I signed up for Netflix recently too. No recommendations in this post but I will share my strategy for finding good movies. I like independent, smart dramas and documentaries, so my search is geared towards those types of movies. I rely on critics' choices, especially where a movie is rated favorably by a consensus of critics. Of course the general plot line has to interest me as well.
A great website is
Movie Review Query Engine. It provides links to reviews of movies. So once I find a movie I'm interested in I'll look here to see what others say about it.
Film Threat seems to be independent. They have a way to search all their reviews for highly rated movies. So, I look for movies they have rated highly then cross-reference the reviews with
Movie Review Query Engine.
Movies that have won awards are generally smart and well-made. There are a number of websites that list award-winners; Netflix has a way to search for some award winners as well. This
movie awards page on Infoplease is a good place to start. You can google any award to find complete lists of winners and nominees.
Another good starting point is
NY Times best 1000 movies
These sites should give you a place to start to find movies you'll enjoy.