Are you as sick of rehashed Hollywood formulas as much as I am? Then give Netflix Original movies a shot because some of them will surprise you.
Netflix Originals are somewhat of a hit-and-miss. That’s no secret. Netflix funds a lot of projects, so you’ll find some duds in the library. That’s the price you pay for trying to move away from existing templates and formulas to create something original.
To save you the headache of browsing while your dinner gets cold, I’ve compiled this list of the 10 best Netflix Original movies that stand above the rest. I’ve selected a wide range of dramas, comedies, and experimental movies that should scratch your itch for something new.
That said, don’t forget to connect to your VPN because some originals are regionally restricted. If you travel outside the US, use CyberGhost VPN to access Netflix’s entire US library and stream your favorite original movies.
Quick Guide – How to Watch the Best Netflix Original Movies From Anywhere in 3 Steps
- Sign up to CyberGhost VPN: Get access to streaming-optimized servers. Binge watch in ultra HD with no interruptions.
- Select a United States server: Netflix US has one of the biggest Netflix Originals libraries. You’ll have to choose a server that enables access.
- Sit back and enjoy the best original movies!
The Best 10 Original Movies on Netflix US Right Now
1. The Irishman (2019): Best Crime Drama
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.8 |
95% |
94% |
Martin Scorsese, the mastermind behind Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, returns with a legendary cast to give us The Irishman.
Starring Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, The Irishman is the story of a truck driver-turned-hitman. The movie concentrates on the relationship between the main character and union leader Jimmy Hoffa played by Al Pacino.
Get ready to watch a grueling 209-minute long gangster drama that reunites the legends of mobster classics in a final showdown.
|
Directed by |
Martin Scorsese |
|
Starring |
Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci |
|
Genre |
Biography, Crime, Drama |
|
Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2019 |
2. The Power of the Dog (2021): Best Psychological Drama
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
6.8 |
94% |
89% |
The Power of the Dog is a story of wealthy ranchers, brothers, and their relationship that goes south when a woman gets involved.
Benedict Cumberbatch plays a complex cowboy who cruelly belittles his sister-in-law Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smith-McPhee). Behind his cruelty, though, lies a life story of love and loss.
The Power of the Dog is a rollercoaster of emotions so make sure you watch it with a big tub of ice cream and tissues at hand.
|
Directed by |
Jane Campion |
|
Starring |
Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons |
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Genre |
Drama, Romance, Western |
|
Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2021 |
3. Don’t Look Up (2021): Best Apocalyptic Satire
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.2 |
56% |
49% |
Don’t Look Up is a parable on climate change and society’s overall collective denial. I bet that sounds familiar by now…
The story follows two astronomers played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence who discover a comet that is about to hit the Earth and destroy humanity. When they try to warn the president and citizens of the USA, no one believes them.
Throughout the movie, the two astronomers have trouble convincing people to just look up and see the impending doom with their own eyes.
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Directed by |
Adam McKay |
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Starring |
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep |
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Genre |
Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi |
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Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2021 |
4. Dolemite Is My Name (2019): Best Biographical Comedy
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.2 |
97% |
76% |
Making this movie is Eddy Murphy’s life-long dream and he’s been working on it since as far back as 2003. It portrays the late Rudy Ray Moore, a filmmaker, actor, comedian, kung-fu fighter, and rapper, better known as Dolemite.
Eddy Murphy puts his soul into the character of Dolemite. It’s one of his best performances in years, and even movie critics consider his portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore to be Murphy’s comeback role.
Sensational, and at times even scandalous, Dolemite Is My Name is one of the best modern comedies out there.
|
Directed by |
Craig Brewer |
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Starring |
Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Kay, Westley Snipes |
|
Genre |
Biography, Comedy, Drama |
|
Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2019 |
5. Roma (2018): Best Drama
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.7 |
96% |
96% |
Alfonso Cuarón is one of today’s best movie directors, and Roma is his quasi-autobiographical project. The movie is not story-driven per se, but it dives into topics such as class differences, love, and social privilege.
Roma follows a small-scale story of a housekeeper Cleo Gutiérrez (Yalitza Aparicio), who works for a wealthy family in Mexico City. Her life is a drama on its own, in the middle of stressful family dynamics and the political upheaval in Mexico that sets the mood of the whole movie.
Both audience and critics praise the movie for its writing and visual storytelling, so make sure you don’t skip this gem.
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Directed by |
Alfonso Cuarón |
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Starring |
Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey |
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Genre |
Drama |
|
Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2018 |
6. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018): Best Western Anthology
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.3 |
89% |
79% |
This original project tells six stories, all set in the Coen Brothers’ quirky vision of the Wild West. It’s basically 6 short movies packed in one glorious piece of cinematography filled with dark humor and drama.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs tells stories that are worlds apart in their mood and subject. Each story has a life of its own. That said, it might also remind you of the tone and spirit of another great success of these sibling producers, Oh Brother Where Art Thou.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is truly something original that you don’t see every day.
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Directed by |
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
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Starring |
Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco |
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Genre |
Comedy, Drama, Musical |
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Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2018 |
7. Okja (2017): Best Adventure Movie
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.3 |
86% |
75% |
Bong Joon-ho is a South Korean director whose 2019 movie, Parasite, won Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. After this, everyone was eager to check out Joon-ho’s earlier works and among them, Okja stood out.
Okja is a heartwarming story of a young girl and her friend, the genetically altered super-pig. Although the movie’s premise sounds ridiculous at first, Bong Joon-ho proved his ability to play with viewers’ emotions.
When Okja premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2017, the audience booed it at first. But by the time the movie ended, everyone was giving it a standing ovation. Okja is a breath of fresh air among all the formulaic movies out there.
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Directed by |
Bong Joon Ho |
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Starring |
Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Steven Yeun |
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Genre |
Action, Adventure, Drama |
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Rated |
TV-MA |
|
Year |
2017 |
8. The King (2019): Best History Drama
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.2 |
70% |
62% |
The King is based on several plays by William Shakespeare revolving around historical English kings.
The movie tells the story of Prince Hal (Timothee Chalamet) who chose to renounce his claim to the throne and live as an ordinary man. Unfortunately, he’s put on the throne unwillingly when his father, Henry IV dies. The young king, now known as Henry V, is thrown into a political power struggle and he needs to learn how to navigate the world of nobles and court intrigues.
That said, The King is not the most historically accurate movie out there, but the writing and the acting make it stand out from the rest.
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Directed by |
David Michôd |
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Starring |
Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton |
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Genre |
Biography, Drama, History |
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Rated |
R |
|
Year |
2019 |
9. The Ritual (2017): Best Horror Movie
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
6.3 |
74% |
57% |
The Ritual is about four friends on a hiking trip through the Swedish forest, where they encounter an ancient god-like monster, and its worshipers. Before they realize what’s happening, they become part of the ritual that’s supposed to grant the cult members immortality.
Although at times the story feels like a cliche, this movie delivers it in a unique and very deep way. The Ritual is a character-driven horror movie, so don’t expect many cheap jump-scares.
The Ritual reminds me of The Blaire Witch Project, and although there is a resemblance in some very brief moments, this movie tells a more thrilling story that will keep you captive with powerful imagery and atmosphere.
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Directed by |
David Bruckner |
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Starring |
Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier |
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Genre |
Horror, Mystery, Thriller |
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Rated |
TV-MA |
|
Year |
2017 |
10. The Two Popes (2019): Best Biographical Comedy Drama
|
IMDb |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Metacritic |
|
7.6 |
89% |
75% |
The Two Popes didn’t have as much media coverage as other movies released the same year, like The Irishman, so it’s sort of a hidden gem.
The Two Popes tells the story of a conservative Pope Benedict XVI (Antony Hopkins) and his liberal successor, the future Pope Francis (Johnatan Pryce). Throughout the movie, the two discuss their Christian beliefs, worldview, and Catholic tradition. But they also watch Kommissar Rex, Pope Benedict’s favorite comedy show, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup final played between their respective countries, Germany and Argentina.
The Two Popes gives us an insight into the affairs of the Vatican but it also reminds us that we’re all human.
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Directed by |
Fernando Meirelles |
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Starring |
Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín |
|
Genre |
Biography, Comedy, Drama |
|
Rated |
PG-13 |
|
Year |
2019 |
Why You Need a VPN to Watch Netflix US
Netflix has a massive library of content but a lot of it’s regionally restricted because of copyright deals. That means a movie available on Netflix US might not be available on Netflix Germany.
Netflix delivers your content based on your IP address. Your IP address is what gives away your location. Now, what if you could change your IP address so Netflix detects a different location? That’s precisely what a VPN does.
CyberGhost VPN will reroute your online traffic through a server located in another country. You will get a new IP address from that server and fool anyone into thinking that you’re located in the same country as the server.
Get CyberGhost VPN to hide your IP and connect to a US server to stay safe while watching the best content on US Netflix. Additionally, you can connect to any of our 8000+ servers located in 91 countries to access Netflix’s entire library.
A VPN is a security tool. Using CyberGhost VPN with Netflix is perfectly legal. That said, accessing content outside of its licensed region might violate copyright agreements. CyberGhost VPN doesn’t recommend breaking any agreements or laws with or without a VPN.
Why Choose CyberGhost as the Best VPN for Netflix
Stream on any Device
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Treat your family with a CyberGhost VPN account so everyone can binge on their favorite content.
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Despite what you’d think, not all Netflix Originals are available worldwide. Regional restrictions still exist. You need a reliable VPN with servers all over the world, especially if you travel a lot.
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Binge Watch All the Netflix Originals
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Warp 10. Engage!
The movie reaches its climax and suddenly that spinning wheel of death pops on your screen. The movie freezes, the mood fades, and your evening is now ruined. If you have a fast VPN that will never happen again!
Connect to CyberGhost VPN’s lightning-fast VPN servers and watch the best Netflix Originals without buffering. Our network is designed for heavy use so you can watch any movie in 4K with no interruption.
Enjoy the entire Netflix library at the quality it deserves. Just make sure you have a solid internet connection to handle the speed.
No More ISP Throttling
Have you ever noticed how your connection is at its worst during the evening at peak hours? That’s intentional! Your ISP is throttling your bandwidth to manage its traffic.
Get CyberGhost VPN to encrypt your online traffic and hide your real IP address. By routing your data through our encrypted tunnel, your ISP won’t know what you’re up to so they won’t throttle your connection based on what you’re doing online. You and your family are free to stream as much as you want on all of your devices and nobody will know.
Fight against unfair ISP practices and watch Netflix without anyone keeping an eye on you.
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Something New, Something Original
Watch Netflix Original movies wherever you are and whenever you want. Try something new without ruining your experience with bandwidth throttling, low connection speeds, and device limitations. Get your US IP address with CyberGhost VPN and connect to one of our streaming-optimized servers. You don’t want any interruptions when you watch The Irishman or when you’re immersed in The Ritual.
FAQ
The current top 10 Netflix originals are:
– The Irishman
– The Power of the Dog
– Don’t Look Up
– Dolemite Is My Name
– Roma
– The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
– Okja
– The King
– The Ritual
– The Two Popes
Download CyberGhost VPN on up to 7 devices simultaneously and watch the top 10 Netflix Originals from anywhere. Our dedicated apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, smart TVs, and even PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Currently, the #1 Netflix movie of all time is Don’t Look Up with around 360 million hours viewed. The dark comedy continues to be popular as we go from one crisis to another. To make sure you don’t miss out, Get CyberGhost VPN and connect to one of our US servers with a private connection to enjoy streaming safely in 4K.
Most Netflix original movies are available everywhere Netflix is available, but there are still a few exceptions. Local network restrictions change all the time, so start using a VPN and never worry about accessing your favorite content ever again.
Watch whatever you want from wherever you want. Our servers are optimized for streaming and we guarantee the best viewing experience with our 45-day money-back guarantee.
CyberGhost VPN offers a variety of features that focus specifically on streaming. We offer dedicated streaming servers all over the world, lightning-fast speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and user-friendly apps for all your devices. On top of that, you get military-grade security features that keep your identity safe from prying eyes.
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