The 39 best films to watch on Netflix now (Part 1/4)

7/4/2021

If you're stuck in the endless Netflix scroll, hopefully this list will help you decide what to watch. Netflix occasionally brings in big directors like David Fincher to serve up originals that make it all the way to the Oscars.

But it's also got an abundance of smaller stories perfect for a modestly sized screen. Fingers crossed you'll find something here that hits the spot. We will be introducing 39 best films to watch on Netflix now, split into 4 parts blog articles, so do stay tuned for more! In part 1, 10 films will be shared with you.

1) Mank

A black-and-white David Fincher tale about the unsung screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz who helped Orson Welles write Citizen Kane. Step back into Old Hollywood, with beautiful cinematography and take in the behind-the-scenes of how studio systems functioned in a different time. Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried are among the exceptional cast of this biographical drama filled with the lightness and darkness of its hero's life.

2) News of the World

Tom Hanks in a Western directed by Jason Bourne's Paul Greengrass. Enjoy Hanks going full Mandalorian single dad mode as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a Civil War veteran who discovers a young girl years after she was captured by Native Americans as a baby. In between helping to return her to her family, he does his usual job of traveling to towns and reading newspapers for a small fee. Don't expect high-octane action: This road movie is fueled more by character development and the beautiful views. Still, you'll want to settle in for a comforting ride with pure sympathetic Hanks at the steering wheel.

3) The Dig

This fine British drama excavates a whole lot of buried treasure with a distinguished cast in Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James and Johnny Flynn. It's based on the true events around the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo, yielding a priceless trove of Anglo-Saxon artefacts hidden in a burial ship. Romantic, intellectual and moving, The Dig is a full sweep of elegance.

4) Vampires vs. the Bronx

Vampires vs. the Bronx is a unique comedy-horror in more ways than one. Set in the New York borough of the Bronx, it follows young Miguel Martinez, a big-hearted kid helping to raise money for his struggling local bodega before it's forced to sell. But it's not just new designer clothing stores threatening to move in: Creepy pale neck-chompers are eating up people and their properties. A commentary on gentrification with goofy charm, twists and thrills, Vampires vs. the Bronx is a fresh, entertaining spin on the genre.

5) Pieces of a Woman

Falling into the movies that make you cry category, Pieces of a Woman is an emotional well that'll steep you in melancholy. Martha's home birth leads to a schism in her marriage as her life falls to pieces. Known for its opening 24-minute childbirth one-shot, this portrait of grief will ultimately take you to poignant places. Plus, see Vanessa Kirby put in her career best performance. Just give her the Oscar already.

6) His House

His House is a horror flick that hits close to home. Revealing its supernatural evils through a harrowing human story, it follows Bol and Rial, a refugee couple from Sudan, who struggle to adapt to their new life in an English town. Don't expect straightforward jump scares -- His House plays into the psychological specters of the past, adding even more corridors of torment. A heartrending, powerful piece.

7) The Call

Two movies named The Call came out in 2020. Watch the South Korean one, a time travel thriller revolving around, yep, a phone call. Twenty-eight-year-old Seo-yeon finds a phone buried in a closet in her childhood home. It rings -- and the caller, it turns out, is living in the same house 20 years earlier. Twists right up to the final moment, plus a wild cat-and-mouse chase that alters the past and present make this a must-watch.

8) The Trial of the Chicago 7

An Aaron Sorkin drama based on a true story? The Trial of the Chicago 7 lives up to its pedigree, following the real-life trial of a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors charged with conspiracy to incite riots. With a stellar ensemble cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is both topical and full of compelling theatrical energy.

9) Enola Holmes

With Fleabag's director, the star of Stranger Things and Superman (Henry Cavill) playing Sherlock Holmes, Enola Holmes is a guaranteed good night in. The titular hero is Holmes' kid sister, played by an effortlessly engaging Millie Bobby Brown. She's just as talented when it comes to mystery solving and doesn't shy from getting stuck into scuffles with Victorian-era adults twice her size. If you're in the mood for something light and fun, this is a big yes.

10) Marriage Story

A movie about divorce might not sound like the best viewing experience, but Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story is a journey you'll want to take. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver give two of the best performances of their careers as Nicole and Charlie, a couple who embark on the emotionally and logistically complicated legal processes involved in prying a partnership apart. Painted with an emotional complexity that includes poignantly funny moments along with the painful ones, this is happy-sad at its best.