Best Critically-acclaimed Independent Films on Netflix 2026
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Our pick of the best Critically-acclaimed Independent Films on Netflix right now, ranked by audience rating out of the 24 titles in category code 875. Tap any title for full details and where to watch.
See all 24 Critically-acclaimed Independent Films What are Netflix codes?
1. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Rated 8.5/10 on IMDb, one of IMDb's Top 250, from 1995, 1h 46m. When five unacquainted crooks are hauled into a police station to appear in a criminal lineup, they decide to pull off a heist together.
2. The Pianist (2002)
Rated 8.5/10 on IMDb, one of IMDb's Top 250, from 2002, 2h 28m. Famed Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman struggles to survive the onslaught of Nazi tyranny during World War II in this drama based on his memoirs.
3. Lost in Translation (2003)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2003, 1h 41m. Two lost souls visiting Tokyo -- the neglected wife of a photographer and a washed-up movie star -- find solace in each other's company.
4. Adaptation. (2002)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2002, 1h 50m. A Hollywood screenwriter battles insecurity as he struggles to adapt The Orchid Thief -- a book about a mercurial orchid poacher named John Laroche.
5. Ordinary People (2016)
Rated 7.7/10 on IMDb, from 2016, 1h 47m. Barely making a living as pickpockets, a teenage couple in Manila resort to desperate measures when their one-month-old child is kidnapped.
6. The Big Sick (2017)
Rated 7.5/10 on IMDb, from 2017, 1h 59m. Sparks fly between a comedian and grad student, but his Muslim family’s expectations destroy their romance.
7. Phantom Thread (2017)
Rated 7.5/10 on IMDb, from 2017, 2h 10m. A fashion designer is drawn to a waitress, who becomes his model, muse and lover.
8. Reprise (2006)
Rated 7.4/10 on IMDb, from 2006, 1h 42m. Close friends Erik and Phillip each await news on their first novels.
9. Blindspotting (2018)
Rated 7.4/10 on IMDb, from 2018, 1h 35m. Nearing the end of his probation, ex-convict Colin just wants to avoid prison -- but his best friend Miles and their city of Oakland don't make it easy.
10. The Rider (2017)
Rated 7.4/10 on IMDb, from 2017, 1h 42m. After a near-fatal fall, a cowboy is hesitant to walk away from his rodeo-riding days, even if it means risking his life.