Here we will review some of the best Netflix original movie recommendations as your choice in watching movies on Netflix.
By putting quality entertainment at your fingertips, Netflix has become one of the largest streaming platforms in the world, and one of its hallmarks is its high quality production of original movies.
Apart from offering movies that have been shown in theaters, the platform also produces original movies that you can only watch on Netflix. On the app and website, these original movies can be recognized by the red N logo located at the top of each movie or series.
Content Navigation
Best Netflix Original Movie Recommendations
1. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This first original Netflix movie recommendation adapts the classic German novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque in 1929. The story he wrote adapts from his personal experiences as a German army veteran during World War I.
He described the horrific atmosphere on the battlefield and the trauma that the young soldiers experienced.
Previously, “All Quiet on the Western Front” had been made into movies in 1930 and 1979 by Hollywood. This latest version was directed by Edward Berger, a German director, and has a cast of German actors.
Paul Baumer (Felix Kammerer), a 17-year-old German youth, is influenced by the Imperial German Army’s propaganda that they will achieve victory in Paris.
However, after Baumer and his friends arrived on the battlefield, they experienced a series of horrific and traumatic war atrocities. They no longer thought about the glory of Germany, but only hoped to return home to the warm embrace of their families.
On the battlefield, patriotism is nowhere to be seen. There is only a group of people who obey orders from above. They kill and eliminate human lives with cruelty. The storyline is also very to the point, it doesn’t take long for us to feel the horror of war in this movie
2. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The next best Netflix original movie recommendation is The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. It is an anthology movie directed, written, and produced by a pair of brothers, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, two brothers. The movie consists of six different stories, but there is no connection between the stories.
The only element that connects the six stories is the theme of death, which is the main focus. The movie also features some famous actors from Hollywood such as James Franco, Tom Waits, Liam Neeson, Zoe Kazan, and Harry Melling, which adds to the movie’s glamor.
The six stories in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs depict the wild landscapes of the American Wild West. Although the cinematographic landscapes are beautiful and vast, there is a theme of death present in each story.
The beauty of the landscapes in this movie is hindered by the storylines that include brutality, despair, dark comedy, and romantic dramas that end tragically. Although these stories stand alone and have their own polemics, they are all connected by the premise of violence and cruelty in the Wild West.
The characters in these stories are also indirectly connected by the strange and sad event of death. The movie can be considered a ballad about death and murder, but it doesn’t just depict random killings, as death here has a certain meaning.
The events of death in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs can happen because of the unfortunate fate that befalls each character, not just by chance. In addition, human cruelty and greed also cause death, as well as the merciless social conditions and wild nature of America.
3. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Beasts of No Nation is a Netflix original war drama film released on October 16, 2015. The movie adapts a novel by Uzodinma Iweala published in 2005.
Director and screenwriter Cary Joji Fukunaga tried to stay true to the storyline in the novel and managed to translate it using cinematography that is both stunning and gripping.
The movie is set in a civil war in Africa, but unlike other war movies that usually involve adult soldiers. Instead, this movie tells the story of a young child involved in the conflict.
Agu (Abraham Attah), who should be enjoying his childhood by playing and studying, is forced to join a group of soldiers in a fictional country in West Africa. Agu has no other choice and feels fear of his commanding officer and the situation around him.
Agu’s childhood has been deprived by the cruelty and brutality of the war going on in his country. At a very young age, Agu must make important decisions for his own safety. Can Agu survive as a child soldier while the civil war rages on?
4. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
The next best Netflix original movie recommendation is Dolemite Is My Name. “Dolemite Is My Name” is a biopic by director Craig Brewer and stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore. Rudy Ray Moore, also known as Dolemite, was a talented black comedian famous in America in the 1970s.
He started his career as a stand-up comedian and later attempted to make his own feature film. Like many other biographical movies, “Dolemite Is My Name” is an inspiring story about achieving dreams.
The movie also illustrates how the entertainment industry in the past in America was divided into two different worlds due to racial differences.
In terms of appearance, “Dolemite Is My Name” looks like a typical African American comedy. However, the movie is not just a comedy, but a story about an iconic comedian struggling to achieve his dreams.
Inspirational stories don’t always come from artists who are famous for brilliant works. Through this movie, we as viewers who appreciate high-quality movies will see a new perspective on the entertainment industry that serves pure entertainment. Rudy Ray Moore’s simple goal is to make American audiences laugh.
We might think of Rudy Ray Moore’s “Dolemite” as a comedy that is too vulgar and cheesy, but Rudy managed to become one of the best comedians of his time thanks to the hard work he put into this movie.
This proves that a “cheap” comedian also has a great fighting spirit that is worth emulating. In the end, Rudy Ray Moore succeeded in creating entertainment that appealed to his community (African American race) that was not inferior to the work created by the white race.
5. Don’t Look Up (2021)
After its release in December 2021, the movie Don’t Look Up has become a hot topic of conversation. This movie is fully directed by Adam McKay. It tells the story of two astronomers played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. They had to go on a media tour to warn people about a comet that would destroy the earth.
The story follows Kate Dibiasky, a graduate astronomy student. Together with her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy, Kate discovers a comet spinning in the solar system. This huge comet is predicted to collide with the earth, so Kate and Randall try hard to warn everyone.
However, the main problem is that no one really cares about their discovery. With the help of Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe, Kate and Randall embark on a media tour. The tour takes them to the office of the indifferent President Orlean and his son who is the Chief of Staff.
Then, they went to the cheerful morning show The Daily Rip hosted by Brie and Jack. For 6 months, they faced the 24-hour news cycle and stole the public’s attention through social media.
They also try their best to provide evidence before it’s too late. World opinion is divided into three in the movie Don’t Look Up. Some believe that comets are a serious threat, others scoff and believe that mining destroyed comets will create jobs. In addition, there are also those who deny the existence of the comet.
6. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the next best Netflix original movie recommendation. This movie is a sequelArti sekuel dalam film mengacu pada film yang dibuat sebagai kelanjutan dari film sebelumnya. Dalam... More to Knives Out (2019) which is a combination of mystery drama and comedy.
Director Rian Johnson returns to direct the movie, and Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc with an all-star cast.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out continues the journey of Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he investigates the death of Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand, CEO of tech company Alpha, alongside Miles Bron (Edward Norton).
To uncover the truth, Blanc travels to Miles Bron’s private Greek island and meets a group of special guests. Among these guests is the deceased Andi Brand, so Blanc asks Andi’s twin sister, Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe), to go undercover.
Blanc also noted other guests such as Connecticut Governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), famous designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and famous streamer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista).
Despite questions from Miles Bron about Blanc’s presence, Blanc is allowed to stay there on the assumption that Blanc was invited as a prank arranged by one of the other guests. Meanwhile, Helen searches for clues to find Andi’s killer.
All the important guests and assistants stayed for the lavish party at the resort called Glass Onion, while hiding an important secret behind it.
7. The Irishman (2019)
Frank Sheeran, a war veteran, worked as a truck driver delivering food. He sold the goods to criminal gangs in Philadelphia.
The company he worked for accused him of theft, but Sheeran was reluctant to give the names of the people involved. Fortunately, he got help from a union lawyer named Bill Bufalino.
The cooperation between Sheeran’s lawyer and Bill’s client continued. Bill introduced Sheeran to Russell Bufalino, his nephew who was an important figure in a crime organization in Pennsylvania. Convinced of Sheeran’s reliability, Russell began hiring Sheeran to carry out murderous acts especially.
Russell introduces Sheeran to Jimmy Hoffa, a union leader who gets his funding from working with criminal organizations. Hoffa had problems with Tony Pro, with whom he often disagreed, both with the government. Sheeran gave Hoffa so much help that their families became very close.
In the 1960 Presidential Election, there was a difference of opinion between Hoffa and Russell. Russell, who supported John F. Kennedy, had a different view to Hoffa who doubted Kennedy’s leadership abilities and saw him as a threat to labor unions.
A team was formed by Robert, John Kennedy’s younger brother, with the aim of arresting Hoffa for bribery of the jury.
After Hoffa was imprisoned, Frank Fritzsimoons took over as the union leader. Fritz was involved in mafia business using workers’ pension funds, which worried Hoffa. President Nixon lifted Hoffa’s sentence, but banned him from interacting with the union again.
Hoffa, who felt that he was the one who built the union, wanted to regain the position taken away by Fritz. This action made many members of the criminal organization, including Russell, angry. Various negotiation attempts were made to stop Hoffa’s intentions, but he remained firm.
Sheeran was then given the task of killing Hoffa. Will he kill Hoffa, who has been close to him and his family? Or will he take the risk of defying orders from a criminal organization?
8. The King (2019)
The next best Netflix original movie recommendation takes place in the British Empire during the colossal era.
The movie adapts several plays by William Shakespeare and is considered a story inspired by a true story of the time. However, the movie gained attention from the audience because the story was considered very different from the original version.
The movie stars Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Pattinson, and Ben Mendelsohn.
The King tells the story of the British Empire during the reign of King Henry V. At that time, there was conflict among members of the royal family when England was at war with Scotland.
King Henry’s nephew, Harry Percy, blamed the King for refusing to bargain for English captives held by the Scots. Instead, Harry Percy wanted the Scottish captives to be handed over to him immediately. This incident sparked a dispute between King Henry and Harry Percy, which later led to civil war.
In poor health, King Henry ordered his second son, Thomas, to lead the battle, while his eldest son, Hal, was not involved as he had long lived outside the palace.
Hal lives with Falstaff, a veteran soldier, because he disagrees with his father’s system of government. When summoned before the battle, Hal forces his brother not to participate in the battle, but eventually Hal is forced to come to the battlefield and proposes a one-on-one battle without involving soldiers. Hal and Harry then engage in a fight and eventually Hal kills Harry.
Obviously this made Thomas very angry as it ruined his entire strategic plan. Hal also became uneasy about it. One night, Gascoigne, a royal, summoned Hal to meet his dying father.
However, Hal refused because there was still Thomas. But it turned out that Thomas had died after the battle between Hal and Harry. Therefore, Hal became king. Hal tried to be a wise leader, although there were some government decisions that he did not agree with.
9. Hustle (2022)
“Hustle” is a sports drama film by director Jeremiah Zagar as a Netflix original film on June 3, 2022.
The movie was produced by Adam Sandler and famous basketball star LeBron James. Hustle features dozens of NBA players, coaches, team managers and many other celebrities as cameos.
Most of them play themselves. With a focus on the power of drama rather than comedy, the movie will showcase Adam Sandler’s serious acting strengths rather than his silliness.
For years, Stanley Sugerman has been traveling around the world to scout new talent for the Philadelphia 76ers. Because of this, he rarely gets to be with his family throughout the year.
Despite often having different opinions with his son Vincent, 76ers owner Rex Merrick still liked him. After returning from Germany, Rex decided to make Stanley an assistant coach in the team.
However, Stanley’s happiness was short-lived when he got the news that Rex passed away the following night. After only three months in office, Vincent, who now took over the ownership of the team from his father, decided to return Stanley to his position as a scout.
Vincent asked Stanley to go back to traveling around the world looking for new talent, with the promise that if Stanley managed to find the right players, he would return to coaching.
Therefore, Stanley went to Spain to see the young players there. There, he met Leon Rich, a friend of Stanley’s who was an athlete agent, who offered Stanley a position at his agency.
10. Marriage Story (2019)
The movie has famous actors such as Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Azhy Robertson. With a duration of 137 minutes, this movie tells the story of a married couple who are in the process of divorce but still support each other.
Marriage Story won the 2020 Oscars and also won 123 awards and was nominated in 247 other film awards.
Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johannson) are a harmonious, idealized and supportive couple. They have a son and their family seems perfect. However, problems arise when Nicole finds out that Charlie is having an affair with his coworker, Mary Ann (Brooke Bloom).
Nicole could no longer tolerate Charlie’s selfishness either. She decided to file for divorce, but Charlie refused and chose to mediate. The increasingly burdensome household conditions made Nicole seek help from lawyer Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) to file for divorce.
On the other hand, Charlie is busy with his theater productions. Despite being busy with his work, he still fulfills his role as a good father, husband, and son-in-law. When he visits his in-laws in LA, he is shocked by Nicole’s divorce suit.
She immediately sought a lawyer to help her in the trial. One day, Nicole visits Charlie’s new home in LA and they talk for a while. The talk turned into an argument and both of them let their emotions out on each other.
Nicole was still angry that Charlie cheated on her with her coworker at the theater, while Charlie insisted that he missed out on many opportunities by marrying young. Not long after, Nicole and Charlie officially divorced after a trial.
Even though they are divorced, there is still affection and love between them. However, they can no longer unite these feelings because of their strong egos.
Those are some of our recommendations for the best Netflix original movie of all time that can be included in your watch list. Enjoy watching.
