Discover the best of Dutch cinema, film, and television

Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Netherlands. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!

The cinema of Netherlands

Dutch cinema is a world of bold provocateurs and commercial powerhouses, a film culture with a surprisingly rebellious spirit and a knack for creating global hits. Its international reputation was first forged by the singular, audacious vision of director Paul Verhoeven. In the 70s, he crafted films that were both massive domestic box office hits and critically acclaimed works of art, like the stunning Turkish Delight. He then took his subversive style to Hollywood, creating classics like RoboCop and Total Recall. This tradition of bold, independent voices continues to thrive. But the Dutch film scene also excels at something else: family entertainment. The nation's charming and beautifully made children's films are beloved at home and are a popular export, winning awards at festivals around the world. Perhaps its biggest global impact has been on television. The Netherlands is the nation that invented the reality TV format Big Brother, a show that completely revolutionised television and popular culture worldwide. This was followed by another global sensation, the musical competition The Voice, proving Dutch creativity in entertainment is a force to be reckoned with. What makes Dutch screen culture so fascinating is this blend of edgy artistry and brilliant commercial instinct. It’s a cinema that can be both profoundly provocative and wonderfully fun.

Best Dutch series

  • Poster for Ares

    Ares 2020

    When her friend suffers a bizarre accident, Rosa realizes the secret student society they've just joined is built on demonic secrets from Dutch history.

    58
  • Poster for Mocro Maffia

    Mocro Maffia 2018

    Best friends Romano, Potlood and De Paus rise in the rank of the criminal world. Before they know it, they run Amsterdam's entire coke market. Because of jealousy, their relation becomes complicated and ends up hostile.

    80
  • Poster for Informer

    Informer 2018

    Raza, a young second-generation British-Pakistani man from London is coerced by Gabe, a counterterrorism officer, into informing.

    71
  • Poster for Penoza

    Penoza 2010

    When her husband, a notorious drug lord, is wound up in the eyes of their youngest son, Carmen makes a drastic decision. Penoza sketches a penetrating picture of the Dutch underworld in which choices regarding family loyalty and money are on the cutting edge to be made. Penoza is told as a family saga with Carmen, a working mother with an exceptional profession at the head.

    81
  • Poster for The Golden Hour

    The Golden Hour 2022

    Mardik, a Dutch detective of Afghan descent, receives word that his childhood friend Faysal has come to the Netherlands. When a terrorist attack occurs the next day, Mardik suspects Faysal and investigates, with drastic consequences.

    74
  • Poster for The Mole

    The Mole 1999

    Ten candidates have to complete assignments to earn money. However, one of the group members is the Mole. The Mole's goal is to make the assignments fail and keep the amount of money earned as low as possible. The other candidates do not know who the Mole is and need to unmask them. At the end of every episode, the candidates take a multiple-choice test about the mole's identity. The person who gives the least amount of correct answers is "executed" and must leave. This process continues until only two contestants and the Mole remain. The winner is the person with the most correct answers in the final test and they get all of the money earned in previous stages of the game.

    81

Best Dutch movies

  • Poster for The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

    The Human Centipede (First Sequence) 2009

    During a stopover in Germany in the middle of a carefree road trip through Europe, two American girls find themselves alone at night when their car breaks down in the woods. Searching for help at a nearby villa, they are wooed into the clutches of a deranged retired surgeon, who has a very disturbed vision.

    48
  • Poster for Black Book

    Black Book 2006

    In the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.

    74
  • Poster for The Forgotten Battle

    The Forgotten Battle 2020

    In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies, impacting not only their freedom but also that of others.

    71
  • Poster for The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)

    The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) 2011

    Inspired by the fictional Dr. Heiter, disturbed loner Martin dreams of creating a 12-person centipede and sets out to realize his sick fantasy.

    43
  • Poster for Fish Tank

    Fish Tank 2009

    Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor, she is amazed to find he returns her attention, and believes he might help her start to make sense of her life.

    70
  • Poster for The Vanishing

    The Vanishing 1988

    Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor.

    73