3 Best Movies To Watch On Netflix This Weekend (June 20-21)

The best movies on Netflix this weekend come in three different genres, and all three are timely releases for separate reasons. On last weekend’s Netflix movie recommendations, the films explored were Office Romance, Colors Of Evil: Black, and Song Sung Blue. Two of those are Netflix Original movies, while the latter is a licensed film that was recently released on the streaming service.

For this weekend’s Netflix movie list, I believe that subscribers could do with another nice mix of Netflix Originals and licensed content. With that in mind, I picked a new rom-com that has just been released by the streamer and two films that viewers might have already heard about and/or passed on watching. This weekend is great for first and second chances.

At the time of writing, two out of the three Netflix movies recommended last weekend are still trending on the streaming service’s charts. Right now, Hugh Jackman’s record-breaking musical drama Song Sung Blue is the 6th most-watched movie on Netflix in the United States. Right above it, at 5th on the streamer’s nationwide movie chart, is Office Romance, which stars Brett Goldstein and Jennifer Lopez.

This time around, rather than looking at a possible three-movie binge, I believe in picking three strong individual films for Netflix subscribers. There is an animated feature from a charming franchise, a new rom-com with the perfect young cast, and a fantasy epic that I believe is incredibly underrated. Enjoy!

3

The Smurfs (2011)

Starting us off is The Smurfs, which I believe to be vastly superior to the characters’ most recent cinematic outing. The 2011 film is a live-action/CGI hybrid that infuses the Smurfs’ vibrant nature in every frame. The film is charming all the way through, with easy-to-love characters, a lean plot, and plenty of laughs and emotional moments to keep viewers engaged on Netflix this weekend.

The Smurfs became a box office hit with $563.7 million globally. The Smurfs features a star-studded cast, with names like Katy Perry, Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), the late Anton Yelchin (Star Trek Beyond), Jayma Mays (Glee), Sofía Vergara (Modern Family), B. J. Novak (The Office), and many more. The Smurfs promises a fun time on the weekend.

2

Voicemails For Isabelle

Next up is the only Netflix Original movie on the list. Voicemails for Isabelle is the streaming service’s latest rom-com, having arrived on Netflix worldwide this Friday, June 19. As its title suggests, the new romance focuses on Zoey Deutch’s Jill, who sends voicemails to her late sister, Isabelle (Ciara Bravo), to talk about her life, who she is going out with, and just to help her grieve in general.

However, Isabelle’s phone number has been reassigned to Nick Robinson’s Wes, who starts listening to the messages and falls in love with the charming stranger. Voicemails for Isabelle has debuted with a solid 75% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Netflix’s new Original movie is perfect for romantics and those looking for a film that tugs at the heartstrings.

1

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Finally, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is an excellent fantasy movie to end the weekend on Netflix on a high. While it is true that the film might not be extremely accurate to the Rick Riordan novel, it is endlessly entertaining. Logan Lerman is great as Percy, with a cast that includes names like Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus), Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), Pierce Brosnan (MobLand), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), and more.

Multiple scenes from this movie have become iconic, like the Lotus Casino sequence. Now that Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has been released and covered both of the books that Lerman’s Percy Jackson movies adapted, it is high time for a rewatch to compare the adaptations. Dare I say that Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief remains the best in terms of action, with solid portrayals of key characters, ending the weekend on Netflix with an adventure worth seeing through.