Looking for something worth watching? With thousands of TV shows and good movies on Netflix to choose from, finding the perfect film on the best streaming service can be a real pain. Luckily, we’ve gone and done some extensive research for you and found the best Netflix movies to stream right now.
If you’re looking for films to watch on other platforms, we’ve also found the best Amazon Prime movies and best Disney+ movies for May 2021.
Mank (2020)
With more Oscar nominations in 2021 than any other film, Mank held 10 nominations and is a film feat of historic proportions. Herman J. “Mank” Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) is given a deadline to finish the screenplay for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, and must also deal with old Hollywood politics, corruption, and debilitating alcoholism. Filmed in a style reminiscent of the classic Welles films–for which it won best cinematography and production design–this film goes above and beyond its goals, and is one of David Fincher’s best films to date.
Extraction (2020)
Lots of violence and big explosions, Extraction is a whole lot of fun and one of the best-choreographed stunt works of last year. When black-market mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is hired to save an imprisoned warlord’s son, the stakes rise exponentially as more and more local gunrunners and traffickers learn of the situation. Fulfilling the vision of veteran stunt coordinator/first-time director Sam Hargrave is quite an accomplishment, which makes it a contender for one of the best Chris Hemsworth movies if you don’t include Marvel.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
Based on a play by August Wilson comes a fictionalized story of the very real “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey, as she and her band show us the faces of music, oppression, and soul. A difficult and heart-wrenching plot is just one of the many things that make this film a must-see for everyone, showing the audience that Ma Rainey cannot be controlled by the domineering studio figureheads, even in a time of extreme racial tension. Nominated for the incredible acting in leading role performances by the late and great Chadwick Boseman (his last role), and the powerfully emotional Viola Davis, this treasure won best costume design and best makeup and hairstyling in this year’s academy awards.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
If you’re looking for a new family comedy on Netflix, The Mitchells vs. The Machines checks all the right boxes. The plot follows a quirky and dysfunctional family with some generational communication struggles. When the father (Danny McBride) decides to take a road trip to reconnect with his daughter (Abbi Jacobson), they find themselves stuck in a car together as the only humans who can stop the sudden robot apocalypse.
The Departed (2006)
An Irish gang in Boston led by notorious Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is infiltrated by an undercover cop, William Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), while the very same police department has a mole of its own named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). The two infiltrators must do what they can to remain undiscovered, all the while looking to expose their counterparts. Based on the very real Boston Winter Hill Gang, this movie loosely re-tells the tales of Irish-American crime lord Whitey Bulger and his accomplice in the FBI, John Connolly, who was instrumental in the evasion of Bulger’s arrest for many years.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A historic tale from writer/director Aaron Sorkin comes The Trial of the Chicago 7, a cautionary tale of power, resistance, and conspiracy. This film tells the story of the Chicago 7, a group of anti-Vietnam War protesters that are charged with inciting riots and conspiracy–as well as a swarm of extra accusations–go to trial and make history. Loaded with an appealing cast of characters as well as the leading man (Sorkin), this film didn’t do so great at the Oscars this year, but still remains an important story from history.
