The weather outside is frightful this weekend, dipping into double-digit negatives where I'm at near Chicago (brr!). So you can bet I'm staying cuddled up inside on the couch, the perfect excuse to catch up on my watchlist. But with so many movies coming and going from the best streaming services, it can be hard to figure out where to start — especially with Netflix adding a whopping 43 new shows and movies this month.
To cut through the noise quickly, I make a beeline to Netflix's top 10 list of most-watched movies. Still, there's bound to be some over-hyped duds among the gems. To make sure you don't waste your precious streaming time, I'm here every weekend shining a spotlight on the best of the bunch so you can skip the scrolling and get to streaming.
Not feeling any of these picks? For even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our guide to everything new on Netflix this month. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the three must-watch movies in Netflix’s top 10.
Best movies in the Netflix top 10
'The Covenant' (2023)
I'm not a huge fan of war movies, but "The Covenant" is the rare exception. Legendary action director Guy Ritchie doesn't tread new ground in the genre, but masterfully uses that familiar playground to keep you on the edge of your seat through its explosive set pieces and nerve-shredding standoffs
Set in the last days of the war in Afghanistan, "The Covenant" centers on the unlikely friendship between U.S. Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his Afghan interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim). When Ahmed saves Kinley’s life during a brutal ambush, their initially frosty relationship thaws into a mutual respect. Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family are in danger of being captured and killed, and determined to pay back his debt, he launches a rescue mission that sends them deep into dangerous territory.
Watch it now on Netflix
'My Secret Santa' (2025)
A whopping 16 Christmas shows and movies arrived on Netflix in December, but only one has continued to top the charts weeks after its release. "My Secret Santa" stars Alexandra Breckenridge as a cash-strapped single mom named Taylor who's desperate to send her daughter to an elite snowboarding camp. But when she loses her job with the holidays right around the corner, she's forced to engineer her own Christmas miracle.
To score discounted lessons, she disguises herself as a man to land a seasonal Santa gig at a high-end ski resort. Things go about as well as you expect. Wardrobe mishaps and locker-room near-misses threaten to blow the lid on her charade, and it doesn't help that the hotel manager (Ryan Eggold) is devastatingly her type. Making matters worse, a sharp-eyed member of the resort staff (Tia Mowry) grows increasingly suspicious, and it's all Taylor can do to juggle her double life before the truth comes out.
Watch it now on Netflix
'K-Pop Demon Hunters' (2025)
Netflix's biggest streaming hit of all time, "K-Pop Demon Hunters," may have fallen from the #1 spot, but it's still hanging strong in the top 10 even now, months after its release. Which means, like that Bernie Sanders meme, I am once again telling everyone and their mom to watch this movie. You don't even have to be a K-pop fan to enjoy this bubblegum pop animated adventure (lord knows I'm not), and it's from Sony Pictures Animation, the same team behind the "Spider-Verse" films, so you know you're in for a treat.
It follows Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) — the latest in a long line of K-pop stars who use their fame and harmony to shield the world from supernatural evils. But they face their biggest challenge when a group of demons disguised as a rival boy band comes for their crown. To win the day, first they'll need to tackle their own inner demons.
Watch it now on Netflix
Netflix top 10 movies right now
1. "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" (2025)
2. "My Secret Santa" (2025)
3. "The Hustle" (2019)
4. "Jay Kelly" (2025)
5. "The Covenant" (2023)
6."K-Pop Demon Hunters" (2025)
7. "Mean Girls" (2004)
8. "Honest Thief" (2020)
9. "House of Gucci" (2021)
10. "The Cat in the Hat" (2003)
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