The best Netflix original movies to add to your watch list this year
Netflix is known for producing its very own blockbuster films on the regular, and we’ve got the top ten for you right here. It’s no wonder they are dominating the ratings worldwide, with the parade of “A-list” actors, big budgets, and international streaming rights to millions of homes.
Let’s count them down:
1. Extraction (2020) – 99 Million views
A drug lord’s son, kidnapped. A black-market mercenary (Chris Hemsworth) sent to “extract” him. What follows is 2 hours of non-stop action, violence, and impossible fight scenes. It’s completely entertaining and Hemsworth doesn’t disappoint in this top pick Netflix original movie.
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 69% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
2. Bird Box (2018) – 89 Million Views
Staying in true blockbuster territory with Sandra Bullock’s apocalyptic survival hit Bird Box. Bullock (The Blind Side, Gravity) plays a mum trying to guide her children to safety, though they must keep their eyes hidden or face certain death. It’s equal parts creepy and terrifying, and though it has some plot holes here and there it’s definitely earned its place near the top of our list.
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 57% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
3. Spenser Confidential (2020) – 85 Million views
This Mark Wahlberg (Three Kings, The Departed) vehicle was a head-scratcher for how it made the top three. Chalk it up to the star power of Wahlberg, director Peter Berg (Hell or High Water, Cop Land) and the clever positioning of the movie as a snappy detective-comedy, the movie had a lot of views with pretty average reviews.
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 52% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
4. 6 Underground – 83 Million views
6 Underground is a high-octane, action-thriller by veteran director Michael Bay (13 Hours, Bad Boys, The Rock) and of course stars everyone’s favourite Ryan Reynolds.
This is the newest Netflix release on our list. It’s Fast & Furious meets Mission Impossible with an international, star-studded cast chasing bad guys around the globe. The stunts are over the top, but if relentless, jaw-dropping action is what you’re craving, this movie delivers.
IMDb: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 60% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
5. Murder Mystery (2019) – 83 Million Views
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) and Adam Sandler (SNL, The Wedding Singer) team up for an action-comedy as a married couple who is framed for murder while on vacation in Europe. It’s not the best movie we’ve seen the accomplished stars take on, but it’s entertaining in places and shows off some beautiful scenery in Italy.
IMDb: 6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 42% Audience Score
Rating: M
6. The Old Guard (2020) – 78 Million Views
Charlize Theron leads a band of immortal-mercenaries trying to stay invisible, in this new take on the superhero theme.
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball) directs, giving the film dramatic weight which elevates it from being a typical action film. Amazing fight scenes with choreography that will keep you hooked until the very end.
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
7. Enola Holmes (2020) – 76 Million Views
Sherlock Holmes’ teen sister (Millie Bobby Brown) is on the case when her mother goes missing.
As she battles her disapproving brother (Henry Cavill), she somehow manages to get on the trail of a mysterious young lord with a shady connection. This was a critical hit, and it’s very likely that a new franchise will be coming.
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 70% Audience Score
Rating: M
8. Project Power (2020) – 75 Million Views
Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) stars in this action-sci-fi thriller as he tries to track down the source of a dangerous drug that gives random superpowers for 5 minutes to anyone who takes it. It’s popcorn entertainment at its best.
IMDb: 6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 47% Audience Score
Rating: MA15+
9. The Midnight Sky (2020) – 72 Million Views
Strange apocalypse movies are all the rage currently, and this George Clooney-directed movie is no exception.
Clooney stars as Augustine, a lonely scientist in the desolation of the arctic. A planetary event has occurred and he must warn the returning space shuttle not to land on Earth. It’s a slow-moving, dramatic movie that some audiences found too boring to push through- although Clooney gives a strong performance, and if you’re a fan it is worth a watch.
IMDb: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 26% Audience Score
Rating: M
10. Army of the Dead (2021) – 72 Million Views
From the director of 300, Man of Steel, and Dawn of the Dead comes the action/horror film Army of the Dead.
It’s the Mount Everest of heists for a group of mercenaries, as they brave a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas for the ultimate casino robbery. Pro wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers) leads the flick as Scott Ward, a Las Vegas local who leads the mission to grab the 200 million before the government nukes the city into oblivion.
Read more: Army of the Dead Review
IMDb: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% Audience Score
Rating: R18+
Stream all the best Netflix original movies on netflix.com.
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