Netflix's Best Movies Guide Matches 15 Films to Viewer Moods and Runtimes
In a 2015 study, Netflix leaders Carlos Gomez-Uribe and Neil Hunt observed that viewers typically lose interest within 60 to 90 seconds when selecting content. To assist with this, a guide has been created that pairs 15 Netflix films with particular scenarios, ensuring they are readily accessible. Notable mentions include KPop Demon Hunters, the platform's top film that secured two Oscars in March 2026; Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022); Hit Man (2024); Rebel Ridge (2024); Dolemite Is My Name (2019); The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023); The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; Nimona; Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein; Society of the Snow; All Quiet on the Western Front; Train Dreams; Marriage Story; Roma; and The Irishman.
Key facts
- Netflix executives Carlos Gomez-Uribe and Neil Hunt wrote in a 2015 paper that a typical member loses interest after 60 to 90 seconds of choosing.
- KPop Demon Hunters, the 2025 animated musical, is Netflix's most-watched film ever and won two Oscars in March 2026.
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is Rian Johnson's 2022 sequel starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc.
- Hit Man is a 2024 film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Glen Powell.
- Rebel Ridge is a 2024 Netflix film directed by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Aaron Pierre.
- Dolemite Is My Name is a 2019 Netflix comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore.
- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is Wes Anderson's 2023 adaptation of a Roald Dahl story and won the Academy Award for best live action short film.
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a 2018 Netflix western anthology by Joel and Ethan Coen.
- Nimona is a 2023 Netflix animated film that earned an Oscar nomination for best animated feature.
- Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein won three Academy Awards for production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling.
- Society of the Snow is J.A. Bayona's 2023 Spanish-language film about the 1972 Andes plane crash.
- All Quiet on the Western Front is Edward Berger's 2022 German-language adaptation that won four Academy Awards.
- Train Dreams is Clint Bentley's 2025 adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella and earned four Academy Award nominations.
- Marriage Story is Noah Baumbach's 2019 Netflix film starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.
- Roma is Alfonso Cuarón's 2018 drama that won three Academy Awards, including best director.
- The Irishman is Martin Scorsese's 2019 crime drama that runs 209 minutes and earned 10 Academy Award nominations.
Entities
Artists
- Carlos Gomez-Uribe
- Neil Hunt
- Maggie Kang
- Chris Appelhans
- EJAE
- Audrey Nuna
- Rei Ami
- Arden Cho
- May Hong
- Ji-young Yoo
- Ahn Hyo-seop
- Ken Jeong
- Daniel Dae Kim
- Lee Byung-hun
- Rian Johnson
- Daniel Craig
- Edward Norton
- Kathryn Hahn
- Leslie Odom Jr.
- Kate Hudson
- Dave Bautista
- Janelle Monáe
- Josh Brolin
- Josh O'Connor
- Richard Linklater
- Glen Powell
- Retta
- Sanjay Rao
- Austin Amelio
- Adria Arjona
- Skip Hollandsworth
- Jeremy Saulnier
- Aaron Pierre
- Don Johnson
- AnnaSophia Robb
- John Boyega
- Eddie Murphy
- Wesley Snipes
- Keegan-Michael Key
- Da'Vine Joy Randolph
- Craig Brewer
- Scott Alexander
- Larry Karaszewski
- Ruth E. Carter
- Wes Anderson
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Ben Kingsley
- Dev Patel
- Ralph Fiennes
- Richard Ayoade
- Rupert Friend
- Joel Coen
- Ethan Coen
- Tim Blake Nelson
- James Franco
- Liam Neeson
- Harry Melling
- Tom Waits
- Jack London
- Zoe Kazan
- Gillian Welch
- David Rawlings
- Riz Ahmed
- Chloë Grace Moretz
- Eugene Lee Yang
- Frances Conroy
- ND Stevenson
- Nick Bruno
- Troy Quane
- Guillermo del Toro
- Mary Shelley
- Oscar Isaac
- Jacob Elordi
- Mia Goth
- Christoph Waltz
- Tamara Deverell
- Shane Vieau
- Kate Hawley
- Mike Hill
- Boris Karloff
- J.A. Bayona
- Piers Paul Read
- Pablo Vierci
- Enzo Vogrincic
- Nando Parrado
- Roberto Canessa
- Edward Berger
- Erich Maria Remarque
- Felix Kammerer
- Albrecht Schuch
- Daniel Brühl
- James Friend
- Volker Bertelmann
- Christian M. Goldbeck
- Ernestine Hipper
- Lewis Milestone
- Clint Bentley
- Denis Johnson
- Joel Edgerton
- Felicity Jones
- Adolpho Veloso
- Greg Kwedar
- Nick Cave
- Bryce Dessner
- William H. Macy
- Kerry Condon
- Noah Baumbach
- Adam Driver
- Scarlett Johansson
- Laura Dern
- Alan Alda
- Ray Liotta
- Stephen Sondheim
- Julie Hagerty
- Merritt Wever
- Randy Newman
- Alfonso Cuarón
- Yalitza Aparicio
- Liboria Rodríguez
- Marina de Tavira
- Martin Scorsese
- Robert De Niro
- Al Pacino
- Joe Pesci
- Harvey Keitel
- Ray Romano
- Bobby Cannavale
- Anna Paquin
- Charles Brandt
- Jack Goldsmith
- Chuckie O'Brien
- Thelma Schoonmaker
- Rodrigo Prieto
- Steven Zaillian
Institutions
- Netflix
- ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems
- Sony Pictures Animation
- HUNTR/X
- Saja Boys
- Blue Sky Studios
- Disney
- Annapurna Pictures
- DNEG
- Old Christians Club
- Uruguayan Air Force
- Industrial Light & Magic
- Teamsters
- Bufalino crime family
- American Civil Liberties Union
- Institute for Justice
- The Paris Review
- Pulitzer Prize
- National Book Award
- Venice Film Festival
- Sundance Film Festival
- Academy Awards
- Golden Globe Awards
- BAFTA Awards
Locations
- United States
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Greece
- New Orleans
- Houston
- Texas
- Shelby Springs
- Los Angeles
- New York
- upstate New York
- Montevideo
- Uruguay
- Santiago
- Chile
- Andes
- Mexico City
- Colonia Roma
- Idaho Panhandle
- northern France
- Arctic
Sources
- Quartz —