We’re speeding towards the end of 2024, and over the last 46 weeks, exactly 30 Netflix movies have claimed the crown and been ranked global No. 1 on the world’s most popular streaming service (per Netflix’s tracking charts). Each has generated significant interest from subscribers and amassed total viewing hours measured in the millions.
It would be easy to assume that any movie that ranks No.1 on the Netflix charts is automatically a winner, but sadly that’s far from the case. Over the past 11 months, we’ve seen plenty of duds ascend to the top of the Netflix most-watched list. These include “Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver," “Atlas," and “Find Me Falling.” To put it bluntly, those movies all stink.
Fortunately, among the flicks unworthy of the No. 1 rank, there are a sizable handful of Netflix movies that do deserve your attention. So, down below, I’m picking out the Netflix No. 1 movies in 2024 (so far) that are worth watching…
Best Netflix No.1 movies in 2024 (so far)
‘The Equalizer 3’
“The Equalizer” franchise has always been an easy sell. The action-thriller series stars Denzel Washington as a former government assassin turned street-level vigilante fighting to protect the downtrodden and vulnerable in our society. Who doesn't want to watch that? “The Equalizer 3” doesn’t switch up this blueprint but it doesn’t need to either. Washington is ice-cool in the lead role of Robert McCall, and it's super easy to get invested in his ongoing quest for justice.
In this third installment in the franchise, McCall has now relocated to Southern Italy. Hoping for a peaceful retirement, his plans to relax on the picturesque island of Sicily quickly go awry when he discovers that his new friends are being intimidated and controlled by a local crime syndicate. Slipping back into his old ways, the former marine takes on the powerful Camorra Mafia family in this final chapter (for now, at least) in the “The Equalizer” series.
Watch on Netflix now
‘The Greatest Night in Pop’
“The Greatest Night in Pop” chronicles the recording of “We Are the World,” a legendary pop song released in 1985 that brought together some of the biggest artists of the era including Michael Jackson Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper. Showcasing the chaos and creativity that came from cramming all these world-renowned performers into a single recording studio, this documentary is a must-watch for music fans.
Even if you don’t care for the song itself, it’s still a huge treat to see so many pop icons interacting with each other, and the insights into the writing and recording process for this charity chart-topper are fascinating. I’ll be honest, before watching “The Greatest Night in Pop,” I’d never listened to “We Are the World” (it was released an entire decade before I was born), but after watching this toe-tapping Netflix doc I came away with a newfound appreciation for the tune.
Watch on Netflix now
‘Hit Man’
The so-called “Summer of Powell” began with a bang when “Hit Man” debuted on Netflix in June, and all these months later it remains my personal favorite Netflix movie of the year. Directed by Richard Linklater (The filmmaker behind the “Before” trilogy and “Boyhood”), and co-written with Glen Powell, “Hit Man” is a rom-com that manages to be genuinely funny, and also romantic enough to have you swooning. Plus, it unfolds like a thriller with plenty of twists and turns.
In “Hit Man,” Powell plays Gary Johnson, a seemingly mild-mannered philosophy professor, who moonlights as a fake assassin in a police sting operation. Donning various disguises to play the role of a hitman, Gary finds himself surprisingly skilled at this unusual job. But when he meets a young woman named Madison (Adria Arjona) who is looking to hire a contract killer to take care of her abusive husband, Gary crosses ethical lines and strikes up an ill-judged romance affair.
Watch on Netflix now
‘Rebel Ridge’
It wasn’t a vintage summer for Netflix with the streaming service dropping a load of pretty terrible movies over the sunny months, but “Rebel Ridge” launched at the start of September and was just the palate cleanser I craved. This action-thriller is a total blast, anchored by a commanding performance from Aaron Pierre, and unrelenting in its efforts to entertain. Sure, you can pick apart the narrative, but why would you want to when the ride is so much fun?
Terry Richmond (Pierre), a former Marine, is cycling into the town of Shelby Springs to pay his cousin’s bail. Along the way, he is stopped by two crooked cops, unlawfully detained and his bail money is seized without justifiable reason. Refusing to take this injustice lying down, Terry wages a campaign against the local police department to retrieve his money, and this leads to an action-packed showdown with the town's egotistical chief, Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson).
Watch on Netflix now
‘The Menendez Brothers’
Netflix releases a load of true crime documentaries every year and while the early frontrunner this year was “What Jennifer Did,” last month “The Menendez Brothers” became a social media sensation that had everybody talking. Released shortly after ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,’ a crime drama that recounts the Brother’s crime (with plenty of liberties taken in the name of entertainment), this feature-length documentary aims to tell the story of that fateful night in August 1989 from the sibling's own perspective.
For the unaware, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of the murder of their parents. For the first time in three decades, this documentary sees the brothers go on the record to talk about what happened, and more importantly, why they committed such a brutal crime. Also including insight from family members, legal experts and the prosecutor in the case, “The Menendez Brothers” offers a deep insight into a crime that shocked the entire nation.
Watch on Netflix now
‘Don't Move’
A vulnerable woman being stalked through the wilderness by a sinister figure is hardly anything new for the thriller genre, but what makes “Don’t Move” a little more intriguing is that the protagonist here can’t move a muscle. Iris (Kelsey Asbille) has been injected with a paralytic agent by a dangerous stranger (Finn Wittrock) and must escape from this psychopathic killer while her body begins to shut down. It’s a novel idea for a thriller because in this case, Iris can hide, but she can’t run.
While “Don’t Move” plays a little fast and loose with exactly how much movement Iris can muster at times, it remains a very tense thriller that will have you holding your breath during its most intense moments. A mid-movie sequence involving a helpful elderly man named Bill (Moray Treadwell) is particularly effective, and the performance from Wittrock is appropriately unhinged. The breeze runtime also helps keep you engaged throughout.
Watch on Netflix now
‘Meet Me Next Christmas’
Netflix has started dropping its holiday slate for 2024, and while I suspect the likes of “Hot Frosty” and “Our Little Secret” (releasing Nov. 27) will claim the No. 1 spot in the weeks ahead, as of now it’s “Meet Me Next Christmas” that has been drawing the most interest from Netflix viewers looking to get into the festive spirit. There’s no escaping that it’s a very generic Christmas-themed rom-com, but it’s pleasingly glossy and has enough charismatic characters to have you smiling. Just don’t expect anything new in the story department.
“Meet Me Next Christmas” sees Layla (Christina Milian) race through the busy streets of New York City to score tickets for the sold-out Pentatonix Christmas Eve Concert. At this concert, she hopes to reconnect with the man of her dreams, James (Kofi Siriboe). Her hunt for these hard-to-find tickets brings her into contact with Teddy (Devale Ellis) and as the duo faces various hurdles along the way, Layla realizes that her true love might already be in front of her.
Watch on Netflix now
Every Netflix No. 1 movie in 2024 (so far)
- “The Equalizer 3”
- “Lift”
- “The Greatest Night in Pop”
- “Despicable Me 3”
- “Players”
- “Mea Culpa”
- “Code 8 Part II”
- “Damsel”
- “Irish Wish”
- “Heart of the Hunter”
- “What Jennifer Did”
- “Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver”
- “Unfrosted”
- “Mother of the Bride”
- “Atlas”
- “Hit Man”
- “Trigger Warning”
- “A Family Affair”
- “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”
- “Find Me Falling”
- "Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie"
- "The Union"
- "Incoming"
- "Rebel Ridge"
- "Uglies"
- "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"
- "The Menendez Brothers"
- "Lonely Planet"
- "Don't Move"
- "Meet Me Next Christmas"
More from Tom's Guide
