Not sure what to watch on Netflix? We gotchu.
Every month, we round up the best Hollywood movies to stream on Netflix, including the best action movies, thriller movies, popular movies on Netflix, new Netflix movie releases, and more.
Get ready to Netflix and chill all month long!
Best Movies on Netflix: Action
Best Action Movies on Netflix: THE KARATE KID TETRALOGY (1984-1994)
The entire The Karate Kid tetralogy starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, and Hilary Swank is available to watch on Netflix beginning this July. The trilogy follows teenagers (Daniel LaRusso/ Julie Pierce) who are trained by Mr. Miyagi in martial arts to help them deal with their adolescent issues.
The spin-off TV show Cobra Kai starring Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, and Amanda LaRusso is also available to watch on Netflix.
Best Action Movies on Netflix: GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE (2021)
Gunpowder Milkshake stars Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Endgame), Lena Headey, and Carla Gugino is one of Netflix’s new releases for July. The film follows a hitwoman who aborts a mission to save a young girl and reunites with her estranged mother (who is also an assassin) in the process. The trailer is full of fierce and powerful females, painting Gunpowder Milkshake as the perfect action movie to stream at home.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Gunpowder Milkshake on Netflix here starting July 14.
Best Movies on Netflix: Thriller
Best Thrillers on Netflix: THINGS HEARD & SEEN (2021)
Things Heard and Seen stars Amanda Seyfried, James Norton, and Natalia Dyer. The movie follows a married couple who moves with their young daughter to a new town. Wife and mother Catherine begins to notice strange things happening in her new home. These ominous occurrences along with her husband’s secrets begin to take a toll on their marriage.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Things Heard & Seen on Netflix here.
Best Thrillers on Netflix: FEAR STREET TRILOGY (2021)
The Fear Street trilogy starring Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch, Sadie Sink, and Emily Rudd will be released on Netflix this July. The films are based on the R.L. Stine book series of the same name. The trilogy follows a group of teenagers that discover the chilling events that have occurred in their town in years past. Fear Street Part One: 1994 will be released July 1, Fear Street Part Two: 1978 on July 9, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 on July 16.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Fear Street Part One: 1994 on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Rom-Com
Best Rom-Coms on Netflix: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. The film follows Pat, who has bipolar disorder and moves in with his parents after being released from a psychiatric hospital. He meets widow Tiffany with whom he enters a dance competition. The movie explores the relationship between the two as they train for the competition.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Silver Linings Playbook on Netflix here.
Best Rom-Coms on Netflix: CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011)
Crazy Stupid Love stars Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone. The film follows recently divorced Cal as he enlists the help of a young playboy to help him ease back into the dating scene and learn to be a single man. Just when Cal thinks he has everything figured out, his life begins to unravel again the first time his family is reunited post-divorce.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Crazy Stupid Love on Netflix here.
Best Rom-Coms on Netflix: LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (2010)
Life As We Know It starring Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, and Josh Lucas is available to watch on Netflix beginning this July. The film follows Holly and Eric, who first realize their distaste for one another on a blind date. The two are left as the guardians of their mutual friends’ baby after an unfortunate accident. They are then forced to look past their hatred for each other and learn how to successfully co-parent.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Life As We Know It on Netflix here.
Best Rom-Coms on Netflix: GOOD ON PAPER (2021)
Good On Paper starring Iliza Shlesinger, Ryan Hansen, and Margaret Cho is a Netflix original film that has landed a spot in the streaming service’s “Top 10.” Stand-up comedian Andrea is an aspiring actress and has been going on countless auditions to finally land a gig. In the process, she meets Dennis—a man who seems like everything she could want in a significant other. After a few red flags and concerns raised by her best friend, Andrea realizes that Dennis may not be everything he says he is.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Good On Paper on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Drama
Best Dramas on Netflix: SPOTLIGHT (2015)
Spotlight stars Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo. The film is based on the true story of the Boston Globe investigative “Spotlight” team that uncovered the story of sexual misconduct by priests in the Catholic church. The story follows the Globe’s journalists as they discover the heartbreaking details of the case and explore the ethics of reporting such bold claims.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Spotlight on Netflix here.
Best Dramas on Netflix: KODACHROME (2018)
Kodachrome stars Jason Sudeikis, Ed Harris, and Elizabeth Olsen. The film follows failing record company executive Matt who accompanies his estranged father, Ben, on a road trip with his nurse. Ben was a photographer who used to shoot on Kodak’s Kodachrome film, which is now obsolete. Ben must bring his remaining rolls to the last shop that develops it before they cease to service Kodachrome.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Kodachrome on Netflix here.
Best Dramas on Netflix: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING (2016)
The Fundamentals of Caring stars Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, and Selena Gomez. The film follows divorcée Ben who starts as a caregiver to teenager Trevor. Trevor has barely ever left his house and Ben is determined to change that. He convinces Trevor’s mother to let them take a road trip to the world’s deepest pit—a roadside attraction that Trevor has been wanting to see. Along the way, they meet a young woman who is also looking to leave home.
Check out the trailer:
Watch The Fundamentals of Caring on Netflix here.
Best Dramas on Netflix: SAFE HAVEN (2013)
Safe Haven stars Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, and Cobie Smulders. A young woman runs away from home in an attempt to escape from her abusive husband and finds herself in a small town in North Carolina. She meets shop owner Alex and his two children in whom she finds safety and comfort. She then forms a new life for herself in North Carolina, but still has to face the skeletons of her past.
Watch Safe Haven on Netflix here.
Best Dramas on Netflix: LES MISÉRABLES (2012)
Les Misérables stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway, among many other big Hollywood actors. The film is based on the West End musical and the French novel by Victor Hugo, both of the same name. The story chronicles life in France in the early 1800s, with a focus on its poverty-stricken citizens.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Les Misérables on Netflix here.
Best Dramas on Netflix: EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE (2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile stars Zac Efron, Lily Collins, and Jim Parsons. The film is based on the real-life story of serial killer Ted Bundy. The movie follows single mother Liz, who unknowingly dated Bundy and now must live through the harsh truth of his actions as he is put on trial for the murders of multiple young women.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Comedy
Best Comedies on Netflix: WHAT A GIRL WANTS (2003)
What a Girl Wants stars Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, and Kelly Preston. When Daphne graduates high school, she travels from New York City to England to meet her father who serves in the House of Lords. When she arrives overseas, she must learn how to balance creating a relationship with a father with upholding his proper lifestyle, all while trying not to lose who she truly is.
Watch What a Girl Wants on Netflix here.
Best Comedies on Netflix: MURDER MYSTERY (2019)
Murder Mystery stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and Luke Evans. Husband and wife Nick and Audrey take a trip to Europe where they befriend a billionaire and sail aboard his yacht. While on the boat, the owner is murdered by one of the other passengers. Nick and Audrey then hilariously investigate the murder in an effort to clear their own names.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Murder Mystery on Netflix here.
Best Comedies on Netflix: LADY BIRD (2017)
Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Timothée Chalamet. The coming-of-age film follows high school teenager “Lady Bird” as she tries to balance new friends, relationships, and existing friendships during her last year of high school. It depicts the tension that can exist between a mother and her teenage daughter, especially when the daughter has different aspirations than the expectations her parents have for her.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Lady Bird on Netflix here.
Best Comedies on Netflix: LEGALLY BLONDE (2001)
Legally Blonde stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, and Selma Blair. The iconic film follows Elle Woods who attends Harvard Law School in an effort to win back her ex-boyfriend. While at Harvard, she proves her doubters wrong, exceeding their expectations and surpassing the stereotypes society has established for blonde women.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Legally Blonde on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Sci-Fi
Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix: STAR TREK (2009)
Star Trek starring Chris Piner, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana is available to watch on Netflix beginning this July. The film is based on the Star Trek TV series that ran from 1966-1969. The story follows a group of space travelers on their first trip aboard the Enterprise, on which they encounter a threatening extraterrestrial commander.
Watch Star Trek on Netflix here.
Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix: WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY (2017)
What Happened to Monday stars Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, and Glenn Close. The Netflix film takes place in the year 2043, in which there is a one-child-per-family policy. Six identical sisters who were born to the same family in secret embark on a dangerous journey to find their missing septuplet.
Check out the trailer:
Watch What Happened to Monday on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Animated
Best Animated Movies on Netflix: THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (2009)
The Princess and the Frog stars Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, and Keith David. The Disney-animated film follows Tiana in her attempt to follow her dream of opening a restaurant in her hometown of New Orleans. She is magically transformed into a frog and teams up with Prince Naveen (who is also a frog) on a mission to return back to their human selves.
Check out the trailer:
Watch The Princess and the Frog on Netflix here.
Best Animated Movies on Netflix: MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED (2012)
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The DreamWorks computer-animated film follows zoo animals Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria who find themselves in a European circus. While in Europe, they are chased by a French Animal Control officer who is looking to hunt them. The movie takes viewers through the animals’ goofy adventures as they try to escape Captain Chantel DuBois.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted on Netflix here.
Best Animated Movies on Netflix: BEE MOVIE (2007)
Bee Movie stars Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, and Matthew Broderick. The DreamWorks computer-animated film follows Barry, a worker bee who dreams of having a life outside of his hive making honey. He gets lost in the rain while collecting pollen and meets a human named Vanessa. The two work to end the exploitation of bees for honey.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Bee Movie on Netflix here.
Best Movies on Netflix: Documentary
Best Documentaries on Netflix: MISS AMERICANA (2020)
Miss Americana is a Netflix documentary about singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The doc follows her life as a female in the music industry, giving a glimpse at the pressures she faces while being in the public eye. It also explores Taylor’s first steps in publicly taking a political stance and endorsing certain candidates/ being vocal about specific issues.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Miss Americana on Netflix here.
Best Documentaries on Netflix: AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR (2020)
American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the story of the disappearance of Shannan Watts and her two daughters. The documentary contains footage from news reports, police interviews, and Shannan’s personal Facebook. It follows the investigation of Shannan’s husband and what role he may have played in the case.
Check out the trailer:
Watch American Murder: The Family Next Door on Netflix here.
Best Documentaries on Netflix: OPERATION VARSITY BLUES: THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL (2021)
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal takes viewers through the events that led to the exposure of wealthy parents in Hollywood paying for their children to get into prestigious colleges. It is a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most fascinating news stories of 2019.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal on Netflix here.
Best Documentaries on Netflix: FYRE: THE GREATEST PARTY THAT NEVER HAPPENED (2019)
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened tells the story of the infamous 2017 FYRE festival that promised an unforgettable weekend full of music in the Bahamas. The doc includes interviews with festival planners and goers and dives into where the organization went wrong.
Check out the trailer:
Watch FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened on Netflix here.
Best Documentaries on Netflix: ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT (2017)
Abducted in Plain Sight is a true-crime documentary about a young girl that was abducted by a close family friend. It includes interviews from the family of the missing girl and exposes the signs of her kidnapper’s obsession with her prior to the abduction.
Watch Abducted in Plain Sight on Netflix here.
Want to get off the couch and head to the movie theaters? See the latest new movie releases or watch new movie trailers.
More Entertainment News Like This: New Movie Trailers We’re Excited About
More Entertainment News Like This: Upcoming Horror Movies We Can’t Wait To Watch In Theaters
Hollywood.com is a place where entertainment news actually entertains you. We’re sharing the good in Hollywood, spotlighting the feel-good stories that matter about any and every kind of celeb. Follow us on Instagram for more feel-good celeb stories.
