3 Best Movies To Watch On Netflix This Weekend (October 24-25)

©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Published Oct 23, 2026, 4:44 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 The best movies to watch on Netflix this weekend will have subscribers scared, shocked, excited, and cheering, but maybe not all of those at the same time. On last weekend's Netflix movie recommendations, I talked about why subscribers should check out the animated sci-fi Transformers One, the surreal horror thriller Cocaine Bear, and the adrenaline-fueled The Fate of the Furious. At the time of writing, only the Fast & Furious franchise entry is trending on Netflix in the United States out of those three movies. Right now, The Fate of the Furious is the 8th most popular movie on Netflix nationwide. Two of the films on the streamer's domestic top 10 chart, including the one at the very top of the list, are on our new Netflix recommendations. On last weekend's Netflix recommendations, the genres we explored were sci-fi, horror thriller, and action. To keep with the Halloween season theme that is going on in October, I brought another horror offering to this new list, and it is one of the most unsettling entries of the genre in recent memory. A beloved actor gives a true acting masterclass in the movie. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. The other two entries on the list are an R-rated thriller led by Marvel's Captain America actor, Chris Evans, before he returns to the superhero franchise in December's Avengers: Doomsday, and one of Ridley Scott's most recent movies, a historical epic that fans of the director had to wait decades for. These are Netflix's best movies this weekend: 3 Split (2017) Starting us off is this weekend's horror pick, which is the James McAvoy-led Split. While the movie was released in 2016, relatively recently, I think it is safe to say that Split has already become a classic of its genre. With horror and psychological thriller elements, the movie sees McAvoy light up the screen as a character with dissociative identity disorder who kidnaps teenage girls, including Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey. Every personality McAvoy brings to life is unique, behaving and speaking completely differently from the others. Split is a movie Netflix subscribers will simply be unable to look away from. Both written and directed by genre auteur M. Night Shyamalan, Split is the perfect movie to keep you on the edge of your seat on the streamer this weekend, and it arrived on Netflix recently, on October 1. 2 Gladiator II (2024) Gladiator II came 24 years after the original Gladiator, continuing this historical epic universe brought to life by Ridley Scott. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus Aurelius, the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus, and given how both entries in the action-packed franchise were released on Netflix on October 21, a two-movie binge to get up-to-date with the Gladiator franchise might just be the best bet this weekend on the streamer. Gladiator II's cast is absolutely stacked, with Mescal being joined by Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, the returning Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Rory McCann, and more. At the time of writing, Gladiator II has already become the most popular movie on Netflix in the United States. As such, for those who missed it in theaters a couple of years ago, now is the time to get immersed in this gritty world filled with gladiatorial combat. 1 Sacrifice (2026) Finally, the new R-rated thriller Sacrifice, which has arrived in the US through Netflix, connects to the first option on this list, Split, through the fact that both feature the talented Anya Taylor-Joy. That said, while she fights for survival in Split, Taylor-Joy is the one in charge in Sacrifice, playing Joan, a cult leader who kidnaps Chris Evans' Mike Tyler, a movie star past his prime who is attempting a comeback. Sacrifice was released on Netflix on October 16. Sacrifice is currently the 5th most-watched movie on Netflix nationwide. Its cast also includes names like Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek, Charli XCX, John Malkovich, and more. The movie is fast-paced, star-studded, has some great dark comedy elements, and stands as a fun — and quite wild — ride to end the weekend on Netflix. Split Release Date January 19, 2017 Runtime 117 minutes Split is a psychological thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, featuring James McAvoy as Kevin, a man with 23 distinct personalities. As a new dominant personality emerges, Kevin abducts three girls, including the perceptive Casey, leading to a tense struggle for survival against his own inner turmoil. Cast James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Izzie Coffey, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neal Huff, Ukee Washington, Robert Michael Kelly, M. Night Shyamalan, Rosemary Howard, Lyne Renee, Peter Patrikios, Kash Goins, Roy James Wilson, Christopher Lee Philips, Julie Potter, Nakia Dillard, Robin Rieger, Emlyn McFarland, Dann Fink, Bruce Winant, Bruce Willis Director M. Night Shyamalan Gladiator II 8/10 Release Date November 22, 2024 Runtime 148 minutes Lucius enters the Colosseum after Rome’s oppressive emperors destroy his home and tighten their grip on the empire. Haunted by the memory of Maximus and fueled by vengeance, he searches for the strength and honor needed to oppose corruption. His journey becomes a fight not only for survival, but also for the future and dignity of Rome. Cast Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, Alexander Karim, Tim McInnerny, Lee Charles, Chidi Ajufo, Alfie Tempest, Riana Duce, Chi Lewis Parry Director Ridley Scott Sacrifice 4/10 Release Date October 16, 2026 Runtime 103 minutes A movie star at a charity gala is held hostage by a radical activist group seeking a legendary relic. Cast Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek Pinault, John Malkovich, Charli XCX, Yung Lean, Sam Richardson, Jade Croot, Ambika Mod, Bebe Massey, Jeremy O. Harris, Miriam Silverman, Despoina Hariati Director Romain Gavras