Something insidious is happening in theaters this weekend – and on Netflix.
The new Insidious movie just opened, but if you’re looking for something different, Netflix probably has it.
The streamer keeps adding great new movies throughout August, and Watch With Us has selected three of the best additions you should check out this weekend.
Whether you watch the Daniel Craig thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Anne Hathaway drama Armageddon Time or the late-in-life romance Midwinter Break, you’re guaranteed two hours of high-quality entertainment.
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Anders Linden/©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) needs a new story to repair his damaged reputation. He finds one when an elderly man, Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), hires him to find out what happened to his grandniece, Harriet (Moa Garpendal). Mikael can’t do it alone, so he teams up with ace hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), who dislikes most people. She likes Mikael enough to help him, and their friendship soon develops into something more intimate. But Harriet’s case soon turns into a murder mystery that could not only stop their romance, but also end their lives as well.
August is still technically summer, but it’s never too early to start spooky season. Not for Netflix, anyway. The streamer just added a slew of new horror movies in August, and Watch With Us has seen the best of them. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid […]
Adapted from the bestselling novel by the late Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a dark thriller that features unsettling scenes involving sexual assault, torture and murder. That’s nothing out of the ordinary for director David Fincher, who is attracted to the darker side of human nature. Like his past films Seven and Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo features a serial killer whose acts are unspeakable, and motivations are opaque.
The story isn’t all that complex (you’ll probably guess who the killer is right away), but the film’s chief pleasure is watching the two lead characters working together to find Harriet. Rooney was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, and she creates a unique portrayal of a damaged woman who still has enough room left in her heart to let Craig’s crusading journalist in, if only for a moment.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is streaming on Netflix.
‘Armageddon Time’ (2022)
Jaylin Webb and Banks Repeta in Armageddon Time. Focus Features /Courtesy Everett Collection
In the early 1980s, sixth-grader Paul (Michael Banks Repeta) befriends classmate Johnny (Jaylin Webb) on the first day of class. Despite their obvious differences, Paul, who is Jewish, and Johnny, who is Black, get along well and grow closer as the school year drags on. But Paul starts to notice his fellow classmates and teachers treat Johnny differently than the other white students. Paul thinks he understands the world around him, but the more he hangs out with Johnny, the more he realizes he knows nothing about it at all.
Despite its overly aggressive title, Armageddon Time is a subtle and quiet coming-of-age drama about a specific time and place when a boy realizes the world is unfair — at least to some people. His friendship with Johnny opens his eyes to a systematic racism that’s always been there but has never been acknowledged by Paul because it never impacted him. The film does a great job of contrasting Johnny’s experiences with racism with Paul’s understanding of antisemitism, and how they’re both similar but not always equivalent. Although it’s set over four decades ago, Armageddon Time tackles themes that are still relevant today.
Armageddon Time is streaming on Netflix.
‘Midwinter Break’ (2026)
Ciaran Hinds and Lesley Manville in Midwinter Break. Mark de Blok/ © Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection
Irish couple Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciarán Hinds) have been married for decades and still love each other. They’re a bit bored, though, which is why Stella suggests they travel to Amsterdam to spice up their marriage. Yet instead of improving things, their vacation brings up all sorts of repressed memories and emotions. Stella’s long been burdened with a secret, and what she shares with Gerry during their trip abroad could permanently end their decades-long union.
Midwinter Break is a quiet, slow-moving drama that focuses more on character than plot. While that might be a detriment in most movies, here it’s an asset, especially with respected Oscar-nominated actors in the two lead roles. Manville in particular is superb as a woman who is forced to come to terms with her past — and the real state of her long-term marriage. Her Stella is a woman who holds a secret life deep within her, and Manville expertly conveys her character’s simultaneous apprehension and relief at finally coming clean.
Midwinter Break is streaming on Netflix.
