Netflix has confirmed its slate for September 2025, and to welcome in the brand-new month, the popular streaming service has added more than 40 movies. That’s certainly one way to make the impending end of summer sting a little bit less. Who needs outdoor sunshine when you’ve got dozens of movies to watch on Netflix instead?
Of course, with so many fresh additions to the Netflix movie library, picking the standouts can be tough. That’s why I’ve turned to review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes to find the newcomers that managed to pull a score of at least 90% (in fact, one of the picks scores a near-perfect 99%). These are the highest-rated movies added to Netflix this month, from an endearing coming-of-age comedy-drama to a thrilling sci-fi action epic.
If you’re looking to fill your Netflix watchlist to ensure it’s well-stocked for your fall movie nights in the weeks ahead, here are the seven picks that just arrived on the platform that I recommend adding right now.
‘Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret’ (2023)
Judy Blume’s iconic coming-of-age novel got the big screen treatment in this 2023 movie from Kelly Fremon Craig, and it’s just as heartwarming (and often painfully relatable) as its treasured source material. This delightful comedy-drama will give you plenty of flashbacks to your own adolescence, and even if your own youth doesn’t directly line up with the experiences of 11-year-old protagonist Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson), the movie’s themes are universal.
Set in the 1970s, Margaret is far from pleased when her parents (Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie) inform her they’re uprooting the family from New York City to a New Jersey suburb. Attempting to settle into her new environment, she faces growing pains as she tries to make new friends and come to terms with the changes in her life. On hand to offer support is her caring mom and her protective grandmother (Kathy Bates). Charming and funny and with so much heart, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is a delight.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Stream on Netflix now
‘Boyz n the Hood’ (1991)
“Boyz n the Hood” was a cultural landmark in the 1990s, and writer/director John Singleton became the first African American to be nominated for Best Director at the Oscars for his work (he also nabbed a Best Original Screenplay nod). There isn’t just real talent behind the camera, either. The cast list is seriously stacked, with Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube (making his feature debut), Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Regina King and Angela Bassett all involved.
This coming-of-age drama centers on Trie (Gooding Jr.), who is sent to live with his father (Fishburne) in a rough South Central Los Angeles suburb. Tre's father attempts to steer him away from trouble, and his girlfriend Brandi (Long) hopes they’ll attend college together. However, his promising future is threatened when his closest friends Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Chestnut) are drawn into the neighborhood’s dangerous gang warfare.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream on Netflix now
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)
![Edge of Tomorrow - Official Main Trailer [HD] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yUmSVcttXnI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Ignore its painfully generic name because “Edge of Tomorrow” (sometimes referred to as “Live. Die. Repeat” to add extra confusion) is anything but a cliche sci-fi action flick. It’s one of the freshest genre movies of the 2010s, and can be pretty accurately summed up as Tom Cruise gets stuck in “Groundhog Day”-style timeloop but with added tentacle-clad aliens. It’s an engaging and snappy sci-fi adventure from “The Bourne Identity” director, Doug Liman.
Major William Cage (Cruise) is a cowardly public affairs officer, who finds himself in way over his head when he’s forced onto the frontline of humanity's last stand against an invading extraterrestrial force known as Mimics. Killed by one of the aliens almost immediately, he becomes stuck in a timeloop, reliving the same brutal conflict over and over again. His only hope is linking up with a decorated soldier (Emily Blunt) to find a way to win the battle and break the loop.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream on Netflix now
‘La La Land’ (2016)
Any time I see “La La Land” on a list of movies, I immediately get the soundtrack up on Spotify and start jamming out to its joyful opening tune, “Another Day of Sun.” If that’s not the sign of a masterful musical, I don’t know what is. This Damien Chazelle project may be another Hollywood effort celebrating the magic of making movies, but it’s just so darn likable, and stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have so much chemistry, I don’t care if we’ve seen this shtick plenty of times before.
Sebastian (Gosling) is an aspiring jazz pianist, while Mia (Stone) is one of a million L.A. dreamers trying to make it in the movie business. After a frosty first encounter, they soon strike up a romance, but as the possibility of achieving their dreams becomes reality, their bond is tested, and to get everything they’ve always wanted in life, it might mean leaving the other behind.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream on Netflix now
‘Phantom Thread’ (2017)
![PHANTOM THREAD - Official Trailer [HD] - In Select Theaters Christmas - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xNsiQMeSvMk/maxresdefault.jpg)
For a long period of time, it looked like “Phantom Thread” was set to be three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis’ final movie. Fortunately, that hasn’t proved to be the case with the English actor returning to the screen next month for psychological drama, “Anemone,” which he co-wrote with his son (who also directs). But let’s just say if Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” had been Day-Lewis’ final movie, it would have been a heck of a swansong.
Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) is a renowned dressmaker in 1950s London. Having dressed everybody of note in high society, from royalty to movie stars of the era, he takes his inspiration from a string of non-committed flings. But when a young waitress named Alma (Vicky Krieps) becomes his muse, his perfectly fitted life is disrupted by true love.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Stream on Netflix now
‘Paddington’ (2014)
In some ways, the original “Paddington” movie now gets overshadowed by its phenomenal sequel, and while I won’t deny the second chapter is the strongest of the trilogy, 2024’s “Paddington” is also absolutely heartwarming. The eponymous bear is as charming as ever and gets up to all sorts of misadventures, including turning a staircase into a waterslide. Watch out for a great supporting turn by Nicole Kidman as well.
Inspired by the beloved children’s stories by Michael Bond, “Paddington” sees a young brown bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) from Peru make his way to London in search of a new home. Once in the big city, he is taken in by the Brown family, and while Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) isn’t so keen on Paddington staying, his wife (Sally Hawkins) and children quickly welcome him as part of the family, and naturally, hijinks quickly follow.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Stream on Netflix now
‘Stand by Me’ (1986)
“Stand By Me” is regularly ranked among the best adaptations of Stephen King's work ever. However, unlike most of the legendary author’s writing, this isn’t a horror or a dark thriller; instead, “Stand By Me” is an earnest tale of friendship. It sees four young friends embark on a youthful quest to find a dead body in 1960s Maine, and how this adventure shapes them for life.
The four young boys (played by Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’Connell) encounter all sorts of obstacles from a gang of bullies to a marsh crawling with leeches. However, what starts as merely a spur-of-the-moment way to pass a hot summer afternoon quickly becomes a defining event in their young lives. With the latest King adaptation, “The Long Walk,” hitting theatres next week, now is a great time to (re)watch.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Stream on Netflix now
More from Tom's Guide
- New on Netflix in September 2025
- Netflix drops first look at new romantic comedy movie
- This new crime thriller series has stormed Netflix’s top 10
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
