Netflix's most visually stunning movies (2023)

1. Blade Runner 2049 - UK only

The original Blade Runner was one of the most visually distinctive and impactful films ever made. This sequel from Denis Villeneuve couldn't have hoped to have the same impact, but it comes shockingly close - while also opening up its own distinct visual rhythm. Blade Runner 2049 regularly bathes the screen in stunning areas of color, while the sci-fi world it creates has a tactile, realistic fidelity to it.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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2. Pan's Labyrinth - UK only

Pan's Labyrinth is the kind of movie that will stick in your head for years to come. Part of that is due to the sad story of a child's supernatural discovery during the brutal Spanish Civil War. Another is the film's grotesquely inventive creature design, rendered through impeccable practical effects work. It is perhaps Guillermo del Toro's defining visual masterpiece, which really says something.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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3. Summer Solstice - UK Only

There aren't many horror movies that warrant the label "beautiful," let alone bathe their scariest scenes in an almost perpetual light. However, Ari Aster's Midsommar is no ordinary horror film. This deeply disturbing film tells the story of a group of young Americans who travel to a seemingly good-natured Swedish village, only to discover they follow a series of deadly pagan traditions.

Image credit: A24

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4. Spirited Away – just not in the UK

We couldn't write a list of visually stunning Netflix movies without nodding to the Studio Ghibli movie collection that resides almost permanently on the service. You can choose from the unparalleled productions of the Japanese animation studio, but Spirited Away is among the most aesthetically evocative. The world of sad ghosts, people strangling pigs and grotesque witches is one you want to get lost in.

Image credit: Studio Ghibli

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5. Destruction - UK only

Writer-director Alex Garland has contributed his share of visually compelling films in his day (including Ex Machina and Sunshine), but none stand out more than Annihilation. This mind-boggling adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's sci-fi novel imbues the most memorable scenes with a synesthetic sense of dread as a team of explorers led by Natalie Portman investigate a mysterious alien quarantine zone.

Image credit: Netflix

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6. Amélie - alleen VK

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie has such an idiosyncratic sensibility and distinctive aura that it has become one of the most referenced (not to say parodied) films of the 21st century. Audrey Tatou plays the honorary matchmaker, bent on improving the lives of her neighbors. However, it is the almost fictional depiction of Parisian street life that really makes it a must-see.

Image Credit: Momentum Images

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7. Sure, just not in Britain

Director Michael Mann has always had an interest in a stylish urban scene, and Collateral is full of it. While the movie tells the simple story of a ruthless killer (played by Tom Cruise) and the hapless taxi driver (Jamie Foxx) who joins in his deadly schemes, the main character here is actually Los Angeles at night and its lit up streets.

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

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8. RRR - VK/VS

RRR is one of the most impressive films you will ever see. It is the most expensive Indian film ever made, but every rupee spent can be seen on screen as it is a visual masterpiece. RRR manages to weave together all kinds of combat - some with fists, some with guns and even tigers - in the twin story of two men trying to survive during the British Raj of the 1920s.

Image credit: Dreamz Entertainment

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9. Portrait of a Lady on Fire - UK only

Very appropriate given the title and subject, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is as beautiful as a painting. Céline Sciamma's French-language film has an intensely pictorial quality. Noémie Merlant plays an 18th-century painter who is commissioned to observe a young noblewoman and eventually paint a portrait, which leads to a passionate relationship between the two.

Image credit: Pyramid Films

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10. Rome - VK/VS

While his previous film, Gravity, won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, Alfonso Cuarón's follow-up film, Rome, is equally visually stunning - albeit in a much more subtle way. This intimate photo of Colonia Roma, Mexico, circa 1970, was taken in black and white. Hit pause somewhere in the movie and you could probably enter the result in a photo contest.

Image credit: Netflix

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11. Dog Power - VK/VS

Jane Campion's Revisionist Western is a film that is not only psychologically impressively slow, but also looks fantastic, thanks to the breathtaking views that Campion is known for. The vastness of the landscapes is largely a metaphor for the film's themes, but at first glance they are also beautiful to behold.

Image credit: Netflix

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12. The White Tiger - UK/US

Aravind Adiga's Debut Fantasy Novel Comes to Life in 2021 Thanks to Ramin Bahrani's Deft Direction. The visuals complement the twisted story of a driver who rises through the ranks (and his caste) thanks to a brilliant blemish. Satire has never looked so luxurious.

Image credit: Netflix

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13. Slumberland - VK/VS

It's not the best movie on this list, but if you're looking for a visually stunning childhood fantasy (and you clearly are, you're reading this), then this is an overlooked gem. Jason Momoa stars as Flip, a crook who teams up with an orphan to reach dreamland, where dreams literally come true.

Image credit: Netflix

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14. Mank - VK/VS

Another black and white movie on this list, but it may lack color, but that doesn't mean the cinematography won't leave you baffled. David Fincher's fictional take on real-life Hollywood writer Herman J. Mankiewicz, who wrote the classic Citizen Kane. The screenplay is based on Fincher's late father's screenplay and visually brings the story to life beautifully.

Image credit: Netflix

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15. William the Bull Pinocchio - UK/US

Guillermo del Toro is the perfect visionary to bring the ancient story of Pinocchio to life, and he did it by creating one of the most beautiful stop-motion animations ever created. Going back to the original Italian text (which dates back to the 1880s), this is a darker, more mature story than what Disney offers - and all the better for it. You can watch it in 4K and you should see it on the largest screen possible. Beautiful things.

Image credit: Netflix

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