Netflix’s TV shows definitely get plenty of buzz from viewers, but their movies have a tendency to fly under the radar.
However, this year the streaming service has garnered quite a few hits, received rave reviews and stirred up plenty of conversation.
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Whether it’s a crowd-pleasing romantic comedy, a controversial documentary or a post-apocalyptic journey, Netflix has been igniting all types of buzz.
Scroll through to see which new Netflix movies everyone is talking about.
‘Set It Up’
Set It Up is a romantic comedy that seems to be the company’s most beloved entry in the genre, and its most raved about release of the year so far.
Director: Claire Scanlon
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu
Netflix Synopsis: “Harper and Charlie are overworked, underpaid assistants wasting their 20s slaving away for bosses who treat them like dirt and work them ’round the clock. When they realize that they would have much more free time if the people they worked for weren’t single, they concoct a plan to lure their bosses into a faux-romance.”
‘The Outsider’
The Outsider stirred up a lot of contoversy when it was released in March, mostly due to criticism about its use of a white protagonist immersed in Asian culture. Many wished Netflix would have instead released a project that did not lean onto the “white savior” trope.
Director: Martin Zandvliet
Cast: Jared Leto, Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shiina, Rory Cochrane, Shiori Kutsuna, Emile Hirsch
Netflix Synopsis: “Set in post-WWII Japan, an imprisoned American soldier (Leto) is released with the help of his Yakuza cellmate. Now free, he sets out to earn their respect and repay his debt while navigating the dangerous criminal underworld.”
‘The Rachel Divide’
Another movie steeped in controversy recently was the Netflix documentary The Rachel Divide. The film profiles the infamous case of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who posed as a black woman in a local NAACP organization.
Director: Laura Brownson
Cast: Rachel Dolezal
Netflix Synopsis: “Often described as “trans racial” activist Rachel Dolezal ignited an unprecedented media storm when a local news station in Spokane, WA outed her as a white woman who had been living as the black president of the NAACP. Since the controversy erupted, director Laura Brownson and team exclusively filmed with Rachel, her sons and her adopted sister Esther, capturing the intimate, vérité life story of a damaged character who lands squarely in the cross-hairs of race and identity politics in America — and exploring how that character still provokes negative reactions from millions who see her as the ultimate example of white privilege. A Netflix original documentary, The Rachel Divide, is executive produced by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams.”
‘Ibiza’
Moving back to lighter fare, Ibiza is an under-the-radar comedy that has received positive buzz due to its strong leading trio.
Director: Alex Richanbach
Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, Phoebe Robinson, Richard Madden
Netflix Synopsis: “When Harper’s two best friends tag along on her work trip to Barcelona, they ditch work and fly to Ibiza for Harper, who against her better judgement, falls for a hot DJ.”
‘The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter’
Another comedic delight taking Netflix users by surprise is the down-home father-son movie The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter. Brolin steps away from his blockbuster roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 to star as a hunter trying to share his passion with his uninterested son.
Director: Jody Hill
Cast: Josh Brolin, Montana Jordan, Danny McBride
Netflix Synopsis: “Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin), famous for hunting whitetail deer, plans a special episode of his hunting show around a bonding weekend with his estranged son, Jaden (Montana Jordan). With trusted – but hapless – cameraman and friend Don (Danny McBride) in tow, Buck sets out for what soon becomes an unexpectedly epic adventure of father-son reconnection in the great outdoors.”
‘The Week Of’
Netflix’s low-brow Adam Sandler films tend to get a mixed response from users. However, this one plays it safer with a more typical wedding-themed plot.
Director: Robert Smigel
Cast: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rachel Dratch, Steve Buscemi, Allison Strong, Noah Robbins
Netflix Synopsis: “The comedy tells the story of a devoted, middle class father (Adam Sandler) determined to pay for his daughter’s wedding despite the prodding of the wealthier father of the groom (Chris Rock). A series of calamities forces the dads (and their families) to come together and endure the longest week of their lives.”
‘Cargo’
This drama received rave reviews for its portrayal of a father trying help his child survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Director: Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling
Cast: Martin Freeman
Netflix Synopsis: “Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately seeks a new home for his infant child, and a means to protect her from his own changing nature.”
‘How It Ends’
This upcoming apocalyptic film is also making waves, even ahead of its release, and is July’s most promising Netflix film release.
Director: David M. Rosenthal
Cast: Theo James, Forest Whitaker, Kat Graham, Mark O’Brien
Netflix Synopsis: “As a mysterious apocalypse causes the spread of misinformation and violence, a man and his estranged father-in-law race across a chaotic and fractured country to save his pregnant wife.”
