The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now | Digital Trends (2024)

Genre

Animation, Family, Music, Fantasy, Comedy

Stars

Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Camila Cabello

Directed by

Walt Dohrn

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The colorful furry animals return for a third outing in Trolls Band Together. Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are officially a couple. Much to her surprise, Poppy learns that Branch was a member of her favorite boy band, BroZone, with his brothers Floyd (Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André), Spruce (Daveed Diggs), and Clay (Kid Cudi).

However, the brothers broke up after a bad concert. In the present, John Dory visits Branch to tell him that Floyd has been captured by Velvet (Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells), two teenagers who will do anything to be pop stars. To save Floyd, Branch must reunite with his other brothers and reassemble the band.

Genre

Western

Stars

Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda

Directed by

James Mangold

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James Mangold adapted Elmore Leonard’s short story Three-Ten to Yuma, and made one of the best Westerns of the 21st century. In Mangold’s adaptation set in 1883, Christian Bale stars as Dan Evans, a veteran-turned-rancher living in Arizona. Evans, who owes money to the town’s local banker, gets a chance to square his debt by escorting Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to prison. Wade is a notorious outlaw who has made his bones robbing stagecoaches.

After Wade is caught, Evans is hired to bring him to the 3:10 afternoon train from Contention to Yuma Territorial Prison. Evans and his crew quickly learn that getting Wade on that train will be no easy task. Wade has several allies and enemies after him, forcing Evans to evade danger at every turn.

Genre

Adventure, Action, Comedy, Thriller

Stars

Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson

Directed by

Peter Berg

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Despite acting in Hollywood for over two decades, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s best role came in the early stages of his career when he played Beck in The Rundown. Beck is a highly skilled bounty hunter who wants to retire to open a restaurant. In need of money, Beck agrees to help his boss, Billy Walker (William Lucking), on one last job. The mission is to find Walker’s son, Travis (Seann William Scott), a treasure hunter looking for a valuable artifact in El Dorado, Brazil.

Beck has no trouble finding Travis in the mining town. However, Hatcher (Christopher Walken), the owner of the town’s mine, refuses to let Travis go after learning he discovered the artifact’s whereabouts. To survive, Beck must team up with a reluctant Travis if they ever want to return to the U.S.

Genre

Animation, Action, Comedy, Family

Stars

Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger

Directed by

Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, Rob Letterman

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Imagine The Godfatherwas an animated film made for kids. No need to imagine anymore because the world of the mafia comes to life in the underwater adventure known as Shark Tale. Will Smith voices Oscar, a small, lowly fish with dreams of being rich and famous. In debt to a local mob boss, Oscar tries to win his money back in a seahorse race, but it backfires when his pick loses and the boss sends henchmen to collect the debt.

When a great white shark named Frankie (Michael Imperioli) attempts to punish the fish, Oscar outsmarts the shark, and Frankie accidentally dies. Oscar takes credit for the death and becomes known as the “Sharkslayer.” He then forms a friendship with Frankie’s vegetarian brother, Lenny (Jack Black). Oscar’s newfound fame comes with a price as Frankie’s father and mob leader (Robert De Niro) seeks revenge for his son’s death.

Genre

Action, Comedy

Stars

Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K. Simmons

Directed by

Julian Farino

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Mike McKenna (Flight Risk‘s Mark Wahlberg) lives a simple life as a construction worker in New Jersey. One day, Mike’s ex-girlfriend from high school, Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry), reenters his life. Unfortunately for Mike, Roxanne is not here to rekindle their relationship. Instead, Roxanne is a spy in a secret organization called “The Union.” Since he lives a basic life, Mike is the perfect candidate to join the organization, since no one will expect him to be a spy.

Mike and Roxanne travel to Europe to retrieve a briefcase containing classified government intelligence about certain individuals. Thrust into the world of espionage, Mike goes along for an action-packed ride full of danger and excitement. Who knows? Mike might even get another shot at love if he plays his cards right.

Genre

Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family

Stars

Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Caspar Jennings

Directed by

Benjamin Renner

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After The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination released a second animated film in 2023 called Migration. Directed by Benjamin Renner from a script by The White Lotus‘ Mike White, Migration introduces the Mallard family: dad Mack (Kumail Nanjiani), his wife, Pam (Elizabeth Banks), and kids, Dax (Casper Jennings) and Gwen (Tresi Gazal).

The Mallard family resides in New England. Mack is very hesitant to fly south and migrate. After hearing about a group of ducks migrating to Jamacia, Mack has a change of heart and plans a family trip south. Shortly after the Mallards’ journey begins, things go haywire as their plan for a safe trip goes up in smoke. Now, Mack and his family must rely on their instincts and trust themselves to reach their destination.

Genre

Drama, Comedy, Romance

Stars

Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams

Directed by

Cameron Crowe

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Cameron Crowe returned to the rom-com genre in 2015 with Aloha. Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) is a military contractor sent to Hawaii to broker a deal with the locals on behalf of billionaire entrepreneur Carson Welch (Bill Murray). Carson wants to develop a space center to launch a privately funded satellite. While in Hawaii, Gilcrest runs into his former girlfriend, Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams), who has two kids and is married to an Air Force pilot (John Krasinski).

Gilcrest also meets Captain Allison Ng (Emma Stone), an Air Force pilot who acts as his liaison in the area. Gilcrest is in Hawaii to do a job, but he winds up falling for Ng and discovering a shocking revelation about Tracy. To complicate matters, Gilcrest uncovers Carson’s real reasons for the satellite, jeopardizing the entire mission.

Genre

Action, Science Fiction, Comedy, Family

Stars

Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter

Directed by

Jeff Fowler

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The anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with lightning speed finally received a live-action movie in 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog. After being attacked by a destructive tribe, Sonic is sent to Earth and finds shelter in a secret cavern under the town of Green Hills, Montana. One night, Sonic’s speed triggers a power outage in the Pacific Northwest, drawing the attention of the peculiar scientist Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

Robotnik wants to harness Sonic’s speed for his evil plan to power machines that dominate the world. In need of an ally, Sonic teams with local sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) to stop Robotnik from achieving his goal.

Genre

Horror, Thriller

Stars

Andra Day, Glenn Close, Anthony B. Jenkins

Directed by

Lee Daniels

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Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels helms The Deliverance, his first directorial effort since 2021’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Inspired by the Ammons family haunting,The Deliverancestars Andra Day as Ebony Jackson, an alcoholic single mother of three who moved her family into a new home for a fresh start.

Child Protective Services must keep an eye on Ebony at all times because of her prior run-ins with the law. Shortly after arriving in the new house, the family experiences a series of supernatural events, leading them to believe the home is haunted. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse after the demonic possession of the children. With her back against the wall, Ebony must conquer her own demons to save her kids.

Genre

Crime, Action, Thriller

Stars

Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb

Directed by

Jeremy Saulnier

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In his first film since 2018’s Hold the Dark, Jeremy Saulnier writes and directs Rebel Ridge, an excellent action tale that resembles a thriller from the 1980s and 1990s. Ex-Marine Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) heads to Shelby Springs on a bicycle to post bail for his cousin. Unruly cops knock Terry off his bike and seize his money.

When Terry tries to recover his money at the police station, he’s turned away by the town’s corrupt police chief, Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson). At first, Terry tries to retrieve his money legally with the help of courthouse employee Summer McBride (AnnaSophia Robb). Unfortunately, Terry’s efforts are thwarted by the police. With no other options, Terry becomes a one-man-wrecking crew and takes the law into his own hands.