The Popular Movies on Netflix to watch right now
Posted by Triple Aul February 04, 2025 Post a Comment
It’s hard to believe that Netflix only launched in 2007, but apparently, that’s all the time it takes to change the face of movie/TV consumption.
When it introduced its then-revolutionary mail-in rental service, Netflix was competing with businesses like movie theaters, Blockbuster, and even Tower Video. Some of those stalwarts have faltered, but Netflix has only continued to expand its library and influence.
Beyond a treasure trove of original series and features, the service has curated a laundry list of excellent films both new and old. Here are the popular movies on Netflix right now.
The Popular Movies on Netflix to watch right now
American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale elevated his career to a new level with his committed portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
The film centers on Patrick, an investment banker immersed in the empty consumerism of the corporate world, whose jealousy and lust for power leads him to murder. As EW’s critic writes, “Mary Harron’s American Psycho is a merry-prankster nightmare — a cheerfully irreverent drawing-room slasher movie.
” While the film was ultimately a box office disappointment, time has been kind to American Psycho; its depiction of a social-climbing yuppie with anxiety over how other people perceive him makes him eerily relatable — just hopefully without the whole serial killer part. —K.J.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
This sensual tale of yearning set in 1983 Italy is one of director Luca Guadagnino’s finest works. Timothée Chalamet stars as Elio, a 17-year-old who falls in love with his father’s handsome new graduate student, Oliver (Armie Hammer).
Basking in the hot summer days, Elio and Oliver explore the countryside and form a passionate bond that will affect both of their lives forever.
The film made a star out of Chalamet, who earned an Oscar nomination for his sensitive, complex performance as a teen coming of age and realizing what he desires for himself. As EW’s critic writes of the film, “It’s real life, heartbreaking and sublime.” —K.J.
Captain Phillips (2013)
Barkhad Abdi’s declaration of “I’m the captain now” may have taken on a life of its own, but this action drama has substance beyond the catchphrase.
Based on the true story of Richard Phillips and his experience as captain of a U.S. cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates, Captain Phillips unfolds with nerve-wracking tension as the eponymous merchant mariner tries to negotiate his way through a delicate situation.
Tom Hanks delivers one of his best modern performances as the beleaguered captain — with the film’s final scene ranking as one of the finest of his storied career — while Abdi, making his film debut as ruthless pirate leader Abduwali Muse, rightfully earned himself an Oscar nomination.
Carol (2015)
This period drama from auteur Todd Haynes is one of the most sumptuous films of the modern era. Therese (Rooney Mara) is a department store clerk who has a chance encounter with a glamorous older woman, Carol (Cate Blanchett), in 1950s New York.
A secret affair blossoms from there, as Carol and Therese forge an intense emotional and romantic connection that complicates their lives.
With deeply felt, Oscar-nominated performances from Blanchett and Mara and stunning technical craft — from the music score to the period-specific production design and costumes — Carol is a transporting experience from start to finish.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
Aubrey Plaza gives one of her finest turns to date in this grounded thriller. She plays the titular down-on-her-luck felon who resorts to theft to make her way out from under a mountain of debt.
“She may be a wanton criminal, but she’s also a woman very much for these times,” EW’s critic writes.
“Not the anti-heroine we knew we needed, maybe, but one that we deserve.” It’s a visceral, often unbearably anxious film that showcases Plaza’s steeliest, most nuanced performance in a career full of them. —Declan Gallagher
Location: