The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Weekends were made for easy comfort, like staying in, ordering your favourite food, and watching something that pulls you in right away. Netflix always looks like it has endless options, but finding a movie that feels genuinely worth your time is trickier than it should be.
But that’s exactly what our title recommendations are for. We handpick the movies which are sitting in some corner of Netflix and need your attention. This week’s picks are exactly that. They are not just background noise while you scroll on your phone, but stories that make you care.
Whether you are in the mood to think, to smile, or to just switch off for a bit, this list has something for you. Each film is easy to follow and engaging enough to keep you hooked till the end.
If you have been spending more time scrolling than watching, consider this your sign to stop. These films are simple to start and satisfying to finish.
The five best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend
Official Secrets (Gavin Hood, 2019)
This movie starts with a simple decision that changes everything. Official Secrets tells the true story of Katharine Gun, a British intelligence translator who leaks a classified memo exposing the US and UK’s plan to pressure countries into backing the Iraq War. Her choice to speak up turns her from an ordinary employee into a political target overnight.
The film does not drown you in heavy politics. Instead, it shows how terrifying and lonely the truth can be when no one wants to hear it. Keira Knightley, who just appeared in the Netflix blockbuster Woman in Cabin 10, gives Katharine a steady kind of courage that feels real and recognisable. Even if you are not usually drawn to political dramas, this one holds your attention because it is about human conviction more than headlines.
Lost in Starlight (Han Ji-won, 2024)
Some stories take place on different planets but still feel heartbreakingly human. Lost in Starlight follows one such story where a musician on Earth and an astronaut on Mars have a relationship that grows through messages sent across galaxies. They talk and dream from light-years apart with a classic love story stretched by space and time.
It is not a science lesson, in case you are wondering. This is a story about distance, a story about longing, and how connection can survive even when touch cannot. Lost in Starlight keeps things gentle and relatable, focusing on what it feels like to imagine someone’s presence.
An Honest Life (Mikael Marcimain, 2023)
At first, An Honest Life looks like a quiet character drama. You have a law student who takes on a job helping a wealthy family with paperwork. But very soon, small details start to feel off to him. Initially, it feels like harmless work, but then it starts pulling him into a web of deceit and guilt.
You won’t believe how believable the film feels until you start watching. At times, with the lead, it feels like you are being suffocated, too. There are no overblown twists or melodrama. It’s relatable because these are just the kind of decisions anyone could make when they are desperate for stability.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Tom Gormican, 2022)
Just when Nicolas Cage had become the internet’s favourite meme, he decided to turn the joke into a movie, and it is brilliant. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has Cage playing an exaggerated version of himself. He is broke and reluctantly attending a rich fan’s party in Spain. The fan, played by Pedro Pascal, who turns out to be not just eccentric but possibly criminal, and the two end up in an absurd, action-filled friendship.
The best thing about this film is its sense of fun. It laughs at fame and the idea of celebrity reinvention, but also brings in real warmth between its leads. And you don’t need to be a Cage fan or know his filmography for it to make sense. It is just a good-time film.
Alex Strangelove (Craig Johnson, 2018)
Alex Strangelove begins as your typical teenage love story: Alex is planning to lose his virginity to his girlfriend, everything neatly mapped out (we’ve all been there). But when he meets Elliot, who is a confident new classmate who feels instantly different, his plans and his sense of identity start to take a turn in unexpected ways.
Alex Strangelove is a film that handles that confusion with honesty. In case you are wondering, it is not overly serious or dramatic. It’s all about how awkward self-discovery can be. The writing has a lightness that makes you laugh at the same time as you relate. In short, it is a funny reminder that growing up does not mean having everything figured out, just learning to be okay with not knowing yet.