12 Best Netflix Original Movies Of 2023, Ranked

Netflix has irreversibly changed the landscape of how audiences consume media, and in recent years, has proven that its direct-to-streaming model isn't the only threat to the studio status quo. The streaming juggernaut's library of original programming has always thrived with binge-worthy series, but recent years have more than proved that Netflix is a certifiable source of original films. Multiple films that we named as some of the best of Netflix's original film releases in 2022 took home Oscar gold, and if this year's list is any indicator, history very well may strike twice. Animated treasures, acclaimed international projects, and buzzworthy Hollywood favorites are all featured below, as well as some hidden gems you may have missed (but definitely need to add to your watch list). 

Here are our top 12 Netflix original movies, ranked.

Six years before "Sister Death" dropped on Netflix, an overlooked Spanish horror titled "Veronica" stunned audiences with its thrilling plot and unsettling themes. While "Veronica" was a standalone at the time of its release, "Sister Death," a prequel set in the same universe, came as a welcome surprise for fans of the original, as the prequel intensified the strands of terror of the franchise's bleak, terrifying world. Paco Plaza's newest entry stands out for its vivid exploration of religious hypocrisy in post-war Spain, where a nun hailed as a prodigy is forced to encounter trauma within the walls of her own convent.

Sister Narcisa (Aria Bedmar) has been hailed as a miracle all her life, but when faced with an impossible choice, she starts questioning her faith in the divine. "Sister Death" cements Narcisa as a woman trapped under the weight of systematic religion that is often used to control and terrorize, while unraveling a maze of mystery that feels more dizzying as the narrative progresses. This film is no jumpscare galore: a gradual, tense amping of dread serves to heighten feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia, where daylight spaces are as haunting as darkened interiors. There also lies a morbid appeal in evoking terror via stark, stripped-down environments, where the biggest threat is not the supernatural entity wreaking havoc within the convent, but the unsavory secrets hidden beneath the veil of organized religion. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

When it comes to American comedy films, Adam Sandler is our crown prince. In recent years, audiences have been privy to a new side of the Sandman, with performances in animated films like the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise and of course, his dramatic prowess in "Uncut Gems." But 2023 saw a new era of Sandler — the filmmaking family man, with both the animated flick "Leo" and the coming-of-age comedy, "You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah." Directed by Sammi Cohen, "YASNITMBM" is a vehicle for Sandler's daughters Sadie and Sunny to shine in breakout roles and one of the best teen films of the entire year. It's also, ironically, the highest-rated film through Sandler's deal with Netflix.

The film sees Sunny Sandler as Stacy, the youngest of the Friedman family (Idina Menzel, Adam Sandler, and real-life older sister Sadie Sandler) who is just weeks away from her bat mitzvah. She and best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) have been dreaming about their bat mitzvahs since they were little girls, but after the pair have a falling out over a boy, their fight threatens to destroy years of planning and friendship. There's an unapologetic honesty to the story that feels like an actual coming-of-age experience, and not yet another teen story clearly written by people who weren't teenagers when cellphones existed. And given the subject matter, it's a film that will allow future generations of Jewish girls to see their experiences reflected on screen, but also allow non-Jewish kids a better understanding of a culture they might not understand otherwise. But above all else, this is a genuinely funny film from the Sandler family, and hopefully a launchpad for Sunny and Sadie to follow in their father's footsteps. (BJ Colangelo)

Bradley Cooper's "Maestro," which plunges into the depths of a complex, turbulent life led by a legendary composer and conductor, doesn't relish in the genius of Leonard Bernstein's music. Although music is an essential component of this biopic, it is not its axis: Cooper is more interested in the emotional vignettes of Bernstein's life, which culminates in a laborious, yet flawed look into his psyche, while following his career highs, such as when Bernstein conducted Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony, "The Resurrection" in 1973. Every highlight, whether it be professional or personal, is conveyed in a dreamy, non-linear fashion, where a composite whole emerges in the end, painting a vivid, passionate picture of a cultural force to be reckoned with.

"Maestro" understands the heartwrenching sacrifices a creative must make for the sake of their craft, and that these latent pains often cast long, bitter shadows that can never be rid of. The segments that dive into Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre's relationship exude deliberate dramatism and excess, complemented by beautiful visuals that cement this sentiment of exuberant passion. Moreover, every performance is spot-on, despite some spontaneity being robbed due to the classical, aloof framing that Cooper opts for, but the results are breathtaking nonetheless. While "Maestro" falters when it comes to sincerely exploring Bernstein's immense complexities, the film is relentlessly dedicated to its vision, one that remains with audiences long after the credits roll. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

Chloe Domont's "Fair Play" starts and ends with blood, but the metaphor takes on a frightening meaning with the unraveling of the central relationship between coworkers Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich). What starts as a potentially beautiful beginning steeped in tenderness and vulnerability quickly spirals into a pit of jealousy, despair, and bitter malevolence, embodied mostly by Luke after Emily ends up getting a promotion he feels he was destined for. As fresh layers of power play are revealed, and the established status quo is shattered, all apparent sweetness in their relationship dissipates, leaving a noxious, hollow shell.

Both Dynevor and Ehrenreich are electrifying in their respective roles, and whenever their characters clash, the simmering, one-sided contempt boils over dangerously, threatening the very foundation of the life they built together. Can a simple, well-deserved promotion turn a doting partner into a sore loser? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, where buried resentment unleashes in the form of misogynistic entitlement and feeble attempts at manipulation, edging towards an almost violent end. "Fair Play" is the kind of turbulent, messy erotic thriller that strips away the layers of apparent stability to reveal an emotionally volatile core — one that's difficult to navigate, and even more tough to stomach. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

David Fincher rarely misses, and his latest slow-burn procedural, "The Killer" unequivocally establishes his raw talent for crafting pure cinematic brilliance. Based on the eponymous graphic novel by Alexis Nolent, "The Killer" immerses itself in the inner landscape of the titular assassin (played by Michael Fassbender), who is equal parts methodical and lackadaisical while he's on the job. Internal monologues drive the momentum of the action-thriller, revealing aspects of the killer's psyche, from his overwhelming adoration of The Smiths to his silent contempt of "living among the normies." Every frame is addictive, right from the languid opening sequence, where Fassbender's character botches a job when he accidentally lodges a bullet into an innocent bystander.

Fincher walks a fine line throughout the film, making the lead engaging enough for audiences to settle into his point of view, while also painting him as cold, apathetic, and uncompromising as he is supposed to be. In many ways, this is Fincher at his most humorous, peppering in moments like the assassin abiding by the principle WWJWBD: What Would John Wilkes Booth Do? or the ridiculous aliases he adopts to slink away unnoticed. The killer's hyperawareness of his philosophical contradictions, while he prattles on about consumerism, morality, and hardened principles for survival, injects a delightful sense of absurdity into the film — molding it into a story that is truly one of its kind. (Debopriyaa Dutta)

Trying to encapsulate the power of Todd Haynes' "May December" in a short, end-of-the-year blurb feels like an impossibility. A gripping drama inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, "May December" is a minefield of morality with no easy answers, unreliable narrators, and three of the best acting performances of the year. Natalie Portman stars as Elizabeth Berry, an actress looking to take her career to the next level by portraying Gracie Atherton (Julianne Moore) — a woman whose marriage to Joe Yoo (Charles Melton) was birthed out of statutory rape when she was his superior working at a pet store — in a dramatization of her crimes.

"May December" takes the top spot on this list because it is a wholly singular film despite being a pastiche of dozens of genres all at once; a tragicomedy, high melodrama, elevated exploitation, and horrific character study. In lesser hands, "May December" would feel like nothing more than the made-for-TV true crime stories that froth over stories about women like Gracie Atherton, but with Haynes' skillful eye, Samy Burch's breathtaking script, and Charles Melton's brilliantly understated performance, it's a masterpiece. (BJ Colangelo)