Spring is finally in the air, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still stay in and have a great movie night. As new plants start to grow, so does Netflix’s movie selection, from romances like Set It Up to recent Oscar contenders like Rustin and Nyad. Whether you’re looking for something deep and thought-provoking or light for the whole family, there are a plethora of incredible films on Netflix. With over 40 amazing movies on this list alone, it can be difficult to choose, but our carefully written recommendations will help you find just what you’re looking for.

Rest assured, this list has been carefully considered and curated by seasoned Collider editors with decades of combined experience — not to mention a passion and enthusiasm for the medium. Only the crème de la crème has made the cut. Read on to discover the best movies to watch on Netflix right now.

For even more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix, best comedies on Netflix, and best dramas on Netflix.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

Editor’s note: This article was updated May 2024 to include Shrek.

‘Shrek’ (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Shrek

Release Date

May 18, 2001

Runtime

90 minutes

It’s easy to forget just how big of a deal Shrek was when it hit theaters in 2001, but it was a very big deal. DreamWorks Animation challenged Pixar in the realm of CG animation with a more edgy, slightly more adult-oriented animated film — one in which parents would be laughing at jokes that went over their children’s heads. But at its core, Shrek works beautifully as a story of an outsider looking for acceptance, and of love coming from unexpected places. It’s also just a really pretty and fun fairy tale in its own right. While technology has advanced considerably in the two decades since its release, Shrek still holds up all these years later. – Adam Chitwood

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‘Four Daughters’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 7.3/10

Four Daughters

Release Date

July 5, 2023

Director

Kaouther Ben Hania

Runtime

107 minutes

Read Our ReviewDirected by Kaouther Ben Hania, Four Daughters is an Arabic-language documentary film that explores the true story of a Tunisian woman whose two eldest daughters were radicalized by Islamic extremists. After the disappearance of her daughters, the filmmaker invites professional actresses to take their place, blending reality and fiction to give the audience an intimate view of the family’s life. The movie was a co-production between France, Tunisia, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. Four Daughters premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or Award. The film received near-universal acclaim and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards. Critics have lauded Kouther Ben Hania’s form-breaking approach to the film, and that masterful storytelling is what makes this documentary all the more engaging. Four Daughters makes the lives of its subjects come alive in heartbreaking detail in a way that few other documentaries have done before.

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‘American Graffiti’ (1973)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.4/10

George Lucas’s directorial debut, American Graffiti is a coming-of-age comedy-drama starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Paul Le Mat. The film follows the adventures of a group of teens in 1960s Modesto, California, on the last day of summer as they grapple with their futures. The film is comprised of a series of vignettes that come together to tell a concurrent story of cruising culture, rock-and-roll, greasers, and mysterious blondes. Far removed from Lucas’ later creations, American Graffiti is a nostalgic and bittersweet film that speaks to a more thoughtful sensibility. Critically acclaimed, the movie is visually striking and features some great performances, including an appearance by a pre-Star WarsHarrison Ford. The movie is a nostalgic return to the sixties, full of heart and humor — and it helps that it also has one of the greatest rock soundtracks of all time.

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‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.7/10

The Matrix

Release Date

March 31, 1999

Runtime

136 minutes

Written and directed by theWachowskis, The Matrix is a science fiction film that stars Keanu Reeves as a hacker who discovers that the world he lives in is an illusion crafted by malevolent Artificial Intelligence. The movie also stars Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving and spawned a franchise that includes three sequels and an animated anthology. The Matrix is an ambitious movie that presents the very best in technical filmmaking, winning the Oscars for Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing. The performances are solid, the action is spectacular, and the plot is intricately crafted. The film’s narrative style feels quite surreal, drawing the audience into its ever-expanding world in a way that feels like a blend of Hong Kong action movies, cyberpunk anime, and 1990s techno-futurism. It’s dystopian, slick, and easily one of the best films ever made in its genre.

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‘Molly’s Game’ (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 7.4/10

Molly’s Game

Release Date

December 25, 2017

Director

Aaron Sorkin

Runtime

141

Based on the true story of Molly Bloom, Molly’s Game was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and stars Jessica Chastain in the lead role. An Olympic-level skier whose career was ended by an accident, the film follows Molly as she seeks a different kind of gold by running a high-stakes underground poker ring. The movie also stars Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Jeremy Strong, and more. Sorkin’s directorial debut, the film received critical acclaim, largely thanks to Sorkin’s Oscar-nominated script and the phenomenal performances by Chastain and Elba. The role of Molly Bloom earned Chastain her fifth Golden Globe nomination, further cementing her reputation as an acting powerhouse. It’s one of the defining performances of her career, and that alone should make the movie worth watching. Tightly written and expertly paced, Molly’s Game is a complete entertainer from beginning to end and a brilliant showcase of Sorkin’s abilities as a writer and filmmaker.

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‘Minari’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 98% | IMDb: 7.4/10

Minari

Release Date

2020-00-00

Runtime

115

Lee Isaac Chung’s 2020 drama film Minari is a semi-autobiographical story based on Chung’s childhood. The movie is set in the 80s and follows a South Korean immigrant family that moves from California to rural Arkansas. Chung wrote and directed the film, which stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Minari premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the US Dramatic Audience Award. The film received critical praise for its direction and screenplay, as well as for the performances of its talented cast. Minari expresses its intimate multi-generational story through a beautifully shot narrative, and it’s widely regarded as one of the best films of the 2020s so far.

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‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 7.4/10

Uncut Gems

Release Date

August 30, 2019

Director

Ben Safdie , Joshua Safdie

Runtime

130

A film that features the best Adam Sandler performance to date, Uncut Gems is a stressful journey into gambling that is as comedic as it is chaotic. Sandler is Howard ‘Howie’ Ratner, a New York City jeweler who is facing a lot of debts and decides to make one last bet to make it all back. Sound easy? It very much isn’t. Howie will have to somehow talk his way out of more than one dangerous situation and keep his family together while also having an affair.

If it wasn’t clear, this is not the best of guys we’re dealing with, though it is watching him self-sabotage that it all becomes both frightening and fascinating. You may shout at the screen a couple of times in frustration, though there is nothing quite like it. By the time it arrives at its explosive conclusion, you’ll be short of breath as you can finally exhale from the wild ride you’ve been on. – Chase Hutchinson

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‘American Symphony’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 6.9/10

American Symphony

Release Date

November 29, 2023

Runtime

104 minutes

Even if you just watch the trailer for American Symphony, you will be in tears. The documentary tells the story of Grammy winner Jon Batiste and his wife, Suleika Jaouad, as they live a life of drastic contrast. While Batiste continues to take over the music world, Jaouad goes through an intense battle with cancer. Jaouad begins chemotherapy on the same day Batiste is nominated for 11 Grammy Awards – an obviously unplanned detail that sums up the entire message of the film: that a wonderful thing and terrible thing can happen at the same time. Over the course of the documentary, Batiste is writing a composition that he plans to play for one night only at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival to great reviews, with Variety Magazine calling it “one of the best love stories seen on film.” Currently, American Symphony is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “It Never Went Away” by Batiste and Dan Wilson. – Emily Cappello

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‘Rustin’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% | IMDb: 6.6/10

Rustin

Release Date

November 17, 2023

Runtime

106 minutes

Read Our Review

Currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor for its star, Colman Domingo, Rustin tells the story of Bayard Rustin (Domingo), a civil rights activist heavily inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin sets out to organize the March on Washington against huge obstacles like racism and homophobia. Those familiar with the March on Washington, which occurred in 1963, know how paramount it was in the fight to end racial discrimination and that it concluded with Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The film follows these incredible historic events while highlighting Rustin’s passion and enthusiasm for civil rights.

The film also stars Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner) as Dr. King, Glynn Turman (Super 8) as A. Philip Randolph, Chris Rock (The Longest Yard) as Roy Wilkins, and Audra McDonald (A Raisin In The Sun) as Ella Baker. Rustin was previously nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song by Lenny Kravitz and Best Performance by Domingo. – Emily Cappello

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‘Nyad’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Nyad

Release Date

November 3, 2023

Director

Jimmy Chin , Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

Runtime

121 minutes

Read Our Review

Oscar winners Annette Bening and Jodie Foster dominate in the biographical sports drama Nyad. Directed by documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Nyad is their feature directorial debut, which benefits from their experience capturing authenticity. As expected from most sports dramas and biopics, Nyad shares a story of perseverance, the triumphs of determination, and a message of hope, showcased by the undeniable on-screen power of Bening and Foster.

The actors’ dedication to truth in storytelling, as well as their chemistry, shine alongside the smart script written by Julia Cox. Nyad engages the audience with its solid foundation while entertaining through grounded drama based on reality instead of relying on cheap cliches. – Yael Tygiel

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‘Society of the Snow’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.9/10

Society of the Snow

Release Date

December 23, 2023

Cast

Enzo Vogrincic , Esteban Bigliardi , Simon Hempe , Matías Recalt

Runtime

144 minutes

Read Our Review

In 1972, a Uruguayan flight crashed while carrying a rugby team on their way to Chile, and the survivors of the wreck had to work together to survive in the treacherously cold weather of the Andes. This real-life event is the subject of J.A. Bayona‘s film Society of the Snow, which tackles the incredible story of the survivors and their attempts to survive for two months in the mountains. Director Bayona got the idea for the film upon discovering the book The Society of the Snow, which was written by Pablo Vierci, and used the same name for his film. The cast, largely composed of newcomers in the acting world, is completely composed of Uruguayan and Argentinian performers.

The film was nominated for two Oscars, including Best International Feature Film, a Golden Globe for Best Non-English Language Film, and a Critic’s Choice Award for the same category. With a budget of 60 million euros, The Society of Snow is the most expensive Spanish film ever made. With music by Michael Giacchino, the film is acclaimed for its emotional undertone and important message. – Emily Cappello

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‘May December’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 6.9/10

May December

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Runtime

117 minutes

Read Our Review

While watching May December, I found myself laughing out loud almost as much as I was cringing. I also found myself looking online afterward to see if my reaction was “normal.” This kaleidoscope viewing experience shows the brilliance of May December and how its subject matter — a thirty-six-year-old woman entering into a relationship with a seventh grader and having his three children — will dramatically change depending on the person telling the story. The plot follows actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) as she shadows Gracie (Julianne Moore), the controversial woman (and sex offender) who inspired Elizabeth’s latest film role. Or, depending on your point of view, it’s about Gracie’s experience as Elizabeth enters and disrupts the parts of her she’s been able to keep hidden. Or it’s about Gracie’s much, much younger husband, Joe (Charles Melton), as he discovers what Elizabeth’s presence means about his own life.

Written and directed by Todd Haynes, the film was inspired by the real-life relationship between teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her sixth-grade student, Vili Fualaau. The two had children together and eventually married upon Letourneau’s release from prison, as Gracie and Joe did in May December. While it seems impossible that, given these themes, the film would have any laugh-out-loud moments, Haynes has crafted the story in such a way that it’s aware of its own absurdity. And, perhaps, we would find humor in the smallest moments, like Gracie dramatically revealing they “need more hot dogs” just to forget the insanity of the situation we’ve found ourselves in as an audience. – Emily Cappello

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‘Maestro’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 6.7/10

Maestro

Release Date

December 20, 2023

Runtime

129 minutes

Read Our Review

One of the most talked-about films of 2023, Maestro tells the story of American composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), his rise to fame, and how that fame affected his relationship with long-time love Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). Directed and co-written by Cooper alongside screenwriter Josh Singer, the film was produced by cinema heavy hitters Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. The film won the American Film Institute (AFI)’s “Movie of the Year” and was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, including “Best Motion Picture, Drama,” “Best Director,” and “Best Performance by a Male Actor” for Cooper and “Best Performer by Female Actor” for Mulligan. It co-stars Matt Bomer (In Time), Vincent Amato (Unbroken), and comedian Sarah Silverman.

Leonard Bernstein began his career as an assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic and rose to fame when he filled in for the main conductor, who had fallen ill. Maestro follows Bernstein as he meets and marries Felicia Montealegre, who struggles with her new husband’s infidelity. While Bernstein goes on to compose some of the most famous music in American history, including West Side Story, he struggles with alcohol and other substances, causing more issues in his marriage. – Emily Cappello

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‘Set It Up’ (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 6.5/10

Set It Up

Editor’s Choice

Two corporate executive assistants hatch a plan to match-make their two bosses.

Release Date

June 15, 2018

Director

Claire Scanlon

Runtime

105 minutes

Read Our Review Anyone who knows me knows I’m a rom-com junkie — obsessed to the point of running a podcast on it, actually. So it’s no surprise that Set It Up, Netflix’s 2018 original film starring Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell, is easily my favorite movie the streamer has on offer, even five years after its premiere. While they’ve made plenty of other rom-coms since the film was released, the story of two down-on-their-luck executive assistants who attempt to set their bosses up with each other for a little free time is easily still their best.

While it’s not the first time Powell and Deutch starred together — that award goes to Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! — and both have gone onto much bigger projects, it’s a sweet and heartwarming film that’s easy to get into, even if the comedy’s a bit cringe-worthy. It’s rare to find rom-coms made after 2005 whose leads have such immediate, entertaining, and believable chemistry and even rarer to find a cast filled with heavyweights who are just as much fun — can you believe this film also boasts the likes of Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, and Pete Davidson? Not to mention it’s an easy hour and forty-five minutes, perfect for watching (and rewatching, as I do) whenever you want a little fun in your life. —Maggie Boccella, News Editor

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‘It Follows’ (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 6.8/10

It Follows

Release Date

March 15, 2015

Director

David Robert Mitchell

Cast

Bailey Spry , Carollette Phillips , Loren Bass , Keir Gilchrist , Maika Monroe , Lili Sepe

Runtime

100 minutes

Read Our ReviewIn a world filled with remakes and reboots, It Follows defied the norm by finding an original way to tell a mysterious horror story. The story follows Jay (Maika Monroe), a teenager who has sex with a guy named Hugh (Jake Weary), whom she doesn’t know very well. Afterward, Hugh tells her that she’s inherited a curse that he’s now free of. Jay starts to be followed by a phantom who wishes her dead, and the only way Jay can get rid of the curse is if she sleeps with someone else, passing it along to them.

It Follows premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014, where it was then a part of a limited theatrical release before moving to a nationwide release in 2015. Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (Under the Silver Lake), audiences raved about the movie not just for its originality but also for their different interpretations of the meaning behind the plot. Throughout its time in theaters, the film continually received great reviews for its terrifying scares and for its deeper meaning. As of October 2023, a sequel is in the works entitled They Follow. – Emily Cappello

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‘Burning’ (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.5/10

Burning

Release Date

May 17, 2018

Director

Chang-dong Lee

Cast

Ah In Yoo , Steven Yeun , Jong-seo Jeon , Soo-Kyung Kim , Seung-ho Choi , Seong-kun Mun

Runtime

148 minutes

Based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami, Burning is a South Korean-Japanese thriller written and directed by Lee Chang-dong in his first film after an eight-year hiatus. The film focuses on Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) after he runs into an old classmate named Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), who asks him to feed her cat while she’s away. Jong-su obliges, but upon Hae-mi’s return with a mysterious man named Ben (Steven Yeun), things take an odd turn. When Ben admits his illegal and dangerous hobby to Jong-su, Jong-su becomes worried for Hae-mi’s safety. It’s a story that knows how to heighten the tension little by little and, by the end, has viewers’ hearts racing.

Burning premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where it won the International Critics’ Prize and was then released in South Korea and later in the United States. Perhaps more impressive, the film was voted as the best Korean film of all time on Korean Screen. Burning appeared on many critics’ “Top 10” lists for 2018, with critics at The A.V. Club and The Los Angeles Times rating it number one. The film also made some “Best Films of the Decade” Lists, proving the power of the writing, directing, and the three lead actors’ performances. – Emily Cappello

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‘Mobile Suit Gundam I’ (1981)

IMDb: 7.9/10

Mobile Suit Gundam I

Release Date

January 1, 1981

Runtime

2 hr 17 min

In outer space, an interplanetary war is raging. This is the story of Mobile Suit Gundam I, a Japanese animated action and adventure movie based on an animated series of the same name. While the battle rages on in the Solar System, there is hope in the form of a mobile battle suit named the “Gundam,” but there’s one problem: the only person able to pilot the massive machinery is a boy named Amuro Ray (Toru Furuya). Now, Amuro must fight alongside other kids to save themselves and their families as the war rages on. The film also stars Hirotaka Suzuoki, Toshio Furukawa, Kiyonobu Suzuki, and Shôzô îzuka.

The film, directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Ryoji Fujiwara, premiered in Japan in 1981 and acted as a compilation of episodes 1-13 of the popular Animated series Mobile Suit Gundam. Later dubbed in English and released on VHS tape in the United States in 1999, both the film and its original show material were suddenly popular worldwide, finding a completely new fanbase with English-speaking audiences. – Emily Cappello

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‘Miss Juneteenth’ (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 6.6/10

Miss Juneteenth

Release Date

June 19, 2020

Cast

Nichole Beharie , Kendrick Sampson

Runtime

1 hr 43 min

Miss Juneteenth follows the story of single mother Turquoise (Nicole Beharie, who won a Gotham award for Best Actress for the role) as she enters her fifteen-year-old daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) into the Miss Juneteenth Pageant. Kai is rebellious and doesn’t follow the path her mother has laid out for her willingly, but she ends up making Turquoise proud nonetheless.

When Miss Juneteenth premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, it received critical praise and a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize in the “Dramatic” category. The film continued its victory lap with wins at the SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Louis Black/Lone Star Award, as well as numerous other honors from different festivals across the US. The film had a prominent release date to video-on-demand: June 19, 2020: the 155th anniversary of the holiday Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The film tackles the significance of the holiday while also bringing in other themes within the characters’ lives. In January 2021, it was announced that Miss Juneteenth would be adapted into a television series with NBCUniversal, but it is still listed as “in development.” – Emily Cappello

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‘Paddington’ (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.3/10

Paddington

Release Date

November 24, 2014

Director

Paul King

Cast

Tim Downie , Madeleine Worrall , Lottie Steer , Geoffrey Palmer , Theresa Watson , Imelda Staunton

Runtime

95

Read Our Review

The filmmakers of 2014’s Paddington had big, fuzzy shoes to fill. Based on the beloved children’s books by Michael Bond that premiered in 1958, Paddington Bear was already known worldwide when he hit the big screen, putting a lot of pressure on the film’s creators to get him right. The story follows a computer-animated Paddington, voiced by Ben Whishaw, as he travels from Peru to London to find a home under the advice of his uncle (the late, great Michael Gambon) and aunt (Imelda Staunton, another Harry Potter alum). There, Paddington meets the Brown family, played by Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Madeleine Harris (Man Down), and Samuel Joslin (The Impossible), who take Paddington home with them. All is going swell until Paddington catches the interest of a taxidermist.

The film was widely critically praised, earning $282 million at the box office and generating a sequel that is regarded by some to be one of the best films ever made. The film is fun and light and also has a surprising amount of depth for what might be viewed as a “kid’s movie.” It contains an all-star cast, with additional stars like Julie Walters (Billy Elliot), Nicole Kidman (The Hours), and Matt Lucas (Bridesmaids), and an excellent score by Nick Urata. The film won awards from the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and a British Screenwriters’ Award for Best Screenplay by Paul King. It was also nominated for two BAFTA Awards. No matter your age, Paddington is sure to put a smile on your face. – Emily Cappello

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‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ (1975)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.2/10

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Release Date

May 25, 1975

Director

Terry Gilliam , Terry Jones

Runtime

91 minutes

Monty Python and the Holy Grail follows the exploits of King Arthur of the Britains (Graham Chapman) as he tries to recruit knights to join his court at Camelot. He faces many obstacles in this journey, such as anarcho-syndicalist peasants and a stubborn Black Knight, but eventually, he recruits Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones), Sir Lancelot (John Cleese), Sir Robin (Eric Idle), Sir Galahad (Michael Palin) and Sir Not Appearing In This Film. They are then tasked by God (Graham Chapman) with retrieving the Holy Grail, an arduous task filled with perils they cannot imagine.

Though incredibly stressful on the cast and crew due to behind-the-scenes troubles, Holy Grail has become one of the most beloved comedies of all time. The Pythons already enjoyed a lot of success thanks to their unique brand of surrealism mixed with biting British whit, but Holy Grail adds a dash of antiquity by using Arthurian legend as its setting. In fact, there’s little action in the film: everything is carried by the camaraderie of the Pythons and the hilarity of their situations. Many of its jokes have become cemented in popular culture, ensuring that, even if audiences haven’t experienced Monty Python before, they’ll be familiar with its comedy. – Tyler B. Searle

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