The 3 Best Movies to Watch on Netflix This Week

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”

Ahead of “Sunrise on the Reaping,” circle back to “Catching Fire,” still the best film in the “Hunger Games” franchise. With the first film having already disposed of the lift of introducing audiences to this sci-fi dystopian world, Francis Lawrence (as well as screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn, adapting the novel from Suzanne Collins) are able to hit the ground running in the sequel. The games are bigger, the ideas are deeper, the relationships are thornier and the film, shot by Jo Willems, is on the whole more cinematic. Not to sound like an annoying film bro, but this one is worth the watch for the aspect ratio shift alone.

“The President’s Cake”

Hasan Hadi’s feature directorial debut, “The President’s Cake” landed on the shortlist for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards as the official entry for Iraq. Competing against a buzzy quartet of Neon features and the critically acclaimed “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Hadi’s first film didn’t make it to the eventual Oscars lineup. That’s a shame. “The President’s Cake” is an intense, well-directed piece of commentary, anchored by a wonderful child performance from Baneen Ahmad Nayyef and featuring a massively impactful ending.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming”

On Sept. 16, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” passed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to become the highest-grossing film in the history of the domestic box office. Tom Holland’s fourth Spidey-led feature effectively reboots the franchise, putting a fresh spin on his adventures as the wallcrawler.

“Brand New Day” has a much different feeling than Holland’s first solo feature, “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” That film, directed by Jon Watts, effectively functions as a meta commentary on the character’s new placement in the MCU: Peter Parker wants to be an Avenger, joining Iron Man and Captain America in the blockbuster crossovers, but he learns the value of sticking to the character’s roots as a friendly neighborhood hero. This theme may be slightly unwound by subsequent films, but an effective high school story and Holland’s winning performance make this one well worth the revisit.