Some movies are not comfort food.Some are the ones you brace for—punishingly realistic war epics that flatten you, thrillers that put your nerves through the shredder, true-crime documentaries that make you check your locks at night.You watch them once, feel all the feels, and then file the experience away for good.
That's what this list is all about: eight extreme Netflix movies that only need a single viewing.Maybe it's because they offer essential knowledge or perspectives (like my must-see top pick at the end of the list) or hard-to-swallow emotional truths, or maybe they're gloriously unhinged and over-the-top.Either way, they're all great single-serving watches.
Queue them up accordingly.6 Gerald's Game Stephen King's unfilmable novel, filmed unflinchingly Director Mike Flanagan did the impossible with 2017's —he turned what many believed to be an unfilmable Stephen King novel into a notorious horror film, and a launching pad for an epic Netflix run.When a kinky little getaway weekend at a remote lake house goes incredibly wrong, Jessie (Carla Gugino) is left handcuffed to the bed after her husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), dies of a heart attack.
Gugino's largely solo performance is mesmerizing, but the infamous "degloving" escape scene is something you’ll only ever manage to sit through once.Gerald's Game NR Horror Thriller Release Date September 29, 2017 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Chiara Aurelia, Kate Siegel, Carel Struycken, Adalyn Jones, Bryce Harper, Gwendolyn Mulamba, Jamie Flanagan, Dori Lumpkin, Natalie Roers, Nikia Reynolds, Bill Riales, Chuck Borden, Mike McGill, Charles Dube, Kimberly Battista, Jon Arthur, John Ceallach, Tony Beard, Stu Cookson, Ben Pronsky, Joseph Chadwick Kinney, Charles Adams Runtime 104 minutes Director Mike Flanagan Writers Mike Flanagan Producers D.Scott Lumpkin, Matt Levin, Trevor Macy Budget $35million Studio(s) Netflix Distributor(s) Netflix Powered by Expand Collapse 5 Fall Vertigo, vultures, and a long way down is proof positive that a $3 million thriller can put you on the edge of your seat as much as any blockbuster, and it leaves Netflix on August 17, so consider this fair warning.
OK, so it's not a great movie, but my teenage daughter and I enjoyed every minute of this vertigo-inducing survival thriller—have never spoken of it again. Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge Name that Netflix thrillerTrivia challenge From twisted mysteries to edge-of-your-seat crime dramas — can you identify these Netflix original thrillers from just a clue? CrimeMysterySuspenseDramaOriginals Begin 01 / 8 Crime A seemingly perfect suburban mom discovers her neighbor is harboring a dark secret, leading her down a rabbit hole of lies, manipulation, and murder in this 2018 Netflix limited series based on a bestselling novel. AThe Haunting of Hill HouseBBehind Her EyesCYouDDirty John Correct! Dirty John is based on the true crime podcast of the same name and stars Eric Bana and Connie Britton.It follows Debra Newell, whose romance with charming con man John Meehan unravels into something terrifying. Not quite — the answer is Dirty John.
This chilling limited series is based on a true story and a hit podcast, following a woman whose seemingly ideal new partner turns out to be a dangerous deceiver with a criminal past. Continue 02 / 8 Suspense A New York City bookstore clerk becomes obsessed with a woman he meets, going to increasingly disturbing lengths to insert himself into her life — all while narrating his actions with unsettling charm. AMindhunterBOzarkCYouDThe Sinner Correct! You stars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a soft-spoken bookstore manager whose romantic obsessions quickly spiral into stalking and worse.The show's genius lies in making viewers almost sympathize with its deeply disturbing protagonist. Not quite — the answer is You.Penn Badgley plays Joe Goldberg, a charming but deeply dangerous man whose inner monologue pulls viewers into his warped worldview.
The show has run for multiple seasons and become one of Netflix's biggest hits. Continue 03 / 8 Mystery A financial advisor relocates his family to a lakeside Missouri town to launder money for a drug cartel, making increasingly desperate decisions to keep his family alive in this slow-burn crime drama. ABloodlineBOzarkCNarcosDSafe Correct! Ozark stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde, a couple forced to flee Chicago and set up a money-laundering operation in the Missouri Ozarks. The show ran for four seasons and won multiple Emmy Awards. Not quite — the answer is Ozark.Jason Bateman both stars in and directs much of this critically acclaimed series, which follows a family's terrifying descent into the criminal underworld after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong. Continue 04 / 8 Drama FBI agents travel across the country in the 1970s interviewing imprisoned serial killers to understand the psychology of violence and build the foundations of modern criminal profiling. AManhuntBCriminal: UKCMindhunterDThe Killing Correct! Mindhunter is directed by David Fincher and based on the real memoir by FBI agent John Douglas.It features chilling conversations with fictionalized versions of real killers like Ed Kemper and Dennis Rader, and is praised for its meticulous period detail. Not quite — the answer is Mindhunter.
This David Fincher-produced series dramatizes the true origins of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit.Its interviews with serial killers are so unsettling partly because many are based on real transcripts. Continue 05 / 8 Suspense A woman wakes up with no memory of who she is or what she's done, only to discover she may be more dangerous than the people hunting her in this action-heavy 2020 Netflix original film. AThe Old GuardBKateCExtractionDTidelands Correct! Kate stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a professional assassin who is poisoned and given only 24 hours to live, during which she tears through Tokyo seeking revenge. The film is packed with stylish action sequences and neon-lit visuals. Not quite — the answer is Kate.Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers a fierce performance as a dying assassin on a revenge mission through Japan.
The film leans into its action-thriller roots with inventive fight choreography and a bold visual style. Continue 06 / 8 Crime A true crime docuseries that investigates the mysterious death of a woman on a hiking trail, raising questions about whether local authorities ignored key evidence in their rush to close the case. AThe KeepersBMaking a MurdererCThe StaircaseDAmerican Murder: The Family Next Door Correct! Making a Murderer follows Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were convicted of murdering Teresa Halbach.The series sparked a massive public debate about wrongful convictions and police misconduct when it launched in 2015. Not quite — the answer is Making a Murderer.This landmark Netflix docuseries ignited a national conversation about the justice system when it suggested Steven Avery may have been framed by the very law enforcement he was suing at the time of his arrest. Continue 07 / 8 Mystery In this Spanish-language thriller, a group of students and professors are taken hostage inside the Royal Mint of Spain by a criminal mastermind known only by a city name, who orchestrates the heist from a remote location. ACable GirlsBEliteCMoney HeistDThe Pier Correct! Money Heist, known in Spanish as La Casa de Papel, became one of the most-watched non-English series in Netflix history.
It follows a genius criminal called The Professor as he guides a team of robbers — each named after a city — through an elaborate heist. Not quite — the answer is Money Heist (La Casa de Papel).This Spanish phenomenon ran for five seasons and turned characters like The Professor and Tokyo into global icons. It's one of the most successful non-English language shows ever made. Continue 08 / 8 Drama A wealthy family's patriarch dies under mysterious circumstances, and as each sibling fights for control of the family business, long-buried secrets begin to surface in this 2018 psychological thriller series set in Florida. ABloodlineBOuter BanksCThe Haunting of Bly ManorDOn My Block Correct! Bloodline is set in the Florida Keys and stars Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, and Linda Cardellini as members of the Rayburn family.Ben Mendelsohn's performance as the troubled black sheep Danny earned widespread critical acclaim. Not quite — the answer is Bloodline.
This brooding family thriller uses a non-linear narrative to build dread across three seasons.Ben Mendelsohn is particularly magnetic as the volatile Danny Rayburn, whose return home sets a tragic chain of events in motion. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again The premise is pretty basic—climbers Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner) scale a 2,000-foot TV tower in the desert and get stranded at the top when the ladder collapses beneath them.It's nauseating, the vultures start circling, and it has a wild twist-ending that will stick with you so you don't need a repeat viewing.
Fall PG-13 Thriller Release Date August 12, 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mason Gooding, Jasper Cole, Darrell Dennis, Julia Pace Mitchell, Bamm Ericsen Runtime 107 minutes Director Scott Mann Writers Jonathan Frank, Scott Mann Producers Christian Mercuri, James Harris, Mark Lane, David Haring, Scott Mann Sequel(s) Fall 2: Deadpoint Main Genre Thriller Executive Producer(s) Barry Brooker, Dan Asma, John Long, Roman Viaris Powered by Expand Collapse 4 The Irishman Scorsese's mob epic demands one full evening, and that's it Martin Scorsese's longest film ever (at 209 minutes) is "extreme" by commitment alone, but it's also the film that lured Joe Pesci out of retirement, so it's got to be worth it just for that, right? But doesn't stop at Pesci with its deep well of gangster-movie royalty.The 10-time Oscar-nominated movie is led by Robert De Niro, who stars as hitman Frank Sheeran as he recounts his decades of service to mob boss Russell Bufalino (Pesci), Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and Philly crime boss Angelo Bruno (Harvey Keitel).is a haunting examination of misplaced loyalty as Frank, old and alone by the film's end, contemplates whether it was all worth it.
The Irishman R Biography Drama Crime Release Date November 27, 2019 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Bobby Cannavale, Jack Huston, Joe Pesci, Jesse Plemons, Sebastian Maniscalco, Al Pacino, Kathrine Narducci, Stephen Graham, Ray Romano, Aleksa Palladino, Anna Paquin, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Jake Hoffman Runtime 210 minutes Director Martin Scorsese Writers Steven Zaillian Budget $200 million Studio(s) Netflix Distributor(s) Netflix Powered by Expand Collapse 3 Maternal Instinct A heinous true-crime gut punch with lasting effect It's no surprise that documentaries have a way of hitting much harder than scripted fiction—but nothing could prepare me for the gut punch of .The newest and queasiest entry on this list, this true-crime documentary opens with police pulling over a woman who claims to have just given birth in her car, but the baby, and the blood, are not hers.tells the story of Texas woman Taylor Parker, whose elaborate fake pregnancy scheme to entrap her boyfriend unravels into a story of murder so heinous it led to Parker's death sentence.
It's gripping but responsible filmmaking you'll absolutely never queue up again.Maternal Instinct Crime TV Movie Release Date November 17, 2017 Runtime 84 minutes Director George Erschbamer Cast Karin Konoval, Laura Mennell, Marcus Rosner, Aaron Pearl, Steve Baran, Daniel Bacon Writers Keith Shaw Powered by Expand Collapse 2 Marriage Story A divorce drama that cuts deep You don't need guns or gore or demons to make an extreme movie that's tough to watch—sometimes all it takes is a reprehensible divorce lawyer.Noah Baumbach mined his own difficult divorce for the 2019 drama , and you can feel it in every beat.
Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are an unhappy married couple calling it quits, which, like so many in real life, starts out amicably until their shark lawyers—one played brilliantly by Laura Dern—start weaponizing every tiny flaw for their respective gains.If you like movies that make you squirm, limber up for the final epic apartment fight scene where things said cannot be unsaid and the cuts are deep.Marriage Story R Drama Comedy Release Date December 6, 2019 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Ray Liotta, Merritt Wever, Kyle Bornheimer, Alan Alda, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Mark O'Brien, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern Runtime 136 minutes Director Noah Baumbach Writers Noah Baumbach Budget $8.6 million Studio(s) Netflix Distributor(s) Netflix Powered by Expand Collapse 1 All Quiet on the Western Front The definitive anti-war epic only needs one viewing War is pointless; we all know this.
Several reminders of this poignant fact exist on celluloid, but is one of the most visceral, and it's a jagged pill well worth taking while it streams on Netflix.Edward Berger's German-language take on the 1929 novel it's based on was a beast at the Oscars.It follows fresh-faced German soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) whose search for WWI glory is instead met with mud, machine guns, and pointless slaughter as the Allies pummel the Germans to their end.
The epic film is essential anti-war viewing, and you'll only need to do it once.All Quiet on the Western Front R War Drama Release Date October 7, 2022 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Adrian Grünewald, Edin Hasanović, Daniel Brühl, Thibault de Montalembert, Devid Striesow, Andreas Döhler, Sebastian Hülk, Luc Feit, Michael Wittenborn, Michael Stange, Sascha Nathan, Tobias Langhoff, Anton von Lucke, Michael Pitthan, Joe Weintraub, Charles Morillon, Gabriel Dufay, Dan Brown, Philipp Schenker, Cyril Dobrý, Gregory Gudgeon Runtime 147 minutes Director Edward Berger Writers Ian Stokell Producers Daniel Brühl, Malte Grunert, Daniel Marc Dreifuss Budget $20 million Studio(s) Netflix Distributor(s) Netflix Powered by Expand Collapse One viewing is all you need Whether it's harrowing, heartbreaking, makes you think, or just so ridiculous you have to see it, these six Netflix movies will earn a spot in your brain after just one watch.And when you're ready for a palate cleanser, beeline it to How-To Geek's streaming section for more.
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