20 What To Watch On Netflix

Explore our hand-picked selection of 20 titles. Ratings, reviews, and streaming options included.

If you're wondering what to watch on netflix, this listicle cuts through the overwhelm with sharply curated picks across drama, thriller, action, comedy and crime. For a tense modern reimagining try Lord of the Flies (2026), for pulse-pounding action check Apex (2026), and for character-driven heat don't miss Beef (2023). Whether you're searching for what to watch on netflix 2026 or quick recommendations for a weekend binge, you'll find concise descriptions, genre tags, runtime notes and a short verdict on who each title is best for. Expect the best what to watch on netflix selections ranked by pacing, originality and bingeability, plus streaming-availability tips and trigger-free spoilers. Read on to discover the top choices to suit tonight's mood and length of session.

Table of Contents

1. Lord of the Flies
2. Apex
3. Bugonia
4. Man on Fire
5. Beef
6. There's Something About Mary
7. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
8. Big Mistakes
9. Running Point
10. Outlander
11. Grey's Anatomy
12. Nuremberg
13. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen
14. Burn After Reading
15. Green Book
16. NCIS
17. Thank You, Next
18. The Hunting Party
19. Eve
20. The Chestnut Man

1. Lord of the Flies

Year: 2026 | Rating: 6.7/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: drama, thriller

After a plane crash, a group of schoolboys find themselves stranded on a tropical island without adults. Ralph is elected leader and, with the help of the intelligent Piggy, strives to maintain order and civilization. Jack, responsible for the signal fire, becomes increasingly focused on hunting and power struggles. This leads to tensions within the group, gradually pushing the boys from hope and structure into chaos and tragedy.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Marc Munden

2. Apex

Year: 2026 | Rating: 6.2/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: action, thriller

A grieving woman pushing her limits on a solo adventure in the Australian wild is ensnared in a twisted game with a cunning killer who thinks she's prey.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Baltasar Kormákur

3. Bugonia

Year: 2025 | Rating: 7.4/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, crime, sci-fi

Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos

4. Man on Fire

Year: 2026 | Rating: 6.8/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: action, crime, drama, thriller

Haunted by his past and hunted by his enemies, a Special Forces veteran fights to keep a teenage girl alive on the deadly streets of Rio de Janeiro.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Henry Kingi Jr., Vicente Amorim, Steven Caple Jr., Clare Kilner, Michael Cuesta

5. Beef

Year: 2023 | Rating: 8/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, drama

A road rage incident between two strangers — a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur — sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Jake Schreier, Hikari, Lee Sung Jin

6. There's Something About Mary

Year: 1998 | Rating: 7.1/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, romance

For Ted, prom night went about as bad as it’s possible for any night to go. Thirteen years later, he finally gets another chance with his old prom date, only to run up against other suitors including the sleazy detective he hired to find her.

Available on: Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus

Directed by: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

7. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Year: 2026 | Rating: 7.4/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: horror, sci-fi, thriller

Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship - with consequences that could change the world as they know it - and Spike's encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can't escape.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Nia DaCosta

8. Big Mistakes

Year: 2026 | Rating: 7.2/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, crime

Two directionless siblings are blackmailed into the world of organized crime.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Dean Holland

9. Running Point

Year: 2025 | Rating: 7.3/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, sport

A reformed party girl must prove herself as a businesswoman when she's unexpectedly put in charge of her family's pro basketball team.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Michael Weaver, Thembi Banks, James Ponsoldt, David Stassen

10. Outlander

Year: 2014 | Rating: 8.3/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: adventure, drama, fantasy, romance

The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Available on: Netflix, Starz

Directed by: Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brian Kelly

11. Grey's Anatomy

Year: 2005 | Rating: 7.6/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: drama, romance

Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Available on: Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus

Directed by: Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Rob Corn, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown

12. Nuremberg

Year: 2025 | Rating: 7.4/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: biography, drama, history, thriller, war

In postwar Germany, an American psychiatrist must determine whether Nazi prisoners are fit to go on trial for war crimes, and finds himself in a complex battle of intellect and ethics with Hermann Göring, Hitler's right-hand man.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: James Vanderbilt

13. Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen

Year: 2026 | Rating: 6.8/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: drama, horror

A certain atmosphere of horror is felt the week before the celebration of an unfortunate wedding.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Weronika Tofilska, Lisa Brühlmann, Axelle Carolyn

14. Burn After Reading

Year: 2008 | Rating: 7/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, crime, drama, thriller

When a disc containing memoirs of a former CIA analyst falls into the hands of gym employees, Linda and Chad, they see a chance to make enough money for Linda to have life-changing cosmetic surgery. Predictably, events whirl out of control for the duo, and those in their orbit.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

15. Green Book

Year: 2018 | Rating: 8.2/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: biography, comedy, drama, music

Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Peter Farrelly

16. NCIS

Year: 2003 | Rating: 7.8/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: action, crime, drama, mystery, thriller

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

Available on: Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus

Directed by: Dennis Smith, Terrence O'Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright

17. Thank You, Next

Year: 2024 | Rating: 5.7/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: comedy, drama, romance

After a painful breakup, a young lawyer dives head first into the confusing world of modern dating, with the unwavering support of her best friends.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Bertan Basaran

18. The Hunting Party

Year: 2025 | Rating: 6.6/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: action, crime, drama, thriller

A small team of investigators are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers our country has ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that's not supposed to exist.

Available on: Netflix, Peacock Premium

Directed by: Thor Freudenthal, James Bamford, Rob Hardy, Blackhorse Lowe, Nicole Rubio

19. Eve

Year: 2022 | Rating: 7.3/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: drama, romance

The Republic of Korea is overturned by 2 trillion-won divorce scandal of a chaebol caused by one ordinary woman. It is about getting into the truth of the scandal and the top 1% rich couple who made it. Surprisingly, Lee Ra-el, a nobody who's not rich nor famous has caused the divorce. But Ra-el is a charming and intelligent woman who's mastered art, psychology, and even economics. if she wants to, she can get any kind of man with her looks and brain.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Bong-Sub Park

20. The Chestnut Man

Year: 2021 | Rating: 7.6/10 | Type: Movie

Genres: crime, drama, mystery, thriller

At a grisly murder scene sits a figurine made of chestnuts. From this creepy clue, two detectives hunt a killer linked to a politician's missing child.

Available on: Netflix

Directed by: Kasper Barfoed, Mikkel Serup, Milad Alami, Roni Ezra

Wrapping Up

From hard-hitting thrillers like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) to laugh-out-loud comedies such as There's Something About Mary (1998), this list delivers a wide mix of genres, quality notes, viewer-fit guidance and quick ratings so you can decide faster. These curated picks make deciding what to watch on netflix easier, highlighting new releases like Man on Fire (2026), standout films like Bugonia (2025) and reliable crowd-pleasers across crime, drama and action. Bookmark or share this guide and check back often—the list is regularly updated with fresh titles, replacements and streaming-availability changes so you’ll always find what to watch on netflix right now. Want to explore more? Use the streaming links to confirm availability in your region and return for our next round of top what to watch on netflix updates.

Last updated: May 10, 2026