3 award-winning movies to watch on Netflix this weekend (November 13-15)

Published Nov 13, 2026, 2:00 PM EST 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. Netflix has a lot to offer on your watch list this month, including a collection of acclaimed movies with performances and storytelling that prove why they made the cut. This week's roster of winners includes a light comedy-drama, a supernatural romance, and a drama with a twist. All three movies are streaming on Netflix U.S. this month, with the last drama as my top pick. Here is all you need to know about the titles, who you can expect to see in them, and what awards they won during their season. 3 Nonnas A serving of comedy with a side of heart Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, and Susan Sarandon make Nonnas an appetizing choice if you love an ensemble comedy. Directed by Stephen Chbosky, whose credits include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the movie takes inspiration from an actual restaurant on Staten Island. Vaughn plays Joe Scaravella, who is struggling after losing his mother and grandmother. He uses his mother’s insurance money to open Enoteca Maria, hoping to serve the food he grew up eating. His idea is to hire Italian grandmothers (nonnas) as the chefs, allowing them to bring their own amazing recipes into the kitchen. Of course, getting several experienced home cooks to agree on how a kitchen should work comes with a set of problems and chaos. His childhood friend Bruno (Joe Manganiello) helps him get the place ready, even when in doubt. The women have their own reasons for joining this restaurant, giving you interesting threads to follow as Joe tries to keep the business going. Chbosky won the Directors Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television at the 2026 ceremony. Frankie Pine also won Best Music Supervision in a Non-Theatrically Released Film at the 2026 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards. Nonnas is the lighter option on this week's list if you want a comedy to watch with the family. 2 Atlantics A love story that has more to tell Mati Diop made Cannes history with Atlantics, becoming the first Black woman to direct a film selected for the festival’s main competition. Her debut feature is set in Dakar, Senegal, where a love story gradually develops into a supernatural mystery. The story follows Ada, a young woman in love with a construction worker named Souleiman, despite being promised in marriage to a wealthier man. Souleiman and his coworkers have gone without pay, and they eventually leave Senegal by boat in search of better opportunities. Ada is left behind, facing a wedding she doesn’t really want and unsure what happened to the man she loves. But then, something disrupts her wedding celebrations, and a mysterious illness begins affecting people around her. An investigation into the fire raises further questions, with Ada caught between her family and eerie events she can’t explain. The workers’ departure affects the whole community, particularly the women waiting for news of them. Ada’s relationship with Souleiman remains at the heart of the story, but the film also explores the conditions that pushed the men to leave and the choices available to those who stayed. Atlantics won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. I’d recommend this one if you’re exploring more foreign cinema and enjoy a nice mystery along with a tumultuous romance. 1 The Kindergarten Teacher Where do you draw the line? The talented Maggie Gyllenhaal leads The Kindergarten Teacher, my top pick this week. Directed by Sara Colangelo, this is an American remake of Nadav Lapid’s 2014 drama, with a classroom providing the setting for a troubling story to unravel. Gyllenhaal plays Lisa Spinelli, a Staten Island teacher who attends poetry classes outside work. She wants to write something meaningful, but her efforts leave her feeling frustrated. Then she hears Jimmy (Parker Sevak), a five-year-old in her class, reciting poems he has composed himself. Convinced that Jimmy has an extraordinary gift, Lisa begins writing down his poems and looking for ways to nurture his talent. However, she also presents his work as her own in her evening class, where it receives the attention she has wanted for herself. Her involvement in Jimmy’s life grows, and she starts crossing boundaries while insisting that she is protecting him and his future. She recognizes something in Jimmy that the surrounding adults have overlooked, but her desire for recognition becomes difficult to separate from her "concern" for him. Her behavior becomes more concerning as the story unfolds, especially as you see that she convinces herself that she knows what is best for the child. It's a bit of a wild ride but also a story you cannot turn away from. Colangelo won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival for the movie. It’s also the shortest watch on this week’s list if you're looking for a quick weekend watch. The Kindergarten Teacher Release Date September 23, 2018 Cast Maggie Gyllenhaal, Parker Sevak, Gael García Bernal, Michael Chernus, Rosa Salazar, Ajay Naidu, Anna Baryshnikov, Daisy Tahan, Sam Jules, Samrat Chakrabarti, Haley Murphy, Stefaniya Makarova, Ato Blankson-Wood, Carson Grant, Clark Carmichael, Aamira Martinez, Douglas Taurel, Nikhil Melnechuk, McManus Woodend, Libya Pugh, Ashley August, Avery Ilardi, Kea Trevett, Avishai Greenberg, Donovan Pierre Coleman Runtime 96 minutes Writers Nadav Lapid Producers Maggie Gyllenhaal, Trudie Styler, Zachery Ty Bryan, Celine Rattray, Osnat Handelsman-Keren Go beyond the algorithm It can be easy to get stuck in Netflix's repeated recommendations, especially when your homepage is dominated by the more popular titles. But with a few discoverability settings and features (like the "More Like This" feature) on and outside Netflix, you can get your hands on some amazing hidden 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