Five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Here we go again! Another round of trying to answer the same question: what on earth should you watch? And one of the easiest things to get sucked into on Netflix is sticking with whatever’s trending at the moment. But we fail to ignore most films on there that’ve already stood the test of time.
That’s especially true with genre films. A good action thriller doesn’t suddenly stop being exciting just because it’s ten years old. A sharp comedy is still dead funny. Good entertainment’s good entertainment, and it usually lasts a lot longer than whatever the algorithm’s pushing.
This week’s picks are a reminder of that. And no, we haven’t got any indie or art films for you this week. In fact, you’ve got a bit of everything here. These aren’t films trying to figure out what they want to be halfway through. They know who they are for, and just get on with it.
So whether you are after some brutal action, a bit of supernatural world-building, or laugh-out-loud comedy, these five films have got you covered. More importantly, they will make you feel like you’ve spent your weekend watching something worthwhile.
Five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend:
The Equalizer (Antoine Fuqua, 2014)
Long before every action franchise became all about explosions and dafter body counts, The Equalizer showed there is a lot to be said for keeping things simple. Right from the off, you are introduced to Robert McCall, a fella who seems perfectly happy living a simple life. He works in a hardware shop, spends his nights with a good book, and keeps his past very much to himself. But all the way through, you get the feeling he is taking everything in and missing absolutely nothing.
Things start to change when McCall gets to know Teri, a young woman stuck under the thumb of the Russian mob. After she ends up in the hospital following a brutal attack, he tries to buy her freedom. Initially, it seems like a straightforward decision, but before you know it, it pulls him into a fight with some very dangerous people. That unleashes the beast he had been hiding for years. So if you are in the mood for some underdog action this weekend, this Denzel Washington movie won’t disappoint.
Bright (David Ayer, 2017)
Next, imagine a standard buddy-cop movie. Now add magic and ancient prophecies to it. Odd, isn’t it? Wait, it gets better. Also, add elves and a familiar Los Angeles with mythical creatures walking down the street. That’s Bright, and most of the fun of this movie comes from its bizarre yet entertaining premise.
The story follows LAPD officer Daryl Ward (Will Smith) and his partner Nick Jakoby, who also happens to be the first orc police officer in the department. Nobody trusts Jakoby, okay. His colleagues don’t trust him. His own community doesn’t trust him. And things only get worse when the pair stumble upon Tikka, an elf carrying a magical wand. The movie sparked plenty of debate when it arrived on Netflix. Critics weren’t handing out glowing reviews, yet audiences kept watching it. Is it messy? Sure. Is it ambitious? Absolutely. And sometimes ambition makes for a far more interesting watch than perfection.
The Babysitter (McG, 2017)
This might look like a movie you’ve seen before. It’s the story of a 12-year-old boy, Cole, who spends most of his time being bullied. His parents don’t understand him, and his babysitter, Bee, is basically the coolest person on the planet. She plays games with him, as she boosts his confidence. Sounds too good to be true? Well, that’s because she is.
One night, Cole decides to stay awake after Bee puts him to bed. Curiosity gets the better of him. What he discovers completely changes the movie. Suddenly, what began as a coming-of-age comedy turns into a frantic fight for survival involving rituals, murder, and a dangerous group of teenagers. Part of the film’s appeal comes from how much fun it has with its own absurdity. It knows exactly how silly it is, and that’s precisely why it works.
Dolemite Is My Name (Craig Brewer, 2019)
Before talking about the plot, it helps to know that Rudy Ray Moore was a real person. And the fact that it’s his actual story is already fascinating enough to be a movie. Dolemite Is My Name follows Moore, a struggling entertainer who spends years trying to break into show business without much success. Then he comes across a new persona: Dolemite, a loud, outrageous, cane-carrying character whose over-the-top stories begin attracting attention. When traditional gatekeepers refuse to take him seriously, Moore decides to make his own movie.
But this Netflix film is not really about fame if that’s the idea you’ve got. It’s about persistence. Rudy faces setback after setback and yet keeps finding another route forward. The movie also doubles as a love letter to independent filmmaking, showing what can happen when creativity outweighs resources. Eddie Murphy has delivered one of the best performances of his career, but the real star is Moore’s determination.
The Old Guard (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2020)
The last Netflix pick is about immortality, which sounds great until you stop and think about it hard enough. That’s the question raised in The Old Guard. What would life actually look like if death stopped showing up? The film introduces Andy, the leader of a small group of warriors who have spent centuries fighting battles across the world. Their secret has remained hidden for generations, but that changes when a mission exposes their existence. Around the same time, Nile Freeman, a US Marine, discovers that she shares the same mysterious ability after surviving what should have been a fatal injury.
From there, the story becomes an action thriller on what endless life might cost. Yes, there are sword fights and plenty of combat sequences, but the movie is equally interested in loneliness and the burden of watching entire eras disappear. That’s what separates it from many superhero-style adventures. Think twice before you press play.