5 biggest Netflix movies and shows I can’t wait to watch in summer 2026

(Image credit: Netflix; Shutterstock)

Although it's technically still spring until June 21, summer is already heating up for Netflix, with the streaming service rolling out returning shows, movies, and new originals over the coming months. Yes, that means we’ll have plenty more to enjoy during the sunnier weeks ahead.

Whether you’re in the mood for a mystery adventure set in the world of “Sherlock Holmes,” a sci-fi horror film that sees a family trapped inside their home, or a gripping psychological thriller starring Robert De Niro, there are plenty of new titles worth getting excited about.

So, here are the five biggest Netflix movies and shows I’m adding to my watchlist in summer 2026.

‘Enola Holmes 3’

Enola Holmes 3 | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube

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This summer sees the release of the highly anticipated third installment in Netflix’s successful mystery franchise “Enola Holmes,” based on Nancy Springer’s popular book series. These films are incredibly fun, and there’s nothing better than watching a mystery unfold alongside some impressive action. For the first time in the franchise, director Harry Bradbeer has stepped aside, with Philip Barantini (known for the intense one-shot thriller “Boiling Point”) taking over. It’ll be interesting to see how his style shapes the next chapter.

Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) is called to Malta to investigate a disappearance tied to a British diplomatic family, but the case quickly escalates when she uncovers coded messages hidden within official correspondence and shipping records linked to multiple European ports. Working alongside Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill) and Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel), she follows a trail that connects a missing naval officer, a falsified identity, and a series of encrypted maps pointing to a covert political operation.

Stream on Netflix starting July 1

‘Little House on the Prairie’

Little House on the Prairie | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube

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The upcoming “Little House on the Prairie” is a sweeping, ground-up adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic semi-autobiographical book series. Rather than serving as a direct, sentimental remake of the iconic 1970s Michael Landon NBC series, Netflix is reimagining the material as a grittier frontier survival drama. The story stays closely tied to young Laura’s perspective, tracking her emotional and intellectual coming-of-age as she adapts to life on the prairie. Netflix clearly has confidence in the project too, with the series already renewed for a second season.

“Little House on the Prairie” follows the Ingalls family as they leave their Wisconsin farm in 1869 and travel west to settle in Montgomery County, Kansas, where Charles (Luke Bracey) has been told land will soon open for homesteading. After building a log home on newly claimed frontier territory, the family attempts to establish a working farm while adapting to unfamiliar surroundings and limited resources. Laura (Alice Halsey) observes daily life closely as tensions rise over land ownership and settlement rights involving Native American groups.

Stream on Netflix starting July 9

‘Ransom Canyon’ season 2

Sometimes, we all need a sweeping romantic western to boost the mood. “Ransom Canyon,” which is very much like “Yellowstone” meets “Virgin River,” is set to drop its second season this summer following a wildly successful first season that dominated Netflix’s global top 10 list. Season 2 shifts the playing field by picking up six months after the dramatic cliffhangers of the first season’s finale, a gap that allows the series to reset the emotional baseline between its central star-crossed lovers.

Season 2 picks up six months after Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly) left Texas Hill Country for a six-month work opportunity in New York, a period during which she and Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) have had no contact. Quinn ultimately returns to Ransom Canyon as part of that original agreement, forcing her to confront whether she still belongs in the small town or the life she briefly pursued elsewhere. Meanwhile, Staten is struggling to regain control of his family’s Double K Ranch after being removed as trustee, while dealing with renewed tensions across the community.

Stream on Netflix starting July 23

‘The Last House’

I love a good sci-fi thriller, so naturally “The Last House” is going straight on my summer watchlist. This single-location nightmare flips the idea of home as a safe haven, trapping a family inside with literally no way out. The tension seems to build on two fronts: the struggle to survive as food, water, and supplies run low, and the growing dread of an unseen force deliberately keeping them contained. It’s obviously claustrophobic by design, but the premise already has me hooked.

A family of four — mother Ann (Greta Lee), father Jason (Wagner Moura), and their children Ruth (Riley Chung) and Graham (Noah Alexander Sosnowski) — wake up inside their suburban home to find every exit sealed shut with no explanation. As they attempt to understand what has happened, they quickly discover that communication with the outside is impossible. Food supplies, water access, and power become increasingly unreliable, forcing them to ration carefully and improvise solutions using whatever is already inside the home.

Stream on Netflix starting August 7

‘The Whisper Man’

Lastly, we have one of the most anticipated psychological thrillers of the summer in the form of “The Whisper Man.” Adapted from Alex North’s global bestselling 2019 novel, the film follows a dark investigation rooted in a chilling urban legend. The creative team has pitched it as a modern psychological thriller reminiscent of “The Black Phone” and “Zodiac” since it builds its tension from the unsettling reality of manipulation and fear. At its centre is a nursery rhyme about a killer who lures children into the dark by whispering outside their windows.

When his 8-year-old son is abducted, widowed crime writer Tom Kennedy (Adam Scott) is forced back into the world he tried to leave behind. Desperate for answers, he turns to his estranged father, Frank Carter (Michael Keaton), a former police officer he has long been distant from. The case also draws in Detective Amanda Beck (Michelle Monaghan) and leads them to revisit the work of Detective Inspector Pete Willis (Robert De Niro), who originally helped capture a serial killer known as The Whisper Man.

Stream on Netflix starting August 28

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.