Are you ready for the four-day Memorial Day weekend?
Me either. That’s why I’m staying put and logging on to Netflix in the hope of finding something good to watch.
Fortunately for you and me, there is. The Watch With Us crew has curated a list of the three best new movies to watch on Netflix this May weekend.
From the horrors of Black Phone 2 with Ethan Hawke to the laughs of Ladies First, you’re bound to have a better time than those unfortunate travelers stuck in those crowded airports.
‘Black Phone 2’ (2025)
It’s been a while since the movies introduced a new horror icon, which is why 2022’s The Black Phone was such a welcome surprise. Outfitted in pale white makeup and a creepy devil’s mask, Ethan Hawke’s child killer, The Grabber, was instant nightmare fuel for the many who saw the movie in theaters and on streaming. Well, you can’t keep a memorable murderer down, especially one that makes money, so even though he was killed by protagonist Finney (Regretting You‘s Mason Thames) at the end, The Grabber is back to, erm, grab again.
He’s still very much dead in Black Phone 2, which veers away from the largely realistic chills of the first one and dives headfirst into fantasy in the second. Like Freddy Krueger, The Grabber now haunts the dreams of his victims, and he wants to get back at Finney by killing his kid sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), once again. Finney won’t let that happen without a fight, and he’ll have to once again face his worst enemy with the help of three dead kids who are somehow linked to The Grabber.
While Black Phone 2 is less effective than its predecessor, it’s still entertaining to watch Thames’ almost fully-grown hero take on an enemy who is more powerful than ever. Hawke clearly enjoys playing an irredeemably evil person, and he’s so enjoyable you almost root for him to win. Almost.
Black Phone 2 is streaming on Netflix.
‘Nope’ (2022)
Way out in the California desert, something strange is happening. Someone has been taking horses from the Haywood ranch, and brother-and-sister owners OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em (Keke Palmer) suspect it’s a UFO. To back up their wild claims, they enlist the help of a Fry’s Electronics employee (Brandon Perea) and a past-his-prime cinematographer (Michael Wincott) to document their discovery so they can sell it to the tabloids and save their ranch from foreclosure. But these aliens don’t want to be discovered, and they’ll do anything to maintain their “unidentified” status.
You’d better say “yep” to Nope, one of the most original and thrilling sci-fi movies of the last 10 years. Jordan Peele’s wildly entertaining movie mashes up sci-fi, thriller and drama genres, with some healthy doses of comedy here and there. There’s even a wild subplot involving an ‘90s sitcom and an out-of-control chimp named Gordy that is somehow connected to everything. The heart of the movie, though, is the prickly but loving sibling relationship between OJ and Em, who love each other even if they don’t quite understand one another. Kaluuya and Palmer have never been better than they are in Nope, and they’re so good that you want to see their characters show up again.
‘Ladies First’ (2026)
Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a pig, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s a powerful CEO who treats women terribly and thinks Andrew Tate is someone every dude should look up to. He lives a perfect life until he hits his head, loses consciousness and wakes up to his worst nightmare — a world ruled by women! To make matters worse, he’s no longer the top dog at his company — former underling Alex (Rosamund Pike) is now his boss. To succeed in this new matriarchy, Damien will have to change his chauvinistic ways or lose what little he has left.
It’s been a while since Baron Cohen has been in a straight-up comedy, which is why Ladies First is enjoyable. The Borat star has a gift for physical comedy, and he shows it off in a movie that sees his character struggle to succeed in a system that’s stacked against misogynistic men like him. Pike amusingly channels some of her Gone Girl character in a role that requires her to play the straight woman to Cohen’s comically desperate Damien. Ladies First is a broad comedy, but one that has enough laughs to make it worth streaming.
Ladies First is streaming on Netflix.
