The 20 Best Netflix Original Movies of 2023 (2024)

David Fincher's latest thrill ride, The Killer, will leave you breathless. The film stars Michael Fassbender as The Killer, a nameless assassin who—after butchering a hit job—has to clean up his own mess. Come for the image of Fassbender pounding a McDonald's combo, and stay for what's easily the greatest fight scene of the year.

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With Maestro, Bradley Cooper could be primed to nab the Best Director nomination that eluded him at the 2019 Academy Awards— when he went unrecognized in the category for A Star Is Born. His newest acting-directing effort, Maestro, follows the life of American conductor Leonard Bernstein. As his career takes off, Bernstein meets and falls in love with Felicia Montealegre, a Costa Rican actress.

In theaters

American Symphony follows Jon Batiste's quest to compose his first symphony. That dream is interrupted when his partner—the author Suleika Jaouad—learns that her cancer has returned. While battling her diagnosis, Jaouad and Batiste work together to complete each other's works of art. "I feel like we’re living a life of contrasts, Jaouad says in the film." It’s true—they are. Still, they find a way to create beauty in the face of hardship, while loving each other along the way.

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Want to see Todd Haynes get weird—again? Well, set aside two hours for May December. Here's the first thing you should know: May December is a work of fiction, but it’s based on Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau’s real-life courtship—which landed the

Letourneau in jail. (In short: Fualaau was a minor when they met.) We won't spoil anything more about May December from here, but rest assured—it features Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton at the height of their powers.

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Ah, teenage angst is alive and well! You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a touching coming-of-age film starring Adam Sandler’s whole family. The movie follows Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler) during the months leading up to her bat mitzvah. Stacy has the whole night planned out, but her party goes awry when she and he best friend fight over a popular boy in their class.

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Mixed by Erry is an Italian film that chronicles the lives of an aspiring DJ and his two brothers in the 1980s. When Luigi D’Oriano (AKA Erry) wants to make it big, he decides to smuggle mixtapes across Naples as a shortcut to stardom. Somehow, the scam turns him and his brothers into beloved record producers. But their fame is threatened when authorities investigate their rise to the top.

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OK, this isn't exactly a movie, per se, but can you make an exception for John Mulaney? The comedian's latest Netflix special, Baby J , comes five years after he took a break from performing. Shot in February 2023 at the Boston Symphony Hall, Baby J sees Mulaney return to his comedic roots. He tells wild stories, reckons with his past, and makes people laugh along the way.

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Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this whimsical Roald Dahl adaptation as Henry Sugar, a wealthy man with far too much time on his hands. One day, he decides to gamble for fun. But first, he has to figure out how to cheat without getting caught. Really, though, all we have to tell you is that this is a Wes Anderson-directed project.

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Directed by Laura McGann, The Deepest Breath is one of the most striking adventure-sports documentaries since Free Solo. The film follows the world of deep-sea diving, which, yes—is exactly as terrifying, impressive, and beautiful as you'd think.

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Heart of Stone is a spy thriller that stars Alia Bhatt, Gal Gadot, and Jamie Dorman. The film follows the group as they play lethal super-spies, who are tasked with fighting the worlds most ruthless criminals. It's a Netflix action romp, if we've ever seen one!

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John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris star in They Cloned Tyrone, a sci-fi thriller that's just as fun as it sounds. In this film, a series of strange events brings the trio together and forces them to uncover a government conspiracy. With yet another Esquire digital cover star (the indomitable Boyega) stealing the show, we highly recommend you don't miss this one.

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Pamela Anderson finally shared her truth in Pamela, a love story. In this documentary, the legendary actress and model takes viewers through her early career, marriages, scandals, activism, and yes, the tape. Pamela, A Love Story gives viewers an unfiltered, empathetic look at the life of one of Hollywood's most infamous stars.

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Your favorite Idris Elba-played detective is back, friends. The critically acclaimed psychological thriller ran for five seasons on BBC from 2010 to 2019. Now? We have (at least) one last dance with John Luther via a new film, thanks to Netflix.

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Another year, another stellar portrait of a sports GOAT. It doesn't get much better than Bill Russell: Legend, where the also-great director Sam Pollard explores the legacy of the Boston Celtics icon.

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In The Mother, Jennifer Lopez plays a retired assassin who comes out of hiding to protect her estranged daughter—who suddenly finds herself in danger.

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Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher kept the rom-com industry alive with their new flick, Your Place or Mine. In this film, the actors play Debbie and Peter, two best friends with polar-opposite personalities. After they decide to swap houses–and lives!—for a week, the two discover that they might be exactly what the other needs.

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This sci-fi-thriller takes place in 2194, after a catastrophe nearly destroys the earth. A civil war breaks out amongst the remaining survivors—which leaves revered general Major Jung-e in a coma. Jung-e’s brain is donated to a science lab called Next Generation, and converted into an AI robot that can continue leading the war in a simulation. Meanwhile, her daughter begins working for Next Generation so she can access her mother's brain and discover national secrets. It's a doozy, people, but well worth your time.

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In a sequel to this particular Sandman special, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston play detectives Nick and Audrey Spitz. Murder Mystery 2 delivers the goods—a brand-new, hilarious investigation, as well as plenty of Sandlerian antics.

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At long last, we managed to extract Extraction 2 from the Netflix vault. Listen, we hardly remember Chris Hemsworth's action-thriller, because it debuted about a month after the start of the pandemic. But Hemsworth wouldn't stop posting pictures from the set of Extraction 2–and now, it's finally here, explosions and all.

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