(Credits: Tri-Star Pictures)

Here is the situation, people: you all keep asking for movie recommendations and then act surprised when the suggestions are not the same handful of titles everyone you know has been recycling since forever. You ask your self-acclaimed cinephile critic for a Netflix movie recommendation, and they come up with Knives Out. Not saying it’s a bad film, but come on, who hasn’t watched that?

Not sure when the world decided there are only ten Netflix movies worth mentioning, but we guarantee you a better pick than the cliches. In fact, four more. The goal is simple: films that are easy to start, keep attention without effort, and feel good to watch at any hour.

This list goes in the same direction. No classics people pretend to love to sound cultured, and no award-season heavyweights that drain the weekend energy before the opening credits. Just straightforward picks that do not require preparation or two hours of Google searches to understand the plot.

So here are five Netflix movie titles that are less noticed but deserve way more attention.

The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend

Haywire (Steven Soderbergh, 2011)

A story like Haywire works best when the lead actually looks like they can throw someone through a wall, and this film does nothing but deliver that energy from the first scene. It starts with Mallory, who is a covert-ops agent who knows exactly what she is doing, until someone on her own side decides to flip the script and frame her. From that point on, she is basically running a one-woman investigation while dodging every trained fighter the agency throws at her. The action is rough in a way that feels like she is actually trying to get out of the room alive instead of performing for the camera.

What keeps the tension alive is how every person she meets talks like they know more than they are saying. She tries to stay three steps ahead, but the mess she is trapped in keeps shifting. This is one of those movies where you watch someone outrun a storm they did not see coming.

The Grand Seduction (Don McKellar, 2013)

Sliding into something lighter, The Grand Seduction takes you to a tiny fishing village where the biggest scandal is usually someone forgetting to return a borrowed mug. The town needs a doctor to secure a factory deal, so they decide to “create” the perfect place for him. They make this elaborate plan where, to show the town is perfect and full of warmth, they stage cricket matches and fake hobbies. In fact, they rehearse the compliments too. Every detail is coordinated as if the entire population formed a tiny improv troupe overnight.

The humour of this movie guarantees a laugh because the doctor genuinely believes he has come to the most wholesome place on Earth. Meanwhile, the audience watches the town panic every time he asks a question they forgot to prepare for. After the controlled mess that happens in Haywire, this film lands like a soft and mischievous story and acts like a reset button before the tension spikes again.

Red Dot (Alain Darborg, 2021)

And then the air gets thin. Red Dot is a movie that starts with a couple trying to fix their relationship, and in order to do so, they take a winter trip. Initially, everything stays normal and gentle until night falls and a red laser appears on their tent. The moment they run into the snow, the movie stops pretending to be a comfort watch. Someone is hunting them, and the mountains become the whole battlefield. Every turn puts them in an even worse situation, and the reason behind it is something quite unexpected.

What makes the film sting is the brutal reveal of why this couple was chosen. It turns into a story where every earlier moment matters, even the casual ones. By the time the truth comes out, it is guaranteed to leave a mark.

The Running Man (Paul Michael Glaser, 1987)

The Running Man lives in exaggeration in the best way. A man is forced into a televised death match where the villains look like carnival characters who are armoured with weapons. The whole thing is amazing to watch, but that does not stop the movie from exposing the absurdity of turning violence into entertainment. Compared to the bleak snow chase of Red Dot, this feels like switching to a loud and colourful TV channel just to reset your brain.

What keeps it entertaining is how boldly the film plays with the visuals. The rules do not matter, and forget about the fairness. The only thing that matters is performance, and Glen Powell, as usual, is electric.

The Blackening (Tim Story, 2022)

And speaking of unserious, The Blackening is the friend-group horror movie that actually sounds like real friends arguing. They roast each other nonstop, even while trying not to die, which honestly makes the danger funnier. It starts with this reunion trip at a cabin, and then a masked stranger ruins the vibe, obviously. But the jokes hit because the cast talks like actual people, not horror-movie characters.

Every plan they make turns into another argument, and every clue becomes a debate. But all we do is enjoy because this keeps the tension going. After everything before it, this one closes the list perfectly.