‘Best of the Best’ Review: Netflix’s Dance Comedy Is a Surprisingly Fun Coming-of-Age Story

Netflix has another comedy coming, and this one surprised me with how much fun I had watching it.

Best of the Best premieres on Netflix September 18th, 2026, and if you like coming-of-age movies, dance competitions, comedy and stories about friendship, this one is definitely worth checking out.

The movie follows two best friends, Maya, played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Anjali, played by Priyanka Kedia. The two are excellent dancers, but they have completely different personalities. Maya is confident, outspoken and always willing to push the limits, while Anjali is much more timid and tends to second guess herself. The two have been best friends for years, and they are trying to figure out what comes next after high school.

That next step takes them to UCLA. Maya gets a full scholarship while Anjali is dealing with a much more overbearing mother who has very specific expectations for her. Their friendship is tested pretty early, especially when they start trying to figure out who they want to be outside of the little bubble they have always lived in.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this movie is how much Indian culture is mixed into the dancing. Maya and Anjali bring their traditional Indian dance styles together with hip-hop, modern choreography and some really cool visuals. There are some great dance sequences throughout the movie, and the choreography was easily one of my favorite parts.

The girls eventually discover the South Asian Student Association and a Bollywood dance club at UCLA. Maya isn't immediately interested, but Anjali is drawn to it. They also discover the school's competitive dance team, and before long, Maya gets them involved.

The tryouts are hilarious, especially because they have to take place in a parking garage after the pickleball team takes over the gym. Each round gets faster and more difficult, and these girls absolutely kill it.

Hasan Minhaj who is a writer on the film also plays a UCLA professor, and I thought he was really good in this role. He brings a lot of comedy to the movie without feeling like he's trying too hard.

There are a lot of characters on the dance team that I enjoyed, but Harry, played by Nico Greetham, had me laughing. The guy is basically the stereotypical white dude who somehow finds himself completely invested in this dance team, and his interactions with everyone are hilarious.

The movie does a good job balancing the comedy with the friendship between Maya and Anjali. There are definitely some moments where the two don't see eye to eye, and their friendship starts to get complicated as they become more involved with the dance team. I won't get into all of the details because I don't want to spoil the movie, but this is ultimately just as much a story about their friendship as it is about dancing.

There is also a really interesting part of the story involving Maya constantly feeling overlooked. Anjali eventually starts realizing that Maya has spent a lot of their lives standing in her shadow, even though Maya is the one who is usually the loudest person in the room. That adds another layer to their friendship and makes some of their arguments hit a little harder.

And of course, there is a dance competition involved. The UCLA team is trying to make it to the biggest competition while dealing with rivalries, team politics, relationships and plenty of mistakes along the way.

What I really liked about Best of the Best is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some ridiculous moments, but they fit the movie. The comedy works, the dance sequences are fun to watch, and the relationship between Maya and Anjali is really the heart of the story.

By the end, the movie delivers exactly what I wanted from it. It's a fun coming-of-age story about two people trying to figure out who they are, where they belong and what they want their futures to look like. I really enjoyed this one. One thing I definitely took away from Best of the Best is to keep thinking outside the box and never give up on what you want.

Check out Best of the Best on Netflix Friday, September 18th!