They Cloned Tyrone, May December, and the 13 best Netflix movies (plus the 10 worst) of 2023

Best: Nyad

It would be really hard to go wrong with a movie starring four-time Academy Award-nominated actress Annette Bening and two-time Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster. The two powerhouse performers lead the biographical sports drama Nyad about the internationally known long-distance swimmer Diane Nyad, famous for breaking several exemplary swimming records, like when she swam from The Bahamas to Juno Beach, Florida.

In 2013, the 64-year-old also reportedly completed a swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida, though there has been some discrepancy regarding the documentation of this swim. The Netflix movie Nyad is based on the athlete’s autobiography Find a Way and was directed by documentary filmmaker Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and her husband, professional mountain athlete Jimmy Chin, in their narrative feature directorial debut.

Nyad follows Diana Nyad as she prepares to make the landmark swim from Cuba to Florida, all without using a shark cage. Foster plays Nyad’s lifelong best friend Bonnie Stoll. Nyad generated great reviews from critics with specific praise going to Bening and Foster. It’s an inspirational and uplifting story that, while following the beats of most biopics, still manages to rise above based on its excellent central performances. Rhys Ifans also stars.

Written by Maddy Lennon