5 best Netflix movies to watch on Thanksgiving 2025

Thanksgiving is the rare holiday that insists we slow down. We gather around the table, pile our plates high with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, and at least for a moment acknowledge the people and moments that make life meaningful. But if you’re honest, by the time the dishes are cleared and the laughter dies down, the true luxury of the day is often sinking into the couch with something that keeps the warmth alive without asking too much of you. That’s where Netflix comes in.

Over the years, it has quietly become the sanctuary of holiday streaming: a place where you can find heartwarming family tales, laugh-out-loud comedies, and a handful of surprises that remind you why cinema can feel like a gift. But let’s face it scrolling through the endless options can be exhausting, especially when all you want is an hour or two of effortless joy. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting, curating a list of Netflix movies that promise to make your Thanksgiving 2025 just a little bit more memorable.

Always Be My Maybe

Few romantic comedies manage to feel both genuinely funny and profoundly human, but Always Be My Maybe achieves this with a rare grace. The film is a delightful mix of laughter and heartache, of nostalgia and hard truths about growing up. It doesn’t just chase punchlines; it digs into the tension between childhood bonds and adult ambitions, between what could have been and what actually is.

Sasha Tran and Marcus Kim were inseparable as kids, bound by friendship and shared dreams. Life, inevitably, pulls them in opposite directions: Sasha leaves their hometown behind to become a celebrated chef, while Marcus stays rooted in San Francisco, navigating the unglamorous, messy middle of adulthood. When fate and impeccable timing brings them back together, the reunion is charged with all the awkward humor, lingering “what ifs,” and tender heart-melting moments you might secretly recognize from your own past. Ali Wong is luminous as Sasha, infusing her humor with vulnerability, while Randall Park grounds Marcus with a warmth that makes every moment between them feel earned. Watching them, you can almost smell the shared childhood summers and feel the quiet ache of roads not taken.

Carry-On

For those willing to step outside the cozy, predictable holiday mold, Carry-On offers a thrilling jolt of adrenaline. Taron Egerton stars as Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent whose routine life spirals into chaos on Christmas Eve. The stakes are immediate and personal: when Jason Bateman’s mysterious traveler blackmails Ethan into letting a perilous carry-on slip past security, every second becomes a pulse-pounding race against catastrophe.

And as if the tension weren’t enough, the film adds a tender, human anchor in Sofia Carson’s pregnant girlfriend. The fear, the urgency, the near-constant edge-of-your-seat suspense Carry-On is not a holiday flick that asks you to relax. It demands your attention, and it rewards it, leaving you exhilarated in the aftermath.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

If you crave intrigue with your post-dinner dessert, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery delivers a masterclass in clever plotting and theatrical pleasure. Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, the quietly brilliant detective whose calm intellect cuts through the absurdity of a murder among the ridiculously wealthy and entitled. Set on a private Greek island, the film revels in the eccentricities of its ensemble cast Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista each performance sharpening the satire while keeping the audience guessing.

It’s easy to get lost in the twists, but the real thrill comes from the gleeful orchestration of chaos: watching characters unravel under Blanc’s scrutiny, realizing too late that they’ve underestimated him. And for those already hooked, the promise of a third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, arriving December 12, adds a delicious layer of anticipation.

In Your Dreams

Thanksgiving is also a time for imagination, and few films capture the joy of wonder like In Your Dreams. This animated adventure takes siblings Stevie and Elliot on a surreal journey through a vibrant, dreamlike world as they seek the Sandman and hope to mend their struggling family. Here, the mundane rules of reality bend, giving way to twisting landscapes, mischievous creatures, and the formidable Queen of Nightmares.

Elliot’s stuffed giraffe, Baloney Tony, comes magically to life, bringing both comic relief and unexpected heart. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport gives Stevie a voice full of curiosity and determination, while Elias Janssen’s Elliot is charmingly earnest. The supporting cast Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Gia Carides, Omid Djalili, SungWon Cho layers the film with energy and warmth, creating a spectacle that’s visually arresting and emotionally resonant. It’s a movie that reminds you that wonder, even in small doses, can feel like magic.

Love Hard

Finally, if what you truly crave is comfort, chaos, and the quiet sweetness of a rom-com, Love Hard is your cinematic turkey with all the trimmings. The story begins with a familiar modern-day dilemma: Natalie, seeking love in the age of apps and algorithms, flies across the country to meet her online crush only to discover she’s been catfished.

What could have been a humiliating disaster transforms into a hilarious, heartfelt journey as Natalie navigates awkward family dinners, messy holiday traditions, and the sparks of unexpected romance. Nina Dobrev brings Natalie to life with sincerity and humor, while Jimmy O. Yang’s Josh, the well-intentioned catfisher, adds charm and complexity to the proceedings. The film thrives in its imperfections, in the messy, unpredictable ways love reveals itself when you least expect it, leaving you both laughing and sighing with recognition.