15 Best movies on Netflix Ireland Worth Watching Tonight (Irish, Old + New Films)

We’d recommend that you take any guide to the best films on Netflix Ireland with a pinch of salt (even this one!).

What one person regards as great, another may think is shi… you get the picture.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up a mixture of what we think are the best movies on Netflix Ireland along with flicks that have racked up rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes!.

The best movies on Netflix Ireland

Below you’ll find some of the best movies on Netflix Ireland in 2025.

There’s everything from comedies and dramas to horror movies, action flicks and everything in between.

1. Donnie Brasco (88% on Rotten Tomatoes)

First up is, in our opinion, the best film on Netflix Ireland if you fancy an old-school movie that’ll keep you gripped from start to finish.

Donnie Brasco is a crime drama directed by Mike Newell (also known for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) that stars Al Pacino and Johnny Depp.

So, the quick scoop: Johnny Depp is an undercover FBI agent who dives headfirst into the mob world. Al Pacino plays his mentor, an aging gangster who’s not as connected as he first seems.

As Depp gets deeper, he’s torn between his real job and his new mob family.

2. The Imitation Game (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

The Imitation Game is a historical drama directed by Morten Tyldum (also known for Passengers) that stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley.

So, here’s the rundown: Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the genius mathematician tasked with cracking the Nazi Enigma code during World War II.

It’s a true story about how one man’s brainpower shortened the war and saved millions of lives. Cumberbatch is phenomenal, as is Knightley.

Related read: Check out 12 of the best Irish movies on Netflix

3. Marriage Story (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

If you’re looking for deep and touching drama movie, this is one of the best films on Netflix Ireland. It’ll make you laugh, cry and smile all at the same time.

Marriage Story is a drama directed by Noah Baumbach (also known for The Squid and the Whale). It stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.

So, here’s the lowdown: Johansson and Driver play a couple going through a coast-to-coast divorce.

They love each other, but not enough to stay married, and lawyers make everything messier. It’s a tale of love, heartbreak, and who gets custody of the kid.

4. Uncut Gems (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Loosely based on actual events, this crime/drama story will have you gripping your seat in anticipation.

A co-directed film, by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, it tells the tales of how a jeweller makes a high-stakes bet that could either secure or destroy his family; with hideous consequences for the latter.

Starring Adam Sandler (Howard), Julia Fox, and Idina Menzel, this 2h15m-long movie is highly entertaining, and perfectly showcases Sandler’s ability as a serious actor in a leading role; just how far will Howard go to win at all costs?

Related read: Have a nosey at the 17 best series on Netflix Ireland when you’re finished here!

5. The Martian (91% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Another of the best movies on Netflix Ireland review wise, The Martian is a sci-fi drama directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, and Kristen Wiig.

Matt Damon is left behind on Mars, presumed dead. He’s not, and now he’s got to figure out how to grow potatoes in Martian dirt to survive.

Meanwhile, NASA’s working overtime to figure out how to bring him back.

This movie blends humour and science, making space survival look both terrifying and oddly fun.

Related read: Have a nosey at the best documentaries on Netflix Ireland

6. The Irishman (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Another of the best films on Netflix Ireland review-score wise is the Irishman.

Almost a biopic, this engrossing film is a fascinating tale of 1950s Philadelphia, and a hitman who worked for the Bufalino mafia family.

Directed by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese, and starring cinema big-guns Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, it’s everything you could want in a crime-drama movie.

Critically acclaimed for its cinematography and direction, the stars do a fantastic job depicting the times and events that actually happened, including The Irishman’s time under the infamous mafia big-man, Jimmy Hoffa.

7. 13th (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Using authentic and historic footage from the 1950s and 1960s, that features the likes of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as the backdrop, filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores what has led to the industrialised prison system in America, and why it is disproportionately filled with African-Americans.

Long before the Black Lives Matter movement started, the 13th amendment ensured that the only justification for being enslaved or imprisoned was as punishment for a criminal conviction.

The Director explores the intersection of race, justice, and commercially profitable mass incarceration of Americans.

Related read: See our guide to the best Irish movies of all time

8. Aftersun (96% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Aftersun is a drama directed by Charlotte Wells (also known for her short film Blue Christmas). It stars Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio.

So, what’s it about? A father and his young daughter go on a summer holiday at a resort in Turkey.

Through sunny days and playful moments, there’s an underlying sense of nostalgia and a hint of sadness as the daughter reflects on this time years later.

It’s a tender, heartfelt exploration of memory and the bond between parent and child.

9. Dolemite Is My Name (97% on Rotten Tomatoes)

If you’re looking for good movies on Netflix Ireland that’ll give you a giggle, lash on Dolemite Is My Name.

Part comedy, part drama, this film will have you in stitches and tears as star Eddy Murphy (as real-life notoriety Rudy Ray Moore) lives a scandalous and sometimes hilarious life through the creation of a character, the outrageous Dolemite.

Born to the seedy underground the sensational character becomes a kung-fu star that rallies against the establishment, all whilst providing the audience with chuckles along the way.

Directed by Craig Brewer, and also starring Wesley Snipes and Snoop Dogg, this film is just what you need for a fun night in.

10. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (95% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Comedies don’t come any more classic than this 1979 Hollywood legend. After the roaring success that was Monty Python’s Holy Grail, this film sees the gang tackle the earlier Biblical time of Christ’s birth.

Led by Graham Chapman as Brian, and with fellow comedic-surrealists John Cleese and Eric Idle, and directed by Terry Jones, we meet Brian, a baby who was also born on the same night as the Christ.

But, the two couldn’t be more different, and herein lies the adventure of Brian trying to woo his badass lady, Judith.

11. The Nest (90% on Rotten Tomatoes)

The Nest is a psychological drama directed by Sean Durkin (also known for Martha Marcy May Marlene) starring Jude Law.

Here’s the skinny: Jude Law plays a British entrepreneur who moves his American family to an old English mansion.

He’s chasing dreams of wealth, but the cracks in their marriage and his own ambitions start to show.

t’s a slow-burn dissection of ambition, greed, and family tension.

12. Boyz N the Hood (96% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Another pop-culture and cult favourite from the 1990s, this coming of age drama movie is a star-studded affair.

With standout performances by Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, and Laurence Fishburne along with many others, and directed by John Singleton, it chronicles the very real highs, lows, and challenges of reaching adulthood in the ghettos of Los Angeles.

Rife with crime and violence, the grim spectre of gang warfare and death hangs above all; this movie is an authentic depiction of life for youths growing up in the American gang scene.

13. White Chicks (15% on Rotten Tomatoes)

OK, now, if you go off review scores then White Chicks has no place in a guide to the best movies on Netflix Ireland… However, this one delivers plenty of laughs throughout!

This classic comedy film is about two disgraced FBI agents played by Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans who are assigned to a new case. They go undercover in order to protect two cruise line heiresses from getting abducted.

It may not be the best film on this list but the hilarious jokes as the two black detectives disguise themselves as very preppy white women will give you a good few giggles.

14. The Talented Mr. Ripley (85% on Rotten Tomatoes)

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a psychological thriller directed by Anthony Minghella (also known for The English Patient). It stars Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

So, what’s the scoop? Damon plays Tom Ripley, a fella who’s really good at being other people.

Sent to Europe to bring home rich playboy Jude Law, Ripley becomes obsessed with Law’s lifestyle and decides he wants it all for himself. And he’ll do anything to get it.

15. Dark Waters (85% on Rotten Tomatoes)

Dark Waters is a legal thriller directed by Todd Haynes (also known for Carol) starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Robbins.

So, here’s the story: Ruffalo plays a corporate lawyer who switches sides to take on a chemical giant accused of poisoning a town’s water supply.

What starts as a small case spirals into a decades-long fight for justice, exposing some very dark truths. Based on a true story.

The top films on Netflix Ireland: What have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant films on Netflix Ireland from the guide above. Let me know which ones in the comments!

If you’ve watched any of the movies above and thought they were shite (Irish slang for bad, for our non-Irish readers), let me know, too.