Netflix wants to make you cry this weekend.
No, it’s not releasing more Stranger Things season 5 episodes (thank God), but it is dropping one of the saddest – and best – movies from last year, Hamnet.
Not in the mind to cry? Don’t worry, Watch With Us has you covered. Stream 80 for Brady, a 2023 comedy starring Sally Field and Jane Fonda as saucy octogenarians with a thing for a certain New England patriots quarterback, and the only tears you’ll shed are from laughter.
We also recommend streaming She Said, a disquieting thriller about the real-life investigation into Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations by two courageous New York Times reporters.
‘Hamnet’ (2025)
In 1590s England, William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is just another author who is struggling to write his next play. When his young son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), dies from the bubonic plague, he’s heartbroken – but his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), is inconsolable. As Will keeps himself busy by writing and staging his new play, Hamlet, in London, Agnes is left to deal with her loss at their secluded home in the country. With their family broken by tragedy, can Will and Agnes find a way to grapple with Hamnet’s death and move forward?
Earlier this year, Hamnet was nominated for an impressive eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress, which Buckley deservedly won. You can understand why, as it’s a devastating drama about how a family processes and recovers from the loss of a child. For Will, his art is a way to express his grief and frustration. Agnes doesn’t have that luxury, so she finds solace in her memories. The last scene, which involves Buckley’s mother finally saying goodbye to Hamnet, both in her heart and in her mind, will move you to tears.
‘80 for Brady’ (2023)
A lot of people love football legend Tom Brady, but none more than Lou (Lily Tomlin), Betty (Field), Trish (Fonda) and Maura (Rita Moreno). They’re all 80 or above, but they’re young at heart, so when they win a contest to attend the Super Bowl featuring their favorite player, they set out on an adventure of their lifetimes. That’s what they get and more, as the quartet gets into all sorts of trouble, including getting high after consuming some edibles, meeting Guy Fieri during a chicken wing-eating contest and masquerading as Lady Gaga’s backup dancers. (Don’t ask.)
80 for Brady is sweet and silly, exactly what you’d expect from a movie called 80 for Brady and starring Lily Tomlin. It’s a cross-generational comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, even when it tackles subjects like cancer and even death. (These ladies aren’t spring chickens.) What makes the movie so watchable is the four leading ladies, who all bring their unique personas to their roles. And yes, Brady does make an appearance, and he shows good humor at poking fun at his football hero image.
‘She Said’ (2022)
When New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) receives a tip about an explosive story about sexual allegations concerning movie producer Harvey Weinstein, she recruits fellow reporter Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) to help gather enough evidence to publish an exposé. That’s easier said than done, as getting anyone, from scared former assistants to established celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd, to go on record proves to be nearly impossible. Kantor and Twohey have a hard deadline to publish their story, so they’ll need someone to risk their reputation and publicly condemn Weinstein, or else the story will die without anyone knowing the shocking truth.
The ‘70s had their journalistic exposé with All the President’s Men, so it’s only fitting that the #MeToo era gets one in She Said. While not nearly as compelling as that Dustin Hoffman/Robert Redford classic, the film methodically recreates the slow and often frustrating work Kantor and Twohey put in to write and publish a story that effectively changed culture. She Said avoids sensationalizing its subject matter, and the result is a slow-moving film that’s also quietly thrilling.
