hit the same star status that the original hits, but following the family through their new life as re-instated heroes is as adorable this time around as it was before thanks to Mr. Incredible's role as a stay-at-home dad. If you need something for the kids and don't want to sit through the same movie again, The Incredibles 2 shakes things up while building upon the 10-year-old franchise.
Her
Genre: Drama / Romance
Who's it for? Anyone looking for love in all the wrong places.
While it's a film that's almost certainly mocking tech lovers like us, Her is a beautiful look at a lonely man who's rescued by a futuristic fictional smart assistant. At times a bit heavy-handed with its messaging, Her provides a solid foundation for why human connection is more intimate than machines, even if the latter can remove the awkward initial dating phase using a personalized algorithm.
Avengers: Infinity War
Genre: Super Hero / Sci Fi
Who's it for? Marvel super fans and... nihilists, I guess?
Infinity War is a feat of film-making. The Russo Brothers (the film's directors) were tasked with creating a unified Marvel crossover event with every character from the last 10 years. It's a big, bold vision for a universe that so innocently began with Iron Man one short decade ago, but it's woven seamlessly together via a cast of heroes and one singularly misguided villain with the power to wipe out half of all life in the universe. It's a bit heavy on action sequences but in between all the fighting lies a wonderfully wrought world that's straight from the panels of Marvel's comics. This is the only streaming service where you can watch Infinity War in the US. Disney Plus doesn't get it until later in 2020.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Genre: Documentary
Who's it for? Anyone aspiring to be better and seafood specialists
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the uplifting documentary of one man who never gave up on his … uh, dreams. Jiro became the first three-star Michelin sushi chef in Japan and has been called a national treasure, all the while honing his mantra of being his best self. Jiro's commitment to his craft that carries the film – but it's his two sons, both famous sushi chefs like their father that make the film one of the best documentaries ever made. If you're hungry for a bit of inspiration in an evermore depressing world, pull up a seat.
Fyre: The Festival That Never Happened
Genre: Documentary
Who's it for? Anyone who needs a heaping dose of schadenfreude
Billed as a luxury music experience on a private island, Fyre Festival was tirelessly promoted by social media influencers – but ended up being a complete and utter disaster, with multiple lawsuits being brought against the promoters. This illuminating documentary explores what went wrong, with some extremely personal accounts from the people who helped create it, and it’s a must-watch.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Genre: Sci-fi/space opera
Who's it for? Star Wars fans with a high tolerance for nonsense.
No, the world didn't need a Star Wars movie about the origins of Han Solo. Everything you need to know about him is in the original 1977 picture, without a doubt. But...this spin-off, the least successful of all the modern Star Wars movies at the box office, has some genuine merit. Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian is a fantastic creation, and Alden Ehrenreich's cover version of Han isn't bad at all. A few clunky moments aside, the Kessel Run in this film is a treat, one of the weirdest and most inventive set pieces yet seen in the Star Wars universe. It's better than people give it credit for. It just came out at the wrong time.
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