8 New Movies You Can Watch on Netflix This Weekend

Including a handful of comedy classics and two brand new thrillers.

Not only is the weekend almost here, it's also the first weekend of the month. As all Netflix subscribers know, the turn of the calendar page means a huge influx of new titles, and March 2022 is no different in that respect. The best movies new to Netflix this weekend include a couple of thrilling originals, one of the most beloved dramas of the '00s, and the first movie in a blockbuster animated franchise. So before you make any plans for the next few days, read on for our recommendations of what you should be watching instead.

RELATED: 7 New Shows You Can Watch on Netflix This Weekend.

1
Against the Ice

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Cole in Against the Ice
Lilja Jonsdottir/Netflix

Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau stars in and co-wrote Against the Ice, a Netflix Original about a real journey undertaken by two men in the early 20th century. Seeking to disprove the U.S.' claim to North-Eastern Greenland, Danish explorers traverse the unforgiving terrain in search of a long-lost map.

2
My Best Friend's Wedding

Dermot Mulroney and Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding
Sony Pictures Releasing

Julia Roberts plays against type as a conniving food critic dead-set on breaking up her sort-of ex's (Dermot Mulroney) engagement in 1997's My Best Friend's Wedding. A rom-com that snubs its nose at most of the genre's favorite tropes—including the traditional girl-gets-boy happy ending—the movie was nonetheless a huge hit and served as a breakthrough moment for Rupert Everett, who plays the gay best friend attempting to save Jules (Roberts) from herself.

3
The Shawshank Redemption

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption movie featuring morgan freeman
Castle Rock Entertainment

Based on a novella by Stephen KingThe Shawshank Redemption follows a man (Tim Robbins) who's sentenced to life in prison for two murders he swears he didn't commit. Inside, he copes with corrupt guards, appeals to the government to improve conditions, and makes a lifelong friend in fellow prisoner Red (Morgan Freeman). It may surprise you to know that Shawshank was a box-office flop when it was released, as it was nominated for seven Oscars and has come to be one of the most fondly remembered movies of the '90s.

4
The Weekend Away

Christina Wolfe and Leighton Meester in The Weekend Away
Ivan Šardi/Netflix

Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester heads up this new thriller as a woman named Beth who finds herself suspected of murder after her best friend (Christina Wolfe) turns up dead during a girls' trip to Croatia. As she chases down clues to clear her name, Beth also has to ask herself whether there's something she could have blocked out of her memory—and if she's capable of actually doing what she's been accused of. The Weekend Away is based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Alderson.

5
21 Bridges

Chadwick Boseman and Sienna Miller in 21 Bridges
STXFilms

In one of Chadwick Boseman's final films, 2019's 21 Bridges, he plays an NYPD detective who presides over an unprecedented night. To catch two men who took down several cops in a shootout, authorities basically lock down Manhattan, shutting down every avenue they have to escape. But there's much more to the story than Boseman's Andre knows, and his pursuit brings him closer to the painful truth.

6
Shrek

Shrek
DreamWorks Pictures

A new animated franchise kicked off with 2001's Shrek, a fractured fairy tale about an ogre (Mike Myers) who embarks on a mission to save a beautiful princess with a secret (Cameron Diaz) in exchange for the villainous Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicting all the new arrivals overrunning his formerly peaceful swamp. Three sequels, a spinoff movie, and more Shrek-related projects followed. Shrek 2 is also new to streaming on Netflix this month.

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7
Sorry to Bother You

Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You
Mirror Releasing

Lakeith Stanfield (Knives OutThe Harder They Fall) plays Cash, a struggling man who becomes a star telemarketer when he begins using his "white voice" on the phone, in the wild anti-capitalist 2018 comedy, Sorry to Bother You. Don't let anybody spoil this movie's surrealist elements for you—go in as pure as you can and strap in for the ride.

8
Zoolander

Ben Stiller in Zoolander
Paramount Pictures

While its long-awaited sequel wasn't as well-received, the original Zoolander is still a comedy classic. Ben Stiller plays a dim male model who's roped unknowingly into an assassination plot, all while searching for meaning in life beyond how great it is to be "really, really ridiculously good-looking." Owen WilsonChristine TaylorWill Ferrell, and the late Jerry Stiller are among the supporting cast.

RELATED: 6 Oscar Movies You Can Watch on Netflix This Weekend.

Sage Young
Sage Young is the Deputy Entertainment Editor at Best Life, expanding and honing our coverage in this vertical by managing a team of industry-obsessed writers. Read more
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