In an age where we are facing crisis after crisis, it's fun to escape into a movie where superheroes are readily available to fight the good fight. From Superman to Batman to Wonder Woman, there are countless superheroes to find on Netflix.
Filmmakers like Matt Reeves and Patty Jenkins have faced the unique challenge of telling well-worn stories differently by offering characters with more in-depth backstories. Other superhero movies give us brand-new faces to admire as they explore their newfound abilities, or sometimes simply ordinary people finding ways to save the world. Netflix has some of the best superhero movies available for streaming. Lucky for you, we've identified the ones that you don't want to miss.
'Man of Steel'
"Man of Steel" kicks off the DC Extended Universe film series with Henry Cavill starring as Clark Kent. He learns that he has unbelievable powers and is obviously not from planet Earth, which propels him on a journey to find out his origins. He assumes the role of Superman to protect mankind and fight General Zod, humanity's greatest enemy.
What makes this particular film so different from the other Superman movies is the rich backstory and deep character development. The writers gave Superman a greater personal responsibility along with incredible angst about his identity. If you are old enough to be familiar with Christopher Reeves' portrayal of the famous hero, you'll be pleased to know this is no duplication or attempt at recreating that performance. It's a one-of-a-kind film that jump-starts a must-watch franchise.
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'The Adam Project'
If you've ever imagined partnering up with a younger — or older — version of yourself to fight the powers of darkness, you'll love "The Adam Project." Ryan Reynold's Adam Reed is a time-traveling fighter pilot who has risked everything to return to 2022. His 12-year-old younger self (Walker Scobell) is still grieving the loss of his father — which is one of the reasons the older Adam has returned. From there, they partner together to travel further into the past and save the world.
This is a fun movie to watch if you want to break away from the more traditional superhero movies. You'll love how it's greatly inspired by many '80s movies, such as "Back to the Future" and "Flight of the Navigator." Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldaña make brief, but entertaining appearances, throughout the movie.
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'Wonder Woman'
The famous female superhero has been played by numerous actresses, but this was the first film where the character gets the solo spotlight. Gal Gadot plays the part of the title character, who leaves the protection of her home on the paradise island of Themyscira to join the fight of World War I, which she believes was started by the god Ares to destroy mankind.
Patty Jenkins, known for writing and directing her breakout film, "Monster," helmed this installment of the DC Extended Universe series. The movie has plenty of visual appeal, which further enriches Wonder Woman's backstory and the overall story. In addition, the film's romance feels realistic without overdone, pairing well with a touch of humor sprinkled throughout. For those who grew up loving the series and enjoyed the character's appearance in "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice," you'll want to watch this film.
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'Code 8'
It's hard to imagine a world where superpowers don't give you a unique advantage over others, but that's what we find in the film "Code 8." Robbie Amell's Conner Reed is living in poverty and struggling to afford his mother's medical care. This inspires him to join a syndicate called The Trust, which has emerged as a result of the government seeking to register — and, thus, suppress — those with what they refer to as "Powers."
The film is unusual as it merges a science fiction type of film with a heist movie, with a certain X-Men vibe of people being ostracized for their unusual superhero-like qualities. There is plenty of strong acting in the film, includingGreg Byrk as villain Marcus Sutcliffe, Stephen Amell as Marcus' underling Garrett Kelton and Sung Kang, as Officer Park.
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'The Batman'
Robert Pattinson dons the cowl as Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, in this reboot of the "Batman" films. The Dark Knight has already established himself as a crime-fighting hero of the night. When numerous political figures are killed off, Batman joins the investigation, interpreting messages left by the killer and eventually facing off against his biggest threat, Paul Dano's Riddler.
It's exciting to see Dano play such a unique and terrifying villain. We also see Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, who joins forces with Batman. While she's not as much of a vixen as Michelle Pfieiffer's version of that character, she's still an exciting addition. Matt Reeves wrote and directed this film. Considering his reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, it's no surprise this version of "Batman" was done so well.
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