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Stop What You're Doing & Watch These Netflix Originals Before The Year Is Up

It may be Christmas movie season at the moment — but it's also December 2018, aka the perfect time to reminisce over the best movies that have come out over the past year. And in 2018, more new movies than ever came from Netflix. Isn't it wild to think they used to be nothing more than a by-mail DVD rental company? So, allow me to reminisce over 8 of the best original Netflix movies from 2018.

Now, as much as I would have liked to, I did not watch every single new movie Netflix dropped this year. That said, if there was an app to check exactly how many hours I spent watching Netflix in 2018, I would do everything in my power to shut down the startup who created that app. Sorry, imaginary startup employees, but that's just data I don't need in my life. I already know that I spent an unhealthy amount of time watching Netflix this year. So even though I may not have seen every new movie the streaming platform debuted, you can trust that every movie on this list is worth a watch.

So without further delay, here are 8 of the best (rather, my favorite) Netflix films of 2018, in no particular order.

1

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

You already knew To All the Boys I've Loved Before was going to be on this list, so why not get things started with it? The teen rom-com tells the story of Lara Jean, a high school student who writes secret letters to all her crushes — and never intends to send them. When the letters actually are sent out, hijinks ensue. Viewers of all ages fell in love with the sweet story as well as its charming leads, Lana Condor and Noah Centineo.

2

Like Father

A young businesswoman is left at the altar after taking a work call during her wedding, and winds up drowning her sorrows by getting drunk with her estranged father. They wake up the next morning to discover that they both drunkenly embarked on her honeymoon cruise, forcing them to spend time getting to know each other. Like Father stars A-listers Kristen Bell, Kelsey Grammer, and Seth Rogen.

3

Nappily Ever After

Based on the novel of the same name, Nappily Ever After tells the story of Violet (Sanaa Lathan), an advertising exec who's a bit too much of a perfectionist — especially when it comes to her hair. The movie is broken up into chapters, each punctuated by Violet's hairstyle during that time period. One of the film's most beautiful moments is when Violet actually shaves her head on-camera.

4

Set It Up

In Set It Up, two overworked executive assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), go through elaborate steps to set up their miserable bosses (Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu). It's a romantic comedy — but the bosses aren't the film's main love interests, if you know what I mean.

5

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Coen brothers typically write for the big screen, but the filmmaking duo made their first movie for Netflix this year. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an anthology film, broken into six parts, each with a western theme. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs holds a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And that's how the west was won.

6

Roxanne Roxanne

Roxanne Roxanne is a biopic about musician Roxanne Shanté, starring newcomer Chanté Adams in the title role. Also featuring Mahershala Ali and Nia Long, the powerful film debuted on Netflix in March after premiering at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

7

Dumplin'

Based on the young adult novel of the same title, Dumplin' stars Danielle Macdonald as plus-size teenager Willowdean, and Jennifer Aniston as her mother, a former pageant queen still reveling in her past glory. When Willowdean decides to enter the pageant to spite her mother, things get dramatic. Featuring countless songs by Dolly Parton (including six new songs that the legend wrote for the film), Dumplin' is a heartfelt tale with more than one heartfelt message.

8

The Kissing Booth

The Kissing Booth is about best friends Elle (Joey King) and Lee (Joel Courtney), whose friendship is dictated by a set of rules they established as children. But when a spark suddenly ignites between Elle and Lee's older brother Noah (Jacob Elordi) after they share a kiss at their school's kissing booth, Elle lets all the rules go out the window.

Teen rom-coms were big on Netflix this year — here's hoping Netflix keeps that pattern up in 2019.

After experiencing a traumatic c-section, this mother sought out a doula to support her through her second child’s delivery. Watch as that doula helps this mom reclaim the birth she felt robbed of with her first child, in Episode Three of Romper's Doula Diaries, Season Two, below. Visit Bustle Digital Group's YouTube page for more episodes, launching Mondays in December.