From festival favorites to viral hits to movies you might have missed
Netflix releases a lot. In fact, the streaming titan debuted just shy of 200 new original films in 2024. Naturally, not every new Netflix movie is a home run, but there are plenty of worthwhile films tucked in among the many, many weekly releases. From festival favorites to their big awards contenders, underseen hidden gems, and some that are just good, old-fashioned campy fun. Here are the best Netflix original movies of 2024.
Glen Powell said “I can play anything, and I’m gonna prove it to ya.” Richard Linklater’s latest stars Powell as a university professor who moonlights for the cops as a fake hitman, transforming himself into a new character for each client, before he, whoops, accidentally falls in love with one of them (played by Adria Arjona). Powell co-wrote the script with Linklater, and it’s a hell of a proof of concept for “Glen Powell, movie star,” while also being a true blue Linklater gem with all the filmmakers beloved creative hallmarks. Chattering repartee as foreplay? Check. Musings on the meaning of being? Check. A striking blend of comedy with some way-down-deep darkness? Absolutely. It’s a masterful blend of Powell and Linklater’s tastes and talents, and a must watch.
“Green Room” and “Blue Ruin” filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier ditches the ultraviolence that became his creative calling card, but keeps all the relentless tension that comes with it in “Rebel Ridge.” An unusual, outstanding approach to the genre and contender for thriller of the year, “Rebel Ridge” features a star-making turn from Aaron Pierre as close quarters combat expert and veteran Terry Richmond, who goes up against corrupt local cops after they unjustly seize the money he need to bail his cousin out of jail. “Rebel Ridge” makes the extremely refreshing choice to feature a hero who’s actively trying not to kill people in his pursuit of justice, which results in several unpredictable action sequences that sizzle with restraint and efficiency. Don Johnson does great hamming sleazeball as the corrupt police chief, and Saulnier’s approach to the universally infuriating practice of civil asset forfeiture cuts through politics to deliver a wholly human story. I’d watch a hundred Terry Richmond movies.
2024’s loveliest ode to friendship, “Will & Harper” follows megastar comedian Will Ferrell on a road trip with his close friend and former “SNL” writer Harper Steele, who came out as trans in 2022 and misses the all-American, salt of the Earth dive bars she used to frequent before her transition. With that in mind, Ferrell accompanies her on a trip across the country as a sort of social shield while she feels out her new identity in places she might not normally feel safe. At the same time, the two have some heartfelt, hilarious and occasionally straight-up awkward conversations about it all. It’s a really candid, tender piece of documentary filmmaking that also has a charming original song penned by none other than Kristen Wiig (that just made it on the Oscars shortlist, no less).
“The Night Comes for Us” and “Headshot” director Timo Tjahjanto is back with another hyperviolent action-fest with “The Shadow Strays.” Aurora Ribero makes a knockout action debut as 13, a young but impeccably trained assassin who strikes up a bond with a young boy and defies her assassins syndicate’s strict protocols to bring down the criminal elements making his life hell. Violent chaos pours in from all sides thereafter, and Tjahjanto’s signature ruthlessness and devotion to excess is on full glorious display in the outrageous two-and-a-half-hour runtime. How much is too much? Depends on your taste, but if you are a fan of Indonesian action and Tjhajanto’s innovative, unyielding scene construction in particular, this could easily be a favorite of the year. Just be warned, “The Shadow Strays” isn’t just physically punishing (though yes, the gore is splattery, goopy and flowing), it’s an emotional bender too.
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut cuts to the quick of how sexism can kill in the “truth is stranger than fiction” tale of a woman (played by Kendrick) who crossed paths with a serial killer as contestants on “The Dating Game.” One of the strongest thrillers of the year, “Woman of the Hour” shows off some sharp behind-the-camera skills from Kendrick, especially in the film’s stomach-churning parking lot scene, which is a line drive sequence that carries the film home with its biggest punch of all.
A funny, fittingly prickly portrait of one of the most successful women in the world, “Martha” chronicles Martha Stewart’s rise from model to stockbroker to media mogul — and unpacks the true story behind her temporary downfall and imprisonment after those insider trading charges. You might be surprised by how the facts of that case compare to the memory and media from it (and perhaps even more surprised by the the critical involvement of James Comey). “Martha” a refreshing reminder of how much we don’t know about a woman who has spend decades in the spotlight, and some testimonials from Martha offer dry, unflinching, often hilarious commentary along the way. Martha herself isn’t the film’s biggest fan, but what would you expect from a notorious perfectionist and pioneering public image craftsman like Martha Stewart but rigorous criticism?
The kind of movie that breaks your heart but has the necessary catharsis to heal it a little too, “His Three Daughters” rallies a trio of unmissable performances from Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as three estranged sisters, who share a tense, life-altering reunion at their father’s deathbed. All three are downright phenomenal and provided such rich material from writer-director Azazel Jacobs’ script. The “French Exit” and “The Lovers” filmmaker also does outstanding work behind the camera, inhabiting the apartment so fully, we feel right at home with the family even when they’re not at home with each other, and absorbing all the fragile gestures and micro-expressions his actresses gift him. “His Three Daughters” should come with a warning for full-body sobs thanks to an unexpected third-act detour that rattles all the posturing of grief and death down to the foundations and elevates it beyond the standard ailing parent drama into something a little more transcendent.
Denzel Washington makes his third August Wilson adaptation with Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson,” this time as producer — and it’s a family affair with his sons in front of and behind the camera. Malcolm Washington makes his feature directing debut, while John David Washington (“Tenet”) stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts and Corey Hawkins. It’s a fitting setup for a story so centered on family and legacy.
Adapted from Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, “The Piano Lesson” follows the struggle between two siblings over a prized family heirloom; a piano engraved with carvings from an enslaved ancestor and a heavy history. Their ancestors were traded so their white owner could own the piano, then the family stole it back — but in 1936, Boy Willie (Washington) wants to sell it to buy land, while his sister Berniece (Deadwyler) staunchly refuses. It’s a sprawling story, haunting and haunted, with stunning work from Deadwyler, in particular.
If you don’t keep an eye on Netflix’s international titles, you might have missed this British charmer by “Wicked Little Letters” director Thea Sharrock. It debuted in the spring and cracked the global Top 10, but didn’t quite take off on the U.S. charts. Starring Bill Nighy as Mal, the manager of England’s homeless football team, “The Beautiful Game” follows Mal and his players to the Homeless World Cup — a real-world event that provided the inspiration for the many heartwarming stories tucked into this inspirational sports drama. Sharrock walks an emotional tightrope with the subject matter, threading the needle between the inherent hard truths and the payoff of a feel-good sports movie.
Fun as heck with a creative, catchy premise, “It’s What’s Inside” made a splashy debut at Sundance 2024, where it ended up being the biggest acquisition of the fest when Netflix snatched up the clever sci-fi thriller for $17 million. Starring a cast full of standout young actors including, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini and Devon Terrell, the film follows a group of high school friends reunited for a wedding when an old party-pal-turned-billionaire-tech-inventor shows up with a body-swapping device that unleashes chaos and triggers every landmine of secrets, lust and lies in their decades-long friendships and romances. It’s a smart, playful, resourceful feature debut for writer-director Greg Jardin that keeps you thinking about it long after the credits roll and could easily franchise out.
A super slept-on release from early in the year, “The Kitchen” is the type of somber, understated dystopian yarn that doesn’t work for everyone, but boy it packs a punch if you can tune in to its wavelength. Co-directed by Kibwe Tavares and Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya in his directorial debut, “The Kitchen” imagines a near-future London where welfare is eliminated, billionaires run the show, and lower-income citizens struggle to hold onto any housing or sense of community. In the high-rise community dubbed The Kitchen, the fight back as best they can, refusing to leave their homes and often violently being extricated. There, former robber Izi (Kane Robinson, aka, Kano) is desperate to go straight until the son he never knew he had shows up with ties to the local vigilantes.
The silliest surprise thrill of the holiday season was the viral delight “Hot Frosty,” starring Hallmark Queen Lacey Chabert in her first Netflix Christmas movie alongside “Schitt’s Creek” star Dustin Milligan as a himbo snowman-turned-human. Absurd, laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly effective as a heartwarming romance, “Hot Frosty” was a true standout in this year’s Netflix holiday lineup and a signpost of what makes Netflix’s approach to the Christmas rom-com genre unique — you simply won’t find them this batty or starry anywhere else.
Another standout from Netflix’s holiday programming, “Carry-On” is less outwardly a Christmas movie, taking a page from the “Die Hard” playbook as a straightforward action thriller that happens to be set on the holiday. Taron Egerton stars as a TSA agent with unrealized dreams of becoming a cop, who gets his mettle tested when a ruthless traveler (Jason Bateman) blackmails him to let a deadly package through security and onto a plane. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who has a track record of crowd-pleasing, playful genre movies from “The Shallows” to “Orphan” and most of the good Liam Neeson thrillers, and makes a welcome return after a couple of less inspired studio franchise non-starters (“Jungle Cruise,” “Black Adam”). He’s right back at home with “Carry-On” and it’s great to have him back.
Angelina Jolie commands the screen as opera legenda Maria Callas in “Jackie” and “Spencer” filmmaker Pablo Larrain’s latest cinematic portrait of a high-profile woman fraying under society’s microscope. Though there’s some debate from the experts over the film’s accuracy, Larrain seems all but entirely disinterested in the bio part of his biopic, crafting a lush, textural Paris from which his La Callas emerges; a mythic figure poisoned by the creativity that fuels her. Jolie isn’t entirely convincing as an opera singer, but it matters very little when she’s so completely absorbing as the ailing diva with a faltering voice.
Perhaps the love-it-or-hate-it movie of the year, Jacques Audiard’s (“A Prophet”) “Emilia Pérez” debuted to rapturous acclaim at Cannes 2024 and then blew up in viral fashion upon its streaming release for less celebratory reasons. An unusual musical set in the world of Mexican cartels, “Emilia Pérez” stars Zoe Saldana as a lawyer recruited by a crime lord to help transition from male to female and, years later, to help rebuild her life with the family she left behind in the process of becoming Emilia Perez (Karla Sofía Gascón). It’s wild, audacious, unwieldy filmmaking that’s really unlike anything else and easily features some of the best performances of the year.
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