The Netflix Top 10 list won’t tell you how many people are watching a show, but it will tell you which shows people are watching the most. The Top 10 list for Wednesday, Nov. 25 finds the new release Hillbilly Elegy unseating The Crown for No. 1, while the wildly successful limited series The Queen’s Gambit has been pushed to No. 3. The Bruce Willis action movie Hard Kill has also made its way into the top, coming in fourth place today.
But of the Netflix Top 10, which of these shows and movies are actually worth watching? We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 list and guide you through what to binge and what to skip.
The Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix in November 2020
Based on Netflix’s Top 10 from Wednesday, Nov. 25
1. Hillbilly Elegy
For fans of: The Oscars, hammy performances from your favorite actors, memes | Is it good?: No
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of Amy Adams and Glenn Close fans, who would very much like to see them both win Oscars, collectively saying, “No, not like this.” Hillbilly Elegy, Ron Howard‘s awards-bait adaptation of venture capitalist J.D. Vance’s bestselling and controversial memoir about growing up as a poor white person, is not very good, though Close’s performance — she appears in full “ugly” prosthetics and speaks in a garish accent — is 100% going to inspire a lot of memes. Do with that information what you will, but also know that we gave this movie a 1.5 out of 5. (Yesterday’s rank: n/a)
2. The Crown
For fans of: Palace intrigue, the Royals | Is it good?: It’s the best season yet
The ambitious, decades-spanning drama series about Queen Elizabeth II is back for its second season with Olivia Colman in the lead and its fourth season overall, and it adds two pivotally important characters into the mix: Margaret Thatcher (the great Gillian Anderson) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin), who both clash with the Queen. Their addition breathes fresh life into the series, which remains one of the grandest on all of television. (Yesterday’s rank: 1)
3. The Queen’s Gambit
For fans of: Chess, drugs, and character drama | Is it good?: It’s one of the best shows of the year
Budding superstar Anya Taylor-Joy (she’s been cast as young Furiosa in the next Mad Max movie) stars in this literary adaptation as Beth Harmon, a brilliant but troubled chess champion in 1950s Kentucky. She was an orphan who, in her youth, developed an incredible skill for the game but also a debilitating addiction to pills, which quiet her obsessive mind. It’s a detailed character study of brilliance and madness that’s usually reserved for male characters. It comes from one of Netflix’s go-to limited series producers, Godless‘ Scott Frank. (Yesterday’s rank: 2)
4. Hard Kill
For fans of: Bruce Willis, people fighting each other | Is it good?: It certainly is a Bruce Willis action movie
Life is full of changes, but there are certain constants we can rely on, like movies starring Bruce Willis as a man with a gun who has a dangerous mission to complete. In this one, his character’s daughter is taken hostage by a guy trying to harness a new technology that will allow him to do something bad to the world. Bruce Willis hires a team of mercenaries to help him put a stop to it, as one does. (Yesterday’s rank: n/a)
5. Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given
For fans of: Lifestyles of the rich and famous | Is it good?: Not particularly, but it’s not terrible, either
Kevin Hart filmed his latest special in his own living room during the pandemic. Netflix built him a stage, and a masked and distanced audience came over to watch him tell jokes in his very fancy pajamas. His living room is big enough to accommodate a comedy show. He has a very unusual life, and that’s what this special is about. (Yesterday’s rank: 3)
6. The Grinch
For fans of: the Grinch | Is it good?: It’s fine
Benedict Cumberbatch voices Dr. Seuss’ iconic green guy who learns to love Christmas. You know the story, and this CG adaptation doesn’t add much to it. But it doesn’t detract anything from it, either. It’s better than the Jim Carrey version, but not as good as the original version. (Yesterday’s rank: 7)
7. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
For fans of: Children’s book adaptations, Bill Hader | Is it good?: Not as good as the first Cloudy, but still pretty good
The Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs mythology is too complicated to just jump in and watch this without watching the first one. You won’t understand about how food falls from the sky because of…science. I’m just kidding, this movie is fun for the whole family, no explanation required. (Yesterday’s rank: 5)
8. Boss Baby: Back in Business
For fans of: Dreamworks face | Is it good?: Kids wanna see the boss who’s a baby
The Boss Baby is the CEO of the baby corporation now, and he’s competing with another baby firm. Capitalism! (Yesterday’s rank: 6)
9. The Princess Switch: Switched Again
For fans of: Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens, Vanessa Hudgens | Is it good?: You won’t be bored
Yet another holiday romantic comedy. The identical Princess Margaret and once a baker, now also a princess Stacy (both Vanessa Hudgens) switch again so Margaret can try to repair her relationship with Stacy’s friend Kevin (Nick Sagar) before her coronation. But Margaret’s identical cousin Lady Fiona (you guessed it, Vanessa Hudgens) has her own scheme to do another switch and take the throne for herself. It’s a whole lotta Hudgens. These movies are very dumb, but they’re fun. (Yesterday’s rank: 4)
10. If Anything Happens I Love You
For fans of: Feeling sad | Is it good?: It’s a heavy but worthwhile 12 minutes
Two grieving parents mourn and try to carry on after the tragic loss of their daughter in a school shooting in this lovingly hand-drawn short. It’s surprising that a project this small and artsy cracked the list at all, so it’s worth checking out for that alone. (Yesterday’s rank: 8)
The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind
