The 5 Best New Netflix Movies Released in 2024

Even in a year like 2024, which was greatly affected by union strikes in the entertainment industry with movie release dates being pushed around left and right, Netflix was mostly consistent selves, giving their subscribers new releases week after week with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and across the globe.

The streamer continues to provide a little something for everyone: much-anticipated franchise returns, big-time action stars, star-studded rom-coms, high-level animation, global phenoms, & some of the best dramas sure to light up awards season.

While you can check all my weekly reviews here, let’s look at my list of the best Netflix Original Films had to offer in 2024.

Please note this author has not seen Best Animated Feature contender Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, as it will not be released on Netflix in the U.S. until 1/3/25.

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Honorable Mentions 

• ORION AND THE DARK
• IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE
• ULTRAMAN: RISING
• WOMAN OF THE HOUR
• THAT CHRISTMAS
• SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (Counted as a 2023 Release despite its Netflix debut in early January)

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Acquired by Netflix after a strong debut on the 2023 film festival circuit, Hit Man strikes at the perfect time for burgeoning leading man Glen Powell. After taking to the skies with Tom Cruise in 2022’s blockbuster smash Top Gun: Maverick, Powell’s stock has continued to rise in the past two years with his roles in the Korean War film Devotion and, of course, his major breakout role opposite Sydney Sweeney in the romantic comedy Anyone But You.

The latter film really connected with audiences as it took in nearly 220 million dollars at the worldwide box office and became a staple of the Netflix Top 10 upon its streaming release on the platform. With a major summer theatrical release in Twisters coming in mid-July, Powell drops a crime-based comedy in Hit Man to satisfy his audience who seemingly just can’t get enough.

Co-written by Powell along with the prolific, Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, School of Rock), the film adapts the 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article of the same name by Skip Hollandsworth that profiled the real-life story of Houston-based college professor Gary Johnson, a man who posed as a professional killer and worked with the local police department to take down his would-be clients.

In this iteration of the story, the setting has changed to New Orleans as philosophy professor Gary (Powell) helps out as part of the technical staff on sting operations for the local police. However, when the regular undercover officer Jasper (Austin Amelio) doesn’t show up, Gary is called upon to step in and pose as a prominent hitman in the area to arrest those trying to hire him.

Using his philosophy background and experience with law enforcement, Gary discovers that not only does he have the skills to pull it off, but he also has the talent and know-how to theatrically match the expectations of his “clients,” often with costumes, makeup, and accents.

However, while undercover as the charming, composed, yet deadly hitman “Ron”, Gary encounters Maddy (6 Underground’s Adria Arjona), a woman seeking to escape from her abusive relationship with her husband Ray (Evan Holtzman); empathizing with her story and developing feelings for her, Gary advises her to seek out better options instead of taking her down and the two soon become romantically involved.

Just as their courtship starts to truly blossom, the police inform Gary that Maddy’s soon-to-be ex-husband Ray has been found dead, and Maddy is the prime suspect. Torn between his obligation to his police colleagues and his love for Maddy, Gary must find out the truth and do what he thinks is right.

While the movie is not flawless in its plot construction or pace, not a soul who came for its stars or the resurgence of the crime comedy genre will care. Powell & Arjona ooze sex appeal and lead a charm offensive that would take down the ‘85 Bears defense. The film comfortably blends wish fulfillment, meditations on identity, & exposing the underbelly of society in a package of silliness, raw magnetism, & charisma.

While Powell & Arjona steal the show, it has to be stated that this is an odd choice that strangely works for co-writer/director Richard Linklater. Delighting in character-driven sight gags with an undeniable star at the center of the frame hasn’t really been seen much from Linklater since unleashing Jack Black on us in full force with School of Rock almost 2 decades ago. One could definitely imagine that the more sophisticated & thought-provoking moral/philosophical themes added to a more straightforward genre could be the added flavor of an artist who made the “Before” trilogy & Boyhood.

Hit Man is a surefire win for Powell, Linklater, & Netflix. Laughs, sex appeal, a little philosophical debate, & a darkly playful moral quandary make the film intriguing all the way through. While the ending may feel a bit too breezy or divisive considering the subject matter, the talented cast & creators will help you smile through the potential unease. It’s Powell & Arjona at their absolute best with Linklater doing his most entertaining work since Everybody Wants Some!.

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Premiering at the Telluride & Toronto International Film Festivals in hopes of a long awards run, The Piano Lesson is the latest film adaptation of the work of playwright August Wilson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his original play version back in 1990. Wilson’s work is no stranger to the cinematic treatment as his plays Fences & Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom have been made into Oscar-winning films over the last decade.

Set in 1930s Pittsburgh in the wake of the Great Depression, the story centers around the Charles family, most notably two siblings, Berniece (Till’s Danielle Deadwyler) & Boy Willie (BlacKkKlansman’s John David Washington), who are currently at odds over the possibility of selling their family heirloom: a beautiful piano with well-preserved carvings of their past family members all over its facade – a piano their father died for when he took it from the home of their slave owner Mr. Sutter a generation ago.

Blowing into town like a hurricane, Boy Willie informs the family of a business proposition on the table for him back home in Mississippi: a chance to buy the land his family ancestors toiled as slaves owned by the recently deceased Mr. Sutter. With only a short time to get the money together, he’s desperate to sell the family piano to get the last of the money he needs. However, he must convince his sister to go along with the sale; a thing she has emphatically refused in the recent past due to her strong connection with her mother and the family history soaked into the pores of the piano itself.

Surrounded by a host of family and friends, all with an opinion or personal story about the piano, the siblings must face their issues head-on in a notable debate over the struggle to preserve—but not be haunted by—the past while not doing so at the expense of the present and future. The story examines what legacy means, especially in a black family just barely getting on in a post-slavery/post-depression world, and how best to use it to build a new legacy for future generations.

Utilizing musical sequences and flashback storytelling, director Malcolm brings the history of the Charles family to life, from the tragic past filled with hardship, exploitation, & murder to what survived to the present like the goosebump-inducing, foot-stomping prison work song ‘Berta ‘Berta sung by the Charles men in a show-stopping rendition or impassioned speeches about moving forward filmed with the constantly revolving camera weaved by cinematographer Michael Gioulakis (Us, Split, It Follows).

The film moves as John David Washington’s Boy Willie moves – frantic & freewheeling when he implores his vision for the family’s new future or patient & still when a Berniece or Doaker puts him back in his place. The cinematography, the score from Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat (Little Women, The Shape of Water), & the powerhouse performances from Deadwyler & Washington give the film a livewire energy and an always present tension that many play adaptations cannot produce.

With a tribute to their excellent ensemble at the Gotham Awards and nominations for Deadwyler’s supporting performance from the Gothams, Critics Choice, & the Film Independent Spirit Awards, The Piano Lesson is already off to a strong start this awards season and for good reason. Malcolm Washington’s adaptation feels more vibrant & cinematic than most plays brought to the screen, even with the typical chamber piece level limitations. With the luxury of deeply committed talent fresh off a Broadway run and a crew full of heavy-hitting craftspeople filled with awards & acknowledgments, The Piano Lesson may be the finest August Wilson adaptation for the screen to date.

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From the creative team behind critically acclaimed crime thrillers Blue Ruin and Green Room, Rebel Ridge brings us right back into their sweet spot: small-town revenge with big-time tension.

Set in Shelby Springs, Louisiana, the story centers on former Marine combat instructor Terry Richmond (The Underground Railroad star Aaron Pierre), who simply wants to post bail for his cousin before he’s transferred to a prison that would put him in mortal danger. But when a set of police officers pull him over and seize his money without probable cause, Richmond sets out to confront those responsible and get his money back before it’s too late.

Enter police chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his corrupt band of local law enforcement. Taking umbrage with Richmond’s report on his officers as a robbery and his dictation of terms to get his money released, Burnne sets Terry up to lose everything and sends his cousin to prison.

Forced to act before his cousin could be hunted in prison for turning evidence on a gang leader years ago, Richmond takes matters into his own hands by storming the police station. When he sees too much in his pursuit of his bail money, the story sets on a violent collision course between a highly skilled veteran with nothing to lose and a crooked band of officers looking to stay on top.

Written & directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge blends the conspiracy & crime tinged neo-westerns of the last decade (“Reacher” on the TV side for example) with the tried & true Rambo-style vigilante justice brought upon by a highly skilled man who wasn’t wanted in that small town for one reason or another.

Lesser stories would have settled for one story of racial tensions with law enforcement or another with small town police corruption; Saulnier sets the tone for all that and more in the opening scene and adds more characters and more abuses of power piece by piece until it reaches its logical fever pitch.

As for Pierre, he OWNS every scene he’s in. Between his muscular frame, soothing set of eyes, & calm, calculated demeanor, Pierre gives such a commanding presence that gives weight & gravitas to every word he speaks (No wonder he’ll speak for Mufasa in the coming months). Without even hearing of his exemplary service record as a Marine, the audience instantly feels connected to him with a level of trust & confidence in his abilities; the importance of this cannot be understated in a story like this as we need a strong moral compass to guide us through the tangled mess of conspiracies & power grabs.

Rebel Ridge is a triumph for writer/director Jeremy Saulnier with his first feature film in 6 years and lead actor Aaron Pierre breaking out as a leading man who can carry a film on sheer magnetism alone. Less talented creators & performers would have made a simpler film or less captivating film in the neo-western genre on the backs of success stories like “Reacher” bringing it back into vogue, but Saulnier and company prove how much a veteran director with vision, mood, & style can elevate the familiar to something compelling and uniquely their own. Rebel Ridge is one of the sleeper hits of the 2024 Netflix slate.

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Acquired by Netflix out of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, His Three Daughters centers around, as the title suggests, three daughters coming together to a small apartment in New York City in the final days of their father’s life. Like many families, the sisters bring their own personal complicated past into the equation alongside the more obvious battles with grief at this stage of their father’s health. The film gives us a look into family dynamics at its hardest time, following them along for three volatile days filled with back-biting & in-fighting before ultimately finding love and common ground while dealing with the impending loss hanging over them.

Written & Directed by Azazel Jacobs (French Exit), the film is blessed with a mighty trio of actors tasked with carrying such a heartfelt and emotionally explosive narrative: Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, Gone Girl) as the high-strung, detail-oriented Katie, Elizabeth Olsen (The MCU’s Wanda Maximoff) as peacemaking people-pleaser Christina, & Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Orange is the New Black) as the independent-minded and constantly stoned Rachel who’s been living and taking care of their father for the past year.

The clashing of these very different people and their very different energies allows us all to explore the various family archetypes that force their hands in times of crisis and identify the many faces & stages of grief in the process of losing someone we love. The chemistry, in tension and in harmony, is well constructed by Jacobs and his crew with a welcomed & well-earned conclusion. The use of an obituary as a means to determine how well you know someone and the use of something as simple as “someone’s chair” to feel their presence are some of the best storytelling devices Jacobs uses to bring even more humanity into this already rich philosophical & sociological examination.

With memorable performances from Coon, Olsen, & Lyonne and quality writing & direction from Azazel Jacobs, His Three Daughters will stay with you in the best of ways. With so many different personalities & emotional complexities, it’s hard not to identify and relate with something from this film in your core. Easily one of the best Netflix films of the year.

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Premiering at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival ahead of its Fall Film Festival run, Emilia Pérez is the brainchild of writer/director Jacques Audiard (Paris, 13th District; Rust and Bone), who was inspired by a transgender Mexican drug dealer character in Boris Razon’s novel “Écoute” enough to create an opera libretto around such a character before adapting it for the screen.
Set largely in Mexico, the story is set into motion with the meeting of underappreciated lawyer Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) and her new potential client, cartel kingpin Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), who expresses the desire to covertly undergo gender affirming surgery and begin a new, authentic life.

After having successfully transitioned to her new beginnings as Emilia Pérez & staging the death of her past kingpin life, she seeks out Rita once again to help her reunite with her family under one roof back in Mexico. Posing as a distant cousin of “Manitas”, Emilia gets her wish as she gets to live alongside her children and her “widow” Jessi (Selena Gomez).

With everything seemingly moving in the right direction, Emilia can finally look forward to the future; But, at every turn, she finds she must reckon with her criminal & romantic past and try to figure out how to move on before it all comes crashing down.
As you can imagine by the prior description, Emilia Pérez is A LOT of movie. Musical. Drama. Comedy. Action. Crime thriller. The genre explosion knows no bounds. While that may sound like chaos, the brilliance of its script & corresponding production is the balance of all those tangled emotions captured scene by scene with incredibly adept actors in lock step with a visionary director.
This movie knows what it is even when the audience (Read: Me) may be lagging behind in the early going. Honestly, I don’t understand how the average cinema goer wouldn’t be quite frankly; the story starts with Zoe Saldaña’s Rita and her career aspirations for quite a while before helping “Manitas,” then it’s a race to get surgery for a drug cartel leader, and we come out the other side with what feels like a short film completed. Did I mention songs ranging from a full-throated, city-sprawling moral quandary to a whisper-tone conversation about gender affirmation surgery?

But don’t let ANY of that dissuade you from the multi-layered, theme-crushing unicorn that lies ahead. While transgender inclusion may lead you to believe it’s a pure and simple story about identity (and partially it is), it’s WAY more than that. It’s a tragic story of regret, what we can and cannot live without, the choices we make in life, and reckoning with our pasts no matter the changes we make for our futures.

Gascòn pops off the screen with her dual identity role giving such power & grace knowing when to kill us with delicacy or explosiveness. She seems to be a surefire Best Actress nomination. For what will probably be listed as a supporting performance, Saldaña bookends the film remarkably with a couple truly athletic musical numbers and tons of screen time mixed in. Gomez is a firecracker who oozes sex appeal and truly nails the final, tragic moments. And, Adriana Paz pairs so well with Gascón’s Emilia and breathes such life into the story of Emilia’s turnaround.

But let’s face it.The best part about Emilia Perez is that there is nothing quite like Emilia Perez. Always engaging, full of life, tragedy, and a genre flex or impressive set piece around every turn. Strong performances from the Fab 5 (tossing in an interesting Edgar Ramirez performance for dessert) with flowers to the production values on a very modest budget. It is the best Netflix film of the year so far and the best chance for an acting win at the Oscars since Laura Dern won back in 2020.