5 great Netflix movies impossible to stop watching after the first scene

The most important scene in a movie is the first one. It might be the only chance to grab someone's attention and motivate them to finish the movie. The opening scene only lasts five to ten minutes, so it's crucial for a film to establish an enticing hook to reel audiences in. The idea of an excellent first scene is even more important when streaming at home, since the viewer can exit the movie at any point without penalty.

First, I mentioned several great movies that are impossible to stop watching after the first scene. Now, I'm narrowing that concept to Netflix. The list combines Netflix originals and licensed content available to stream at the time of publication. The list includes a mix of legacy sequels and original thrillers. My top pick remains a landmark achievement in cinema that inspired so many movies after it.

5 Don't Move

Stay still

Netflix is the king of thrillers for good reason. The streamer constantly puts out enticing thrillers with engaging premises, riveting action, and fist-pumping endings. Don't Move, a 2024 Netflix original produced by Sam Raimi, is built around a simple concept executed at the highest level. In the opening scene, a despondent Iris wakes up, gets in her car, and drives to a state park. She climbs to the top of the cliff, where she kneels before a memorial dedicated to her deceased son.

Just as she contemplates jumping to her death, a kind stranger named Richard (Finn Wittrock) talks Iris down from the literal cliff's edge. All this happens within the first 10 minutes, and I haven't even gotten to the juicy part yet. This part is in the trailer, so it's not a spoiler: Richard injects Iris with a paralytic agent that will paralyze her body in 20 minutes. He plans to give Iris a head start before hunting her down and killing her. If that setup doesn't get you to sit on the edge of your seat, I'm not sure what will.

4 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Meet the Jimmys

It's a shame that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple underperformed during its theatrical run, because Nia DaCosta's sequel rules. While 28 Years Later is a surprisingly touching meditation on grief and death, The Bone Temple is a nasty, blood-soaked horror film packed with brutality and gore. It also features one of my favorite performances of the year: Jack O'Connell as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, the leader of a satanic cult where his followers wear blonde wigs and go by Jimmy.

The Bone Temple picks up in the aftermath of the last film, where Spike (Alfie Williams) is rescued by Jimmy and his cult. Similar to the tryout scene in The Dark Knight, Jimmy forces Spike to fight to the death against one of his followers. As the other Jimmys laugh at Spike's expense, the sadistic Sir Jimmy watches from afar, showing no compassion or mercy for his injured follower. O'Connell is magnetic as a psychopath, so I'm hoping he continues playing villains.

3 The Rip

Police, corruption, and Miami

I'm always going to ride for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The Boston boys made one of my favorite movies of all time, Good Will Hunting, so whenever they reunite onscreen, I watch. Luckily for me, their latest reunion came in a gritty cop thriller called The Rip, a Netflix original released this past January.

From its opening scene, The Rip poses this question: Are Damon and Affleck playing dirty cops? Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) is brought in for questioning after the suspicious murder of his captain. The rest of Dane's team, including Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Affleck), is questioned about the murder. Plus, there are rumors about cops robbing drug houses, and those play out a later raid. Dirty cops, corruption within the department, and a drug raid worth millions will have you guessing which side Dane and J.D. are on until the very end. This is the type of streaming movie I want to see more of.​​​​​​​

2 Top Gun: Maverick

I'm going back into the danger zone

More often than not, legacy sequels don't work. The Matrix Resurrections, Jurassic World Dominion, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker all come to mind as sequels that failed to capture the spirit of the franchise's earlier movies. You know what sequel is nearly perfect? Top Gun: Maverick. Not only did Maverick bring fresh ideas to the table, but it improved upon its predecessor.

Top Gun: Maverick opens with pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) pushing a new aircraft past Mach 10 and becoming the fastest man alive. However, Maverick's insubordination forces him to become an instructor at Top Gun to keep his job. There, he must train a new crop of hotshot pilots for a mission with stakes that could change the world. Between the magical practical effects and Cruise's emotionally moving performance, Top Gun: Maverick proves that sequels don't have to be cheap cash grabs. Instead, they can be timeless adventures.​​​​​​​

1 Heat

Michael Mann's masterpiece

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Guys literally want one thing, and that's to talk about Heat. I'm kidding. I do laugh when Michael Mann's 1995 classic is used as the punchline to that meme. Admittedly, there's some truth to it. Who doesn't want to talk about how Heat marked the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro would share the screen together? Why wouldn't anyone want to discuss how Val Kilmer's tactical reload has reportedly been used as an example in military training?

Heat opens with a heist. Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and his crew, wearing iconic hockey masks, steal bearer bonds from an armored car. One of Neil's guys kills a guard, setting off a chain of events that draws the attention of LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino), who makes it his mission to take down Neil. The rest of the movie is equally masterful, highlighted by the iconic diner scene that became one of cinema's defining moments.

More Netflix shows and movies to check out

If you're sticking with Netflix, you might as well keep exploring. Head to the thrillers section and watch one of my favorite action movies, Point Break. For more movies, I recommend The Irishman and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, two Netflix originals I hope can go back into theaters someday.