Credit: Netflix
Under Her Eye
New on Netflix: 39 truly brilliant original films to watch on the streaming platform
Updated 3 years ago
6 min read
Print this, laminate it, and stick it to the fridge ASAP, because you won’t want to miss out on any of these new Netflix films.
If you were even the slightest bit worried that you were going to run out of new things to watch as approach the end of this year, don’t be: Netflix is making good on its high-profile promise to deliver new movies every single week.
The streaming giant has unveiled its (frankly) massive lineup of Netflix Original films for autumn 2021, which boasts such talented stars as Idris Elba, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Melissa McCarthy, Meryl Streep, and oh so many more.
You can trust us when we say that there’s truly something for everyone; as well as all your usual Netflix romcoms and horrors, there’s a bevy of psychological thrillers and dramas to sink your teeth into, too. Many of which, we hasten to add, have already been tipped for awards success.
With that in mind, then, we’ve handpicked our favourite upcoming Netflix films, to help get you excited.
And please don’t worry: we will be sure to keep this list updated with release dates and new titles as and when they become available.
Afterlife Of The Party
When a social butterfly (Victoria Justice) dies during her birthday week, she’s given a chance to right her wrongs on Earth by reconnecting with loved ones, and most importantly, prove that she’s worthy enough to get into the big VIP room in the sky.
Watch Afterlife Of The Party on Netflix now.
Worth
Based on true events, this emotional drama sees lawyer Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) learn a lesson in empathy when he is forced to battle cynicism, bureaucracy and politics in his bid to help the victims of 9/11. But how can he ever hope to compensate those families who suffered incalculable losses as a result of the attacks on the Twin Towers?
Watch Worth on Netflix now.
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
Credit: Netflix
This new documentary, inspired by the book Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali And Malcolm X, offers up another side to the legendary icons thanks to its never-before-seen archival footage.
Watch Blood Brothers on Netflix now.
Kate
This action thriller follows Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a finely tuned assassin at the height of her game. But, when she discovers that she’s been poisoned and has less than 24 hours to exact revenge, she finds herself forming an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims.
Watch Kate on Netflix now.
Nightbooks
“When Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is trapped by an evil witch in her magical apartment and must tell a scary story every night to stay alive, he teams up with another prisoner, Yasmin, to find a way to escape,” reads the official synopsis for Netflix’s upcoming family fantasy-horror, Nightbooks.
Watch Nightbooks on Netflix now.
Schumacher
As you’ve probably guessed from the title, this F1 documentary film shines a light on Michael Schumacher and his sporting career.
Watch Schumacher on Netflix now.
Intrusion
When a husband and wife (Logan Marshall-Green and Freida Pinto) move to a small town, a home invasion leaves the wife traumatised and suspicious that those around her might not be who they seem.
Watch Intrusion on Netflix now.
The Starling
In this heartwarming dramedy, Melissa McCarthy’s Lilly struggles to deal with her own guilt when her husband leaves to get help with his grief.
As if Lilly’s troubles weren’t bad enough, a starling bird that has nested in her backyard begins to harass and attack her. This starling comes to represent all of Lilly’s problems, and she becomes comically obsessed with killing it.
Thankfully, though, Lilly eventually finds guidance from Larry, a quirky psychologist-turned veterinarian with a troubled past of his own. Will their unique and unlikely friendship helps steer them both back into the light once more?
Watch The Starling on Netflix now.
Sounds Like Love
Based on Elísabet Benavent’s bestselling novel series, this Spanish romcom sees a 30-year-old vows to move forward with her life after finding herself stuck as an assistant.
Watch Sounds Like Love on Netflix now.
No One Gets Out Alive
In this malevolent horror, a young woman eagerly signs on as a tenant for a reasonably-priced apartment – only to begin hearings odd noises in the night. As the property’s strange presence grows more hostile with each passing night, it’s not long before our heroine begins to wonder if she will escape with her life…
Watch No One Gets Out Alive on Netflix now.
The Guilty
Credit: Netflix
A remake of the 2018 Danish film of the same name, this tense thriller, set over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call centre, sees call operator Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) try to save a caller in grave danger – but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems.
Watch The Guilty on Netflix now.
Diana: The Musical
A live recording of Diana: The Musical – which tells the story of the Princess of Wales as she struggles to live harmoniously within the British royal family – is coming to Netflix this autumn.
Watch Diana: The Musical on Netflix now.
There’s Someone Inside Your House
Prefer your horror films to tread familiar ground? There’s Someone Inside Your House has the potential to be your classic slasher, focusing on the graduating class at Osborne High as they find themselves being picked off by a masked assailant.
The mysterious person hunting them is fully intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim (ever so I Know What You Did Last Summer of them, eh?), and it’s up to a group of misfit outsiders to stop the killings before it’s too late.
Sold, to the horror fan in the back!
Watch There’s Someone Inside Your House on Netflix now.
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Found
Directed by Amanda Lipitz, this documentary film follows three American teenagers, each adopted from China, who discover they are blood-related cousins on 23andMe and embark together on a journey of discovery.
Watch Found on Netflix now.
Night Teeth
Another movie, another horror. This one, though, sees “a college student moonlighting as a chauffeur pick up two mysterious women for a night of party-hopping across LA,” reveals the Netflix synopsis.
“But when he uncovers their bloodthirsty intentions – and their dangerous, shadowy underworld – he must fight to stay alive.”
Vampires, anyone?
Watch Night Teeth on Netflix now.
Stuck Together
Credit: Netflix
It was only natural that Covid-19’s influence would be felt in Hollywood this year, but this French comedy promises to talk about the pandemic in a way that doesn’t cause you to curl up in a ball of despair.
Telling the tale of seven families living in the Parisian apartment building at 8 Rue de l’Humanite, this film revels in the fact that they didn’t escape to the countryside at the arrival of the coronavirus.
Cue three months of life under lockdown will reveal the best and worst of these neighbours.
Watch Stuck Together on Netflix now.
Army of Thieves
In this prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army Of The Dead, a small-town bank teller Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer) is recruited into a crew of Interpol’s most wanted criminals in order to heist a sequence of legendary, impossible-to-crack safes across Europe.
Watch Army of Thieves on Netflix now.
Hypnotic
This horror-thriller centres on a young woman seeking self-improvement, who enlists the help of a renowned hypnotist. But after a handful of intense sessions, she soon discovers unexpected and deadly consequences.
Watch Hypnotic on Netflix now.
Fever Dream
“A woman named Amanda lies stricken, far from home,” reads the official Netflix synopsis for Fever Dream. “A young boy named David questions her, trying to make her remember.
“She’s not his mother, he’s not her son. As her time is running out, he helps her unravel a powerful, haunting story of obsessive jealousy, an invisible danger, and the power of a mother’s love for her child.”
We’re already gripped.
Watch Fever Dream on Netflix now.
The Harder They Fall
Idris Elba, Regina King, and Zazie Beetz? Be still our beating hearts!
The Harder They Fall has all the makings of an excellent Western (oh yes, did we not mention it’s a Western?), weaving the story of a man looking to exact revenge against the guy who murdered his parents. Plus, Jay-Z isn’t just producing this one; he’s penning the soundtrack, too.
Watch The Harder They Fall on Netflix now.
Love Hard
Holidate fans will definitely be into Netflix’s Love Hard, which sees Nina Dobrev’s lovelorn character fall hard for an East Coast guy on a dating app.
When Dobrev decides to surprise the new man in her life for Christmas, though, she discovers that she’s been catfished. But the object of her affection actually lives in the same town, and the guy who duped her offers to set them up… but only if she pretends to be his own girlfriend for the holidays.
Problematic? Quite possibly (we’re withholding judgement until we see it for ourselves). But it has all the makings of another classic Netflix romcom…
Watch Love Hard on Netflix now.
tick, tick… BOOM!
From the man who brought us Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new movie is based on the autobiographical musical by playwright Jonathan Larson, telling the story of an aspiring composer in New York City who is worried he made the wrong career choice. Vanessa Hudgens, Bradley Whitford, Andrew Garfield, and Joshua Henry all star.
Watch tick, tick… BOOM! on Netflix now.
Passing
Credit: Netflix
Based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen, Passing follows two Black women living in 1920s New York. One of the women, Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga), passes for white and even has a white husband who doesn’t know she’s Black – a decision that her friend, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson), struggles to understand.
It’s a tragic story, and one which has been praised for its complex depiction of race, gender and sexuality. And, yes, it seems the film adaptation has absolutely done the novel justice, with Variety praising it for being a “superbly performed study of racialised longing and feminine dissatisfaction in 1920s New York, lit by searing intelligence and compassion.”
Watch Passing on Netflix now.
Red Notice
This globetrotting action heist thriller is seemingly one of the crown jewels in Netflix’s 2021 film slate. Starring Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, and Ryan Reynolds, it serves up some serious Bondian energy in its tale of an Interpol agent tracking the world’s most-wanted art thief.
Watch Red Notice on Netflix now.
Bruised
Halle Berry doesn’t just star in this film; Bruised – which tells the story of a former MMA fighter struggling to regain custody of her son and restart her athletic career – is also her directorial debut. And, as such, we will 100% be watching when it comes to Netflix later this year.
Watch Bruised on Netflix now.
Robin Robin
In this 30-minute animation, a lost robin is adopted by a family of mice, and raised as one of their own. Not quite a bird and not quite a mouse, but full of determination. Robin sets out on an adventure to prove herself… and just maybe, get a sandwich.
Watch Robin Robin on Netflix now.
Single All The Way
Netflix’s first LGBTQ+ holiday romcom is set to release this winter, and we already can’t wait to queue it up. Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer, James, the plan goes awry.
Release date: 2 December
1,000 Miles From Christmas
This Spanish romantic comedy details the Scrooge-like story of a man in his mid-30s who reluctantly embraces the Christmas spirit… and quickly gets carried away.
Release date: 24 December
A Castle For Christmas
The story follows a famed American author, Sophie, who travels to Scotland and finds herself wanting to buy a castle, but the prickly owner, a Scottish Duke named Myles, is reluctant to sell to a foreigner. Working to find a compromise, the pair constantly butt heads, but… well, we have a feeling that their hate-at-first-sight vibes will give way to something else before too long.
Watch A Castle For Christmas on Netflix now.
The Princess Switch 3
Credit: Netflix
Admit it, this is the one you’re most excited about isn’t it?
Vanessa Hudgens is back working triple-time in The Princess Switch 3, as Queen Margaret and Princess Stacy enlist the help of Margaret’s audacious look-alike cousin Fiona (you know, the villain from the second movie) who teams with a dashing, mysterious man from her past to retrieve a priceless relic.
Cue a not-so-surprising switch. And, because it’s a Christmas romcom, plenty of sparks, stolen glances, and smooches under the mistletoe, too.
Watch The Princess Switch 3 on Netflix now.
7 Prisoners
Netflix’s new Brazilian film, 7 Prisoners, follows a young man who leaves the countryside searching for a job opportunity in São Paulo at a junkyard run. Once there, though, he ends up becoming a victim of a work system analogous to slavery, and finds himself fighting for his freedom.
Watch 7 Prisoners on Netflix now.
The Power Of The Dog
Credit: Netflix
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: 2021 is the year of the Western.
In The Power Of The Dog, a fearsome rancher torments his brother, wife and son until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Thomasin McKenzie star.
Release date: 1 December
Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
In this one-off special, Shaun’s seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the Flock inadvertently leads to the disappearance of his cousin Timmy.
Release date: 3 December
The Unforgivable
Released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, Ruth (Sandra Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past, and her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind. Details are few and far between on this one, hence the lack of a trailer or set photo.
Release date: 10 December
The Hand Of God
Directed by Academy Award-winner Paolo Sorrentino, The Hand Of God is a story of a young man and his heartbreak and liberation in Naples, Italy, during the 1980s.
Release date: 15 December
Don’t Look Up
In what has to be one of the biggest line-up of A-list talent since the heady days of Ocean’s Eleven, the overwhelmingly talented Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Himesh Patel, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Matthew Perry, and Tomer Sisley have joined forces for Don’t Look Up.
And, if you’d like to pretend that you need to know something, anything about the plot to convince you this one’s worth watching, it’s a film about two low-level astronomers who embark on a media tour to warn mankind of an approaching asteroid that will destroy Earth.
Hence the title. Obviously.
Release date: 24 December
The Lost Daughter
Alone on a seaside vacation, Leda (Olivia Colman) becomes consumed with a young mother and daughter as she watches them on the beach. Unnerved by their compelling relationship, (and their raucous and menacing extended family), Leda is overwhelmed by her own memories of the terror, confusion and intensity of early motherhood. An impulsive act shocks Leda into the strange and ominous world of her own mind, where she is forced to face the unconventional choices she made as a young mother and their consequences.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter also stars Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris, Peter Sarsgaard, Dagmara Dominczyk, and (deep breath) Paul Mescal.
Release date: 31 December
Mixtape
In Mixtape, 12-year-old orphan Beverly Moody (Gemma Brooke Allen) discovers a broken mixtape crafted by her teen parents, and sees it as a chance to finally learn more about them. Cue her setting out on a life-changing journey to find all the songs on the tape.
With Modern Family’s Julie Bowen playing Beverly’s mother, we’re sure this will be the perfectly hilarious rom-com.
Release date: 3 December
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Beauty
Credit: Getty
Written and produced by Lena Waithe, Beauty tells the story of a gifted young Black woman who struggles to maintain her voice and identity after she’s offered a lucrative recording contract.
What follows, then, is a fierce battle between her family, the label, and her closest friend to determine who will guide her as she makes the journey to becoming a star.
Release date: TBC
Images: Netflix/Getty
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