More often than not, we find ourselves doomscrolling through Netflix, trying to determine our next go-to watch. Brain fog usually affects our judgement and we end up grumpy and sleepy, unable to decide on a film. Worry not, we at Best of Netflix have decided to create a comprehensive list for you every weekend to choose your next weekend watch.
With thousands of movies on offer, finding great content on Netflix isn’t the most challenging thing to do. However, with so much choice, often, breaking those thousands of titles into a concise list of great movies to watch can feel like an unwelcomed uphill task. Thankfully, we’ve done all the hard work for you.
While Netflix adds new titles every month, there are certain brilliant classics and older flicks that you must sink your teeth into. From a gloomy Ben Affleck thriller to a bloody and gory Quentin Tarantino film, here is a brilliant list of must-see movies for you to watch this weekend:
5 must-see movies to watch on Netflix this weekend:
Argo (Ben Affleck, 2012)
With three Academy Awards to its name, Affleck’s 2012 film is based on the real-life events of CIA agent and infiltration expert Tony Mendez’s experience when he goes to Iran under the guise of a sci-fi filmmaker to rescue six US embassy staff who Iranian Islamists took hostage. Also known as the Canadian Caper due to the massive support from the Canadian government, the film boasts seamless direction and a gritting narrative peppered with dark comedy.
Although the filmmaker was criticised for not crediting the Canadian government, Affleck’s film recorded an emotionally cathartic journey for a level-headed, strategic and efficient CIA personnel whose determination and resilience propelled him to succeed in the covert mission despite initial hiccups along the way.
tick, tick…boom! (Lin-Manuel Miranda, 2021)
Miranda presented a brilliant explosion of artistic precarity in his directorial debut by providing a heartfelt tribute to the legendary composer, lyricist and playwright, Jonathan Larson. Portrayed wonderfully by Oscar-nominated actor Andrew Garfield who used his previous experiences with grief and loss to propel his performance in the film, the film is an absolute revelation.
In the film, Larson is on the brink of turning 30. He is constantly dealing with the paranoia and anxiety of never being able to be as successful as he wants to be. He is exactly like T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock who basks in the transience of time while dealing with the constant frustrations of being a rejected artist; the rejection becomes a defining moment in his iconic legacy.
The Devil All The Time (Antonio Campos, 2020)
The film stars Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgard, Harry Melling, Sebastian Stan and Haley Bennett among others. Set in an extensive time period from the end of the Second World War to the 1960s in rural parts of Ohio and West Virginia, the film constantly questions divinity, religion and faith while exposing the effects of war on families ravaged by deaths, tragedies and murders.
The stellar cast delivers brilliant performances in the film which expands on violence, faith, PTSD as well as the miserable existence of the survivor. Pattinson and Holland, especially, are incredible in their respective characters. The film is adapted from Donald Ray Pollock’s eponymous 2011 novel; Pollock even serves as the narrator of the film.
Inglourious Basterds(Quentin Tarantino, 2009)
Good old Tarantino boasts an incredible ensemble cast in the film, namely Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Til Schweiger and Daniel Bruhl. Bloody, bold and bizarre, the war film’s lack of war is well balanced by immense menace and cruelty. The film received plenty of prestigious awards and eight Academy nominations, serving as a testament to the filmmaker’s insatiable thirst for violence and captivating narratives.
Lt. Aldo Raine heads a commando unit named ‘Basterds’ where he expects each of his men to bring 100 Nazi scalps. Having massacred Nazis for years now, in France, Raine plans to bring the Nazi government once and for all and end the war; he enlists the help of Shoshanna a young woman who wanted to avenge the murder of her family, witnessed by her, at the hands of a German officer.
Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2017)
Based on Michael Lewis’ nonfiction book, the film follows Billy Beane, the general manager of Oakland Athletics, as he joins forces with Peter Brand to reinvent and restructure the team and win the championship by employing a strategy to defeat the wealthier teams, despite certain setbacks.
Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Robin Wright and more, the film had been a huge success, garnering a massive revenue of $110.2 million. Besides being a commercial success, it received six Academy Award nominations and became a major breakthrough in Hill’s career as he won both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his incredible performance.
