Picture the scenario: It's a weekend evening and you are trying to find the best movies on Netflix to enjoy. Your hands are starting to cramp from all the scrolling. Your ice-cream is melting and your takeout pizza is getting cold.
Never fear, dear reader. Your friends at Tom’s Guide are here to solve all your problems (first of all, put the ice cream back in the freezer). And we're aided by the folks at Rotten Tomatoes, who aggregate reviews from critics all over the world, so you can see what's great and what's ... not so great.
But since scrolling through Rotten Tomatoes scores is work in its own right, we've merged their list with our expertise to help you make up your mind. Oh, and we have the cream of the cream of the crop: Four of these five movies have rare 100% perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores!
A Secret Love
This documentary recounts the story of former baseball player Terry Donahue and her partner Pat Henschel. Navigating the era as a same-sex couple, Donahue and Henschel chose to keep their relationship a secret from their families for most of their lives.
A touching and realistic portrayal of LGBT history, this documentary is absolutely worth a watch (though it is a tear-jerker). Terry and Pat are the great-aunts of director Chris Bolan, which gives this film an even more personal and human element.
Year: 2020
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
His House
His House is one of the best horror movies on Netflix right now, earning the coveted Certified Fresh rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie centers around the story of immigrants Rial (Mosaku) and Bol (Dirisu), who have escaped from Sudan and arrive at a housing estate in England.
His House layers themes of guilt over a clever examination of the pressures immigrants face when integrating into unfamiliar cultures. While there are plenty of jump-scares that pop up throughout the film, the titular house is drenched in an unnerving atmosphere, and a shocking twist will keep this film on your mind long after the credits have rolled. BAFTA-winning debut director Remi Weekes is one to watch out for.
Year: 2020
Genre: Horror
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Coded Bias
A cutting documentary on the inherent racial and bias found in facial recognition algorithms, this film takes a subject matter that’s difficult to understand and turns it into an informative and eye-opening watch.
The potential for misuse and abuse of facial recognition technology is a frightening concept for many, but this documentary does its utmost to inform and not fearmonger. Its fast pace means a lot of information is packed into its hour and a half runtime, and also makes the film very watchable and very easy to recommend.
Year: 2020
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Leave No Trace
The 2018 drama film Leave No Trace flew under the radar of some film fans when it hit theaters, so we’re keen to spotlight it now that it’s hit streaming services. Earning a critics’ score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Leave No Trace focuses on father and daughter duo Will (Ben Foster) and Tom (Thomasin McKenzie), living wild in the forest out in Oregon.
This doesn’t last long, though, as eventually Will and Tom are caught by the authorities and forced to rejoin society. A veteran of the Iraq War, Will struggles to adapt to a “normal” lifestyle, but Tom begins to question her father’s decisions about her upbringing.
Foster delivers a subtle and touching performance in this film, with an equally brilliant effort from McKenzie in one of her early roles.
Year: 2018
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
The Sea Beast
If you’re looking for a family-friendly flick that has impressed critics, The Sea Beast is a great pick. Earning a critics score of 94%, The Sea Beast is a beautifully animated adventure with plenty of big names to back up its success.
Director Chris Williams is well-known for hits such as Big Hero 6 and Moana, and it’s easy to draw comparisons with the latter film due to them sharing a setting — the uncharted ocean. However, The Sea Beast mixes things up with a bigger focus on taming the wild creatures of the deep. If your kids prefer How To Train Your Dragon to the Disney Princess films, they’ll have plenty to sink their teeth into. Plus, Karl Urban puts in a great performance that adults will appreciate, too.
Year: 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Next: Here's how to use Netflix's secret keyboard shortcuts for laptop streaming sessions and this is why I am so excited for Welcome to Wrexham — a real life Ted Lasso story. And check out the best free and paid streaming services for college students.
