Matilda

Right now you can watch Matilda in Australia on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Netflix — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 4,852 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Mara Wilson leads a cast with real comic timing. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

There is a reason Matilda keeps coming up in conversation. The jokes in Matilda land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. Between them, Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It hit screens in 1996. What keeps Matilda from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Matilda is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Mara Wilson anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.