5 Best Movies to Watch on Netflix This Weekend (May 1-3)

Netflix becomes more helpful than ever precisely when your mind fails to help. As you enter the weekend, you are not in a position to make any decisions after an exhausting week. You just want to watch something that will take your mind off reality for a couple of hours.

For this weekend, we have a list of five different movies that will do just that for you. First, there is a light, easy opener you can watch at the beginning of the weekend when you are easing into a relaxed mood. Second, there is something nostalgic that doesn’t require a lot of effort. Then, there is a horror detour for when you’re feeling brave (or bored). All that and more in our list of five best movies you should watch on Netflix from May 1-3.

1 Swapped

An animated adventure, Swapped is an animated feature that tells the story of a small woodland animal and a bird. The pair have a bitter relationship as natural rivals, but are trapped when they swap bodies as a result of coming across an enchanted plant. Now stuck in each other’s bodies, they must embark on an adventure across their shared world, learning to understand one another while trying to save their home.

Swapped uses the traditional theme of “putting yourself in another person’s shoes,” using the idea of switching bodies to develop a tale centered on empathy, interspecies conflict, and cooperation.

Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, and Justina Machado lend their voices to the movie’s characters. The movie is directed by Nathan Greno and written by John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes, and Robert Snow.

2 Jumanji

Directed by Joe Johnston and starring Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, and Bonnie Hunt, this is the kind of film that probably doesn’t need an introduction. A board game that turns real, unleashing mayhem into an otherwise normal world. It’s as fun (and slightly unhinged) as it sounds.

Chances are, you’ve already seen it. But that’s exactly why it works here. Jumanji is one of those rare films that feels just as entertaining on a rewatch, especially with the late Robin Williams at the center of it all, bringing both humor and a surprising amount of heart.

3 Ouija: Origin of Evil

This prequel to the 2014 movie Ouija is directed by Mike Flanagan and scripted by Jeff Howard and features Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, and Annalise Basso. The movie centers on a widow who, along with her two daughters, runs a phony yet well-meaning séance business (well, they say it helps those who wish to connect with their dead loved ones). Things go smoothly until a Ouija board summons a demonic entity that’s very real and very dangerous.

Flanagan succeeds in doing what’s vanishingly rare, and that is to make a prequel that surpasses its predecessor in every single way. While many horror movies rely on gimmicks and jump scares, Flanagan focuses on building a sense of dread that lingers. Since this movie, he has become one of Hollywood’s best storytellers in the genre.

4 Pretty Woman

Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, this classic romance is directed by Garry Marshall and penned by J.F. Lawton. The movie revolves around the life of a wealthy man who hires an escort to stay with him for seven days, which gives rise to a purely transactional dynamic at first.

While the movie itself has a sort of fairy-tale tone, it is the performances by both leads that keep it grounded. It is smooth, slightly extravagant, and just what one expects on a Sunday evening.

5 Eat Pray Love

Directed by Ryan Murphy, the movie is based on the memoir written by journalist and author Elizabeth Gilbert. The cast includes Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, and James Franco. It tells the story of a woman who escapes from her old life and travels across three different countries to find meaning in her life.

It’s the kind of film that people either fully buy into or gently roll their eyes at. But even then, it has its moments. If nothing else, it’s an easy, visually soothing watch, especially when you’re winding down and not looking for anything too demanding.

Here are all the 5 movies at a glance:

Title	Year	Genre	Director	Major cast	IMDb (as of May 1, 2026)	Rotten Tomatoes (as of May 1, 2026)
Swapped	2026	Animation, Adventure	Nathan Greno	Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple	N/A	N/A | N/A
Jumanji	1995	Adventure, Fantasy	Joe Johnston	Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst	7.1/10	56% | 63%
Ouija: Origin of Evil	2016	Horror	Mike Flanagan	Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson	6.2/10	82% | 58%
Pretty Woman	1990	Romance, Comedy	Garry Marshall	Julia Roberts, Richard Gere	7.1/10	65% | 68%
Eat Pray Love	2010	Romance, Comedy	Ryan Murphy	Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem	5.9/10	34% | 42%

The following are the answers to a few questions you might have about these movies:

Which one are you starting with this weekend, and did we miss a better pick? Tell us in the comments!