Netflix: the 5 best films to stream right now

The Boy and The Heron, The Fabelmans, The Addams Family and more have just arrived on Netflix.
The Boy and the Heron. Image: Netflix

Is your family more Addams, or more Fabelman?

Every month, Netflix adds a roster of films to its lineup that we don’t include in our weekly streaming guides because they’re not all brand new productions.

We reckon they still deserve attention though, especially when their arrival on the streamer tends to come quietly.

So, settle in on the couch with your favourite snack, for our top picks of Netflix’s latest movie acquisitions.

The Addams Family

  • 1991
  • Comedy
  • Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
  • USA
  • Classification: PG
  • Runtime: 1h 40m
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can’t recall any of the details of Fester’s life.

The Blair Witch Project

  • 1999
  • Horror
  • Directed by Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
  • USA
  • Classification: MA
  • Runtime: 1hr 21m
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.

ScreenHub: Netflix – best films streaming now

The Boy and The Heron

  • 2023
  • Animation, Drama
  • Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
  • Japan
  • Classification: PG
  • Runtime: 2hr 4m
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother’s tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy’s mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the ‘long-awaited one.’

ScreenHub: The Boy and The Heron review: Miyazaki’s masterful return to form

The Fabelmans

Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.

ScreenHub: The Fabelmans review: Steven Spielberg’s movies are dreams

It’s What’s Inside

A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.


Netflix: new this week

The Menedez Brothers (7 October)

Series. In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation. Starring Robert J. Thompson, Pamela Bozanich and Hazel Thornton.

Ali Wong: Single Lady (8 October)

After a whirlwind couple of years, Ali Wong returns to the stage in this Netflix special to dish on the highs, lows and surprises of dating post-divorce. Starring Ali Wong.

Lonely Planet (11 October)

Netflix film. At an idyllic writers retreat in Morocco, a newly single novelist finds an unexpected connection with a younger man who’s reevaluating his life choices. Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth star in this seductive romantic drama from writer-director Susannah Grant. Starring Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth, Diana Silvers and Younès Boucif. Watch the trailer.

Discover more new Netflix shows and films …

Silvi Vann-Wall is a journalist, podcaster, and filmmaker. They joined ScreenHub as Film Content Lead in 2022. Twitter: @SilviReports