(Credit: Netflix)

Do you ever get those weekends where you do not want anything new? Like, no fresh releases, no social commentary thrillers, no A24-core indies. All you want is a comfortable throwback. That is exactly what Netflix is pulling off right now.

We have got you an accidental early-aughts film fest that just dropped in like a surprise gift basket from your teenage self. And it is not just any bunch of early-2000s releases. These are the movies that made cable television bearable, the ones you watched out of boredom and ended up fully obsessed with.

Some of these were once tagged as guilty pleasures, while some were box office dramas. A few were straight-up ridiculous and still kind of iconic. But all of them? They defined the cinema that raised us… and don’t we miss that? The time when it was okay to be loud, tomfoolery was appreciated, and over-the-top action felt realistic.

So if you are looking to spend your weekend getting hit with the most powerful wave of nostalgia we have, you are covered. Make way for this five-movie Netflix time capsule.

The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend

Bride Wars (Gary Winick, 2009)

We won’t be wrong when we say that this is the movie everyone pretended to hate initially, but secretly remembered every line of. Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson play childhood besties who dreamt of perfect Plaza weddings their whole lives… until a calendar glitch lands both their ceremonies on the exact same day. They go from sharing magazines to throwing dye in each other’s hair in what turns into the most dramatic friendship fallout in the history of bridal movies.

Oh, and this movie is so petty; it’s so petty and extra, you understand the commitment there. One moment, you get the sabotaging sequence, and before you can get over it, you see them melting down in Vera Wang showrooms. But we have all experienced it at least once in our lives when our closest friend decided not to be on our side. What’s even a true friendship when you haven’t even fought once? The unseriousness of this movie is what makes it fun, but you are promised entertainment, and you will be provided with it. Do not act like you are above this. You’re not.

Don’t Say a Word (Gary Fleder, 2001)

If you ever sat through a film where you thought, okay, nothing wild is going to happen in the next five minutes, this one laughs in your face. It starts with a therapist and a missing daughter. But the key is a patient who will not speak unless you unlock a memory buried under layers of trauma. In this film, each conversation pulls a thread, and by the time you reach the final act, everything you thought was plain background noise suddenly matters a little too much.

Don’t Say a Word makes so much sense because it shows how the fear isn’t just about violence. It’s about how fragile trust becomes when you are forced to depend on someone who has nothing to lose. Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy in the movie are unforgettable. If you haven’t watched it yet, you are missing out.

The Patriot (Roland Emmerich, 2000)

Oh, this film is dusty and violent with a capital V., and it does not care if you were just here for the father-son storyline. The Patriot will literally throw you into the middle of a war and dare you to keep up. It’s about a man who walked away from his past only to get yanked back in when the fight arrives at his doorstep. Suddenly, he is not just defending his family. He is leading a rebellion with every bone he swore never to break again.

The Patriot has many memorable moments of violence and explosions, but apart from that, the way it holds on to its personal thread is something remarkable. At some point, the weight of knowing that whatever happens next, it is going to change everyone involved takes you along with the main characters. Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger drag you straight through the battlefield and leave you… speechless!

The Island (Michael Bay, 2005)

You think you are watching a movie about a dystopian facility, and then everything changes. The Island starts clean and perfectly controlled. Everyone inside believes they are survivors of a ruined world. But when Lincoln Six Echo starts asking questions, the answers start showing up in bullets and dead ends that were never supposed to be reached.

But if you think it’s all about the chase, then you’re wrong. It is the way Ewan McGregor plays confusion and how Scarlett Johansson keeps grounding the escape in a desperate hope. Every minute builds tension not because of what might happen, but because you realise just how much of their lives was never theirs to begin with. And that moment when truth hits? You are not prepared.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (Danny Cannon, 1998)

Some might know the prequel of this film from its latest remake, but the original, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, dates back to 1998. The film is a gripping mystery, and if you like your mysteries with multiple characters, this will hit the spot. It starts with Julie, who thinks she is catching a break when she wins a tropical getaway for two. But the moment she lands on that empty island with her best friend, the whole thing starts to feel off.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is back, more haunted than ever, and Freddie Prinze Jr is the only one who thinks something is off. The rest? Too busy chilling on an island where the storm is already on its way. When the rain hits, it hits fast. And by then, they are already trapped. Trust me, you will not blink.