3 Best Movies To Watch On Netflix This Weekend (July 18-19)

Published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account Netflix's best movies for subscribers to watch this weekend are all massive projects, ranging from originals to two of the biggest sci-fi franchises to date. In last weekend's Netflix movie recommendations, I talked about Old Henry, Gone Girl, and Memento. As such, subscribers were treated to an underrated Western and two of the most engaging psychological thrillers in recent memory. Among those films were entries from two of the best directors of all time, David Fincher and Christopher Nolan. The latter is the talk of the town at the moment, with The Odyssey now in theaters. That said, at the time of writing, only Old Henry appears on Netflix's movie charts in the United States, ranking 9th on the streamer nationwide. Since last weekend's recommendations did not include any Netflix Original movies, I felt it was the right time to add one of those to these new suggestions. It also helped that Netflix just released a new romance that concludes one of its most talked-about shows. That said, for those looking into genre offerings, this is a great sci-fi weekend for Netflix subscribers. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE The list features two of the most iconic sci-fi movie franchises of all time. One of those comes in the form of a dinosaur movie that united generations of franchise fans, while the other is the most recent release in a popular dystopian franchise that will return later this year. Make sure not to miss any of these excellent movies on Netflix. 3 Heartstopper Forever (2026) First up is Heartstopper Forever, the only Netflix Original movie on the list. The film was released on the streaming service this Friday, July 17, making it the perfect project to be discovered over the weekend on Netflix. It serves as the final chapter to the Heartstopper series, which ran for three seasons from 2022 to 2024. The movie brings back series stars Kit Connor, Joe Locke, and more. The romance is off to a fantastic start. At the time of writing, Heartstopper Forever boasts a stellar 96% critics' score and a close 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, being universally praised. The Netflix movie focuses on Connor's Nick Nelson and Locke's Charlie Spring as they face whether a long-distance relationship will work, with Nick going to college and Charlie still at school. 2 Jurassic World Dominion (2022) The next movie on the list is perfect for those wanting to remember one of Hollywood's best. Recently, the sad news about Sam Neill's death led to an outpouring of love on social media, with many Jurassic Park franchise fans sharing how they were rewatching the dinosaur franchise to remember Neill's iconic performance as Alan Grant. While he is one of the faces of the Jurassic Park franchise, Neill's last appearance came more recently. Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum returned as their iconic Jurassic Park franchise characters one last time in 2022's Jurassic World Dominion. The dinosaur movie was a major crossover event, having them team up with Chris Pratt's Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire Dearing, the leads of the Jurassic World trilogy. Neill's performance as Alan Grant was as charismatic and on point as ever. 1 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) ​​​​​​​The final entry on the list is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which stands as the most recent release in the sci-fi franchise. After Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson led four The Hunger Games movies, the franchise dialed back the clock to show how Coriolanus Snow got started with his evil schemes. The character's true tragic nature shines in the film. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is currently Netflix's 5th most-watched movie in the United States. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes features plenty of exciting action, heartbreaking performances, stunning dystopian visuals, and creative twists. It is a worthy prequel to the hit franchise, led by the magnetic Tom Blyth as Snow and the vibrant Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, the District 12 tribute he mentors. All these Netflix movies should help keep subscribers entertained this weekend, with plenty to choose from. Heartstopper Forever 7/10 Release Date July 16, 2026 Runtime 111 minutes Cast Heartstopper Forever follows Nick and Charlie as their relationship evolves during their final school year at Truham-Higgs. While navigating new and ongoing challenges, they look ahead to future possibilities beyond graduation, deepening their connection along the way. Director Wash Westmoreland Jurassic World Dominion Release Date June 10, 2022 Runtime 147 minutes Four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed in Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic World Dominion concludes the Jurassic World trilogy. Dinosaurs once again walk the earth alongside humans, while Claire Dearing and Owen Grady live in isolation, protecting the granddaughter the former partner of John Hammond. Cast Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, Kristoffer Polaha, Caleb Hearon, Freya Parker, Alexander Owen, Ahir Shah, Elva Trill, Teresa Cendon-Garcia, Manuela Mora, Bastian Antonio Fuentes, Jasmine Chiu Director Colin Trevorrow The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 9/10 Release Date November 17, 2023 Runtime 157 minutes The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes explores the origin of Panem's deadly games. It follows a Capitol student's quest to mentor a tribute from District 12, aiming to reclaim family prestige. Cast Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Viola Davis, Fionnula Flanagan, Burn Gorman, Dexter Sol Ansell, Clemens Schick, Ashley Liao, Athena Strates, Amélie Hoeferle, Kaitlyn Akinpelumi, Florian Burgkart, Ayomide Adegun, Max Raphael, Mekyas Mulugeta, Emma Frieda Brüggler, Yalany Marschner, Flora Thiemann, Zoë Renee, Seyna Sylla, Lilly Cooper Director Francis Lawrence