Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
WeirdThe Best Netflix Original Movies of 2018
By Josh Sorokach
@joshsorokach
Published
Nov. 27, 2018, 8:30 a.m. ET
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Popcorn not included.
Photos: NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps
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Been So Long
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Based on the musical of the same name, Tinge Krishnan's Been So Long is a modern day romance that follows a single mother who falls in love with a handsome stranger during a rare night out on the town with friends. Featuring a dazzling performance from Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, Black Mirror), the actress received a Most Promising Newcomer nomination at the British Independent Film Awards.
[Stream Been So Long on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Based on the musical of the same name, Tinge Krishnan's Been So Long is a modern day romance that follows a single mother who falls in love with a handsome stranger during a rare night out on the town with friends. Featuring a dazzling performance from Michaela Coel (Chewing Gum, Black Mirror), the actress received a Most Promising Newcomer nomination at the British Independent Film Awards.
[Stream Been So Long on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Catching Feelings
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Nominated for the World Fiction Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Kagiso Lediga's Catching Feelings is a dark romantic comedy centering on a married couple whose lives are turned upside down when a hedonistic older writer moves into their home. Decider's own Joe Reid gave the film a "stream it" recommendation, praising the film's dialogue and calling it a "light little escape from a fresh comedic voice."
[Stream Catching Feelings on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Nominated for the World Fiction Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Kagiso Lediga's Catching Feelings is a dark romantic comedy centering on a married couple whose lives are turned upside down when a hedonistic older writer moves into their home. Decider's own Joe Reid gave the film a "stream it" recommendation, praising the film's dialogue and calling it a "light little escape from a fresh comedic voice."
[Stream Catching Feelings on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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City of Joy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Not to be confused with the 1992 Patrick Swayze film of the same name, Madeleine Gavin's powerful documentary is not to be missed. Per Netflix, the film follows women who've been sexually brutalized in war-torn Congo who begin to heal at City of Joy, a center that helps them regain a sense of self and empowerment.
[Stream City of Joy on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Not to be confused with the 1992 Patrick Swayze film of the same name, Madeleine Gavin's powerful documentary is not to be missed. Per Netflix, the film follows women who've been sexually brutalized in war-torn Congo who begin to heal at City of Joy, a center that helps them regain a sense of self and empowerment.
[Stream City of Joy on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Mercury 13
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
David Sington and Heather Walsh's absorbing Mercury 13 tells the remarkable story of the women who were tested for spaceflight in the early 1960s but had their dreams crushed when only men were selected to become astronauts.
[Stream Mercury 13 on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
David Sington and Heather Walsh's absorbing Mercury 13 tells the remarkable story of the women who were tested for spaceflight in the early 1960s but had their dreams crushed when only men were selected to become astronauts.
[Stream Mercury 13 on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Shirkers
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
There's a reason Glenn Kenny referred to Shirkers as "the must-see documentary of the moment." In 1992, teenager Sandi Tan shot Singapore's first indie, Shirkers, with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges Cardona. After shooting wrapped, Cardona vanished with all the footage. More than two decades later, Tan recovers the footage, resulting in the filmmaker embarking on a whole new journey.
[Stream Shirkers on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
There's a reason Glenn Kenny referred to Shirkers as "the must-see documentary of the moment." In 1992, teenager Sandi Tan shot Singapore's first indie, Shirkers, with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges Cardona. After shooting wrapped, Cardona vanished with all the footage. More than two decades later, Tan recovers the footage, resulting in the filmmaker embarking on a whole new journey.
[Stream Shirkers on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The Bleeding Edge
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Academy Award nominated filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick investigate the unforeseen consequences of advanced technological devices used in the medical field in the riveting documentary The Bleeding Edge. With an absorbing combination of information and personal tales of tragedy, this insightful film examines the lax regulations and corporate cover-ups of the $400 billion medical device industry.
[Stream The Bleeding Edge on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Academy Award nominated filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick investigate the unforeseen consequences of advanced technological devices used in the medical field in the riveting documentary The Bleeding Edge. With an absorbing combination of information and personal tales of tragedy, this insightful film examines the lax regulations and corporate cover-ups of the $400 billion medical device industry.
[Stream The Bleeding Edge on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Us & Them
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A contemporary love story that stretches over a decade, Rene Liu's Chinese blockbuster Us and Them follows two strangers, Jian-qing (Jing Boran) and Xiaoxiao (Zhou Dongyu), who meet on a train, are separated, and then reconnect as they reflect on their love for each other. In Joe Reid's review of the film, he called it a "simple but beautifully filmed love story that touches upon the economic realities of the world." Stream it today on Netflix.
[Stream Us & Them on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
A contemporary love story that stretches over a decade, Rene Liu's Chinese blockbuster Us and Them follows two strangers, Jian-qing (Jing Boran) and Xiaoxiao (Zhou Dongyu), who meet on a train, are separated, and then reconnect as they reflect on their love for each other. In Joe Reid's review of the film, he called it a "simple but beautifully filmed love story that touches upon the economic realities of the world." Stream it today on Netflix.
[Stream Us & Them on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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To All The Boys I've Loved Before
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
"To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix is the movie equivalency of the heart eyes emoji. Based on the YA novel of the same title from author Jenny Han, high schooler Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is horrified to learn the letters she wrote to her crushes have in fact been mailed out. However, recipient Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) decides to use this to their advantage and a fake relationship is born. It's unanimously the internet's favorite movie of the year and for good reason: it's spawned memes, crushes, and a new generation of fantastic actors." -- Lea Palmieri
[Stream To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
"To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix is the movie equivalency of the heart eyes emoji. Based on the YA novel of the same title from author Jenny Han, high schooler Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is horrified to learn the letters she wrote to her crushes have in fact been mailed out. However, recipient Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) decides to use this to their advantage and a fake relationship is born. It's unanimously the internet's favorite movie of the year and for good reason: it's spawned memes, crushes, and a new generation of fantastic actors." -- Lea Palmieri
[Stream To All The Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix]
Photo: Everett Collection
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Private Life
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti portraying a contentious married couple desperately trying to get pregnant? In. 100% in. Written and directed by Academy Award-nominee Tamara Jenkins, this dramatic, emotionally charged film is a tour de force of theatrical brilliance.
[Stream Private Life on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti portraying a contentious married couple desperately trying to get pregnant? In. 100% in. Written and directed by Academy Award-nominee Tamara Jenkins, this dramatic, emotionally charged film is a tour de force of theatrical brilliance.
[Stream Private Life on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
The Coen brothers head straight... to... the wild, wild west in their six-part anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. From the musical to the macabre, the stories aren't linked by any one character or plot, but the sublimely shot film is connected by some truly gorgeous cinematography. If you're a fan of Ethan and Joel Coen, you'll enjoy The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
[Stream The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
The Coen brothers head straight... to... the wild, wild west in their six-part anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. From the musical to the macabre, the stories aren't linked by any one character or plot, but the sublimely shot film is connected by some truly gorgeous cinematography. If you're a fan of Ethan and Joel Coen, you'll enjoy The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
[Stream The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Ali's Wedding
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Nominated for a slew of Australian film awards, this groundbreaking film follows a white lie that spirals out of control. Based on a true story, the son of an Iraqi-born cleric in Melbourne becomes torn between family duty and following his own heart. Does he follow through with an arranged marriage or try to find his happily ever after with the woman he loves?
[Stream Ali's Wedding on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Nominated for a slew of Australian film awards, this groundbreaking film follows a white lie that spirals out of control. Based on a true story, the son of an Iraqi-born cleric in Melbourne becomes torn between family duty and following his own heart. Does he follow through with an arranged marriage or try to find his happily ever after with the woman he loves?
[Stream Ali's Wedding on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Set It Up
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
If you have yet to be entranced by the subtle charms of Set It Up, buckle up, because this film is an utter delight. Zoey Deutch and Glem Powell exude chemistry as two executive assistants who decide to play match-maker for their work-obsessed bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs). Charming, well-written, and just tons of fun, Set It Up is one of the most enjoyable movies of 2018.
[Stream Set It Up on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
If you have yet to be entranced by the subtle charms of Set It Up, buckle up, because this film is an utter delight. Zoey Deutch and Glem Powell exude chemistry as two executive assistants who decide to play match-maker for their work-obsessed bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs). Charming, well-written, and just tons of fun, Set It Up is one of the most enjoyable movies of 2018.
[Stream Set It Up on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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Psychokinesis
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
"It's just your normal everyday tale of father-daughter bonding in South Korea. Except the daughter is an anti-corporate crusader. And the father drank some water from a spring tainted by a fallen meteor, and now he can move objects with his mind. And it's all a modern-day superhero origin story."
-- Joe Reid
[Stream Psychokinesis on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
"It's just your normal everyday tale of father-daughter bonding in South Korea. Except the daughter is an anti-corporate crusader. And the father drank some water from a spring tainted by a fallen meteor, and now he can move objects with his mind. And it's all a modern-day superhero origin story."
-- Joe Reid
[Stream Psychokinesis on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The Night Comes For Us
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Referring to Timo Tjahjanto's The Night Comes For Us as a violent action drama is an understatement. A frenetically-paced film filled with lots of gore, blood, and violence, the movie follows Joe Taslim's Ito, a former triad enforcer who attempts to save the life of a young girl while trying to escape his former gang.
[Stream The Night Comes For Us on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Referring to Timo Tjahjanto's The Night Comes For Us as a violent action drama is an understatement. A frenetically-paced film filled with lots of gore, blood, and violence, the movie follows Joe Taslim's Ito, a former triad enforcer who attempts to save the life of a young girl while trying to escape his former gang.
[Stream The Night Comes For Us on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
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The Kindergarten Teacher
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Breaking news: Maggie Gyllenhaal is a very talented actress. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Sara Colangel's drama The Kindergarten Teacher follows a New York teacher (Gyllenhaal) who becomes obsessed with a student who she believes to be a child prodigy. Gyllenhaal delivers a truly mesmerizing performance in this critically-acclaimed indie darling.
[Stream The Kindergarten Teacher on Netflix]
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Breaking news: Maggie Gyllenhaal is a very talented actress. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Sara Colangel's drama The Kindergarten Teacher follows a New York teacher (Gyllenhaal) who becomes obsessed with a student who she believes to be a child prodigy. Gyllenhaal delivers a truly mesmerizing performance in this critically-acclaimed indie darling.
[Stream The Kindergarten Teacher on Netflix]
Photo: Netflix
