3 award-winning movies to watch on Netflix this weekend (August 14-16)

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek Published Aug 14, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT T.M. Amrita is a writer and tech enthusiast with experience as a news reporter covering technology, artificial intelligence, and gadgets. A journalist at heart, she found a soft spot for technology reporting during her tenure as a reporter at The Hindu Businessline, where she covered topics like the economy, data, and personal finance. She has published more than 250 news stories, tech guides, and opinion articles. Outside of technology, she is a passionate poet and brings her interest in learning new things to her work as a writer. Amrita is also a student of design and interface development, and likes to take on passion projects in her free time. Sign in to your How-To Geek account There are weekends when I want something easy to watch without wasting time scrolling through Netflix. That's when I usually turn to movies that have already proven they are worth watching, especially older favorites that I haven't gotten around to revisiting. If you're looking for something good to watch this weekend, I've picked three award-winning movies currently streaming on Netflix U.S. There's a little bit of everything here, but my top pick is a classic action movie you may be surprised to see streaming on the platform. 3 Nightcrawler The night is still young One of the eeriest psychological thrillers I've watched (and in the unfortunate wee hours of the night) is Nightcrawler. The film follows Lou Bloom, an ambitious drifter who stumbles into the world of freelance crime journalism in Los Angeles. Armed with a camera and a concerning tendency to cross moral boundaries, Lou begins chasing violent crimes and accidents before any broadcasters can get there first, discovering that the more shocking the footage, the greater the reward (and the satisfaction of exclusivity that comes with it). As his success grows, so does his sick obsession with getting the perfect story, no matter the cost. At the helm of the thriller is Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivers a captivating performance, transforming Lou into a character who is both fascinating and unsettling. Nightcrawler won Best First Feature at the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards and also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Nightcrawler Release Date October 23, 2014 Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton, Kevin Rahm, Michael Hyatt, Price Carson, Ann Cusack, Kent Shocknek, Sharon Tay, Carolyn Gilroy, Marco Rodríguez, Michael Papajohn, Jonny Coyne, Rick Chambers, Pat Harvey, Rick Garcia, James Huang, Leah Fredkin, Bill Seward, Holly Hannula, Nick Chacon, Kevin Dunigan, Alex Ortiz, Eric Lange Runtime 118 minutes Director Dan Gilroy Writers Dan Gilroy Producers David Lancaster, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Michel Litvak Main Genre Crime Budget $8.5 Million Studio(s) Bold Films Distributor(s) Open Road Films Executive Producer(s) Gary Michael Walters, Betsy Danbury 2 Eighth Grade The reality of growing up comes with its perks Growing up is never easy, and Eighth Grade captures just how overwhelming those years can feel in a way that few movies and shows do. The story follows Kayla Day, a shy eighth grader counting down the final week before she enters high school. While she appears confident in the self-help vlogs that she uploads online, real life is much harder. She struggles to fit in with her school peers while figuring out who she actually wants to be. Written and directed by Bo Burnham in his feature film directorial debut, Eighth Grade is an incredible watch because it understands how awkward, embarrassing, and confusing being thirteen can be. There's no big twist or drama, but the small moments build the bigger story. It finds drama in everyday moments that feel painfully real, making Kayla's journey both relatable and surprisingly moving. The film won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Eighth Grade was named one of the ten best films of 2018 by The National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Eighth Grade Release Date January 19, 2018 Cast Josh Hamilton, Elsie Fisher, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Hechinger, Imani Lewis, Luke Prael, Catherine Oliviere, Nora Mullins, Gerald Jones, Missy Yager, Shacha Temirov, Greg Crowe, Thomas J O'Reilly, Frank Deal, J. Tucker Smith, Tiffany Grossfeld, Trinity Goscinsky-Lynch, Natalie Carter, Kevin R. Free, Deborah Unger, Marguerite Stimpson, Tristan Wheeler, Kylie Seaman Runtime 94 minutes Director Bo Burnham Writers Bo Burnham Producers Lila Yacoub, Scott Rudin, Christopher Storer, Eli Bush Main Genre Comedy Budget $2 million Studio(s) A24 Distributor(s) A24 Executive Producer(s) Jamin O'Brien 1 Speed The only way out is through An iconic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and does not lose its charm even if you rewatch it, Speed is something I'm very excited to see streaming on Netflix this month and my top pick for the weekend. The action film follows LAPD officer Jack Traven, who finds himself racing against time after a terrorist rigs a Los Angeles city bus with a bomb programmed to explode if the vehicle's speed falls below 50 miles per hour. Trapped alongside dozens of passengers and a resourceful commuter named Annie, Jack has to keep the bus moving while figuring out a way to outsmart the bomber before disaster strikes. The movie is inspired largely by Runaway Train and the Japanese action thriller film The Bullet Train. Speed is one of the most influential action thrillers from the 1990s, holding its cult-classic feel even after so many years. The film won two Academy Awards at the 67th Oscars for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. Speed Release Date June 10, 1994 Cast Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, Glenn Plummer, Richard Lineback, Beth Grant, Hawthorne James, Carlos Carrasco, David Kriegel, Natsuko Ohama, Daniel Villarreal, Simone Gad, Loretta Jean, Sherri Villanueva, Margaret Medina, Jordan Lund, Robert Mailhouse, Patrick Fischler, Patrick John Hurley, Susan Barnes, Rick Dano, Michael Sottile Runtime 116 minutes Director Jan de Bont Writers Graham Yost Producers Ian Bryce Sequel(s) Speed 2: Cruise Control Main Genre Thriller Budget $30 million Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Executive Producer(s) Ian Bryce Discover more Netflix titles If you've been scrolling through Netflix without knowing what to watch next, then looking through the streaming platform's award-winning collection is a great place to start. You can also browse beyond the traditional search through Netflix secret codes, which are cheat codes to discover some gems. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription. Live TV No Price Starting at $8/month