Netflix is home to some of the best movies on the planet. There are award-winning classics, epic blockbusters and a slate of original movies, all vying for your attention, so the question is: where to begin?
If you’re wondering whether a movie on Netflix is good or not, checking Rotten Tomatoes is a good place to start. The review aggregator collates the thoughts of movie critics and audiences into a score out of 100 to help you decide whether a movie is worth watching or not.
To help you figure out your next watch, we’ve listed the top movies on Netflix Australia with a score of 90 per cent or higher on Rotten Tomatoes.
The best movies on Netflix Australia
His House
His House has largely flown under the radar but managed to score a perfect 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best films on Netflix Australia.
The chilling horror movie is touted as genuinely scary by critics as it delves into the story of a young refugee couple who seek a fresh start in England and are haunted by a sinister presence in their new home.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
You’ll find plenty of Academy Award-nominated films on this list and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is one of the best.
Featuring one of the last performances from the late Chadwick Boseman, the film follows Viola Davis as a trailblazing blues singer who battles tensions within her band as they attempt to get through a recording session.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Dolemite is My Name
Eddie Murphy brought in awards nominations and a good review score for his leading role in Dolemite Is My Name. The Netflix movie follows a performer, Rudy Ray Moore, who becomes an underground sensation thanks to his persona named Dolemite.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Mudbound
Mudbound dives into the class struggle in rural America, featuring two families who are pitted against each other by social hierarchies but are bonded by their shared farmland in Mississippi.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Taxi Driver
An absolute all-time classic, Taxi Driver stars Robert De Niro in one of his best-ever roles as a cab driver suffering from insomnia who becomes obsessed with saving the world and cleaning up the streets of New York City.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Mony Python and the Holy Grail
An oldie but a goodie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail was the low-budget comedy that could. Decades on, it still holds a special place in many hearts as John Cleese and his friends deliver one of the funniest takes on the grim period of the Middle Ages, which results in some of the silliest jokes around.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
It’s hard to go past a good teen rom-com, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before fills that niche perfectly.
Lara Jean is a fan of writing love letters but never sends them. After someone secretly mails her letters to all her past crushes she has to deal with the fallout.
If you need more than one warm hug of a movie, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All The Boys: Always and Forever are also good movies on Netflix Australia.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
The Irishman
Famous for its 3.5-hour run time and its incredible de-aging of award-winning actors, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, The Irishman made waves for Netflix.
The film by Martin Scorsese is exactly what you’d expect from the visionary director and explores the life of a hitman who reminisces about his life working for a notorious crime family.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Roma
Another Awards-favourite, Alfonso Cuaron’s black and white masterpiece Roma, takes place in Mexico City in 1970.
A personal project for the director, Roma tells the story of a domestic worker who assists a middle-class household amidst the political turmoil of Mexico.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
The Lost Daughter
Netflix’s original movie, The Lost Daughter, shot for Oscar gold with Maggie Gyllenhaal behind the camera and Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley giving it their all on screen.
The movie follows a woman who becomes infatuated with another mother and daughter while on holiday and is forced to reckon with her past as a young mother herself.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Marriage Story
Directed by Noah Baumbach with awards-worthy performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, this is one of the best movies on Netflix Australia right now.
Marriage Story is a poignant look at the gruelling process of divorce as two parents battle with coast-to-coast living arrangements and the upbringing of their young son.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Emily the Criminal
If you have Aubrey Plaza fever following The White Lotus (or literally anything she’s starred in) you’ll want to check out Emily the Criminal. Plaza stars as Emily, a graduate stuck with student debt and no work prospects (relatable) who becomes involved in a credit card scam to get by.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Klaus
Depending on when you’re reading this, it may be the festive season. If so, the number one movie you should watch (Christmas or not) is Klaus.
The animated film is a humorous and heartwarming tale about a failing postman who is sent to a snowy town in the North and discovers a reclusive toymaker. Together the two deliver joy to a town that desperately needs it.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
The Power of the Dog
Another recent Oscar nominee, The Power of the Dog recruits an all-star cast of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons to tell Jane Campion’s tale of masculinity and jealousy on a ranch in Montana.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
The Sea Beast
Another banger original animated film to come out of Netflix is The Sea Beast. Starring the voice talent of Karl Urban, Jared Harris and more, the movie is set in the world of heroic monster hunters, one of whom goes on a journey with a stowaway young girl to make history.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Moneyball
We all love a good sports drama and Moneyball is one of the best. The movie stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the manager of the Oakland A’s baseball team who tries to outsmart the richer clubs and reinvent his team by challenging old-school traditions.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Enola Holmes 2
Netflix’s sequel about Sherlock Holmes’ little sister Enola has struck a chord with audiences. The pairing of Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill in Enola Holmes 2 continues to bring charm and humour to the lighthearted mystery movie, making it a thoroughly entertaining watch.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel Glass Onion quickly established itself as one of the most popular Netflix movies over Christmas 2022, as well as one of the best.
The sequel sees Daniel Craig’s investigator return to determine the murderer amongst a new crop of suspects; this time, it’s a group of old friends reuniting on a private island in the Mediterranean.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Da 5 Bloods
From legendary director Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods follows four African American veterans who battle the forces of man and nature after they return to Vietnam to find the remains of their fallen squad leader.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Beasts of No Nation
Director Cary Fukunaga tells the story of a young West African boy who is forced to join a group of mercenary fighters and become a child soldier after his father is killed in a civil war.
Beasts of No Nation is one film that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Uncut Gems
Expect to feel anxious while watching Uncut Gems.
Adam Sandler pulls out a star performance as a debt-ridden jeweller in New York City who can’t shake his gambling addiction, even as angry collectors close in on him.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story
Following up on one of the most critically acclaimed television shows of all time, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story firmly cements its place as one of the best movies on Netflix in Australia.
Both newcomers and fans of the show will enjoy Aaron Paul’s return as Jesse Pinkman, who is now a fugitive on the run attempting to escape his past.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
The Nice Guys
The pairing of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling has managed to push its way to the top of Rotten Tomatoes ratings. The Nice Guys sees the actors team up, one a private detective and the other an enforcer, to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl in a comedy neo-noir action film.
The movie is directed by Shane Black of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
I Am Mother
We love to see nothing more than an Australian movie doing well and I Am Mother is definitely making a name for itself by earning its place on this list.
The sci-fi film starring Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne follows a robot who raises a human girl as its daughter after the extinction of humanity. But their bond is tested when a stranger enters their lives.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
If you’ve already seen all of these movies you can find other highly rated Netflix films over on Rotten Tomatoes.
And if you haven’t seen them yet, add them to your watch list immediately because they are some of the best movies you’ll find on Netflix in Australia right now.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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