the top 10 movies on Netflix

Image via New Line Cinema

Director: David Fincher

Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey

The movie that put David Fincher on the map, Se7en remains a taut, twisted thriller. The story follows detectives Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) as they hunt a serial killer who uses the Seven Deadly Sins as inspiration for his killings. The movie has everyone involved playing at the top of their game in a movie that doesn’t shy away from bleakness or the darkness in humanity. The movie also shows that even with his second film, Fincher was already a master on the rise of cinema, and it’s remarkable to see how far he’s come when Se7en is already such an assured, confident picture. – Matt Goldberg

Moonrise Kingdom

Director: Wes Anderson

Writers: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Cast: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Jason Schwarztman, Bob Balaban, and Tilda Swinton

Wes Anderson’s ode to summer lovin’ is quite possibly his most romantic film yet, as the filmmaker perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be young and head-over-heels in love. It’s a delightful picture with an undercurrent of sadness running throughout, and it features some of the most stunning production design of Anderson’s oeuvre—and that’s saying something. Moonrise Kingdom also features the anachronistic casting of Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, who turn out to be absolute perfect fits for Anderson’s brand of auteurism. As fall begins, say goodbye to summer with this melancholic treat. – Adam Chitwood

L.A. Confidential

Image via Warner Bros.

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

Written by: Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson

Cast: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Strathairn

The 1997 noir L.A. Confidential is kind of a perfect movie. In the vein of Chinatown or Double Indemnity, this is classic noir through and through but brought to the screen with vigor, style, and maximum emotional impact by director Curtis Hanson. Based on the James Ellroy novel of the same name, the film stars Guy Pearce as a do-good police sergeant (Guy Pearce) in 1950s L.A. who teams up with a burly cop (Russell Crowe) to find the truth to a deadly mob murder. Police corruption and Hollywood scandal are front and center, but the film never hits a false note. It introduced audiences at large to Pearce and Crowe, both of whom who soar as a result, and the Best Picture nominee was so impactful it inspired an entire video game in L.A. Noire! – Adam Chitwood

The Iron Giant

Image via Warner Bros.

Director: Brad Bird

Writer: Tim McCanlies

Cast: Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, and Vin Diesel

A flop upon its initial release back in 1999, The Iron Giant has become a cult classic over the year and eventually found its audience. Brad Bird’s animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ book follows young Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal), a smart but lonely kid during the Cold War who stumbles across a giant metal robot from outer space. Hogarth befriends the Iron Giant (Vin Diesel) and teaches him about life and death as well as what it means to be a hero rather than a weapon. It’s a beautiful story, and it’s no wonder that the film has found a special place in the hearts of viewers. If you still haven’t seen it, clear your evening plans, and watch it as soon as possible. – Matt Goldberg

Goodfellas

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese

Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino

Any director would be happy to make one masterpiece in his or her career, but filmmaker Martin Scorsese has several. Surely Goodfellas is towards the top of the heap, as the director’s 1990 mob drama still stands today as a stone-cold classic. The film tells the true rise and fall story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), tracking his life of crime from childhood up through the 1980s. It’s an epic saga told with vigor—this thing moves, and it’s all thanks to Scorsese’s kinetic camerawork and editing style. The soundtrack is killer, the performances are incredible (Joe Pesci!), and it’s a film that’s been mimicked countless times since. But there’s no touching the original. – Adam Chitwood

Captain America: Civil War

Image via Marvel Studios

Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo

Writers: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Daniel Bruhl, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and William Hurt

If you’re looking to catch up before the next Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War is a solid way to spend some time. The third film in the Captain America trilogy saw Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo taking an ambitious track, adapting a famous comics storyline that pits the MCU superheroes against one another. The result is a politically complex thriller with an interesting villain and fascinating chemistry amongst the MCU ensemble. Oh, and Tom Holland’s debut as Spider-Man is a highlight. – Adam Chitwood

The Ritual

Director: David Bruckner

Writer: Joe Barton

Cast: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton

Horror movies are always a gamble–some are great, and deliver more than expected, while others simply tread well-worn territory. The Ritual falls into the former category, as director David Bruckner takes a story about male friendships and growing older (and further apart) and packages it into a terrifying, twisty “monster in the woods” horror film. The film revolves around four friends who go on a hiking trip in Sweden to honor their friend Rob, who was killed six months earlier during a convenience store robbery. But when they take a shortcut through some woods (terrible idea), they find themselves haunted by a malevolent creature. The performances really anchor this thing as a character-rich piece, specifically from lead Rafe Spall, and the creature design itself is absolutely unique (and frightening). The final result is a horror movie that’s downright scary, surprising, and honestly quite thoughtful. It’s the whole package. – Adam Chitwood

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Writer: Jason Segel

Cast: Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Bill Hader

The 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall is secretly one of the best romantic comedies ever made. Produced by Judd Apatow, the film saw Freaks and Geeksbreakout Jason Segel writing a script inspired by his own experiences. The story revolves around a guy who gets dumped by his famous girlfriend (Kristen Bell) and heads to Hawaii to try and forget about his troubles. As it turns out his ex and her new rock star lover (Russell Brand) are staying at the same resort. Hilarity and male nudity ensue, but what makes Forgetting Sarah Marshall linger is the sensitivity at the heart of the film. It’s ultimately an incredibly sweet story bolstered by tremendous performances that also happens to feature a Dracula musical. – Adam Chitwood

Heat

Directed/Written by: Michael Mann

Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Amy Brenneman, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Jon Voight, Ted Levine, and Natalie Portman

Filmmaker Michael Mann’s crime epic Heat is a must-watch classic, through and through. The film largely influenced Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, as it’s a crime thriller in which the city is as much a character as the various people involved. Robert De Niro plays a career criminal whose crew gets in hot water after a heist goes wrong. Al Pacino plays the LAPD lieutenant hunting him down. And since this is a Michael Mann movie, there are various other character-rich plot threads going on at the same time. De Niro and Pacino famously only have one scene together, but boy does Mann make it count. – Adam Chitwood

Lincoln

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Tony Kushner

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook

There are those that will tell you Lincoln is “minor Spielberg,” but those people are wrong. This 2012 drama had long been a passion project of Steven Spielberg’s, and as realized is a thoughtful, insightful, and surprisingly funny chronicle of one of the greatest American presidents. The film doesn’t take the “cradle to grave” route but instead focuses on Lincoln’s efforts to pass the 13th Amendment. In doing so, Spielberg creates one of the best films about political process ever made, while also digging deep into the contradictions in Lincoln himself. As portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis, it’s a complex, fascinating portrayal of a man trying to do best by himself and his country, but who doesn’t always have the right answers. The film is far deeper than a simple “that was nice” story, and is West Wing-esque in its compelling chronicle of the political process. In short, it’s masterful, and it’s absolutely top tier Spielberg. – Adam Chitwood