When it comes to its original movies [1], Netflix often seems to like casting actors who aren't as well-known to most audiences and turning them into stars. (Case in point: Stranger Things [2].) Some actors even star in multiple movies [3] and shows on the streaming platform! But if you've been browsing through Netflix's offerings lately [4], there's a pretty good chance that you've noticed more and more names that you already recognise. In 2018, Netflix added original films starring Will Smith [5], Sandra Bullock [6], and Jennifer Aniston [7] (among many others), and the streaming platform already has huge projects lined up [8] with the likes of Ben Affleck [9], Ryan Reynolds [10], and Robert De Niro [11]. Here's everything you can watch now and in the coming month!
— Additional reporting by Maggie Panos
Dumplin'
Jennifer Aniston [13] costars alongside Danielle Macdonald as Rosie Dickson, a ferocious beauty pageant judge, in this heartwarming dramedy. Aniston almost steals the show [14] with a mix of broad comedy and genuine concern that will be familiar to anyone who's ever been on either side of a mother-daughter relationship.
Watch it now. [15]
Bird Box
Netflix's latest sensation also brings one of Hollywood's big names to the streaming giant. Sandra Bullock [16] stars in the eerie Netflix original that has sparked tons of online conversation [17] (and some questionable viral challenges [18]).
Watch it now. [19]
Outlaw King
Chris Pine [20] plays a 14th-century Scottish leader who rises up against the English who rule the land. Based on a real historical figure, the movie stars mostly a cast of unknowns, aside from Pine, but has intrigued fans [21] who love its Game of Thrones-esque medieval vibe.
Watch it now. [22]
Bright
We'll be the first to admit Bright was not a hit with critics [23]. Still, Will Smith [24] and Joel Edgerton were massive gets for Netflix and the movie got a major publicity push.
Watch it now. [25]
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Directed by the Coen brothers — whose movies include The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men, and True Grit — this new film tells six different stories about life in the 19th century post-Civil War Old West, with an impressive cast that includes James Franco [26], Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, and Liam Neeson, among many others.
Watch it now. [27]
Private Life
Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn star in this movie as a couple who is struggling to conceive and reaching desperation as they continue to grow older and their options start to run out. Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch, and Denis O'Hare round out this all-star cast.
Watch it now. [28]
The Kindergarten Teacher
In this unsettling movie, Maggie Gyllenhaal [29] plays a teacher who develops an obsessive and dangerous fascination with her 5-year-old student's unusual aptitude for poetry, despite the discouragement of the young boy's parents. You're definitely going to be disturbed by this one [30].
Watch it now. [31]
Velvet Buzzsaw
With an insane cast [32] that includes Jake Gyllenhaal [33], Natalia Dyer, Toni Colette, Rene Russo, and John Malkovich, this horror-thriller tells the story of a series of paintings by an unknown artist, which, after they are discovered, release a supernatural force that exacts revenge on those who value profit over art for art's sake.
When it's available: Feb. 1 [34]
The Christmas Chronicles
This holiday caper follows brother-and-sister team Kate and Teddy Pierce as they devise a Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus, starring Darby Camp (otherwise known as Chloe Mackenzie from Big Little Lies) and The Babysitter's Judah Lewis. The draw here? Kurt Russell as the big man himself.
Watch it now. [35]
IO
Starring Andie MacDowell's daughter Margaret Qualley (otherwise known as Jill Garvey from HBO's The Leftovers) and Anthony Mackie (who you may know as Falcon from the Marvel Universe), this sci-fi action film follows one of the last survivors on Earth as she attempts to make it on the final shuttle leaving for a distant colony.
Watch it now. [36]
Polar
Based on Victor Santos's graphic novel series of the same name, this action thriller stars Mads Mikkelsen as the world's top assassin who is lured back from retirement when his former employer marks him as a liability, as well as Vanessa Hudgens [37] as femme fatale assassin Camille.
Watch it now. [Array]
The Last Laugh
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Andie MacDowell, and Chevy Chase, this comedy tells the story of a former stand-up comedian who, after retiring from the spotlight 50 years ago, decides to reunite with his former manager to perform one last comedy tour.
Watch it now. [38]
Paddleton
Starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Ray Romano and The League's Mark Duplass (who also served as writer and director), this Sundance drama follows two neighbours who form an unlikely bond after Duplass's character is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
When it's available: Feb. 22 [39]
Hold the Dark
Alexander Skarsgård [40], Jeffrey Wright, and Riley Keough round out the cast of this stressful drama that takes place in the Alaskan wilderness. It's like Jaws, but with wolves instead of a shark. (You heard that here first, folks.)
Watch it now. [41]
Like Father
Kelsey Grammer and Kristen Bell [42] are matched as father and daughter in this touching comedy about a woman who winds up on her honeymoon with her estranged dad. Emotional healing ensues, and it's pretty funny to boot.
Watch it now. [43]
Mute
What's that? You want more Alexander Skarsgård [44]? Sure! In 2018's bizarro futuristic thriller, he stars alongside Paul Rudd [45], Justin Theroux.
Watch it now. [46]
Nappily Ever After
Sanaa Lathan goes through a physical and emotional transformation in this adaptation of Trisha Thomas's lauded book series. The dramedy is a timely examination of how one woman views, struggles with, and celebrates her hair (and eventual lack of it).
Watch it now. [47]
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Adam Sandler [48] has a deal with Netflix for a number of movies, but, well, we won't mention most of those here. Instead, watch The Meyerowitz Stories stories to get your (more serious) Sandler fix. Costarring Ben Stiller [49], Dustin Hoffman [50], and Emma Thompson [51], this modern family drama is worth a watch.
Watch it now. [52]
Set It Up
Leads Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell may not be household names yet, but their boss counterparts in the movie, Lucy Liu [53] and Taye Diggs [54], certainly are. This movie is one of many original rom-coms that made us love Netflix even more in 2018 [55].
Watch it now. [56]