As we’ve often seen before, unexpected films from the past suddenly rise to the top of the list of the most popular movies on Netflix. This week, the movie in question is Focus, a 2015 crime dramedy starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. Although Focus didn’t clean up at the box office, when two of the biggest stars appear together in the same movie, it tends to get noticed on Netflix.
The first six Fast and Furious films have also arrived on Netflix, which should make action lovers very happy. For this week, we’re putting the spotlight on Fast Five because it’s one of the best in the series, and it also featured the first face-off between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Netflix is also currently having a lot of success with the action rom-com The Lost City, as well as other recent arrivals, including Oblivion and Kung Fu Panda 4. You can find those films and more in our complete roundup of the best movies on Netflix right now.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best movies to stream this week, the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+.
Watching from abroad? Use a Netflix VPN to access your country’s catalog from anywhere in the world. Want to watch on the go? We can show you how to download movies on Netflix.
Editor’s Pick
Focus (2015)
56%
6.6/10Margot Robbie was already well on her way to being a star when she co-headlined Focus with Will Smith, and she is absolutely radiant as Jess Barrett, a con artist in the making. Veteran con man Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is so impressed that he takes Jess under his wing and introduces her to his crew, Farhad (Adrian Martinez) and Horst (Brennan Brown).
Nicky also finds himself falling hard for Jess, which goes against every instinct he’s ever had. Can Nicky really trust his feelings and find love with Jess? Or is she pulling the ultimate long con on him?
Fast Five (2011)
66%
7.3/10Among the early Fast and Furious films, Fast Five is the one where the series started to morph into a franchise about a super team of drivers, hackers, and more. Before Dom (Vin Diesel) and “the family” got sucked into secret agent stuff, they had to face a new adversary: DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
After Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and Dom’s sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), successfully free Dominic from custody, the trio go on the run. They also make an enemy out of drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), who frames them for the murder of several DEA agents. To get their lives back and steal a ridiculous amount of money from Reyes, Dom and Brian assemble a team of their past associates for a high-stakes mission.
Other Netflix Movies
The Lost City (2022)
62%
6.1/10If you’re old enough to remember Romancing the Stone, then you may notice some familiar elements in The Lost City. Sandra Bullock stars as archeologist-turned-novelist Loretta Sage, a bestselling author whose adventure novels have made her famous. Her books have also turned cover model Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum) into a celebrity among her fans.
While on tour with Loretta, Alan witnesses her kidnapping at the hands of Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a demented billionaire who believes that her research holds the key to deciphering the messages in a lost city. Alan, who is desperately infatuated with Loretta, takes it upon himself to stage a rescue mission. But that attempt soon leaves both Alan and Loretta running for their lives, with little hope for escape.
Oblivion (2013)
54%
7.0/10Years before they made Top Gun: Maverick together, Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski teamed up for a sci-fi film called Oblivion. Sixty years after an alien invasion ravaged the Earth, Jack Harper (Cruise) and Victoria “Vika” Olsen (Andrea Riseborough) may be the last humans still living on the planet as they try to repair drones on behalf of the people living in a space station in orbit.
Jack can’t remember much about his life before he became a tech, but he vividly recalls a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko) through his dreams. One day, Jack comes across the real Julia when her pod lands on Earth. Suddenly, Jack has to question everything he thought he knew about his life. The truth about the invasion is about to come out, and Jack’s relationship with Julia may help determine the future of the whole world.
Don't Move (2024)
54%
5.9/10Sam Raimi, the visionary behind the Evil Dead franchise, produces a low-key horror thriller that stars Yellowstone‘s Kelsey Asbille as Iris. After the death of her son, Iris is despondent and willing to end her life until she has a random encounter with Richard (Finn Wittrock).
However, Richard’s apparenlyt friendly nature is just a ruse, and he soon injects Iris with a drug that will slowly paralyze her. Now, Iris has to escape through the woods with a killer in pursuit. Time is ticking as her body slowly shuts down, leaving her helpless to fight back.
Time Cut (2024)
38%
5.0/10If you saw Totally Killer on Prime Video last year, then you’ve pretty much seen Time Cut. The key difference in Time Cut is that 2003 is now a period destination, just in case you didn’t feel old already. Outer Banks‘ Madison Bailey stars as Lucy, a young woman haunted by the murder of her older sister, Summer (Antonia Gentry), two decades earlier.
After finding a time machine and accidentally sending herself back to 2003, Madison has a chance to Quantum Leap her life by saving Summer. First, she’ll have to figure out who’s going to kill Summer and why. Madison will then have to make sure that she survives the killer’s rampage, too.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
54%
6.3/10Sometimes the student must become the teacher. Kung Fu Panda 4 finds Po (Jack Black) at a crossroads in his life. For years, he’s been the Dragon Warrior and the protector of the Valley of Peace. But now, Po is being called upon to pass his mantle on to a younger warrior and take on a more spiritual role.
The truth is that Po doesn’t want to change anything, and he’s also preoccupied by the arrival of The Chameleon (Viola Davis), a sorceress who may be the greatest threat he’s ever faced. When Po goes to confront her, he’s joined by Zhen (Awkwafina), a thieving fox who might be Dragon Warrior material. That’s assuming, of course, that this fox isn’t a snake in the grass.
Halloween (2018)
67%
6.5/10Forget almost all of the Halloween movies that came before this one, because this film most certainly has. It must be nice to just pick and choose the parts of your past you want to keep and throw away everything you don’t like. So for the purposes of this movie, just pretend that only the 1978 Halloween happened, and Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) has been institutionalized for 40 years.
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), one of cinema’s original final girls, has been dreading the day that Michael will finally escape and come back to try and kill her. She’s been so steadfast in this belief that she’s alienated her daughter, Karen Nelson (Judy Greer), while Karen’s daughter, Allyson Nelson (Andi Matichak), doesn’t quite take her grandmother seriously. That will change when Michael returns for all of the Strode women, starting with Allyson.
A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
71%
7.2/10Most of the Abbott family survived the events of A Quiet Place, but not all of them. A Quiet Place Part II finds Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) leading her two remaining children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe), on a journey to find other survivors. To the family’s surprise, they run into someone they know: Emmett (Oppenheimer‘s Cillian Murphy).
Emmett has been greatly changed since the Abbotts saw him before the alien invasion began. Now, the Abbotts have a way of killing the aliens, but those measures won’t protect them from other humans. The remains of humanity may be on the verge of extinction, yet that doesn’t mean Evelyn and her family can trust any of the people they come across.
Woman of the Hour (2024)
74%
6.8/10Anna Kendrick is making her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour, a film in which she also stars. The premise of this movie is off-the-wall bonkers and yet based on a true story. Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, a contestant on The Dating Game in 1978. That TV romance game show also featured a serial killer named Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) as one of the men vying for Cheryl’s favor on the episode in question.
No one on The Dating Game could have guessed that Rodney was a murderer, but there’s something very clearly off about him. It’s a bizarre chapter in TV history now immortalized in this film.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)
54%
6.6/10For their fourth time out as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence sent their respective characters on the run in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. In the last movie, Mike and Marcus lost their captain, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), to an assassination. Now, Captain Howard’s name is getting dragged through the mud after he’s posthumously framed for crimes he didn’t commit.
When Mike and Marcus attempt to clear Howard of these charges, they find themselves framed, too. Once they’re on the wrong side of the law, the guys learn who their friends really are. The rest of the Miami PD is gunning for them, and they’re running out of options fast.
Scream (2022)
60%
6.3/10Would it have killed Paramount to add a number to this film? Calling it Scream 5 would be a more accurate title. Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega plays Tara Carpenter, a young girl who has a near-fatal encounter with a new killer in the Ghostface mask. That attack draws Tara’s older sister, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), back to town and forces her to face a secret that links her to the murders in the original Scream.
The return of Ghostface also attracts the attention of the last three survivors from the original movies: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey Riley (David Arquette). They’ve lived through multiple Ghostface killer attacks, but this time their luck may have finally run out.
It Chapter Two (2019)
58%
6.5/10Splitting up Stephen King’s It into a two-part film adaptation turned out to be a good call, as director Andy Muschietti was able to draw a near all-star cast to play the now-grown members of the Losers Club. Nearly three decades after the events of the first movie, the Losers Club — Beverly “Bev” Marsh (Jessica Chastain), Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy), Richie Tozier (Bill Hader), Ben Hanscom (Jay Ryan), Eddie Kaspbrak (James Ransone), and Stanley Uris (Andy Bean) — are summoned back to Derry, Maine, by their old friend, Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa).
Mike called upon the group to fulfill their oaths to kill Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård) if he ever emerged again. Some of the group would rather die than ever return to Derry, and Pennywise knows how to embody the things they fear the most. The Losers may have been able to defeat Pennywise when they were children, but he won’t be easy to beat this time.
Escape Plan (2013)
49%
6.7/10In 2013, the novelty of seeing ’80s and ’90s action icons Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in the same movie was enough to make Escape Plan feel like an event. Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a man who has made his reputation and living on being able to escape from almost any prison. Breslin’s not a bad guy; this is just his job. This time around, Breslin has been betrayed and left to rot in the Tomb, a massive prison run by Warden Willard Hobbes (Jim Caviezel).
One of the few allies Ray makes on the inside is Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger). Escape becomes their common goal. However, the Tomb represents Ray’s greatest challenge to date. Even with Emil’s help, getting out alive may be beyond Ray’s ability.
American Gangster (2007)
76%
7.8/10Director Ridley Scott’s American Gangster is loosely based on the true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a drug lord who became the kingpin of Harlem. And he did it in the most American way possible, by cutting out the heroin middlemen and offering drug addicts a superior product.
Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) and the rest of the NYPD are initially oblivious to Lucas’ rise in the underworld. But once Roberts starts looking into Lucas’ drug empire, it becomes his personal crusade to bring him down. And it’s not as if Lucas doesn’t have other problems to deal with, including rival crime families, corrupt cops, and people who want to see him dead.
The Garfield Movie (2024)
31%
5.7/10The Garfield Movie presents the latest incarnation of the popular comic strip cat. The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s Chris Pratt takes over the role of Garfield, a lasagna-loving feline who has settled into his comfortable life with his owner, Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult), and his canine best friend, Odie.
Garfield and Odie’s lives are disrupted when they’re kidnapped and reunited with Garfield’s estranged father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). Although Garfield is reluctant to have anything to do with Vic, he and Odie are soon forced to take part in a milk heist from Lactose Farms. And if they don’t manage to pull off this improbable crime, Garfield and Odie may not be able to go back home.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
77%
7.0/10Aaron Pierre establishes himself as an action hero in the Netflix original film Rebel Ridge. Terry Richmond (Pierre) only wanted to come into town and bail out his cousin, Mike Simmons (C.J. LeBlanc), so they could rebuild their lives together. But when corrupt cops seize Terry’s cash, it leaves him without any way to get Mike out of jail.
Terry tries to be reasonable with Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), only for these dishonorable men to go back on their word and keep his stolen money while Mike suffers. Now, Terry has to take the law into his own hands to get justice, and not even dirty cops can stand in his way.
The Deliverance (2024)
38%
5.1/10The Deliverance starts off like a family drama and soon takes a turn toward supernatural horror. Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) moves her three children and her dying mother, Alberta Jackson (Glenn Close), into a rundown home as their family teeters on financial ruin. While Ebony struggles with her alcoholism, her youngest son, Dre (Anthony B. Jenkins), begins having odd encounters with an imaginary friend.
Soon, all three of Ebony’s children are experiencing strange and disturbing incidents at the house that the family’s child services worker, Cynthia Henry (Mo’Nique), believes to be evidence of physical abuse. But for Ebony, the real threat to her family may be a demonic possession that she can’t handle by herself.
The Union (2024)
44%
5.5/10Mike McKenna (Flight Risk‘s Mark Wahlberg) never really expected to see his high school sweetheart, Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry), ever again. But their paths converge in the action comedy called The Union because Roxanne needs someone she can trust. During the last two decades, Roxanne has become a secret agent of immeasurable skill, but most of her colleagues have been killed after their identities were exposed.
Roxanne gives Mike a chance to become a spy because she knows she can rely on him. Compared to Roxanne, Mike is really winging it as their mission takes them all over Europe. But there may just be something left in their romantic connection if they can both make it home alive.
Migration (2023)
56%
6.6/10For Illumination’s first film after The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the studio took to the skies with Migration. Kumail Nanjiani lends his voice to the film as Mack Mallard, a duck who is married to Pam (Elizabeth Banks) and the father of their children, Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal).
After spending their whole lives in a New England pond, Mack’s wife and kids convince him, and their curmudgeonly relative, Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), to go on the trip of a lifetime to Jamaica by way of New York City. That trip is easier said than done for these first-time migrators. But if the family can stick together, they might just pull this off.
Pearl (2022)
76%
7.0/10Pearl is both the prequel to Ti West’s X and the name of the character played by Mia Goth. During World War I, Pearl is left at home by her husband with her overbearing mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright), and her nearly infirm father (Matthew Sunderland).
The movie makes it clear pretty early on that Pearl makes Hannibal Lecter seem well-adjusted. Pearl is so convinced that she’s got what it takes to be a movie star that she completely breaks from reality. And even the affections of a local projectionist (David Corenswet) can’t keep Pearl from going off the deep end.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
46%
6.1/10Unlike the previous sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the original Ghostbusters, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), and Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), get to play larger roles alongside the current generation of Ghostbusters in Frozen Empire. Under the guidance of Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) and Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) and her brother, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), have come to New York to develop new technology for busting ghosts.
The Ghostbusters are going to need all of the tech help they can get when an ancient spirit unleashes a new ice age on New York City. And if they can’t stop it, then the whole world may fall to this frozen empire.
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
73%
7.1/10Bone Tomahawk is an indie Western that brings Kurt Russell back to the genre as Sheriff Franklin Hunt. In 1890, Hunt’s small town of Bright Hope is rocked by the abductions of an outlaw called Purvis (David Arquette), a deputy named Nick (Evan Jonigkeit), and a young woman, Samantha O’Dwyer (Lili Simmons). This unlikely trio has been taken by a renegade native tribe that is known for eating its victims.
Rather than abandoning the victims to their fate, Hunt, John Brooder (Matthew Fox), and others form a rescue party to bring them back home. But as they venture deeper into dangerous territory, the posse finds themselves facing threats on all sides, which may make a safe return impossible.
American Psycho (2000)
64%
7.6/10Nearly a quarter century ago, Christian Bale played Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and it may still be the actor’s darkest character to date. In 1987, Patrick outwardly has it all as an investment banker with a beautiful fiancée, Evelyn Williams (Reese Witherspoon). Except Patrick hates Evelyn and he’s insanely jealous of his co-workers, especially Paul Allen (Jared Leto).
And when we say “insanely,” that doesn’t cover it all. Patrick doesn’t need much to work up to murdering someone. But as more people are targeted by Patrick, he draws some very unwelcome attention from the police.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
54%
6.7/10Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F puts Eddie Murphy back into the title role for the first time since 1994. Axel Foley is a Detroit cop who has barged into Beverly Hills’ jurisdiction on a case three times before. And Beverly Hills Police Captain Cade Grant (Kevin Bacon) is really upset that Axel is at it again.
Axel doesn’t care about the consequences because this is personal. Someone is targeting his adult daughter, Jane Saunders (Taylour Paige), and only her ex-boyfriend, Detective Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is willing to help Axel save her. However, Axel may still have some other friends left in the police department, and he’ll need them when everything comes crashing down on him.
Hit Man (2024)
83%
7.4/10Richard Linklater’s Hit Man could have scored a full theatrical release in part because Glen Powell is one of the breakout stars of 2024. But instead, it’s now a Netflix original that was co-written by both Powell and Linklater. The former is headlining the film as Gary Johnson, a man who has found his calling as an undercover operative for the police.
Gary pretends to be an assassin, and he helps the police arrest his would-be clients. It’s a good racket for Gary until he meets Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants her husband killed so she can escape his physical abuse. Maddy is the first “client” that Gary has ever been real with, and he doesn’t want to see her get arrested like his other marks. As much as Gary might try to believe otherwise, helping Maddy and getting emotionally involved with her may bring his life crashing down around him.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
81%
7.9/10There is an English dub of Godzilla Minus One on Netflix, but the original Japanese voice track has better performances. This is one of the best Godzilla movies ever made in part because the creature is allowed to be a fearsome monster instead of a heroic giant. It’s also notable for featuring a strong focus on the human side of the story, especially with the main character Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki).
In the last days of World War II, Shikishima can’t bring himself to fulfill his duty as a kamikaze pilot. A chance encounter with Godzilla only brings more shame upon Shikishima. During the aftermath of the war, Shikishima forms an unexpected bond with Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) and the infant child she adopted. Yet Shikishima’s inability to let go of his regret may destroy him before Godzilla can get around to killing him and everyone else in Japan.
Anyone But You (2023)
52%
6.2/10Anyone but You is one of the rare rom-coms to become a smash hit, while also solidifying Sydney Sweeney as a star … and keeping her out of movie jail for co-starring in Madame Web. Sweeney plays Bea, a young woman who forms an instant connection with a guy named Ben (Twisters star Glen Powell). But after a great first date, things end very badly and they both blame each other.
Bea and Ben are unwillingly drawn back into each other’s orbit at the wedding for Halle (Hadley Robinson) and Claudia (Alexandra Shipp). Despite being unhappy about their reunion, Bea and Ben also have their own reasons to make the other guests believe that they’re a couple. And then the sparks start to fly between them again.
Baby Driver (2017)
86%
7.5/10Don’t let the name Baby Driver fool you into thinking that this is some kid’s flick. Edgar Wright’s action comedy can be downright brutal at times, but it never loses its sense of humor. Ansel Elgort plays the title character, whose real name is Miles. But he’s known professionally as Baby, and he’s an incredible getaway driver who is forced to work for Doc (Kevin Spacey).
After Baby seemingly escapes his servitude to Doc, he simply wants to start a new life with his girlfriend, Debora (Lily James). However, Doc won’t let Baby go that easily, and he forces him to take part in one last heist alongside Buddy (Jon Hamm), Darling (Eiza González), and Bats (Jamie Foxx). This crew is far more dangerous than Baby realizes, and he’ll have to think fast if he wants to get out alive.
The Wages of Fear (2024)
In 1953, Georges Arnaud’s The Wages of Fear was brought to the big screen by director Henri-Georges Clouzot who turned it into arguably one of the greatest action thrillers ever made. Director Julien Leclercq has a lot to live up to with the modern remake, which is a Netflix exclusive.
The names and faces may be different, but the story remains largely unchanged from the original. An oil fire is out of control, and the only way to put it out and save lives is with controlled explosions using nitroglycerin. Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot, and Sofiane Zermani play a group of disparate and desperate individuals who agree to transport the nitroglycerin across hundreds of miles of dangerous terrain. At the end of their journey is a payday that could change their lives forever, assuming they live long enough to get paid.
Your Lucky Day (2023)
64%
5.8/10Winning the lottery should be one the best days in anyone’s life. But in Your Lucky Day, Sterling (Angus Cloud) didn’t actually win. He killed someone to get his hands on the winning ticket, and he left witnesses: Amir (Mousa Hussein Kraish), Abraham (Elliot Knight), and his girlfriend, Ana-Marlene (Jessica Garza).
Not even Sterling can kill that many people in cold blood, which is why he tries to bargain with them. He’ll share some of the money from the ticket if they help him hide his crime. This plan has multiple problems, but Sterling’s hostages and would-be accomplices simply can’t deter him from this course of action. He’s going to get this lottery money if it’s the last thing he does — and it might be.
Damsel (2024)
46%
7.8/10In Damsel, life’s a fairytale for Princess Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman who lives with her father, Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone), and her stepmother, Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett). Elodie doesn’t know much about the way of the world, but she’s smitten with Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), and quickly agrees to marry him.
Elodie doesn’t realize that Henry’s mother, Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright), only agreed to the union because her family can sacrifice Elodie’s life to an actual dragon to satisfy a debt. Now, Elodie can’t count on some handsome prince to save her. So she’ll just have to save herself.
Spaceman (2024)
56%
5.8/10Adam Sandler has a rare dramatic turn in Spaceman, a sci-fi drama that casts him as a Czech astronaut named Jakub Procházka. Jakub is on a very long mission in the solar system and suffers from extreme loneliness. Back on Earth, Jakub’s wife, Lenka Procházka (Carey Mulligan), wants to leave him, but the mission controllers refuse to let her break up with him via transmission over fears that it could affect his mental state.
Perhaps it’s too late to save Jakub’s sanity, because he’s already conversing with an alien spider that he calls Hanuš (Paul Dano). It seems like Hanuš has a greater grasp on Jakub’s problem than he does, and Hanuš isn’t above emotionally torturing Jakub with some painful memories to get what he wants. And there may not be a happy ending on this mission for either Jakub or Hanuš.
Thanksgiving (2023)
63%
6.4/10Sixteen years after creating a fake Thanksgiving trailer for Grindhouse, Eli Roth turned it into a real movie with all the elements of the holiday. It might be the best Thanksgiving horror film ever made, largely by default, since the rest are pretty bad. The story begins with a Black Friday rampage that goes horribly wrong and leaves several people dead.
One year later, someone is going around town dressed as one of the original Pilgrims, John Carver, and carving up people who were there on that fateful Black Friday. Whoever is under that mask is apparently out to kill as many people as possible, and even the cops seem powerless to stop the murders.
Orion and the Dark (2024)
75%Almost everyone is afraid of the dark when they’re a kid. The problem with Orion (Jacob Tremblay) is that he’s scared of everything, not just the dark. The animated adventure, Orion and the Dark, gives Orion a chance to conquer his fears alongside an unexpected companion: The living embodiment of Dark (Paul Walter Hauser).
Rather than let this kid lose years of his life to a laundry list of fears, Dark takes Orion out for a wild night to prove that he doesn’t have to be defined by the things that he’s afraid about. It’s a gesture of friendship from Dark, but can Orion finally let go of his phobias and embrace life?
Dumb Money (2023)
66%
6.9/10The infamous GameStop short squeeze was dramatized for the big screen in Dumb Money. Paul Dano headlines the cast as Keith Gill, an armchair investor who notices that hedge funds and other big market players are betting that the video game retailer GameStop will go under. Instead of letting that happen, Gill and others like him drive up GameStop’s stock to unsustainable highs and cause the professional investors to lose millions.
There’s no shortage of stars in this cast, which includes Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Myha’la Herrold, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Seth Rogen, Talia Ryder, Sebastian Stan, and Shailene Woodley. There are also plenty of shattered dreams, as many of the amateur investors lose everything they put into the GameStop stocks.
Society of the Snow (2023)
71%
8.0/10Netflix’s Society of the Snow is a Spanish thriller by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J. A. Bayona. This film is not the first to tell the story of the survivors of 1972 Uruguayan plane crash, which was most notably the subject of the American film Alive in 1993.
However, Bayona’s movie goes to far greater lengths to be authentic than the previous adaptations, including bringing production to the actual site of the crash and utilizing the real accounts of the survivors. Most of the cast members are also newcomers, which works in the film’s favor because it keeps the audience in suspense about who will live, and how far they will go to survive.
The Equalizer 3 (2023)
58%
6.8/10Denzel Washington spends so much time sitting down and sipping lattes in The Equalizer 3 that you may start to wonder if the actor himself is injured, and not just his character, Robert McCall. After nearly getting himself killed while recovering stolen funds, McCall slowly recovers in a small town on the coast of Italy. McCall also becomes close to the doctor who saved him, Enzo Arisio (Remo Girone), as well as the police officer who brought him to safety, Gio Bonucci (Eugenio Mastrandrea).
As McCall grows to love the town and its people, he realizes that the Italian mafia is terrorizing his new friends. And if anyone’s going to be terrorizing bad guys in this franchise, it’s Robert McCall. If you’re evil, don’t make McCall stand up. His stuntman will kill you.
Maestro (2023)
78%
7.3/10Composer Leonard Bernstein has been dead for 33 years, but he may prove to be an important figure in next year’s Oscar race. Netflix’s Maestro was written and directed by Bradley Cooper, who cast himself as Bernstein opposite Carey Mulligan as his wife, Felicia Montealegre.
Before falling in love with Felicia, Bernstein was in an affair with David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer). However, Bernstein’s marriage with Felicia doesn’t mean that he plans to give up sleeping with other men. This places an incredible strain on their union, even though the love between Bernstein and Felicia is never in doubt.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
62%
7.4/10Back in 2000, Chicken Run became a surprise hit with fans of all ages. So what if there was a mere twenty-three-year gap between films? It’s not like chickens can tell time! Although the extended period did leave some major roles to be recast, including Zachary Levi and Thandiwe Newton taking over as Rocky and Ginger from Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha from the original.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget takes place not too long after the first film, but long enough for Rocky and Ginger to have a daughter named Molly (as voiced by The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey). The chickens may have escaped from Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), but she’s far from through with them. If Ginger wants to keep her family safe, she will have to lead a team to break into Tweedy’s compound and discover what she has in store for them.
Leo (2023)
66%
7.0/10For 74 years, the titular lizard of Leo has shared an enclosure with a turtle named Squirtle (Bill Burr) as the official pets of a fifth-grade classroom in Florida. However, Leo (Adam Sandler) comes to believe that he’s wasted his life in captivity, which is why he plots his escape.
When Leo makes his bid for freedom, he accidentally reveals his ability to speak to Summer (Sunny Sandler), one of the students in his classroom. Through Summer and the other students in the class, Leo discovers a new purpose in life while contending with mean substitute teacher Mrs. Malkin (Cecily Strong).
The Killer (2023)
72%
7.4/10David Fincher’s latest thriller, The Killer, shows us that the life of a professional assassin, as played by Michael Fassbender, can be pretty mundane and boring … right up until he accidentally misses his target. From that point on, the assassin’s life is anything but boring. And suddenly, even his contact, Hodges (Charles Parnell), is ghosting him.
Not even fleeing the country is enough for the assassin to evade an international manhunt, as well as two rival assassins, The Expert (Tilda Swinton) and The Brute (Sala Baker), who have been hired to take him out.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
86%
8.7/10You could call Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse “amazing, spectacular,” or “sensational” and it would still undersell just how terrific this movie is. Somehow, the team behind the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse topped themselves with an even more thrilling sequel that reunites Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld).
Unfortunately for the would-be couple, it’s not a happy reunion. Gwen is keeping secrets from Miles while running from a difficult family situation at home. As for Miles himself, he’s inadvertently created a new nemesis: The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). Miles has also been targeted by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), the Spider-Man of the year 2099. And if Miles can’t get home to his own world, then his life will never be the same.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
59%
6.4/10No Hard Feelings was Jennifer Lawrence’s comeback movie after spending a few years away from the big screen. And she certainly makes a memorable impression as Maddie Barker, a woman who is on the verge of losing her home and her car over her money problems.
That’s why Maddie accepts a bizarre job from Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison Becker (Laura Benanti). If Maddie can seduce their son, Percy Becker (Andrew Barth Feldman), and bring him out of his shell before he goes off to college then she can save herself from her financial black hole. Unfortunately for Maddie, Percy may be undatable and he is nearly immune to her obvious charms.
The Magician's Elephant (2023)
9.7/10The Magician’s Elephant adapts Kate DiCamillo’s novel of the same name, and it tells the story of a young orphan named Peter (Noah Jupe). Peter’s only wish in life is to find his missing sister, Adele (Pixie Davies), Through a fortune teller, Peter is told that he has to find a Magician (Benedict Wong) who will summon an elephant.
Incredibly, the prophecy comes true. But before the elephant can lead Peter to his sister, he is forced to perform three impossible tasks. And the attempt will change Peter’s life forever.
Munich: The Edge of War (2022)
53%
6.8/10The Sea Beast (2022)
Enola Holmes (2020)
68%
6.6/10Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)
One of Hollywood most visionary filmmakers turns his attention to one of the most beloved tales in children’s literature in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, a stop-motion animated adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, and Gregory Mann, as Jiminy Cricket, Gepetto, and Pinocchio, respectively, the film chronicles the marionette Pinocchio’s quest to become a living boy — a journey that brings him through one adventure after another.
The star-filled voice cast also includes John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton, among others. Some reviewers have named it one of the year’s best films, animated or otherwise.
