Whenever I have no clue what to watch on Netflix, I run straight to the top 10 most-watched movies list. Sure, these kinds of rankings on the best streaming services don't guarantee quality, but it's a great resource for cutting through the noise.
So how do you figure out which movies are worth the hype? That's where we come in. Here at Tom's Guide, we've narrowed down the best movies in the Netflix top 10 to watch right now. This list includes one of the best original Netflix movies in years, a new shark horror that audiences are already comparing to "Jaws," and the movie that finally earned the Godzilla franchise its first Oscar last year. (Yes I'm being annoying about the Godzilla movie! Go watch it!)
This article is based on the Netflix top 10 list of most-watched movies in the U.S. as of 11 a.m. ET on June 9. For even more streaming recommendations, check out our guide on the best new movies that just landed on streaming as well as everything new to Netflix this month.
Best movies in the Netflix top 10
'Hit Man' (2024)
Director Richard Linklater's sexy, nihilistic comedy "Hit Man" is shaping up to be one of Netflix's strongest original movies in years. Right now it's holding an impressive 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics calling it a genre-bending roller coaster ride that further cements Glen Powell as one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars to watch out for.
A mix between a breezy crime caper and a rom-com, "Hit Man" stars Powell as Gary Johnson, a strait-laced professor who moonlights as a contract killer. Except not really; it's all an act put on to catfish wannabe criminals. He dons an array of elaborate costumes to convince would-be clients he's a cold-blooded assassin before police swoop in to arrest them a la "To Catch a Predator." However, when a femme fatale (Adria Arjona) asks him to take out her abusive husband, Gary breaks protocol. Desperate to hide his true identity from her, he sets off a chain reaction of play-acting, deception, and escalating stakes that could have deadly consequences.
Watch it now on Netflix
'Under Paris' (2024)
I haven't seen "Under Paris" yet, but after hearing the premise, I immediately added it to my watchlist. It sounds exactly like my kind of dumb (affectionate) horror movie. Directed by Xavier Gens, "Under Paris" sees the French capital terrorized by a wayward apex predator that abandons its home in the open ocean in favor of the Seine River.
That alone would be a headache enough, but this Jaws wannabe comes at an incredibly inconvenient time as Paris is set to host its first World Triathlon Championship (perhaps a nod to Paris hosting the 2024 Olympic Games). With a major sporting event on the horizon, the shark's arrival could spell disaster. Because as it turns out, triathletes prefer to keep their limbs attached and free of bite marks, ideally. The brilliant scientist (Bérénice Bejo) who first discovers what's lurking in the Seine joins forces with the police in a race to prevent a bloodbath. And of course, along the way, she'll have to face her tragic past, which I can only assume is packed to the gills with shark- and/or water-related trauma.
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'Crazy Rich Asians'
Michelle Yeoh has had a long, varied career that has seen her hop from martial arts action ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") to sci-fi TV ("Star Trek: Discovery") to mind-bending Oscar winners ("Everything Everywhere All at Once" to comedies like "Crazy Rich Asians."
Yeoh is perfect as the icy matriarch who looks down on Rachel (Constance Wu), the American girlfriend of her son Nick (Henry Golding). Nick's family is very wealthy, which shocks Rachel when they travel to Singapore for a wedding. Their relationship is put to the test by their class differences and his mother's disapproval. – KW
Watch it now on Netflix
Netflix top 10 movies right now
- "Hit Man" (2024)
- "Under Paris" (2024)
- "Wonder" (2017)
- "Home" (2015)
- "How to Rob a Bank" (2024)
- "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018)
- "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (2023)
- "The LEGO Movie" (2014)
- "Shrek" (2001)
- "Flushed Away" (2006)
