Highest Rated Movies on Netflix

Some of the best and highest-rated movies on Netflix belong to the Nineties era. If you’re wondering why that is, the apparent answer could simply be a mathematical one — the longer it has been around, the more time it’s had to accumulate reviews and ratings. But there’s one other reason: These films have set a strong precedent within their genre because of their stellar storylines, creative themes and inventive storytelling techniques.

From taking a classic superhero story and turning the plot on its head to creating a microcosm of World War II, these highest-rated top IMDb movies on Netflix have established their place as cult classics.

The Godfather (1972)

The New York Times review of The Godfather, when it originally came out, referred to it as “one of the most brutal and moving chronicles of American life ever designed within the limits of popular entertainment.”

Fifty-two years later, this statement stands strong, for if there’s any film that has given a riveting inside look into a mafia family, it’s The Godfather.

The Corleones are a fictional mafia family loosely based on multiple crime families. The movie achieves the difficult task of humanising the mafia to the extent that you will empathise with the characters even though you know they partake in illegal activities.

This kind of clever writing, which generates a sense of compassion for criminals, has eluded many other iconic gangster films.

Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in one of his most iconic performances) is the head of the family. Even if you have not watched the movie, you are likely to have seen references to the scene in other films, even in animated movies like Zootopia (2016) or on many filmmakers’ list of inspirations.

Schindler's List (1993)

This Steven Spielberg creation is a top IMDb movie on Netflix. From the opening scene, the film sweeps you into the darkness of the Holocaust.

The movie aptly captures the plight of Jews by focusing on the story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), whose factory employees constitute Jewish workers.

So when they are being exterminated, and the war is ravaging businesses, he does everything to keep his factory open. To meet his goal, he needs to ensure the safety of his workers, and in that political climate, the extent to which he needs to go will test his resilience and transform our perception of WWII to evoke moral reflection.

With a haunting score that lends to the sombre mood of the film, you will not realise when three hours fly by. This movie does an excellent job of utilising the “good German” trope, which refers to those German citizens in the World War II era who did not actively support or resist the Nazi regime, and it is widely considered one of the greatest Holocaust films ever made.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

If you have yet to introduce Quentin Tarantino to your watchlist, Pulp Fiction, another highly-rated movie on Netflix, is the one to start this glorious journey. It is a goldmine for potential research about film themes, soundtrack, character development and analysis, and other critical considerations.

The movie combines multiple strands and stories of diverse characters. We see the lives of hitmen Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta), boxer Butch (Bruce Willis), and the boss of the hitmen Marsellus (Ving Rhames) and his wife Mia (Uma Thurman).

Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s rendition of pulp magazines, i.e., questionable literature with graphic language and images that was commonplace in the Nineties. The characters in this film are seedy, the situations are gory, and the violence shown is unparalleled for its times. With a running theme of redemption, the film raises important questions about fate, morality, and loyalty. And just like his recent spate of films such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), it has an ending worth sticking around for.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The answer to why this film on Netflix is highly rated lies in the fact that it drives home the need and impact of eternal hope on your mindset and the power of friendship in maintaining that hope.

This cinematic masterpiece is based on a short story written by Stephen King. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a banker who is falsely punished and imprisoned for the death of his wife and the person she’s having an affair with. Since his state doesn’t have a death penalty provision, he’s ordered to serve two life sentences in Shawshank, a strict prison. Andy befriends Red (Morgan Freeman) in the prison, and their bond is uplifting.

If you are looking for a prison escape movie, this is not it; although it does have a riveting prison escape scene. The film focuses more on Andy’s journey through adversity, and the last dialogue of the film will stay with you for a while. Watch The Shawshank Redemption this weekend to find out why this movie sustains such a high standing on IMDb despite having a mediocre box office run when it originally came out.

The Dark Knight (2008)

As a Batman film that even non-Batman lovers will enjoy, The Dark Knight ticks all the boxes with its universal appeal, thanks to the legendary acting of the Joker (Heath Ledger), the enthralling cinematography, and an engaging soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

Another reason this film is one of the highest-rated and top IMDb movies on Netflix is that it is not just a superhero movie about the good guy versus the bad guy.

The intersection of philosophy and drama is sublime, and the action scenes are as impressive and impactful as the more mature themes revolving around the loss of love, the inherent nature of human beings, and morality competing with other human ideals. The action scenes are well-placed, and the production design is worth studying. All of these elements come together with the quintessential Nolan magic to create a great film.