The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
We are not trying to be dramatic here, but Netflix has some seriously underrated movies sitting right there, and nobody is talking about them. We don’t know who decides the “Top 10 Today” list, but clearly, they are not watching the things that are, well, different. The films that hit different layers of your brain – the emotional, the artsy, the ones that make you think for hours.
So if that is your vibe and if you are looking for something this weekend that feels fresh and not recycled, you are going to love what we have picked for you.
And this is not the usual blockbuster stuff, absolutely not. We are not doing the obvious choices today; instead, we’re going for those gems that are sitting silently in the corner of Netflix until someone loud (us) tells you to watch them. These are the movies you put on when you want to feel something, or think about something, or just enjoy something that doesn’t feel like an algorithm recommendation.
So, yes, we have got five of them. Five films that deserve attention. Five films that make you feel like you are discovering something before everyone else.
The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
The End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, 2015)
Imagine spending a few days with someone whose mind never sits still, someone who keeps surprising you even when they think they are being ordinary. That is the space the story of The End of the Tour creates. It follows journalist David Lipsky as he travels with David Foster Wallace near the end of his book tour, and the entire thing plays out through long, wandering conversations that feel familiar. Nothing is overstated. Nothing is pushed. It just moves in a way that makes you lean in without realising it.
Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel carry the whole thing through the smallest gestures and the small hesitations. There are even the honest bits that slip out when people forget to perform. The winter backdrop is a bit chilly, but it never distracts from the two of them figuring each other out. By the time the story closes, you feel as if you have overheard something personal.
The Guilty (Antoine Fuqua, 2021)
The Guilty is a film that looks simple when you read the description, but it is actually so gripping that you will forget to check your phone. It is just Jake Gyllenhaal in a call centre, taking this one emergency call that keeps getting more confusing. The best part is, the whole time you are trying to figure it out with him. There are no explosions or drama, but the tension? Solid.
And honestly, that is the fun of it. The entire thing relies on him thinking fast, correcting himself, and trying to stay calm while everything feels… a bit off. It keeps you guessing right until the last bit. You do not need to be a “film person” to enjoy this. You just need to be willing to focus for ninety minutes, and we promise it pays off.
Divines (Houda Benyamina, 2016)
Divines follows two girls on the outskirts of Paris who get pulled into this whole world of small-time hustling. Have you ever rooted for a character when you know things are getting risky for it? That’s the same energy we are dealing with here. You just get caught up in their bond and their need to break out of the life they are stuck in.
What makes it worth watching is the mix of emotions and danger. The friendship at the centre of the film feels honest, and the story does not drag or wander. It keeps moving, like every scene has a purpose. Trust us, once you start it, you will not want to pause it.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel & Ethan Coen, 2018)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs runs through different stories from the Old West, and each one takes you into a completely new situation. You start with Buster, this strange, cheerful gunslinger who talks too much and shoots even more. Then you move to a guy who tries robbing a bank and fails so badly that the consequences turn into their own dark joke. Another story follows a small travelling act where an orator performs dramatic speeches while the man running the show silently makes decisions that nobody expects.
The fun part is the unpredictability. You go from humour to something bleak in the space of a minute, and the shifts never feel messy. The Coens build each story in a straight, confident way. The endings land fast and sharp, and that is half the appeal. You never know what the next story will do, and that keeps your attention because every chapter is like its own complete little world.
Kubo and the Two Strings (Travis Knight, 2016)
Kubo and the Two Strings is one of those films you put on thinking it will be sweet and harmless, and then suddenly it has feelings, and you are sitting there thinking, ‘Why did you not watch it before?’ And no, it is nothing dramatic, nothing shouting for attention; it just starts telling a proper story.
And alright, the plot. It follows this boy, Kubo, who uses his shamisen to bring stories to life, and the film takes that idea seriously. Everything is built around emotion instead of noise. The animation is beautiful, but it never distracts from what the film is actually saying. Kubo learns, he changes, and he carries the weight of things that actually matter. It ends on a note that feels earned in a way most animated films do not even attempt.