3 best new to Netflix movies you need to watch this weekend (April 17-19)

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When you're looking to spend the weekend on the couch in front of a new movie, Netflix often feels like the go-to choice. Like all the best streaming services, it keeps things fresh with a steady stream of new releases, and this weekend is no exception.

While "Beef" season 2 is probably the biggest new Netflix release of the week, there's still plenty to catch up on this weekend, and if you want to get straight to streaming, allow me to step in.

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Best new to Netflix movies to stream this weekend

'A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough' (2026)

A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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We'll kick things off with a new nature documentary helmed by the British naturalist (and national treasure) David Attenborough. In this new documentary, the veteran broadcaster recounts the story of his encounter with a baby gorilla called Pablo decades ago, how that gorilla became a top Silverback, and how Pablo's direct descendants are doing today.

Per a Forbes report on the new doc, we know that "A Gorilla Story" blends excerpts from Attenborough's old journals with archive BBC footage from the 1970s and newly filmed footage following Pablo's descendants in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park.

Stream "A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough" on Netflix now

'Him' (2025)

HIM | Official Trailer - YouTube HIM | Official Trailer - YouTube
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If you're looking for a more terrifying watch this weekend, Justin Tipping's "Him" lands on Netflix this Sunday, and while the horror flick didn't impress critics when it landed last year, there's a chance it might be your kind of watch!

The movie centers on Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising star football player. Just before scouting, he's attacked by a fan and suffers a potentially career-ending brain injury. Enter: eight-time Championship quarterback, Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). White is Cam's hero, and he offers the young star a lifeline by inviting Cam to come train at the isolated compound he shares with his celebrity influencer wife, Elsie (Julia Fox). This sets Cam on a blood-curdling journey that threatens to cost him way more than he bargained for...

Stream "Him" on Netflix from Sunday, April 19

'Roommates' (2026)

ROOMMATES | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube ROOMMATES | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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Netflix's big new original movie release of the week is "Roommates," a new R-rated college comedy featuring Sadie Sandler (Adam Sandler's eldest daughter) and Chloe East ("Heretic") as two new freshman roommates whose friendship takes a turn and spirals into serious passive aggression. "Roommates" also features Nick Kroll, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Sherman, and Aidan Langford, and Netflix promises the film will deliver plenty of messy drama and all-out chaos.

Devon (Sandler) stumbles into Celeste (East) at their outdoor orientation program, and they become inseparable the moment they set foot on campus. However, as they work through the ups and downs of freshman year, Devon starts to feel increasingly irritated by (and distrustful of) her new pal, and the tension threatens to boil over "during a fateful, karaoke-fueled spring break in Panama City."

Stream "Roommates" on Netflix now


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Martin Shore
Staff Writer, Streaming

Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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