5 Netflix Movies You Shouldn’t Miss This Week (September 22–28)

Scrolling endlessly through Netflix can feel overwhelming—like walking into an old-school video rental store but with too many aisles. To save you from decision paralysis, here are five standout movies to add to your watchlist this week.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Guy Ritchie’s energetic take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective is anything but slow and brooding. Robert Downey Jr. slips effortlessly into the role of Sherlock Holmes, delivering charisma, wit, and a touch of chaos. Jude Law balances him perfectly as Dr. John Watson, their chemistry sparking in every scene. Mark Strong menaces as villain Lord Henry Blackwood, while Rachel McAdams shines as the clever Irene Adler.

Don’t expect a quiet, cerebral mystery—this is a fast-paced blend of deduction and action, all wrapped in gritty, stylish Victorian London. The sequel, A Game of Shadows (2011), is worth a look, though it never quite matches the thrill of the first.

Rating: PG-13
Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery
Runtime: 129 minutes
Director: Guy Ritchie
Release Date: December 25, 2009

Hit Man (2024)
Richard Linklater delivers one of the year’s quirkiest films with Hit Man. Glen Powell stars as Gary Johnson, a professor who moonlights with the New Orleans police on sting operations. When he unexpectedly has to pose as a hitman, Gary discovers he’s not just good at it—he’s brilliant, inventing elaborate personas for each case.

Things take a complicated turn when he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants her abusive husband gone. What follows is part comedy, part romance, part thriller—and somehow it all works. The film may be loosely based on a true story, but it thrives on the chemistry between Powell and Arjona, who keep the absurd premise grounded and endlessly entertaining.

Rating: R
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Director: Richard Linklater
Release Date: May 24, 2024

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Decades before Netflix teased its own Dahl-inspired projects, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory became a cult classic. Gene Wilder’s take on Wonka is still definitive: whimsical, unpredictable, and slightly sinister. The factory’s candy-colored landscapes—the chocolate river, Oompa-Loompas, and bizarre inventions—are both enchanting and unsettling.

It’s family-friendly on the surface, but the sly dark humor and that infamous boat scene ensure it sticks in your memory. A film as sweet as it is strange, it remains endlessly rewatchable across generations.

Rating: G
Genres: Family, Fantasy, Comedy
Runtime: 99 minutes
Director: Mel Stuart
Release Date: June 30, 1971

Stand by Me (1986)
Adapted from Stephen King’s novella, Stand by Me captures the bittersweet magic of childhood adventure. In the summer of 1959, four boys—played by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell—set off to find a rumored dead body. Along the way, they clash with trains, leeches, and neighborhood bullies, but the real journey is in their conversations and the bond they forge.

It’s nostalgic, heartfelt, and universal—reminding you of the fleeting simplicity of youth, whether or not you grew up in 1950s Oregon. Beloved even by King himself (who rarely praises adaptations of his work), the film earned an Academy Award nomination and two Golden Globe nods.

Rating: R
Genres: Crime, Drama
Runtime: 89 minutes
Director: Rob Reiner
Release Date: August 22, 1986

Joy (2024)
Joy tells the remarkable true story of the team behind the world’s first IVF baby, Louise Joy Brown, born in 1978. Directed by Ben Taylor, the film follows gynecologist Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy), physiologist Robert Edwards (James Norton), and embryologist Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie) as they fight skepticism, media backlash, and public criticism to make history.

Grounded performances and a respectful script keep the focus on both the science and the humanity—showing not only the challenges the trio faced but also the emotional struggles of the families who volunteered in the trials. Moving, educational, and deeply inspiring, it’s one of Netflix’s strongest originals this year.

Genres: Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Director: Ben Taylor
Release Date: November 22, 2024