First, a clarification, because the title causes confusion: this isn’t the 1989 taekwondo drama with James Earl Jones and Eric Roberts. Netflix’s Best of the Best, which arrived on September 18, 2026, is a college dance comedy about two best friends on a competitive Bollywood-fusion team. It stars Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia and is directed by Lena Khan. This review looks at the premise, the cast, the critical response and whether it dances its way into your watchlist.
I’m working from official material and published reviews, not a personal screening, and I’ll note where critics disagree.
The Premise
Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) have been best friends since childhood. After a high-school dance routine goes viral in the worst way, Maya decides she’s done with dancing. Then the pair enrol at UCLA and join the university’s highly competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. Maya wants to help them win first place, partly to erase the humiliation of that viral video, while Anjali tries to balance dance and academics at the risk of her mother pulling her out of university (Pajiba).
It’s a familiar structure from the dance and competition genre, with underdogs, rivalries, a big final performance and a friendship put under strain. The twist is the world it’s set in.
A Subculture You Rarely See on Screen
Collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance is a real circuit in which university teams blend classical and film-Bollywood styles with hip-hop and contemporary dance in judged, ranked routines. Director Lena Khan described it to Netflix as the most cutthroat, competitive and pressure-filled corner of the performing arts, with participants who are also headed to med school or engineering school (Netflix Tudum).
The idea came from co-writer and co-star Hasan Minhaj and co-writer Prashanth Venkataramanujam, who attended Bollywood-inspired dance competitions as South Asian college students. Minhaj has described those events as a coming-of-age experience in which the culture is celebrated (What’s on Netflix). That personal connection shows in the film’s in-jokes.
Cast and Crew
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who became a star through Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, leads, in what one report calls her first lead since that series. Priyanka Kedia plays Anjali. The cast also includes Ankur Rathee as dance leader Ronak, Chaneil Kular, Shreya Navile, Janina Gavankar, Becky Alex, Lilly Singh and Hasan Minhaj.
Lena Khan previously directed Flora & Ulysses, and said her visual inspirations included Dope and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Nerdtropolis). The film is rated PG-13 for strong language, sexual material, some teen drinking and drug material, according to one listing.
What Critics Are Saying
The reviews lean positive, with some caveats about the second half.
- Pajiba calls it an enjoyable, low-stakes dance comedy with an infectious spirit and well-thought-out characters, though it found the choreography hit or miss and the final routine less than a showstopper.
- What’s on Netflix says the film stands out among the many Netflix dance competition movies for its dancing, costumes and choreography, and calls Ramakrishnan’s lead energy confirmed, but feels it loses its rhythm in the second half.
- LadyGeeks was more glowing, calling it a gorgeous love letter to dance and friendship, and says it made the reviewer grin even after a bad day (review).
- The Federal, an Indian outlet, was cooler, calling it a Bollywood-loving dramedy that misses the beat and a predictable, over-the-top story. It also felt Ramakrishnan hadn’t fully shaken her Never Have I Ever persona (review).
Another review points out that nothing in the plot is a surprise, but praises the film as funny, snappy and directed with infectious energy.
What Works
The friendship. A dance movie is only as good as its emotional core, and reviewers say the bond between Maya and Anjali drives the story. Comparisons have been made to Polite Society for the way it centres South Asian women who’d do anything for each other.
The humor. Several reviews mention fast, second-generation in-jokes that land.
The specificity. Rather than a generic dance contest, the film is rooted in a real subculture, and that gives it flavor.
Ramakrishnan. Reviewers describe her as consistently strong, with a lead performance that mixes vulnerability and stubbornness.
What Doesn’t
Predictability. If you know the college-comedy and dance-movie formula (Bring It On, Step Up, Pitch Perfect), you can predict the outline.
The choreography. Pajiba says the dancing is more fusion than Bollywood, and some routine choices stop the finale from being a showstopper. For a film about dance, that matters.
The second half. More than one reviewer says it loses momentum after a strong start.
Who Should Watch It
It’s a good pick for fans of dance movies, for viewers who grew up on teen comedies, and for anyone who wants a feel-good film about friendship. If you’re expecting a fresh take on the underdog sports story, it may feel too familiar.
Where to Watch
Best of the Best is streaming on Netflix, with a global premiere on September 18, 2026.
FAQ
Is this the same as the 1989 Best of the Best? No. That’s a taekwondo movie. This is a new Netflix dance comedy.
Who wrote it? Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam.
Do I need to know Bollywood dance? No. The film explains its world as it goes.
Is it family-friendly? It’s rated PG-13 for language, sexual material, teen drinking and drug material, so use judgment with younger viewers.
Final Verdict
Best of the Best doesn’t reinvent the dance movie, but it’s warm, funny and rooted in a world worth seeing on screen. Reviews differ on the choreography, so if the dancing is your priority, set your expectations accordingly. For a cozy Netflix night, it’s an easy recommendation.
