The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Netflix’s latest wave of releases has brought with it too many new movies, all of which are worth a watch. And what’s even more amusing is the variety, because Netflix really thought that the viewers had had enough of true crime.
That’s right, don’t you think we have been watching quite a lot of true crime on the platform? Don’t get us wrong, all the stories Netflix has been picking so far are great, but you can’t eat bread and butter every day.
Hence, this week’s movie recommendations include a huge spread of toppings you can choose from to change the flavour. From action to pieces of life movies, we have everything.
So if you’re in the mood for a proper film night this weekend, Netflix has a handful of recent releases that genuinely will help you put your phone down for a while.
The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Apex (Baltasar Kormákur, 2026)
Apex has generated quite a buzz before it’s even released, and you’ll want to keep an eye on this one, seriously. It’s basically about this woman who gets dropped into the wilderness as part of a twisted hunting game, except she is not the one doing the hunting. She is the target. And the people after her? Proper dangerous types, not amateurs just having a laugh. So the whole thing, all in all, is a cat-and-mouse survival situation where she is constantly trying to stay one step ahead.
Sounds interesting, right? Wait till you hear who’s playing that woman. You’ve got Charlize Theron leading it, which already tells you that the film is going to be tough and full of action and unpredictability. Another cherry on top is Idris Elba, who is always a delight to watch. Also, Apex was shot in Australia, which is why you’ll get the complete feel of real landscapes instead of studio sets.
Him (Justin Tipping, 2025)
And then there’s Him, which has a completely different tone from Apex. It tells you the story of a young American football player named Cam who gets invited to train with a well-known quarterback, someone with a long-standing reputation in the sport. Sounds like a great opportunity, right? Given how competitive the space is.
Now the twist comes when the training takes place at a private estate. It is removed from standard facilities, a bit isolated, actually, and the whole setup feels very controlled. The quarterback, Isaiah, played by Marlon Wayans, keeps a close watch on how everything is done, from Cam’s performance to his routine, but little does Cam know that Isaiah has different intentions. And as it goes on, being there starts getting to him. He realises something is off, and that’s where the twist happens. Netflix has just added the film to its catalogue, so run.
A Letter to My Youth (Kang Je-gyu, 2024)
So this Netflix movie is a bit of a change from the usual stuff you’d throw on. Remember, we said a piece of life film in the beginning; this is that. A Letter to My Youth basically follows a character looking back at their younger self, going through old memories and relationships. It jumps between past and present, and you start seeing how everything connects. The film takes its sweet time to explore how some decisions in the past shape other decisions in the future.
A Letter to My Youth is such a relatable film, and that’s because it feels so normal. There are no twists here… all you have is just people dealing with things the way they usually do. Even in the scenes where nothing much is going on, it feels powerful and essential to the story. By the end, you realise you have been thinking about your own past a bit while watching it. Good pick if you want something chill but still meaningful.
Roommates (Nicholas Stoller, 2026)
Roommates follows Devon, who is a slightly awkward freshman with hopes that college is going to be her reset moment. She ends up sharing a dorm with Celeste, who is basically everything Devon isn’t and hopes to be. Celeste is the ultimate teen everyone wants to be. She is confident and socially smooth, and she’s already settled into that campus vibe. At first, it looks like a solid match, but once they actually start living together, things heat up, and it’s rough. Well, nothing blows up immediately or dramatically, but it’s the small stuff that starts to get them.
What makes it fun to watch is how both of them contribute to the situation. Devon isn’t just a victim, and Celeste isn’t just the “problem” either, which is the hook of Roommates. Sadie Sandler and Chloe East have nailed their roles, and so has Netflix by giving us a movie which is not a rom-com or a true crime. By the end, it’s basically a reminder that sharing a space with the wrong person can go south fast.
American Gangster (Ridley Scott, 2007)
Now, with all the new releases in the list, we thought an old classic had to be in here in case some of us wanted to be nostalgic, and hence, we have a Denzel Washington classic. American Gangster follows Frank Lucas, a drug kingpin who builds his empire in Harlem by running his operation in a way no one expects. While at the same time, you’ve got Richie Roberts, the cop, trying to track him down. The film keeps cutting between the two, so you are basically watching both sides of the same story play out as the film progresses towards the big clash.
Now, if you want to watch cinema for performances, Denzel Washington as Frank is controlled and kind of intimidating without doing too much, while Russell Crowe plays the cop in a much more worn-down way. It’s based on real events, too, which makes it even more interesting because you know this actually happened.