The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Planning on an indoor weekend? Then picking the right movie becomes a really important decision. And in this particular case, Netflix can be a bit of a maze, can’t it? Loads of options, but half the time you are scrolling longer than you are watching. So instead of faffing about, let us help you with the options.
But first, you need to think about what makes you stick with a film till the end. It’s the story pulling you in with relatable characters and funky twists. All that, but a bit of variety too. Let’s say you have finished a nice legal drama, and you don’t want to watch the same thing again. In that case, a classic rom-com comes in handy.
And you have to agree that no one wants a weekend that feels like emotional homework, but at the same time, pure fluff gets boring in the blink of an eye. We have considered that point too, and hence, this list has a little bit of everything.
An important note before you browse through this list is that most of these films are leaving Netflix next week, so you’d better watch them this weekend.
The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Focus (Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, 2015)
Fancy something a bit slick to kick things off? Focus has to be the perfect start in this case because it drops you straight into the world of con artists, where all sorts of calculations are used to make a single move. It starts with Nicky Spurgeon, a seasoned professional who knows exactly how to read a room… and a person. When he takes Jess under his wing, things start off as business, but it’s hard to stop emotions from getting involved, and once that is done, everything becomes complicated. Years later, they cross paths again, and you are left wondering who is actually in control this time.
Apart from a compelling storyline, you have two big reasons to stream this Netflix movie: Will Smith and Margot Robbie. And if you love clever cinema, plotting and planning, then before you know it, Focus will become your all-time favourite. There is a scam in the movie that seems like luck, but there is brilliant psychology involved behind it, and it’s an amazing sequence to watch. So, without giving you more, take our word for it and begin your weekend with this.
The Addams Family (Conrad Vernon, Greg Tiernan, 2019)
Yes, we know why watch this when you can stream Wednesday again, but think about it: an Addams Family movie is always a delight to watch, no matter when it’s made. And in this animated version of it, you have the Addams family moving into a neighbourhood that couldn’t be more different from them. Naturally, things don’t go smoothly because it’s them, but this time it’s more special because a very image-obsessed TV personality decides they don’t quite fit her vision of perfection.
Brownie points if you have just watched Apex and cannot get over Charlize Theron; then good news for you, as she voices Morticia Addams in this. It also has other brilliant actors voicing characters like Oscar Isaac as Grandpa Frump, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday and Finn Wolfhard as Pugsly. So if you want a break from watching real-life people, go stream this animated masterpiece.
Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023)
If you want a dose of seriousness this weekend, then Anatomy of a Fall is the perfect pick. Remember the courtroom drama we mentioned before? This is the one. It centres on a woman accused of causing her husband’s death after he is found outside their remote home. Sounds simple enough on paper, but it’s way deeper than that, especially when their son’s testimony adds more questions than answers.
The change of perspectives is where the whole game lies here. You are not handed clear answers, and that’s very much the point. Instead, you are nudged to weigh up each version of events and decide where you stand. We know it sounds like a bit of work, but trust us, the results will shock you. To support our argument, Anatomy of a Fall received the top prize at Cannes, which should be enough to watch it.
Overboard (Rob Greenberg, 2018)
After those mind games, you might fancy something a bit more relaxed, yeah? Then Overboard is the perfect movie, as it keeps things simple but entertaining. It follows a wealthy bloke named Leonardo Sullivan who ends up losing his memory after a fall from his yacht. Just then, a struggling single mum sees an opportunity and convinces him they are married and pulls him into a life he has never had to deal with before.
The fun comes from watching him try to adjust, badly, at first, to taking everyday responsibilities, from work to family life. It’s actually a remake of a 1987 film with the same name and a bit of a twist on the original setup. It stars Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez, along with Eva Longoria. Want some laughs? Here you’ll have plenty.
Love at First Sight (Vanessa Caswill, 2023)
To end the list, we have Love at First Sight, which is a soft rom-com with an edge. It starts with a chance meeting at an airport with a typical setup. Two strangers with a delayed flight… You know, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet once they start talking, there is a spark that makes the journey feel a bit different from the usual travel slog.
Once they land, though, things don’t go quite as planned, and the story goes into whether they will manage to find each other again. There is also an interesting thread around probability, with one of them trying to make sense of relationships through numbers rather than emotion. It gives the whole thing a slightly different flavour. Ben Hardy and Haley Lu Richardson have shared great chemistry, which will make you believe that things like this are more than serendipity.