12 best Netflix movies of 2022

Each year, the rollout of Netflix movies keeps getting better and better, and 2022 might have been the best year yet for Netflix movies.

From the beginning of the year to the very end, dozens of huge stars brought their talents to the streamer’s original movies. This year brought the likes of Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Jessica Chastain, and so many more right to our watch lists.

There were larger than life action blockbusters, teen comedies full of romance, fantasy adventures that took as to faraway places, and everything in between. But which Netflix movies were the best of the best in 2022?

Best Netflix movies 2022

Here are 12 of the best Netflix movies released in 2022, beginning below with the ultimate new teen comedy Do Revenge.

Do Revenge

For years, Netflix has been carving out a space within the teen movie genre with some amazing hits. However, the streamer truly outdid itself in 2022 with the release of Do Revenge. 

Do Revenge is not only one of the best Netflix movies of the year, but one of the greatest movies 2022 had to offer period. Its writing is so witty and brilliant, with so many callbacks to the films it was inspired by and absolutely amazing twist ending you won’t ever see coming. Not only is the film whipsmart and so incredibly funny, but it also features a truly amazing cast who deliver flawless performances.

Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke are iconic as Drea and Eleanor, delivering a pair of characters who are so rich and layered. From their character’s stunning looks to the amazing one-liners they hit us with across the film, Mendes and Hawke created a pair of characters who will live on for ages in the pages of pop culture history! Written by Cody Schultz

Look Both Ways

The Riverdale girls sure dominated Netflix movies this year! Lili Reinhart headlined her own hit original movie on the streamer in 2022 with Look Both Ways, a comedy-drama inspired by Sliding Doors. Sure, we have seen the alternate timeline based on a singular choice plot played out before, but Look Both Ways was incredibly charming and impactful in the way it chose to tell this particular story. Danny Ramirez and David Corenswet were each perfectly cast as Reinhart’s love interests, but it’s the lead actress that aptly steals the spotlight. Without Lili Reinhart, Look Both Ways would have just been another movie. But with her, it’s something truly special. Written by Reed Gaudens

The School for Good and Evil

Before I get into why The School for Good and Evil is one of the best Netflix movies of 2022, let me start by saying you’re missing out if you haven’t watched it already. If you’re a fan of fairytales or TV shows like Once Upon A Time, The School for Good and Evil will be right up your alley.

It’s a fantasy film starring High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Sofia Wylie and Broadway star Sophia Anne Caruso as two unlikely best friends who find themselves at odds after they’re kidnapped and taken away to an enchanted school where fairytale heroes and villains are trained to protect the balance between good and evil.

This film will definitely keep you engaged from beginning to end. The visuals are incredible, the plot is interesting enough to keep you tuned in, the casting was spot-on, and the actors gave outstanding performances. Also, it didn’t feel rushed, which can sometimes happen when a movie is an adaptation of something else. Overall, I think The School for Good and Evil did a great job at honoring the source material, and I’m looking forward to a follow-up film! Written by Crystal George

Senior Year

Senior Year was an early standout in a year when Netflix struggled to make good movies, especially good comedies. Despite mediocre reviews, I thought Senior Year was a hilarious high school comedy starring Rebel Wilson as a cheerleader who wakes up after a 20-year coma and decides to redo her senior year to achieve her dream of becoming prom queen.

Senior Year reminded me of the teen rom-coms I grew up watching in the early 2000s, and it’s definitely a comfort film. I had a blast watching it and found the nostalgic references charming. Written by Maddy Lennon

Falling for Christmas

We can’t cap the year without mentioning a holiday film, and Falling for Christmas starring Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet definitely fits the bill! The romantic comedy may have a predictable storyline, but that’s what makes it a great Christmas movie! And compared to others, the production is more heartwarming rather than cheesy. This film is sure to give you all those warm feels while making you laugh, too. The chemistry between our two leads is definitely there, and the sweetness young actress Olivia Perez brings ties it all together into the perfect bow! Written by Aysha Househ

The Adam Project

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi and usually pass on films from the genre. However, from the beginning, there was something about The Adam Project that managed to draw me in, in a way other genre films had failed to do so in the past. And I’m so glad I ended up giving it a chance.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, The Adam Project tells the story of a time-traveling pilot (Reynolds) who teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Mark Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past while saving the future.

The film has everything you’d expect from a sci-fi film: spaceships, time travel, futuristic technology, and the works. What sets it apart from the rest is the way it manages to perfectly blend the genre together with elements of family, drama, and, particularly, humor. The chemistry shared between Reynolds and Walker Scobell is flawless and truly carries the film, as the creative team could not have found a better pair to lead the cast.

The Adam Project was a true standout from the year which proved Netflix is more than capable of competing with the top studios and delivering incredible blockbusters. Written by Cody Schultz

Hustle

If you told me I would be writing a “best of” blurb about an Adam Sandler movie that the Safdie brothers didn’t direct, I would have called you crazy. It’s not that I hate Sandler, I find him charming enough, and I have liked some of his comedies, but more often than not, I’m unimpressed.

However, Hustle stood out as a well-written film with a great cast and an earnest performance from Sandler. Sure, Hustle runs on sports movie clichés, but that doesn’t stop it from being entertaining and endearing. Plus, Juancho Hernangómez makes the transition from sports to acting look effortless. Written by Maddy Lennon

Enola Holmes 2

Between Stranger Things season 4 and Enola Holmes 2, Millie Bobby Brown had a jam-packed year, and you know what? She hit both right out of the park. While Brown uses a completely different skill set to portray Enola Holmes, the film again leaves us in awe of her talent. Arguably, the sequel was even better than the first movie and has a much richer story for audiences to grab onto. Enola Holmes 2 was more mature without losing its youthful sense of whimsy and left us wanting as many sequels as Netflix will give us. Written by Reed Gaudens

Entergalactic

Kid Cudi’s long-awaited passion project was finally released on Netflix on Sept. 30, and I dropped everything I was doing at the time to check it out. And I wasn’t disappointed at all! Entergalactic is a beautifully animated special that follows a young artist named Jabari (voiced by Kid Cudi) as he attempts to navigate love and success in the city of dreams, New York City.

To go along with the fantastic visuals is an amazingly talented voice cast including well-known actors and artists such as Jessica Williams, Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Jaden Smith, Teyana Taylor, Macaulay Culkin, and others. Kid Cudi also used his new album of the same name as the music component to the special by making it the soundtrack.

Everything about this special was wonderful and refreshing. I hope this isn’t the end of Kid Cudi in the animation world. We definitely need more projects like this stat! Written by Crystal George

The Weekend Away

Most people probably would have considered The Weekend Away one of the worst movies of the year because they’re no fun. But not me. Was it the greatest movie of all time? No, not by a long shot. Was it Leighton Meester’s best role ever? Don’t insult Blair Waldorf or Angie D’Amato. Was it the perfect spring thriller? Yes, yes it was. You might have forgotten about The Weekend Away amid the bigger Netflix movies of the year, but Leighton Meester doesn’t deserve that. I loved watching her in this easy-to-watch, escapist movie and hope to see much more of her in 2023. Written by Reed Gaudens

Luckiest Girl Alive

Based on the 2015 book of the same name by Jessica Knoll, Luckiest Girl Alive debuted on the streamer in October and received mixed-to-negative reviews. Despite this, I thought it was pretty good, especially by the end. Mila Kunis portrays protagonist Ani, a 35-year-old woman running from her past who creates a brand-new life after surviving multiple traumatic experiences in school, including sexual abuse and a school shooting.

Luckiest Girl Alive is a very heavy movie, which definitely isn’t for everyone, but the performances from Kunis and Chiara Aurelia as a younger version of Ani are really strong. It’s nowhere near my favorite movie of the year, but it’s a decent one for Netflix. Written by Natalie Zamora

The Good Nurse

From director Tobias Lindholm comes The Good Nurse based on the 2013 book of the same name by Charles Graeber, following the real-life story of serial killer Charles Cullen. Netflix also released a documentary about Cullen called Capturing the Killer Nurse this year, though the fictionalized movie was much better.

The Good Nurse doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the performances from leads Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain are really great. If anything, it’s worth watching just for them. Written by Natalie Zamora

What Netflix movies do you think were the best in 2022? Share your picks in the comments!