It seems like Netflix's presence at award shows gets bigger every year, and now that the 2026 Academy Award nominations are out, that presence continues to grow. Six Netflix original films earned 18 nominations this year, including nods for Train Dreams and Frankenstein in the Best Picture category, Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for KPop Demon Hunters, and Best Documentary Feature for The Perfect Neighbor. The streaming giant's combination of original films and a diverse library of films from other production houses is a reliable source for non-stop entertainment, although it can sometimes be hard to narrow down what to watch.
On top of these Oscar nominees that you should absolutely catch up on, the platform also released all 25 James Bond films in January, so you've got your work cut out for you if you want to watch them all. And as a heads up, David Fincher's Zodiac and the Rob Reiner-directed Stand By Me are leaving the platform soon, so catch those before it's too late.
If you'd rather go with a series, peruse our picks for the best TV shows to watch on Netflix.
Read more: Where to Watch All the 2024 Oscar Winners
Casino Royale (2006)
The debate over which actor is the best James Bond has existed for decades but you can decide for yourself who's the superior 007 now that Netflix has dropped 25 James Bond movies from every era, including Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, No Time To Die and Casino Royale. (We've suggested Casino Royale here because if you like a modern action film, Daniel Craig's version of Bond, especially in Casino Royale, has it all: excitement, romance, glamour, high stakes card games... The film truly revived the franchise. Hot take alert!)
The Perfect Neighbor (2025)
Directed and produced by Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor is a harrowing documentary about the killing of Ajike Owens, a Florida woman who was shot to death on June 2, 2023, by her neighbor, Susan Louise Lorincz. The film's use of police body camera footage and 911 calls lay out the neighborhood disputes stemming from Lorincz's erratic and unsettling behavior and the escalating tension that led to the killing.
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
The Netflix original animated film KPop Demon Hunters premiered in June and quickly rose through the ranks to become the platform's most-watched original film of all time. The film, about a KPop group that performs by day and hunts demons in their downtime, has a soundtrack that's already been certified Platinum thanks to hits like "Golden" and "Soda Pop." The film stars Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji Young Yoo as the titular girl group tasked with fighting off a demonic boy band. (Can't get enough of the movie? Check out the theatrical sing-along version and lyric videos that are also available to stream.) The film was also honored with two Golden Globes this year for Best Original Song and Best Animated Motion Picture and nabbed two Oscar nods.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the first animated Spider-Man feature in the Marvel canon, and the film follows Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as he becomes the new Spider-Man and teams up with other Spider-People from various parallel universes to save his universe from the Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber). The film's other Spider-Men are played by Jake Johnson, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn and Nicolas Cage. Tthe rest of the cast is top-notch, too.
Stand By Me (1986)
Stand By Me, based on a novella by Stephen King and directed by Rob Reiner, is a coming-of-age story about four 12-year-old boys (played by River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell and Corey Feldman) who hear about a dead body on the outskirts of town and go on an adventure to find it. The film earned an Academy Award nomination and has often been lauded as a classic, timeless coming-of-age story. The film will be available to stream on Netflix until Feb. 28.
Jay Kelly (2025)
George Clooney and Adam Sandler received Golden Globe nominations for their performances in Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly, which arrived on Netflix this December. Clooney stars as the title character, a movie star grappling with his age, career and relationships during a trip to Europe.
The Sting (1973)
The 1973 Oscar-winner The Sting stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman, who reunite with director George Roy Hill, with whom they previously collaborated on the wildly successful Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In The Sting, Redford and Newman are two grifters who plot to con a mob boss, played by Robert Shaw. Set amid the Great Depression, with a ragtime score from Marvin Hamlisch, the film is a memorable classic.
Train To Busan (2016)
In the great horror thriller Train to Busan, a father finds himself trapped on a train from Seoul to Busan that's filled with zombies. As he tries to protect his daughter and escape from the infected, the film delivers pulse-pounding thrills and has been lauded as one of the best zombie movies of the past few years.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
A couple of years ago, Netflix had a huge hit with its stylish series Ripley, which starred Andrew Scott as suave con artist Tom Ripley. Before that series, there was the critically acclaimed 1999 film version, The Talented Mr. Ripley, also based on Patricia Highsmith's story. In the film, also out on Netflix now (so you can compare and contrast the performances!), Matt Damon plays the amoral, ruthless Ripley, who cons his way into the lives of a wealthy group of friends using fake identities. The ruse eventually turns deadly once they catch on to his crime.
Frankenstein (2025)
Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein received five Golden Globe nominations this year and nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Jacob Elordi. The film, a reimagining of the Mary Shelley classic, is pure del Toro, filled with the dark, fantastical style the director is known for.
Priscilla (2023)
Sofia Coppola directed the 2023 biopic Priscilla, which is about the life of a young Priscilla Presley who was just a teen when she met her future husband, Elvis Presley. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi portray the volatile couple in this Golden Globe-nominated film. If you're a fan of their performances, they also appear in two other Netflix originals on our list -- Spaeny co-stars in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and Elordi plays the creature in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
Daniel Craig returns for a third time as Benoit Blanc in the newest film in the Knives Out mystery series, Wake Up Dead Man. This time around, the charming detective has been summoned to a small town in New York to investigate the death of a monsignor at a small church, and everyone in the sprawling A-list ensemble is a suspect. The film co-stars Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington and others. Why not make it a double feature and watch 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, also on Netflix, while you're at it?
Train Dreams (2025)
Joel Edgerton stars in Train Dreams, an Oscar-nominated drama that made the rounds at film festivals recently and has received near-universal acclaim. The film takes place roughly a century ago; Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, a logger in the Pacific Northwest struggling to build a life for himself and his family. The story is adapted from the novella of the same name by Denis Johnson and costars Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon and William H. Macy.
Zodiac (2007)
David Fincher directed the 2007 mystery Zodiac, which features a star-studded cast led by Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal. Zodiac tells the story about the hunt for the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco area in the 1960s and '70s. Fincher's filming style, the skilled performances and the research into the real crimes that inspired it combine to create the perfect thriller. The film will be available to stream on Netflix through Feb. 15.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Godzilla Minus One is an Academy Award-winning Japanese-language movie written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Set in 1945, the story centers around Kōichi Shikishima, a young pilot dealing with PTSD in a post-World War II era. After surviving an encounter with Godzilla, he and others realize the kaiju is gearing up to attack Tokyo. A sequel to the Sony film has also just been announced; Godzilla Minus Zero is expected in theaters in late 2026.
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man is one of the most iconic martial arts film franchises of the past two decades. Starring Hong Kong martial arts master Donnie Yen (maybe you recognize him as Caine, the blind assassin in John Wick: Chapter 4), Ip Man and its sequels are the biographical films about the life of Yip Man, the kung fu master who famously taught Bruce Lee. Blending biography, drama and action all together, Ip Man and its three sequels have been critically acclaimed and are beloved entries to Hong Kong cinema. All four films arrived to Netflix in October.
28 Years Later (2025)
28 Years Later is the third film in the zombie series about a viral outbreak that has ravaged England and placed it under quarantine with almost no contact with the rest of the world. Though the first film, 2002's 28 Days Later, just left Netflix, you can still catch 28 Years Later, about a young boy who ventures away from the safety of his village and has his first encounter with "the infected." It's expected that the fourth film in the franchise, the recently released 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will drop on the platform at some point this year, too.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Released in 2008, The Hurt Locker won six Academy Awards, including those for Best Picture and Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman ever to receive the award). The film, which co-stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and Ralph Fiennes, follows a team of soldiers who defuse and dispose of explosives while deployed in Iraq. The film was critically lauded for its depiction of the stress and psychological toll of war.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
Netflix original Rebel Ridge snagged an Emmy this year for Best Television Movie. The action film stars Aaron Pierre as an ex-Marine who, in an attempt to post bail for his cousin, has the bail money stolen by corrupt cops, and the ordeal turns into an action-packed, thrilling showdown. Don Johnson has evolved from playing suave cops like Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice to morally compromised officers of the law these days, and in Rebel Ridge, he's earned accolades for playing a wickedly corrupt Louisiana police chief at the heart of the film.
The Old Guard (2020)
Based on the comic book by Greg Rucka, the action-fantasy The Old Guard stars Charlize Theron as one of a group of immortal mercenaries who are able to regenerate even after being killed. When they're tracked down and hunted by a pharmaceutical company that intends to study them, they fight back in an effort to protect themselves. The first film, released in 2020, was such a success that a sequel, The Old Guard 2, premiered in 2025 with Uma Thurman cast as Theron's newest adversary.
One of Them Days (2025)
One of Them Days is pure comedy gold. It's the perfect (R-rated) film when you're looking for something silly and fun and packed with great jokes and performances. The movie is part of the "desperate best friends embark on a mission with a deadline" genre (see also: Booksmart, Plan B) as best friends Dreux (Kiki Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA in her film debut) try to track down the rent money that was stolen by Alyssa's boyfriend before the end of the day. When they realize the money is gone, they desperately try to make all the money they need in one day, leading them to sell a pair of stolen Jordans and stage an art show to sell some of Alyssa's paintings. The film, which arrived on Netflix in March, features hilarious cameos from Katt Williams, Janelle James and Lil Rel Howery. Rumor has it a sequel is in the works.
Ballerina (2023)
Netflix's K-drama collection has a few hidden gems, including Ballerina, a 2023 revenge story about a former bodyguard seeking justice for her friend. Jang Ok-ju stops at nothing to make the offenders pay in this action-packed thriller. (Just don't get this Ballerina confused with the recent release of the same name starring Ana de Armas, which is also an action-packed revenge story -- that one's not on Netflix, at least not yet.)
Rez Ball (2024)
A powerful story about a high school basketball team in New Mexico, Rez Ball takes viewers on a journey with the Chuska Warriors. When a tragic event strikes the team, it faces challenges on and off the court -- but still aims for a championship title. Co-written by Sydney Freeland and Sterlin Harjo (co-creator of Reservation Dogs), the movie is based on the novel Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation.
Hit Man (2024)
The 2024 action comedy was one of several movies starring Glen Powell that helped cement his leading-man status. The film, co-written by Powell and director Richard Linklater, stars Powell as a nerdy professor drawn into an undercover investigation. Disguising himself as a hitman, he adopts a new persona for each client -- until he falls for a woman (Adria Arjona) who hires him to kill her abusive husband.
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
2020's My Octopus Teacher won an Oscar for best documentary feature for telling a personal and poignant story of the friendship between a man and an octopus he meets while diving. Filmed over the course of a year, Craig Foster documented the kinship he formed with the octopus who would repeatedly and playfully approach him. The film explores the often unseen personality of a creature found in the wild who ends up giving Foster insight into nature and his own relationships. If you're inspired by the natural world, the film's director Pippa Ehrlich's follow-up feature, Pangolin: Kulu's Journey, is on Netflix now, too.
The Only Girl In The Orchestra (2024)
The Only Girl in the Orchestra won an Oscar this year for best documentary short and you can catch the 35-minute film exclusively on Netflix. The film is the story of Orin O'Brien, the first woman hired to perform in the New York Philharmonic (by Leonard Bernstein, no less). Often ogled for her looks and singled out for attention because of her gender, she rose above it all, staying true to her creative principles to become one of the orchestra's most renowned musicians for decades.
1917 (2019)
The critically lauded Oscar-winning film, 1917, directed by Sam Mendes about World War I, was remarkable for the fact that it was filmed with the intent of making it appear as though the entire movie was shot as two long, continuous takes. The movie stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman playing British soldiers traveling across a dangerous battle zone rigged by Germans in an effort to deliver a message to their superiors warning them of an impending attack. The film's stellar supporting cast includes Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong and Richard Madden.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is dedicated to the memory of Chadwick Boseman, who made his final screen appearance in the film before his death in 2020. The film stars Boseman as Levee Green, a member of blues singer Ma Rainey's band (Viola Davis), and takes place amid one of the band's conflict-ridden and turbulent recording sessions in 1920s Chicago. Taylour Paige, Colman Domingo and Glynn Turman co-star in the film that was adapted from August Wilson's 1982 play.
His Three Daughters (2024)
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
In His Three Daughters, Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen star as three estranged sisters who come together in their dying father's small New York apartment to care for him in his last days. Writer-director Azazel Jacobs coaxes some incredible performances out of each actress for this intimate, emotional and often funny study of family dynamics.
Rustin (2023)
Colman Domingo earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in this film about a man whose legacy has often been overlooked in civil rights history. Bayard Rustin fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and the Freedom Rides, among other major historic events.
Rustin's outspoken activism and homosexuality made him a target -- not just for political adversaries but sometimes even among his allies. The film explores the life of a man whose legacy has long been overlooked.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Always Be My Maybe stars Ali Wong and Randall Park as Sasha and Marcus, childhood best friends who grew up next door to one another in San Francisco. The two fall out after attempting the whole "friends with benefits" thing as teens, but 15 years later, they reunite -- uncomfortably -- when Sasha returns to her hometown for work.
As Marcus struggles with his feelings for Sasha, she goes off and dates Keanu Reeves (playing a hilariously over-the-top version of himself) as she tries to figure out how she feels about her old friend. Charming and sweet, the film is a rom-com that's reliably funny thanks to its leads and excellent supporting performances from Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang and Reeves.
Maestro (2023)
This biographical film nabbed seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Picture. Maestro tells the story of conductor Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his relationship with actor Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). In addition to starring in the romance drama, Cooper also directed and co-wrote the film and produced it alongside Hollywood legends Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter stars Olivia Colman as a woman traveling alone to a seaside resort where she observes a mother and daughter. They send her into a bit of a spiral, recalling her own experiences as a young mother. The screenplay was adapted and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal in her directorial debut.
Society of the Snow (2023)
The award-winning film, Society of the Snow, is based on true events and adapted from the book of the same name. In 1972, a rugby team from Uruguay boarded a plane to Chile for a game. The plane crashed in the Andes mountains, leaving survivors to contend with injuries, illness, cold temperatures and death. Not everyone makes it and those facing death make agonizing choices to live.
The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)
If you weren't around at the time, it's hard to explain just how huge We Are the World was. Recorded by a supergroup of popular musicians -- assembled on the fly on the night of the 1985 American Music Awards -- the charity single benefiting Ethiopian famine victims sold more than 20 million copies and featured the likes of Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross. (It feels impossible to imagine so many megastars assembling in one room for something like this today.)
Luckily for us, there were cameras rolling the entire time as dozens of the world's most famous musicians pulled the epic all-night recording session. The recently departed Quincy Jones proves to be the night's true star, wrangling a studio full of nerves, egos and a little too much wine to produce something genuinely special.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
An absorbingly unsettling psychological thriller, Leave the World Behind chronicles the strange events that arise during a family's getaway at an opulent rental home. A blackout renders their phones, TVs and other electronics useless and two strangers show up at the door. TikTok has been flooded with clips and analyses of this apocalypse movie, with people reflecting on potential "hidden messages" and real-life parallels. Check it out and see what you make of it.
Nimona (2023)
This animated drama, based on the graphic novel of the same name, is set in a futuristic medieval world, in which a knight (Riz Ahmed) is framed for a crime. A shapeshifting teenager named Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) -- whom he's been trained to destroy -- may be his only hope for proving his innocence.
The Swimmers (2022)
This biographical film tells the story of two sisters, Yusra (Nathalie Issa) and Sarah Mardini (Manal Issa), who escape war-torn Syria. Amid all the strife and upheaval, Yusra works toward her dream of swimming in the Olympics. It's a touching narrative of hope and survival.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
A World War I drama based on the classic novel of the same name, this epic depicts the horrors of war through the eyes of 17-year-old German soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer). At first enthused about joining the army, in spite of his parents' wishes, Bäumer gets a violent wake-up call. All Quiet on the Western Front was a dominating force at the 95th Annual Academy Awards, as it was nominated for nine Oscars and ultimately walked away with four, including best international feature film.
Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón's Roma nabbed him the best director Oscar in 2018 (the film earned two other Oscars that year, too), a first for a foreign-language film. Its inclusion in the award show marked the first time a film distributed by a streaming platform was eligible for major awards. The film, set in the early 1970s, stars Yalitza Aparicio as the live-in housekeeper for a wealthy Mexico City family as she deals with her own pregnancy, the troubles within the family she works for and the escalating political turmoil in the city around her.
