3 award-winning movies to watch on Netflix this weekend (July 24-26)
Refreshing your Netflix feed and finding new titles to watch is always exciting. But when you’re on the lookout for a movie that’s a little different from your usual recommendations, it can be surprisingly difficult to know where to start.
That’s why this week, if you’re looking for films that gained recognition, I picked three movies streaming on Netflix U.S. that span various genres. My top pick is a movie that is compelling for both the truth behind its story and a perspective shift. Here is all you need to know.
3
Shirkers
A film lost to time
Shirkers is one Netflix Original that deserves a spot on your watch list for its tender and slow yet captivating story progression. The documentary follows filmmaker Sandi Tan as she revisits a quirky movie she made with her friends in Singapore when she was a teenager. After shooting the film, however, the footage disappeared along with the American filmmaker who helped them make it. Decades later, the footage resurfaces out of the blue, sending Tan on a journey to uncover what happened to the movie and the people involved in its creation.
Quiz
Summer 2026’s hottest new documentaries
Trivia challenge
From Wall Street scandals to pop legends — how much do you know about this
summer’s must-watch docs?
True CrimeMusicSportsHollywoodFinance
Paramount+’s The Real Wolf of Wall Street focuses on which convicted fraudster at
the center of the Stratton Oakmont scandal?
Correct! Jordan Belfort, the self-styled ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ ran
Stratton Oakmont and was convicted of fraud and money laundering. The Paramount+ documentary revisits
his story beyond what was depicted in Martin Scorsese’s famous 2013 film.
Not quite. The documentary centers on Jordan Belfort, the notorious
stockbroker whose Stratton Oakmont firm bilked investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Bernie
Madoff and Ivan Boesky were separate high-profile Wall Street criminals.
In The Real Wolf of Wall Street, Stratton Oakmont was notorious for using which
illegal sales practice to inflate stock prices?
Correct! Stratton Oakmont used a classic pump-and-dump scheme,
artificially inflating the price of penny stocks through aggressive sales tactics before selling their
own shares at the peak, leaving investors with near-worthless holdings.
Not quite. The firm’s signature crime was the pump-and-dump scheme, in
which brokers hyped up cheap penny stocks to unsuspecting investors, drove the price up, then sold their
own shares for enormous profit. Ponzi schemes and insider trading are distinct types of securities
fraud.
The Real Wolf of Wall Street documentary on Paramount+ includes testimony from which
type of key sources to help reexamine the Stratton Oakmont story?
Correct! The documentary draws on accounts from surviving victims of the
fraud, former Stratton Oakmont brokers, and law enforcement investigators, giving a fuller and more
grounded picture of the scheme than Belfort’s own self-promotional memoir.
Not quite. The film incorporates perspectives from victims who lost
money, former brokers who worked at the firm, and the investigators who brought it down — offering a
counterpoint to the glamorized version of events that Belfort himself has often promoted.
HBO Max’s Marc by Sofia is a documentary about fashion designer Marc Jacobs directed
by which filmmaker?
Correct! Sofia Coppola, the acclaimed director behind films like Lost in
Translation and The Virgin Suicides, directed Marc by Sofia, offering an intimate portrait of her
longtime friend and fashion icon Marc Jacobs.
Not quite. The documentary is directed by Sofia Coppola, the
Oscar-winning filmmaker known for her visually lyrical style. Her personal friendship with Marc Jacobs
gave the film an unusually candid, behind-the-scenes quality.
Marc by Sofia on HBO Max primarily explores Marc Jacobs through which lens?
Correct! The documentary offers an intimate look at Marc Jacobs’
creative process and personal journey, including his struggles with addiction and recovery, his
identity, and what drives his singular artistic vision in fashion.
Not quite. Rather than focusing on business or legal matters, Marc by
Sofia takes a deeply personal approach, exploring Jacobs’ inner world, his sobriety journey, and the
emotional fuel behind his influential career in fashion.
Netflix’s Chris & Martina: The Final Set documents the legendary rivalry between
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. How many times did the two face each other in their careers?
Correct! Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova faced each other an
extraordinary 80 times over their careers, making it one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history.
The Netflix documentary revisits their competitive and personal relationship as both faced serious
health challenges.
Not quite. The two icons met a remarkable 80 times in their careers,
with Navratilova holding the edge in their head-to-head record. The Netflix doc frames their rivalry
through the lens of friendship and mutual support as both women confronted cancer diagnoses.
Netflix’s Michael Jackson: The Verdict examines public and legal reactions to the
allegations against Jackson. What major legal moment does the documentary reference as a turning
point in his legacy?
Correct! Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, in which he was acquitted on all
counts of child molestation, is a central legal moment the documentary examines. The film explores how
that verdict shaped public perception and the ongoing debate about his legacy.
Not quite. The documentary focuses heavily on the 2005 criminal trial
acquittal as a defining legal moment, while also weighing it against the renewed allegations brought by
the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland and the court of public opinion.
Peacock’s documentary Lorne is a profile of which legendary television producer?
Correct! Lorne Michaels, the Canadian producer who created Saturday
Night Live in 1975 and has shepherded it for nearly five decades, is the subject of Peacock’s
documentary simply titled Lorne. The film digs into the enigmatic figure behind one of TV’s most
enduring institutions.
Not quite. The Peacock documentary profiles Lorne Michaels, the famously
private and influential creator of Saturday Night Live. Despite shaping American comedy for generations,
Michaels has rarely spoken openly about himself — making this documentary a rare glimpse behind the
curtain.
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This is a great pick for viewers who enjoyed The Greatest Night in Pop, especially those who like documentaries that uncover the stories behind creative projects. Shirkers made a strong impression at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where Tan won the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award.
2
Moneyball
Math is the name of the game
Even if sports films are not your cup of tea, this unconventional sports movie is sure to grab your attention. Based on the true story of baseball executive Billy Beane, Moneyball follows an underdog team trying to compete at the highest level while working with one of the smallest budgets in Major League Baseball. With the odds stacked against him, Beane turns to an unconventional approach, using data and statistics to identify overlooked players and challenge the traditional way teams are built. Beane’s approach forces the people around him to reevaluate a player’s value, revolutionizing the future of the Oakland Athletics.
The film’s sharp writing and strong performances earned it six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Brad Pitt, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also named one of the American Film Institute’s Top 10 Films of 2011.
1
Born on the Fourth of July
The perspective shift that changed everything
Some war movies focus on the action on the battlefield, while others are more interested in what happens after the fighting ends. My top pick, Born on the Fourth of July, which draws from the autobiography of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic, follows his journey from a young man with dreams who enlists in the Marines to a veteran who returns home paralyzed and extremely disillusioned by the war. As Kovic struggles to adjust to this new reality, he confronts the beliefs he once held close, eventually shifting into an outspoken anti-war activist.
Directed by Oliver Stone, the film earned eight Academy Award nominations and won two, including Best Director for Stone and Best Film Editing. Born on the Fourth of July, which U.S. viewers can now stream on Netflix, is a generational movie that features one of Cruise’s most underrated performances in his filmography.
Make sure to check Netflix for library changes
Netflix’s library is constantly changing, so it’s worth looking beyond the newest releases on your home page when you’re deciding what to watch, especially if you’re on the hunt for underrated gems. The platform has many discovery hacks that can help you filter and find the best titles.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
