Last year we brought you 25 great recent movies streaming on Netflix, and now we’re back with 25 more.
Looking for something new on Netflix? Check out our list of the selections of movies and TV shows that will be streaming on Netflix in March.
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Written and directed by and starring Jon Favreau, Chef was one of the definite feel-good movies of last year. It works as a critique of Favreau’s time working on big budget movies like Iron Man and Cowboys and Aliens, it has a delightfully told “family is important message,” and crucially, its food looks incredible.
We were big fans of Frank when it hit theaters last year, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, now’s the time. It has a lot to say about what it means to be an artist, and features several terrific performances, the most notable of course being from a paper mache masked Michael Fassbender.
Happy Christmas is another 2014 film that we are big fans of. Now that it’s streaming on Netflix, it’s definitely worth a look. Back with her Drinking Buddies director Joe Swanberg, Anna Kendrick stars in a performance that is different from most of her other work. Her character doesn’t have it together, and it’s interesting to watch. The film was shot off of a 12-page script, a highly unusual feat.
Lake Bell proved with In a World… that she’s not just a talented actress, she’s filmmaker with a strong, distinctive voice. Her first film isn’t without its issues (the final scene in particular is hits the nail on the head a bit too strongly), but as a whole its a terrific success. The world of voice over artists gets an interesting portrayal in this movie.
Of all of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture last year, Nebraska is by far the most underrated. Alexander Payne’s dramedy paints a touching picture of a truthful father and son relationship as well as cleverly parodying life in the midwest. It’s unexpectedly funny and touching.
If you haven’t heard anything about The One I Love, don’t look it up. Just watch it. This is a movie you want to go into blind.
Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, a great movie from great writer/director David O. Russell. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?
Joss Whedon surprisingly dropped the movie In Your Eyes online during its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, and it’s pretty good. While it does at times feel like a TV show that’s about to get cancelled, it also has moments of complete magic. Due to the strength of star Zoe Kazan, it’s very watchable.
Holy Motors is one of the weirdest and best movies to come out so far this decade. It’s a difficult movie for sure, but inside this mesmerizing film is something rewarding just waiting to be experienced.
The winner of Best Foreign Language Film at this years Oscars was Ida, it’s streaming on Netflix, and it’s great. It’s a bit intentionally slow moving, but with a runtime of under 90 minutes, it’s easily digestible. The story is incredibly gripping, and the performances from the two leads are stunning.
The Double is an adaptation of the Fyodor Dostoyevsky novella, but it’s more than that. The unique story is infused with a Brazil-esque world, and it’s a great showcase of Jesse Eisenberg’s fantastic talents.
Mark Duplass truly is the king of indie, and one of his better movies of the past few years is Your Sister’s Sister. With co-stars Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt, Duplass gives a great performance in a rather touching movie. It’s even more plot-heavy than a lot of indies, but it absolutely works due Lynn Shelton’s writing and direction being very strong.
Another film that hit theaters last year that we really enjoyed was the very well made Oculus. This unique horror film had scares that came at the psychological level, and the way Doctor Who alum Karen Gillan acted the fears of the movie worked very well.
Blue Ruin was one of the best movies of 2014. We loved Blue Ruin when it premiered, and we can’t recommend it enough. Made on a very small budget, this movie features a fantastic lead performance from Macon Blair and fantastic, Coen brothers-esque storytelling from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier.
It’s not often enough that Nicolas Cage makes a good movie, and Joe is easily one of his best in years. Together with Mud star Tye Sheridan, Cage is a perfect pawn for another great film from director David Gordon Green. Figuring out exactly what it means to be a man is a common theme in Green’s films, and the way he explores it in Joe is very compelling.
We are the Best! is actually the best. This Swedish masterpiece from writer/director Lukas Moodysson just gets what it’s like to be a teen. One of the most striking things about the movie is just how seriously Moodysson takes the three teens. We are the Best! is funny, heartfelt, and virtually flawless. If you were to only watch one film from this list, make it this one.
Steve Coogan is hilarious in his starring role in Alan Partridge. He’s certainly the best aspect of this film, and while everything else might not always be as strong, it’s worth watching for Coogan’s performance alone.
Another weird masterpiece to be release this decade is Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, a film that hauntingly looks at the ways we’re haunted by our pasts. It’s very unique, and while it may not work for everyone, those who get into will see it for the special movie it is.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the more recent additions to the streaming on Netflix catalogue, and if you never got a chance to check out this multi-Oscar nominated film, it’s time. This riveting drama features an incredible cast that includes Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, and John Hurt, among others. Director Tomas Alfredson pieced together this Cold War drama very skillfully.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master is a masterpiece, but that’s to be expected from the great director. It features three Oscar nominated performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams, and the performances are only one of the impressive elements of this movie. PTA movies demand to be rewatched to be picked apart, and the fact that it is streaming on Netflix will make that an easy reality.
It’s a shame that Leonardo DiCaprio couldn’t have won an Oscar for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street because the performance truly was the greatest of his career. The movie too, while off putting to some, was easily one of the best of 2013 and is immensely rewatchable.
Snowpiercer was one of the big gems of 2014 (where it finally saw its U.S. release), and it’s a shame it didn’t get the wide theatrical release or award season push it deserved. Whether or not you’ve seen it or not, Snowpiercer is worth visiting on Netflix.
Before releasing his more acclaimed movie Whiplash, Damien Chazelle wrote another movie with music at its core. That movie is the Elijah Wood and John Cusack starring Grand Piano, a movie with a simple and exciting premise. On his big return to the stage after a major meltdown, Wood’s character is told to play an impossibly hard piece of music, and there’s one big catch: if he misses a note he’ll be killed.
Before directing Selma, Ava DuVernay wrote and directed I Will Follow, a movie about her aunt’s death. It’s touching movie about dealing with grief, and unsurprisingly very well made.
If Oscar Isaac stars in a movie, it’s worth watching. That statement is true of The Two Faces of January, the first directorial project from Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini. Isaac stars with Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen, and the three give great performances that drive their complex characters. The movie looks great, and fans of romantic thrillers will love it.