Must-Watch Shows and Movies on Netflix: Your Ultimate Recommendations

One of my goals this year was to try out some new blog post ideas, so this year I wanted to start a new series about streaming service recommendations. This series will go through all the major streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and Apple TV+) and share my recommendations on what to watch to get your money's worth. I will then end the series by ranking all of the streaming services. Each recommendation post will be grouped into three sections, Original Movies, Original TV Shows, and Back Catalog. The first two groups are self-explanatory. They are original TV shows and movies made exclusively for said streaming service. The Back catalog includes movies and TV shows that are currently on the streaming service or are IP that the studio owns the rights to and will exclusively be on said service (ie. Star Wars will always be on Disney+ and will never leave).

For my first addition to the series, I thought it would be fitting to start with Netflix. Netflix is the OG streaming service and used to have everything until every other studio started making their own platform. Netflix first started as a DVD mailing service and eventually was the first in the digital streaming market. It was also the first studio to start creating exclusive content for its streaming service. Even all of the other streaming platforms have a layout very similar to Netflix proving that they laid the groundwork for everyone else. With all that said, here are my recommendations for what to check out on Netflix.

The first chunk of recommendations is for original movies. These are all movies either produced by Netflix or produced independently and Netflix bought the distribution rights. Basically, these are movies that only Netflix is going to have.

1. The Irishman: This is a 3.5-hour gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese. It follows the life of Robert DeNiro's Frank Sheeran as he takes up the gig of hitman for the Bufalino Crime Family. It has all the big gangster movie stars, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel. This movie is rated R.

2. Extraction/Extraction 2: These are mid-budget action films starring Chris Hemsworth. These movies follow Tyler Rake as he takes on missions involving the extraction of individuals. These movies are at the higher quality end of Netflix films and feature tons of practical action sequences. The second film features a "oner" which is an action sequence that is shot to look like one continuous take. These movies are rated R

3. The Adam Project: This is a fun Sci-Fi time travel story starring Ryan Reynolds. It follows Adam Reed as he crash lands in 2022 and must team up with his 12-year-old self to save the future. The movie also features Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, and Jennifer Garner. Walker Scobell, who plays the young Adam, is a great young Ryan Reynolds. This movie is rated PG-13

4. Murder Mystery/Murder Mystery 2: These movies are fun whodunit-type stories revolving around a husband and wife solving mysteries. The movies star Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston as they are thrown into different mysteries that they must solve. There aren't a lot of murder mystery movies these days so it is cool that Netflix is trying to bring the genre back. These movies are rated PG-13

5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story: This is another murder mystery film and is the sequel to 2019's Knives Out. The movie stars Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc as he is invited to a billionaire's island and must solve a new murder. The film also features Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and Kathryn Hahn. This is another fun mystery film and is considerably better than the Murder Mystery films. This movie is rated PG-13

6. Hit Man: This is one of the more recent Netflix films. It stars Glen Powell as a professor who moonlights as a "hit man" for the city police department where he soon finds himself attracted to one of his clients. This movie is one part comedy, one part spy film, and one part romance and it manages to balance each aspect so well. This movie is rated R

7. 6 Underground: This is a big-budget action film directed by Michael Bay (the director of Armageddon, Transformers, and The Rock). It follows a group of 6 people who fake their deaths and form a vigilante team. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as the team leader. It is one of the middle-ground Michael Bay films but is still a lot of fun. This movie is rated R

8. Army of the Dead: This is a zombie action heist film directed by Zach Snyder (director of Dawn of the Dead and 300). The film stars Dave Bautista as the leader of a team hired to break into a Zombie-infested Las Vegas and retrieve the money left in a casino vault. It is one part Zombie apocalypse, one part action movie, and one part Ocean's 11. This movie is rated R

9. The Killer: This is the newest thriller by David Fincher (director of Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac). The Killer is David Fincher's second Netflix film and follows Michael Fasbender as a hitman after a job gone wrong. This is a great thriller matching the tone of many of David Fincher's other films. This movie is rated R

10. The Christmas Chronicles: This is a fun Netflix family Christmas movie. The film features Kurt Russel as Santa Claus and follows brother and sister, Teddy and Kate as they follow Santa along on his Christmas Eve run. This is a pretty sweet movie with a fun Santa. It is a film Sarah and I watch every Christmas. This movie is rated PG

11. Carry On: This is the most recent Netflix film I saw and is a solid Christmas thriller. The film follows a TSA agent who is blackmailed into letting a dangerous package be a carry on onto an airplane. The film stars Taron Edgerton and Jason Bateman. This was an exciting thriller that came out of nowhere this last holiday season. This movie is rated PG-13

12. The Netflix Blockbuster: This is more of a grouping of films as there isn't one that stands out over the others. Essentially, these are big-budget Netflix films that are made to have broad appeal filled with movie stars. They are not high-quality films but are entertaining enough for a mindless couple of hours or if there is a group of people who can't pick what to watch. Some examples are Red Notice, an adventure treasure-hunting film staring The Rock, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot), Lift, a heist comedy starring Kevin Hart, Sam Worthington, and Vincent D'Onofrio, The Gray Man, an action thriller staring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and Heart of Stone, a spy film staring Gal Gadot. None of these are amazing films but they still make for a fun couple of hours. These movies are generally rated PG-13

13. The Netflix Rom-Com: This is the other grouping of films that didn't have a distinct standout. For the past few years, Netflix has been cranking out these entertaining enough Rom-coms starring movie stars. These aren't groundbreaking films, but will scratch the itch of the normal rom-com fan. Some examples are The Kissing Booth, where a girl falls in love with her best friend's brother, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, where a girl's love letters to her crushes wreak havoc on her life, and Your Place or Mine, starring Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon, where two best friends switch homes on opposites sides of the country for a week. These movies are generally rated PG-13.

This next chunk is just like the previous except with TV series instead of movies. These are all series made by Netflix and are exclusively on Netflix.

1. The Gentlemen: This is a new TV show that was released in 2024 and set in the world of Guy Richie's movie "The Gentlemen". The show follows Aristocrat Eddie as he inherits the family estate and discovers that it is home to a huge weed empire. This kind of gives Breaking Bad vibes but is slightly more comedic. This show is rated TV-MA.

2. 3 Body Problem: This is another new show that was released in 2024. This is a Sci-Fi show that centers around a group of scientists and a detective who are trying to combat an imminent planetary threat. This is a fresh Sci-Fi outside of any existing IP. This show is rated TV-MA.

3. Squid Game: This is a Korean mystery thriller that came out a couple of years ago. This show centers around hundreds of cash-strapped people who are invited to a children's game competition but with a deadly twist. This show has some Hunger Games vibes to it and currently has two seasons released. This show is rated TV-MA.

4. Wednesday: This is an Addams Family spinoff show created by Tim Burton. This show stars Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams and follows her as she uncovers a mystery at her new school Nevermore. The show has aspects of horror but is light enough that anyone could watch it. This show is rated TV-14.

5. Arrested Development: This show is in a bit of a gray area as the first three seasons were released on Fox while the last two were on Netflix but the only place you can watch it is Netflix which is why it is on here. This show follows Michael Bluth as he attempts to run his father's company while the rest of his family makes things difficult for him. This is a comedic show about rich people being awful that kind of has a documentary style to it but doesn't have the interviews and self-awareness like The Office does. This show is rated TV-14

6. Stranger Things: This is probably the biggest original show that Netflix has and an obvious choice for what to watch on Netflix. The show follows a group of young friends who face supernatural forces and unravel a series of mysteries. I have never actually seen Stranger Things but would be remiss if I did not include it. It's not that I don't want to see. I've been waiting for the final season to air and then I'll watch it all at once. This show is rated TV-14.

The last chunk here is all movies and shows that are a part of Netflix's back catalog. Meaning that they are not original products by a product from another studio that Netflix currently has the streaming rights. As streaming rights are so fickle, this list may become inaccurate at some point.

1. Breaking Bad: This is the highest-rated show on IMDB and has received countless amounts of critical acclaim. The show follows Walter White as he decides to go into the crystal meth business after receiving a deadly cancer diagnosis. This is a very exciting drama thriller that is way better than it had any right to be. This show starts at TV-MA but goes down to TV-14.

2. Seinfeld: This is just a classic comedy show that has been beloved since releasing in the 90's. The show centers around Jerry Seinfeld and his friends as they navigate life and experience misadventures in NYC. This show is full of Jerry's signature humor and is a laugh from beginning to end. The show has so many iconic moments and quotable lines that it is nearly impossible to not hear something from this show. This show is rated TV-PG.

3. The Good Place: This is another comedic show that stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. The show centers around Eleanor Shellstrop after she has died and found herself in the afterlife known as "The Good Place". The show has a much more cohesive narrative than I was expecting and delivers elements of fantasy, romance, comedy, and drama. This show is rated TV-PG.

4. The Lost City: The Lost City is a romance adventure comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. The movie follows romance author Loretta Sage as she is kidnapped and taken to the Amazon to help find a missing treasure with the only person that can rescue her being her book cover model Dash. This is a fun middle-ground romance movie that both I and Sarah enjoyed and think many other couples would too. This movie is rated PG-13.

5. Godzilla Minus One: This is a new back-to-basics Japanese Godzilla movie that won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 2023. The film follows the citizens of post-WWII Japan as they attempt to protect their city from the monster Godzilla. This is the best modern Godzilla movie as it actually has characters that are well-written and that you care about. This movie is rated PG-13.

6. The Arrowverse Shows: This is a grouping of shared universe shows that was the best thing DC had going for it. The Arrowverse consists of shows Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lighting, and Batwoman. These series seemed to have a lot of popularity and accomplished many crossovers bringing all of these shows together. I have not seen the Arrowverse in its entirety but have heard many positive things from comic book media fans. These shows are rated TV-14.

7. 1917: This was a war movie from 2019. The movie follows two soldiers who are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that stops 1600 troops from running into a trap. What makes this movie unique is that it is designed to look like one continuous shot which it achieves reasonably well. I've never seen a movie do that before so it is worth watching at least for that. This movie is rated R.

8. Collateral: This is a lesser-known Tom Cruise/Jamie Fox movie. The movie follows a taxi driver, Max, who is forced to drive a hit man, Tom Cruise, from target to target. This is an exciting thriller that shows Tom Cruise as the bad guy, something that doesn't happen much in his movies. This movie is rated R.

9. Anyone But You: This is a fun modern rom-com starring Glen Powel and Sydney Sweeny. The movie follows Ben and Bea, two people who had a falling out after their first date, as they are reunited at a mutual friend's wedding. The two decide to pretend to be a couple to get their friends and family off their backs. Sarah and I had a good time with this movie. It is another film like The Lost City that we think many couples would enjoy. This movie is rated R.

10. The Walking Dead: This is another widely popular TV show that has made its home on Netflix. The Walking Dead follows a group of survivors led by Sheriff Rick Grimes as they attempt to navigate the country in a Zombie Apocalypse. This is essential viewing for any Zombie fan and has a large fan base. This is another show that I have not seen but felt that it deserved a spot on the recommendations list due to how popular it is. I do plan to see it but haven't gotten to it yet. This show is rated TV-MA.

Leave a comment if there are any other recommendations that I should have included.