Netflix has racked up 30 No. 1 movies in 2026 (so far), and I’ve picked the top 5 — featuring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Paul Rudd, Melanie Lynskey and more
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I track the Netflix top 10 movies chart daily, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that just because a movie claims the No. 1 spot doesn’t guarantee it’s good. Skipable movies seem to secure the honor frequently.
Per Netflix’s own tracking website , 30 movies have ranked No. 1 on Netflix U.S. so far this year , and I’ve combed through the data to find the five movies actually worth watching . Cards on the table, this was surprisingly tough; not due to an abundance of excellent options, but the opposite. A lot of subpar flicks have scored a No. 1 in 2026 (so far). Far too many, in fact.
Still, I’ve been able to bring together a fivesome of generally solid Netflix movies, featuring huge stars like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Paul Rudd, Melanie Lynskey, Jake Gyllenhaal and more. These are the Netflix No. 1 movies deserving of your time. And I've also added the full list below.
“The Rip” debuted on Netflix back in mid-January, and all these months later I still rank it as the streamer’s best original movie of 2026. It’s not that “The Rip” is some flawless masterpiece either. Instead, it’s merely an engaging action-thriller with a solid cast. The fact it’s still my favorite Netflix No. 1 of the year speaks to the overall poor quality of Netflix’s original movie slate lately. But at least “The Rip” remains a rare Netflix movie that didn’t disappoint.
Teaming up longtime friends and collaborators Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, “The Rip” centers on a group of Miami cops who stumble upon a $20 million stash during a house search. Unsure whose money they've just found, the police unit faces potential criminal retaliation, not to mention evaporating trust as each member of the team suspects the others might be looking to steal the money for themselves. It’s simple action-thriller fun.
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“Anaconda” was one of 2025’s most overlooked movies, so I was pleased to see it get a second chance in the spotlight when it was added to Netflix’s library earlier this year. This could have been a creatively bankrupt remake of the 1997 cult comedy-horror, but it’s anything but a cheap cash-in. Instead, it opts for a fresh meta-twist that smartly comments on the nature of Hollywood reboots, while celebrating the fan-favorite original.
Childhood friends Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) are two middle-aged men who never managed to achieve their dreams. Fed up with the daily grind of their unsatisfying lives, they decide to head to the Amazon Rainforest to film an ultra-low-budget remake of their favorite movie of all time — you’ve guessed it, “Anaconda.” Once on location, friendships are tested, and the situation becomes too real when a giant snake attacks.
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Netflix releases lots of original movies each year that seem desperate to make subscribers cry. Most of them leave my cold heart unmoved, but “Don’t Say Good Luck” is one of the few that actually got me a little misty-eyed. That’s largely because of the excellent work of Melanie Lynskey as a mother dealing with a rebellious teenage daughter (Sunny Sandler, daughter of comic titan Adam Sandler) and a cancer diagnosis. Tear-jerking? You betcha.
Sophie Birenbaum (Sandler) is over the moon when she lands the lead role in her high school’s production of “Waitress.” But while she deals with stage anxiety, being cast opposite her crush (Jack Champion) and perfecting a Southern accent, mom Elizabeth (Lynskey) is battling for her life against a serious illness. It’s a mother-daughter story with a big heart, and it swerves some of the worst genre impulses by largely avoiding cheap melodrama.
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Another Ben Affleck movie on this list, “Animals,” is a considerable step below “The Rip,” and in a year with better options probably wouldn’t make the cut. But as noted, 2026 has been a weak year for Netflix, which sees it sneak into my list. “Animals” does have its moment of enthralling tension, and Gillian Anderson is excellent in a supporting role. Nevertheless, the biggest crime is ending on a very sour note thanks to a finale that skips straight over slightly silly and finds itself in absolutely ludicrous territory.
Affleck plays Mark Kimball, an L.A. mayoral candidate who has poured all his family’s money into his campaign, neglecting to tell his wife (Kerry Washington) about the financial gamble. When his son is kidnapped and those responsible demand an eye-watering ransom, Kimball and his wife Abigail must turn to a fixer (Anderson) to resolve the matter. “Animals” shows potential at first, but never fully sings, and the ending is especially awful.
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Netflix's latest original movies tend to hold the No. 1 spot. Unsurprising, as these are the flicks the streaming service pushes most aggressively via its recommendation algorithm. However, occasionally a library title (aka a movie not produced or distributed by Netflix) will manage to hold the top spot. A recent example was 2004 disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow," a big-budget blockbuster from Roland Emmerich, director of “Independence Day.”
To set expectations, “The Day After Tomorrow” does have its flaws, namely a corny screenplay, but its effects are impressive, particularly by mid-2000s standards, and the scenes of cities like New York City getting decimated by extreme weather are impactful. The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ian Holm. Consider this one a pulpy guilty pleasure, and I’ll admit to having a nostalgic bias as I saw this film in my formative years.
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