It’s a quiet month in terms of new Netflix movies, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a handful of fresh additions in November 2023 that you’ll want to add to your watchlist.
Rather excitingly, two of the best-reviewed movies landing on Netflix this month are brand-new original flicks, and they’re flanked by a selection of slightly older favorites that are still well worth watching. From a modern classic about the creation of a very popular social media website (hint: it’s not the one Elon Musk bizarrely renamed earlier this year) to a tense drama about a young jazz drummer and his uncompromising instructor who pushes him to his breaking point, it’s not the biggest month of new Netflix movies in terms of quantity but it's strong on quality.
All the picks on this roundup are worthy of a spot on our list of the best Netflix movies, and all of them have scored an impressive 90% or higher on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. While not a cast-iron guarantee of quality, a high score is an indication that most critics consider these movies worth watching.
The Social Network (2010)
Often cited as not just one of the best movies of its release year, but one of the most important of the entire 21st century. The Social Network is a biographical drama that chronicles the creation of Facebook and the subsequent fallout between two of its co-founders, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network opens at Harvard University in 2003 and explores how two sophomore students created a website from their dorm room that became the center of the internet for millions of people in the 2010s (and still is for some to this very day). It’s a twisting tale that explores the dangers of mixing business with friendship, and real-life drama is wonderfully brought to life thanks to a trademark laser-sharp screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin. The filmmaking from Fincher is also note-perfect, and the performances are impeccable.
Genre: Biopic
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream it on Netflix
Whiplash (2014)
You wouldn’t think that a movie about a jazz drummer attempting to earn a spot in the top Studio Band at a prestigious New York music school would be more adrenaline-fueled than most action thrillers, but Whiplash captures lightning in a bottle. Helmed by Damien Chazelle, who would go on to make La La Land a few years later, Whiplash is a relentlessly engaging drama about the nature of obsession and a teacher who takes things way too far.
Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is desperate to impress when he’s given the chance to play in the top-level Studio Band at the (fictional) Shaffer Conservatory in New York. But his audition becomes a nightmare when the band’s conductor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), proves to be not just exacting in his standards but downright abusive toward his student. Yet, Andrew instantly craves Fletcher’s near-impossible-to-obtain approval and pushes himself to the absolute limit to earn even just a crumb of credit from his manipulative teacher.
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Stream it on Netflix
Sly (2023)
Sylvester Stallone has always been an underdog. Growing up his love of cinema was a way to escape his difficult childhood, and even as he got older, he never lost his scrappy spirit. He’s spent the last 50 years entertaining legions of fans through his beloved characters and legendary Hollywood franchise, from Rocky to Rambo. Even when facing countless knockbacks, Sly has always pushed forward and this movie tells the behind-the-scenes story of his journey and how it's reflected in the characters he’s brought to the big screen.
This retrospective doc offers unmatched insight into Sly’s life and career with input from the main man himself and the people who know him best including regular co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger to legendary director Quentin Tarantino. Mixing archival footage, classic movie clips and candid interviews, Sly is most definitely a must-watch for anybody with a fondness for '80s action stars, or merely a desire to see the underdog succeed.
Genre: Documentary
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Netflix
The Killer (2023)
David Fincher, the critically acclaimed auteur behind the likes of Seven, Fight Club and Gone Girl, returns to the thriller genre in The Killer. And considering the talent involved, it’s hardly surprising that this new Netflix Original has generated plenty of buzz ahead of its streaming release on Friday, November 10. Fincher's 2020 effort for the streamer, Mank, was rather divisive, but The Killer looks like it’s a real return to the form with all the hallmarks you’d expect from one of his flicks.
The Killer sees Michael Fassbender play the eponymous role of an emotionless and highly methodical assassin, who is thrown into an international manhunt after a job goes wrong. Forced to battle his employers, he must grapple with his inner demons as his objective becomes increasingly complex. All the while he insists the mission isn’t personal. Early reviews call this a slick and stylish thriller that will keep you hooked until the credits. Plus, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on the music, you know the score will be incredible.
Genre: Thriller
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Stream it on Netflix from Nov. 10
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Drag Me to Hell is a cautionary tale in horror movie form. Directed by Sam Raimi, it focuses on a bank loan officer named Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) who cruelly denies an elderly woman an extension on her mortgage. In response, the woman puts a curse on Christine and promises that after three days of torment, she will be dragged to hell for eternity.
Initially dismissing the woman’s words, Christine begins to fear that the curse is real as spooky occurrences plague her every waking moment. Confiding in her boyfriend, the pair attempt to find a way to remove the curse all while the clock is ticking toward the moment when Christine will be plunged into the depths of hell. Far from the most frightening horror movie you’ll find, Drag Me to Hell is devilishly fun, and builds to an ending that will stay with you well into December.
Genre: Horror
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream it on Netflix
