Netflix offers a mix of modern and classic films across genres, so it’s likely to have a great pick for your next movie night. However, uncovering precisely what to watch isn’t always an easy task, especially when you consider the streaming service’s questionable redesign.
But don’t worry! I’ve sifted through Netflix’s catalog and picked out five movies that are bound to entertain. Whether you watch one or all, enjoy!
5
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is an iconic John Hughes movie, starring Matthew Broderick as the titular character. Ferris has perfected the art of faking illness and generally being a slacker, so he puts it to the ultimate test by borrowing a Ferrari for a day trip to Chicago. Ferris’ girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) come along for the ride too. What follows is a grand day out, to say the least.
“Life moves pretty fast,” says Ferris. “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” It’s a simple but effective message. We’ve all dreamed of ditching our responsibilities for a while and having unabashed fun. Ferris and the gang live out that fantasy, with the result being a charming, feel-good movie that never seems to age. It’s just as funny now as it was when it came out in 1986.
4
La La Land
La La Land, directed by Whiplash‘s Damien Chazelle, stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as Sebastian and Mia, respectively. The characters are both creative—he’s a jazz pianist, she’s an actress—and they meet while feeling unfulfilled in their lives. The film charts their changing relationship as they chase their dreams in Los Angeles.
Awards don’t mean everything, but La La Land won so many that it must have done something right—it took home six Oscars for a start. The film is a joyous celebration of love, music, and dancing, and it blends these elements together without feeling schmaltzy. Chazelle’s direction is assured, and the two stars feel right at home and have arguably never been better. Even if you don’t normally go in for this genre, give it a try.
3
Shrek
Despite Shrek being nearly two and a half decades old, the green ogre remains a cultural phenomenon. Part of that is due to internet memes, but the original movie holds up as an enjoyable watch. If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching it, the story is about a swamp-dwelling ogre called Shrek who finds his solitude broken when fairytale creatures invade his home after being banished by Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). To restore peace, he agrees to rescue a princess from a castle.
That might sound like a standard fairy tale, but part of what makes Shrek so good is that it parodies the tropes typically found in classic Disney movies, and the humor works on different levels for children and adults. The dynamic between the central trio—Shrek (Mike Myers), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz)—is great, and it’s easy to see how they helped spawn a franchise.
2
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is not sophisticated art, but it knows that. If you’ve seen any of the Fast & Furious movies, which ramp up the ridiculousness with each installment, then you should know what you’re getting into with this spin-off. But even if you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, you can jump in here and still have a whale of a time.
Dwayne Johnson is Hobbs and Jason Statham is Shaw. The pair don’t like one another, but they are forced to team up. They, along with Shaw’s sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby), are out to stop Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), a soldier who has been cybernetically enhanced and aims to destroy humanity with a supervirus. The story is cliché, but the cast has great chemistry, the jokes generally land, and there’s plenty of exciting action. For an easy popcorn flick, Hobbs & Shaw has you covered.
1
Don’t Look Up
While Adam McKay started his career directing silly comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers, he’s more recently veered into the dark humor of politics. He’s on good form with Don’t Look Up, a Netflix movie about two astronomers (played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) who discover an Earth-destroying comet that will collide with the planet soon. They try to warn everyone but find themselves mostly met with apathy.
It’s an unsubtle allegory for climate change, but it’s bleakly funny. The performances from the main duo are great, and you can’t go too wrong when the rest of the cast includes the likes of Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, and Mark Rylance. Interestingly, Don’t Look Up is one of the five most-watched Netflix originals—that’s admittedly not a sign of quality considering Red Notice‘s presence on that list, but I think it’s well worth your time.
If you want to watch these movies but find that they aren’t available in your region, consider using a VPN for Netflix. The best VPNs let you select an IP address from another country, meaning you can trick Netflix into thinking you’re streaming from elsewhere.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
Stream all of these great movies, along with plenty more original and licensed programming, with a Netflix subscription.
