(Credits: Thibault Penin)

Netflix has always been the internet’s favourite mood ring. It reflects exactly what you are feeling, even when you do not know what that is. Whether you are craving chaos, catharsis, or just background noise while you fold laundry, its catalogue has something that will stick. The problem? Sometimes the endless scroll turns into a decision-making crisis. That is where we step in.

This week, we are ditching the ‘Top 10’ algorithmic loop and handpicking five of the most engaging, genre-spanning films that deserve your time. These are not the ones Netflix screams at you on the homepage. They are the ones that simmer in the catalogue, quietly brilliant, often surprising, and packed with flavour.

You will find everything from biographical boldness and romantic fluff to slow-burn psychological drama and disturbing tech horror. Real viewers do not commit to one genre. They commit to moods. And this list brings exactly that.

So, if your brain is too fried to read reviews but too picky to settle for mediocrity, here are five films on Netflix that will make you glad you did not just rewatch The Office for the seventh time.

Here are five Netflix films for a perfect weekend

5. Dolemite Is My Name (Craig Brewer, 2019)

This film is not just a comeback story. It is a cinematic mic drop. Eddie Murphy steps into the larger-than-life shoes of Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling comedian who builds an alter ego (Dolemite) and ends up creating an underground blaxploitation cult classic. The film is wild, loud, funny, and bursting with heart. It is a celebration of do-it-yourself art, defiance, and the pure joy of not waiting for permission.

What makes it more than just a laugh riot is the love for storytelling and performance baked into every scene. You see a man betting on himself when nobody else will, and Murphy delivers one of his best performances in years. It is a joyride with soul. Loud suits, louder ambition, and a message that still hits hard: if the gate will not open, build your stage.

4. Your Place or Mine (Aline Brosh McKenna, 2023)

This Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy does not try to reinvent the genre. It leans into the predictability and makes it charming again. Swapping homes for a week, the two playtime friends slowly realise they have been dancing around something more. Yes, it is a typical formula film. But it is also comforting, like a romantic comedy version of warm soup when you are sick of life.

What saves it from being forgettable is that it knows when to be light, when to be cheeky. And most of all, when to stop pretending life is not sometimes just about letting yourself feel silly things. You can watch it when you are tired or overwhelmed.

3. The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion, 2021)

Jane Campion does not make easy cinema. The Power of the Dog is one such haunting, brutal masterpiece which proves this point. Set against the huge and lonely landscapes of 1920s Montana, this is a psychological western. It is about masculinity, repression, and control. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers an unflinching performance as Phil Burbank, a cruel and charismatic man whose slow unravelling is both fascinating and terrifying.

It is not a film to watch in the background. It demands your attention, repays it in tension, and lingers long after the credits roll. The cinematography is breathtaking, the silences are loud, and the ending is the kind that sends you back to rewatch scenes you thought you understood. Watch it when you are ready to feel slightly wrecked in the best way.

2. Cam (Daniel Goldhaber, 2018)

This one is eerie, stylish, and deeply unsettling. Cam is a techno-horror thriller that follows a camgirl who discovers her identity has been stolen by an uncanny online double. What unfolds is less jump-scare horror and more psychological spiral. It is a smart, feminist take on digital identity, surveillance, and how online spaces can become terrifyingly real.

What makes Cam stand out is its refusal to judge. It explores sex work, performance, and ownership in a way that feels fresh and empathetic, not sensational. Madeline Brewer’s lead performance is riveting, and the script brings a lived-in authenticity to the tension. Watch it late at night. Preferably alone. And perhaps keep your webcam covered.

1. Triple Frontier (JC Chandor, 2019)

This is what happens when a group of ex-special ops men decide they are tired of being broke and plan to rob a drug lord. Simple, right? Except that Triple Frontier is more than just a testosterone-fuelled heist film. It is about ego, loyalty, greed, and the emotional hangover of being trained for violence and then told to live like civilians.

The action is tense, but what lingers are the moral questions that remain. It is beautifully shot, has real stakes, and gives just enough space for character introspection between the explosions. Oscar Isaac and Ben Affleck deliver performances that remind you this is not your average mindless shoot-’em-up. Watch it on Netflix when you want action with a little weight and a lot of muddy grey areas.