As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve seen on the big and small screen. Over the next few days, I’ll be giving some of my picks in a wide variety of categories. Up today, it’s the best Netflix films I saw in 2025.

Before I dive into the top five, I thought I’d give a couple honorable mentions. These were films I liked that just didn’t quite make the cut. Netflix has been a huge producer of original films in recent years, so this is tougher than you think.

• The Life List: Netflix releases all kinds of smaller films during the year. This one, about a daughter grieving her mother, moved me.
• Nouvelle Vague: One of two films from Richard Linklater in 2025, this one was a great tribute to Breathless.
• Left-Handed Girl: This was one of a handful of great International Features released in 2025. It has some moving moments.

No. 5: Frankenstein
About: This was on the short list for horror, too. It’s on my slightly longer list for the best of the year. While it might be a Best Picture nominee, there were other Netflix films I liked more.

No. 4: A House of Dynamite
About: This film from Kathryn Bigelow was polarizing, likely owing to the open-ended final act. There is a repetitiveness to the structure for sure, but the basic concept either hits for you or it doesn’t. It hit for me, and I think we’ll look back at it as an under-rated offering in 2025.

No. 3: Wake Up Dead Man
About: It says a lot about the strength of the Netflix slate that this third entry in the Knives Out franchise is only the third position on my list here. I loved the film, and I loved the way the mystery unfolded. Josh O’Connor was great here.

No. 2: Jay Kelly
About: This drama from Noah Baumbach is another polarizing film. Some didn’t find it complete or moving. I loved it. I thought George Clooney was great in the lead, and I appreciated Adam Sandler and the supporting cast. The final act really brings it home for me in an emotional way.

No. 1: Train Dreams
About: Every year a few movies come out of nowhere and surprise me. Train Dreams, a sweet adaptation of the story from Denis Johnson, is soulful. Joel Edgerton is strong in the lead role. This isn’t an easy story, or always a happy story, but it’s beautifully shot and cathartic. It was one of my favorite films of the year.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.