The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now | Digital Trends (2024)

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Dr. Hui Ming Tak Ted, Dr. Li Janice Xiuzhen, Zhu Sihong

Directed by

James Tovell

Watch on Netflix

Who was Qin Shi Huang? Learn about the legacy of Imperial China’s first emperor in Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors. Qin Shi Huang was one of the driving forces behind the rise and eventual fall of the Qin dynasty. The emperor was obsessed with immortality, which led him to create a giant mausoleum. The tomb was guarded by the Terracotta Army, which consisted of thousands of clay sculptures.

Discovered in 1974, these clay warriors became one of the greatest archaeological finds of the last 100 years. The documentary features interviews with historians, experts, archaeologists, and excavators to discuss Qin Shi Huang, the tomb’s construction, and the history of the Qin dynasty.

Genre

Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Stars

Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell

Directed by

Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Watch on Netflix

Enter the world of the famous plastic construction toys in The Lego Movie. Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt), an ordinary construction worker, accidentally falls into a pit at the construction site and finds the magical Piece of Resistance. Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), a master builder, mistakenly identifies Emmet as “The Special,” the person who will save the Lego world.

Wyldstyle recruits Emmet to go on a mission to stop Lord Business (Will Ferrell) from conquering the world with “Kragle,” better known as superglue. Joining Emmet and Wyldstyle are Batman (Will Arnett), Benny (Charlie Day), MetalBeard (Nick Offerman), Unikitty (Alison Brie), and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman). Emmet never thought of himself as extraordinary. Now, he must rise to the occasion and become the hero of Bricksburg.

Genre

Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Family

Stars

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz

Directed by

Vicky Jenson, Andrew Adamson

Watch on Netflix

Shrek is not your ordinary fairy tale. The protagonist is Shrek (Mike Myers), an antisocial ogre who wants to be left alone in his swamp. Shrek’s dreams of peace are ruined when Lord Farquaad of Duloc (John Lithgow) banishes fairy tale creatures to the swamp. Determined to win his swamp back, Shrek cuts a deal with Lord Farquaad. If Shrek rescues Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) so she can be Farquaad’s bride, then Farquaad will move the fairy tale creatures out of the swamp.

With Donkey (Eddie Murphy) by his side, Shrek travels to a castle to rescue Fiona, who is being held prisoner by a fire-breathing dragon. Though the mission is successful, Fiona’s dark secret threatens to ruin Shrek’s deal with Farquaad.

Genre

Comedy, Romance

Stars

Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh

Directed by

Jon M. Chu

Watch on Netflix

In Crazy Rich Asians, Rachel Chu is an economics professor who lives a comfortable life with her boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding). The couple travels to Singapore for Nick’s best friend’s wedding. Shortly after their arrival, Rachel learns that Nick is very rich. Nick comes from one of the wealthiest families in the entire country, making him one of Singapore’s most eligible bachelors.

Rachel is thrust into the spotlight as she enters the unfamiliar world of high-class society. Rachel can handle the countless women fawning over Nick. However, her biggest challenge is Nick’s disapproving mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh), who wants to find her son a new partner. By the end of the trip, Rachel will have to decide if Nick is worth fighting for.

Genre

Animation, Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy

Stars

Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day

Directed by

Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath

Watch on Netflix

Thanks to NBCUniversal’s deal with Netflix, one of the biggest titles of 2023 – The Super Mario Bros. Movie–is available to stream on Netflix. Based on the popular characters from the Nintendo games, The Super Mario Bros. Movieis an origin story for Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day), two Italian-American brothers working as plumbers in Brooklyn, New York.

While fixing a water main leak, the two brothers are sent down the Warp Pipe into two kingdoms. Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom with Princess Peach (Furiosa‘s Anya Taylor-Joy), while Luigi appears in the Dark Lands ruled by Bowser (Jack Black). Mario sets out to find Luigi and save the world from Bowser’s reign. The film also features other notable characters like Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen).

Genre

Documentary, Crime

Stars

Jordan Burtchett, Mark Biggins, Susan Dodd

Directed by

Stephen Robert Morse, Seth Porges

Watch on Netflix

Scott Scurlock is the greatest criminal you’ve never heard about. Inspired by the movie Point Break, Scurlock began robbing banks during the 1990s in Seattle. Between 1992 and 1996, Scurlock robbed at least 19 banks of $2.3 million. Scurlock was nicknamed “Hollywood” because of his elaborate makeup and disguises.

Directors Stephen Robert Morse and Seth Porge examine the life of Scurlock in the new documentary How to Rob a Bank. Through interviews with friends, accomplices, and the media, How to Rob a Bank depicts why Scurlock turned to crime and how he kept getting away with it. However, all good things must end, and FBI agents tell their side of how they took down this criminal mastermind.

Genre

Fantasy, Comedy, Animation, Science Fiction, Family

Stars

Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin

Directed by

Tim Johnson

Watch on Netflix

An alien race called the Boov, led by Captain Smeck (Steve Martin), conquers Earth, moving all the humans to the Australian Outback. Tip (Rihanna), a young teenage girl, manages to evade capture with her cat. While searching for supplies, Tip meets Oh (Jim Parsons), a clumsy alien on the run from the Boovs after accidentally sending a message to their enemies, the Gorg.

Oh needs to find a place without Boovs, so he agrees to help Tip find her mother. As Tip and Oh embark on their adventure, the duo learns the importance of family and what it means to have a home. However, the duo must hurry before the Gorg arrive on Earth and threaten the entire Boov race.

Genre

Drama, Family

Stars

Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson

Directed by

Stephen Chbosky

Watch on Netflix

The feel-good movie of 2017 might be Wonder, Stephen Chbosky’s coming-of-age drama based on the novel of the same name. Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) is a 10-year-old boy with rare facial deformities. This disease has prevented Augie from attending school with other children. To hide his face, Augie frequently wears an astronaut helmet in public.

After being home-schooled all of his life, Augie’s parents (Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts) enroll him in a private school, Beecher Prep, ahead of the fifth grade. At first, school is tough for Augie, who struggles to make friends. As the year progresses, Augie slowly gains the confidence to come out of his shell, resulting in new friendships. When the end credits roll, Wonder’s inspiring message will tug at your heartstrings.

Genre

Thriller, Horror, Action, Mystery

Stars

Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes, Léa Léviant

Directed by

Xavier Gens

Watch on Netflix

In Under Paris, Marine researcher Sophia Assalas (Bérénice Bejo) and her teammates are searching for a shortfin mako shark nicknamed Lilith in the North Pacific Ocean. The expedition ends tragically, as Sophia’s entire team, including her husband Chris (Yannick Choirat), dies at the hands of Lilith. Sophia is the only one to escape, though she gives up her research.

Three years later, Sophia works at an aquarium when she’s approached by Mika (Léa Léviant), an environmentalist, with a shocking revelation: Lilith is in the River Seine. To make matters worse, Paris is the host of the World Triathlon Championships, with the competitors planning to swim in the Seine. With little time to spare, Sophia must overcome her fears and get back in the water to stop Lilith from turning the Seine into a graveyard.

Genre

Romance, Comedy, Crime

Stars

Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio

Directed by

Richard Linklater

Watch on Netflix

Inspired by a true story, Hit Man stars Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, a lonely college professor who spends his free time working sting operations for the New Orleans Police Department. Gary fixes the equipment used to watch and listen to conversations between undercover cops and suspects. After one of the cops is suspended, Gary becomes the fake hitman and works to entrap criminals. Gary takes on fake personas catered to each criminal’s personality to better elicit confessions.

Much to the department’s surprise, Gary is a natural. During an operation, Gary, who is under the persona of “Ron,” meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman looking to kill her husband to escape an abusive marriage. Gary takes pity on Madison and convinces her to call off the hit. Gary begins a romantic relationship with Madison, but a dark secret threatens to thwart his personal and professional lives.