Want to kick back with your gal pals for a much needed movie night? We hear you. No matter if you’re able to hang in person or are opting for a video-chat virtual hang, the choices for what to watch together can be overwhelming! That’s why we’ve dug through Netflix’s current selection of rom-coms, buddy comedies, tearjerkers, and female-focused fun to single out the very top of the crop. Whether you want something sweet, snarky, sentimental, suspenseful, silly, or savage, we’ve got you covered.
Here are the top 10 best options for a Gals Night In, all of which are now streaming on Netflix:
1. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
Credit: Masha Weisberg / Netflix
Based on Jenny Han’s YA novel of the same name, this teen rom-com centers on wistful wallflower Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor), who spends her school days steering clear of mean girls, then her nights dreaming of epic romances with various crushes. Her active imagination not only leads to whimsical fantasy sequences, but also to penning a series of love letters that she never intends to send. Naturally, the letters get out, leaving Lara Jean’s most secret desires exposed! To dodge the reaction from one crush in particular, she conspires with kind-hearted jock Peter Kavinsky (It Boy Noah Centineo) to be her pretend boyfriend. Amid shared scrunchies, love-dovey lock screens, yogurt drinks, and one steamy hot tub tryst, things get complicated as their fake romance sparks real feelings. (For a DIY double-feature, pair Susan Johnson’s praised pic with its love-triangle sequel, To All The Boys, P.S. I Still Love You.)
How to watch: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is now streaming on Netflix.
2. 13 Going on 30
If you haven’t watched 13 Going on 30 yet, what exactly are you doing? An absolute staple of the rom-com genre, the film follows Jenna Rink, an awkward 13-year-old girl whose only birthday wish is to be “30, flirty, and thriving.” Well, lucky for Jenna, her wish surprisingly comes true, and she wakes up the next day to find that she’s now her 30-year-old self (played by the incomparable Jennifer Garner) in the ripe year of 2004. From timeless quotes to swoon-worthy romance and some of the most memorable scenes to ever bless a rom-com, 13 Going on 30 is a must-see. Plus, it’ll give you the biggest crush on Mark Ruffalo ever.* — Yasmeen Hamadeh, Freelance Contributor
How to watch: 13 Going on 30 is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Carol
Want to swoon as a crew? Turn to Todd Hayne’s glamorous adaption of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt. Rooney Mara stars as a wide-eyed shop girl with ambitions of becoming a photographer. Yet, her path seems set and small, even amid the dazzling possibilities of 1950s New York City. She’ll probably marry some man, have kids, and then become like the vacuous women who swan around the department store where she works. That is until she meets Carol, an elegant vision of womanhood, who catches her eye and calls her a girl “flung out of space.” What begins as a fascination fast blossoms into an intoxicating romance. Brimming with color, lust, and texture, this critically adored drama embraces audiences with the thrill, threat, and freedom of forbidden love. Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, John Magaro, and Kyle Chandler co-star.
How to watch: Carol is now streaming on Netflix.
4. Always Be My Maybe
Credit: Netflix
What if the one who got away got a second chance? Back in the day, Sasha and Marcus were tight as a slap bracelet. But one fumbled night in a sweaty backseat seemed to shatter their future together. 15 years later, she’s a world-renowned chef and he’s — well — he’s working for his dad’s HVAC business and playing with his band on the side. Still, fate arranges for them to reconnect, which could mean Marcus (Randall Park) has a shot to show Sasha (Ali Wong) how he feels. However, the stakes get high when Keanu Reeves crashes the party, being all weird and hot and having the audacity to be Keanu Reeves! This Nahnatchka Khan-helmed laffer also boasts appearances by James Saito, Charlyne Yi, Karan Soni, Daniel Dae Kim, and Michelle Buteau.
How to watch: Always Be My Maybe is now streaming on Netflix.
5. The Lovebirds
Credit: Skip Bolen / Netflix
Want a romantic comedy with a solid streak of action? Michael Showalter, the helmer behind such envelope-pushing rom-coms as The Big Sick and The Baxter, offers a thrilling adventure of mistaken identities, murder, and mayhem. Smoke-show comedians Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani star as Leilani and Jibran, a couple who started out hot and heavy but have witnessed the passion slowly bleed out of their relationship. Then, what starts off as another night of mandatory fun and beleaguered bickering derails when they are framed for a hit-and-run homicide. Fleeing from cops and crooks, these two will have to team up to clear their names. Along the way, they rediscover their spark…as well as how good Rae looks in a unicorn onesie.
How to watch: The Lovebirds is now streaming on Netflix.
6. Lady Bird
Being a teen girl is a unique hell. Few films capture this frenzy of hormones, angst, obstinacy, insecurity, and recklessness as deftly and humorously as writer/director Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age dramedy. Saoirse Ronan stars Lady Bird, a self-named 16-year-old girl who views her Catholic high school, working class constraints, and hovering mother as insufferable obstacles to her inevitable greatness. Ravenous to carve out her own identity, she throws herself at boys, into fights with her exasperated mother (Laurie Metcalf), and out of a car! Yet even in her most outlandish moments, this gonzo girl’s journey feels achingly relatable. If you’re game to feel 16 again, check out this critically heralded stunner that is specific, insightful, and achingly vulnerable. Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Timothée Chalamet co-star, sprinkling in humor, heartbreak, and f*ckboi-style hotness.
How to watch: Lady Bird is now streaming on Netflix.
7. Do Revenge
Credit: Kim Simms / Netflix
Looking for a revenge flick that pays tribute to teen classics like Mean Girls, Heathers, Cruel Intentions, and more? Then check out Do Revenge, a dark comedy sure to join the canon of iconic high school movies. Students Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) couldn’t be more different… apart from the fact that both have major bones to pick with people who ruined their reputations. They decide to team up and execute one another’s revenge plans, which leads down a winding road of morally dubious choices, snappy one-liners, and excellent outfits.
Mendes and Hawke have great chemistry, but it’s Sophie Turner who damn near steals the show in a bit part that simply must be seen to be believed.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Do Revenge is now streaming on Netflix.
8. Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room
Want to crack up and commiserate about the joys and trials of being a mom? Turn to sparkling stand-up comic Katherine Ryan. Bedecked in a bedazzled floral top with crisp red lipstick, she’s a smirking vision of feminine beauty as she unfurls dirty jokes that’d make your father blush. The audience of her comedy special is welcomed in with a conspiratorial tone and invitingly mischievous grin, as if we’re all girlfriends gathered for an all-you-can drink brunch. Her stories come fast, furious, and savagely funny, thanks to her cutting candor, feminist edge, and outrageous punch lines. Whether you want to chuckle over dating, parenting, Celine Dion, or Hamilton, Katherine is your girl.
How to watch: Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room is now streaming on Netflix.
9. The Breaker Upperers
This hidden gem comes from New Zealand, the fertile comedy ground that gave us Taika Waititi, Flight of the Conchords, and What We Do In The Shadows. Waititi collaborators Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston, and Jemaine Clement team up for a deeply quirky buddy comedy about two long-time besties with a bonkers — but brilliant — business model. Need someone to dump your partner so you can avoid a messy confrontation? Call on Jen and Mel (co-writers/co-directors/co-leads van Beek and Madeleine Sami). For a reasonable fee, these fearless Breaker Upperers will impersonate police officers, play pregnant, or even fake your death to help you ghost an ex. Whatever the shenanigans, van Beek and Sami sparkle. Booming with wild humor and big heart, this comedy is guaranteed to leave you cackling.
How to watch: The Breaker Upperers is now streaming on Netflix.
10. Mamma Mia!
ABBA is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only did the Swedish pop supergroup bestow such bangers as “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance On Me,” and this movie’s titular track, they also inspired the wildly popular Broadway jukebox musical on which this film is based. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, Mamma Mia! offers a barrage of love stories, starting with Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), a bride-to-be who is determined to meet her long lost dad. The trouble is her mirthful mother Donna (Meryl Streep) played the field, so there are three contenders for the man who might walk Sophie down the aisle. But all is fun in love and weddings as the guests arrive ahead of the big day. Stuffed with sing-along songs, giddy humor, lots of love and an embarrassment of stars — including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and Julie Walters — Mamma Mia! is a crowd-pleaser, sure to thrill on a night in with the friends. Well, friends who have great taste anyway.
How to watch: Mamma Mia! is now streaming on Netflix.
UPDATE: Feb. 8, 2024, 1:40 p.m. EST This list was updated to reflect Netflix’s latest offerings.
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