For years, Netflix remained steadfast in its belief in putting its biggest original movies on the service and only allowing small theatrical windows for its awards-season contenders. That mindset is slowly starting to change, as Netflix will allow larger theatrical rollouts for its originals. The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will receive a two-week IMAX release this Thanksgiving, and Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew will get a wide theatrical release starting in February 2027.
With Netflix changing its tune on theaters, I started thinking about older originals that I would love to see in a theater. I immediately thought about three action thrillers that would play so well on the big screen. The fourth movie on this list was an unlikely but deserving Best Picture nominee.
Rebel Ridge
The cops messed with the wrong Marine
Aaron Pierre is currently winning over countless fans for his turn as John Stewart on HBO’s Lanterns, the DC show about the Green Lantern Corps. I, along with many fans, knew Pierre would be a star after his mesmerizing performance in Rebel Ridge, Jeremy Saulnier’s action thriller that occupies a spot on my Mount Rushmore for my favorite Netflix original movies.
In a small Louisiana town, corrupt cops seize $36,000 belonging to former Marine Terry Richmond (Pierre), who planned to use that money to bail his cousin out of jail. The police justify taking the money by invoking civil asset forfeiture. Terry tries to reason with Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson), but his attempt fails.
Despite his attempts at peace, Terry has no choice but to use his combat skills in this fight against corruption. I can describe why this movie rules in a few sentences, but I’ll condense it into one acronym: P-A-C-E. I need to see that scene in a theater with a large popcorn in my hands.
Rebel Ridge
Release Date
September 6, 2024
Runtime
131 Minutes
Director
Jeremy Saulnier
Carry-On
Die Hard at an airport
Hollywood loves formulas. If a movie succeeds, you’ll see studios follow that formula to make a similar movie, but they’ll change a few details. The best example is Alien, which is Jaws set in space. Carry-On is essentially a modern-day Die Hard 2, but instead of making the protagonist a cop, it’s a TSA agent played by Taron Egerton.
It’s Christmas Eve at LAX, and TSA employee Ethan Kopek (Egerton) must work the security screening lane. Ethan finds an earpiece in his lane and receives specific instructions from the Traveler (Jason Bateman) on the other end of the phone. Ethan must let a carry-on pass through the inspection with no questions asked. If not, the Traveler will kill Ethan’s pregnant girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson).
Ethan plays by the Traveler’s rules, but once he learns about the contents of the carry-on, he does everything in his power to stop the Traveler’s nefarious plans. Carry-On is B-movie goodness—engaging premise, entertaining action sequences, and chemistry between Egerton and Bateman. Netflix, please make more Die Hard-inspired action thrillers.
Carry-On
Release Date
December 13, 2024
Runtime
119 Minutes
Director
Jaume Collet-Serra
The Rip
Matt and Ben, together again
“Matt Damon and Ben Affleck may or may not be dirty cops in this suspenseful thriller.” Do I need to say more? If that doesn’t raise your eyebrows, I don’t know what else will. With the Oscar-winning duo in the lead roles, The Rip had a lot of excitement leading into its January 2026 release date.
Following the death of his captain, Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) now leads his small team of officers, including Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Affleck), to search a Miami-Dade County house for illegal cash. It’s not an ordinary bust for a few hundred thousand dollars. Dane and J.D. find $20 million of the cartel’s cash hidden inside the house. That figure raises suspicion among the other police officers in the area, especially the dirty ones who have supposedly been robbing other houses.
Dane takes it upon himself to find the mole in his group, but the way the story is presented, he might be the culprit himself. I can safely say that the movie delivers as a crowd-pleasing action story that will keep you guessing until the very end. Not every movie has to be a prestige play. I’m so in favor of Netflix making more gritty and suspenseful thrillers like The Rip instead of concentrating their efforts on winning Oscars.
The Rip
Release Date
January 13, 2026
Runtime
113 minutes
Director
Joe Carnahan
Train Dreams
I did not expect Train Dreams to move me as hard as it did. I heard the buzz for Clint Bentley’s period drama coming out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It’s difficult for a movie to live up to the hype. In the case of Train Dreams, it’s a rare example of a movie that surpasses expectations.
Train Dreams follows the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), who came to the Pacific Northwest as an orphan and grew up to work as a logger and railroad construction worker. Robert lives a quiet life, one that eventually leads to a wife (Felicity Jones) and child. However, Robert suffers numerous tragedies that shape his future and outlook on life.
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I regret passing up an opportunity to see Train Dreams in theaters. I regret it so much that I had to include it on this list. Train Dreams deserved the Best Picture nomination. The visuals are beautiful, and the emotion I felt when the end credits rolled is something I’ll never forget. I couldn’t move for a few minutes. That’s the power of cinema, and it’s a feeling I want to experience in a theater.
Train Dreams
Release Date
November 7, 2025
Runtime
102 minutes
Director
Clint Bentley
More Netflix movies and shows to add to your rotation
Netflix is churning out some entertaining content right now. Tyler Perry fans should mark down September 9, the premiere date for his new Netflix movie Why Did I Get Married Again? As for new shows this month, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen season 2 is something to keep an eye on.
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