The most popular movies on Netflix is always a snapshot of where the streamer is at a particular moment.
Sometimes, not even Netflix can predict when a film is going to breakout with its subscribers. That’s why some Netflix originals are outperformed by lesser-known flicks that simply clicked with the audience.
Heading into this weekend, the streamer’s top 10 films is an eclectic selection. That’s why the Watch With Us team has narrowed it down to the three popular Netflix movies you need to watch now.
Our picks include a crime thriller with an A-list cast, a newly released psychological thriller and a documentary that’s been on our radar this month.
Ben Affleck has rarely seemed as comfortable in a role as he was when playing Doug MacRay in The Town. Affleck cowrote and directed the film, which may explain why his performance feels so natural. Doug is a bank robber alongside his lifelong friends, James “Jem” Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” MacGloan (Slaine) and Desmond “Dez” Elden (Owen Burke).
The group’s latest robbery went wrong when Jem briefly kidnapped the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). Because she lives in the neighborhood, Doug tells himself that he’s checking in on Claire to make sure she can’t identify him or the rest of his gang. In reality, Doug is extremely attracted to Claire, and he risks getting burned by initiating a romance with her. If Jem finds out about it, he might kill Claire — and Doug, too, for that matter.
The Town is streaming on Netflix.
‘Straw’ (2025)If you’ve ever seen the Michael Douglas film Falling Down, then you’ll be very familiar with the themes that writer and director Tyler Perry explores in Straw. Taraji P. Henson plays Janiyah Wiltkinson, a struggling single mother of a disabled daughter, Aria (Gabby Jackson), who is barely hanging on financially and psychologically
After a particularly awful day, Janiyah snaps. She never intended to go on a rampage or hurt anyone, but Janiyah has had enough, and it may take a miracle to talk her down from this proverbial ledge.
Straw is streaming on Netflix.
‘Titan: The Oceangate Submersible Disaster’ (2025)
Whoever decided to name their company OceanGate may not have been familiar with the concept of nominative determinism. OceanGate is a name that practically invites scandal; it suffered a major one in 2023 when the Titan submersible was lost with all hands on board, including CEO Stockton Rush.
Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is perhaps the most comprehensive look back to date at this disaster at sea, which revolved around an attempt to visit the wreckage of the Titanic. Rush gets the majority of the focus in this documentary, as his decisions seemingly led to his own demise and those of the passengers who went with him on the Titan submersible’s final journey.
Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is streaming on Netflix.
