The five best movies to watch this weekend, per top critics
The best movies watch now this weekend split cleanly between big-screen debuts and streaming standouts: Patch and Vulture highlight Moana and Evil Dead Burn in theaters, while The Times points subscribers toward Enola Holmes 3, The Sheep Detectives, and the horror hit Backrooms. With July 10–12 bringing fresh theatrical and streaming arrivals, critics say there is no shortage of buzzy options for a single couch-and-cinema plan.
Key Takeaways
- Moana and Evil Dead Burn lead theatrical options, according to Patch and Vulture.
- Netflix's Little House on the Prairie reboot and Peacock's The Five Star Weekend anchor streaming drama picks.
- The Times singles out Enola Holmes 3, Hugh Jackman's The Sheep Detectives, and Backrooms for at-home viewing.
- Vulture also flags Olivia Wilde's dinner-party comedy The Invite among its July 10–12 highlights.
What are the best new movies in theaters this weekend?
Patch puts Disney's live-action Moana at the front of the lineup. Catherine Laga'aia stars as Moana alongside Dwayne Johnson's returning Maui, with Thomas Kail directing a remake that follows the 2016 animated original's quest to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save Motunui.
For horror fans, Patch and Vulture both recommend Evil Dead Burn. Sébastien Vaniček's entry follows Alice (Souheila Yacoub), who retreats to her late husband's family lakehouse and faces a Deadite outbreak after a Book of the Dead surfaces. Tandi Wright and Hunter Doohan round out the ensemble in what Vulture describes as a relentlessly violent continuation after Evil Dead Rise.
Which streaming picks are worth queueing at home?
Patch highlights two high-profile series debuts. Netflix's Little House on the Prairie — Season 1 reframes the Ingalls family's 1870s Kansas homestead with Luke Bracey and a cast led by creator Rebecca Sonnenshine. Vulture calls it the best family-friendly Netflix series since The Baby-Sitters Club, noting producers intend to confront the historical text's problematic elements directly.
On Peacock, The Five Star Weekend adapts Elin Hilderbrand's novel with Jennifer Garner as food influencer Hollis Shaw, who gathers friends after tragedy. Vulture cites casting — D'Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, and Chloë Sevigny — as a major draw for the Nantucket-set drama.
What does The Times recommend for subscribers?
In its roundup titled The five best films to watch this weekend, The Times steers readers toward streaming, spotlighting Enola Holmes 3, Hugh Jackman in The Sheep Detectives, and the hit horror movie Backrooms among its critic-chosen watchlist.
Vulture's July 10–12 guide adds another option for viewers who want something lighter: The Invite, Olivia Wilde's buzzy dinner-party comedy also starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. For more entertainment coverage like this, browse our Celebrity Breaking News hub.
How should you plan one weekend watchlist?
Patch frames the weekend as a shift from open seas to burning forests to prairie trials and coastal reckonings — a mix of courage, grief, and messy truths. Pairing a theatrical horror pick with a streaming drama series gives viewers both immediacy and staying power across Saturday and Sunday.
Whether you prioritize family adventure, franchise horror, or prestige limited series, the consensus across Patch, Vulture, and The Times is that July 12 weekend viewing rewards variety rather than a single genre binge.