Figuring out what to watch can be a headache in and of itself, which is why you'll often find me perusing Netflix's top-10 most-watched movies list. Granted, these kinds of rankings on the best streaming services don't guarantee quality, but it's as good a place to start as any.
We've narrowed down the three movies in the Netflix top-10 that are actually worth the hype. This list includes one of the best original Netflix movies in ages, a new Ultraman movie that's fun for the whole family, and a thought-provoking true crime documentary that explores disability rights and asks important questions about consent.
This article is based on the Netflix top 10 list of most-watched movies in the U.S. as of 11 a.m. ET on June 24. If you're looking for even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our guide on the best new movies that just landed on streaming as well as everything new to Netflix this month.
Best movies in the Netflix top 10
'Hit Man' (2024)
Director Richard Linklater's captivating and darkly humorous thriller "Hit Man" is one of Netflix's strongest original movies to date. Right now it's holding an impressive 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics calling it a genre-bending thrill ride that solidifies Glen Powell as one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars to watch out for.
A cross between a breezy crime caper and a rom-com, "Hit Man" stars Powell as Gary Johnson, a strait-laced professor who moonlights as a contract killer—but only in appearance. In reality, it's all an act put on to catfish wannabe criminals, setting them up for police arrests a la "To Catch a Predator." Things take a turn, though, when a femme fatale (Adria Arjona) asks him to take out her abusive husband. Desperate to hide his true identity from her, he sets off a chain reaction of play-acting, deception, and escalating stakes that could have deadly consequences.
Watch it now on Netflix
'Ultraman: Rising' (2024)
I'll admit, I was skeptical when I heard Netflix was rebooting the popular decades-old Japanese hero. However, I was pleasantly surprised that "Ultraman: Rising" is one of the rare good reboots. The movie centers on Ken Sato (voiced by Christopher Sean in the English dub), an arrogant baseball star who secretly lives a double life as the giant superhero Ultraman.
After an attack by giant monsters brings him back to Tokyo, his life gets even more complicated when he adopts a baby kaiju upon defeating its mother. Alongside reluctant parenthood, Ken must navigate a strained relationship with his estranged father and thwart the schemes of the Kaiju Defense Force, which plans to exploit the baby kaiju for their own sinister purposes.
Watch it now on Netflix
'Tell Them You Love Me' (2023)
For all you true crime fans out there, Netflix’s newest documentary "Tell Them You Love Me" is not one to miss. Directed by Nick August-Perna, it dives into the controversial relationship between a white, abled professor and a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy that gained national attention and raised questions about power dynamics, disability and race.
While the two argued it was a consensual relationship, the man's mother claimed he wasn't able to give consent and the professor was charged with sexual assault. This documentary traces the beginning of their relationship and the trial that followed, including interviews with the people involved.
Watch it now on Netflix
Netflix top 10 movies right now
- "Trigger Warning" (2024)
- "Hit Man" (2024)
- "Home" (2015)
- "Fifty Shades of Grey" (2015)
- "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (2023)
- "The LEGO Batman Movie" (2017)
- "Tell Them You Love Me" (2023)
- "Minions" (2015)
- "Ultraman Rising" (2024)
- "Shrek" (2001)
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