Netflix’s UAE library shifts week to week, and what’s actually trending here often looks nothing like the US Top 10. This list pulls directly from Netflix’s own regional Top 10 tracker (Tudum) for the UAE, cross-checked against IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and other reference sources β with a rating and a clear “who should watch this” note for every single title, not just the big Hollywood names. lest explore the best movies on netflix in UAE
For viewers who want to explore Netflix options in the UAE, including subscription details and available alternatives, our guide to watch netflix for free in UAE provides a broader overview.
Netflix UAE Top 10 Movies This Week
Here’s the official ranking straight from Netflix’s own UAE Top 10 page, current for the week of August 10β16, 2026 β the list updates every Wednesday, so treat this as a live snapshot rather than a permanent ranking for best movies on netflix in UAE
| Rank | Movie | Genre | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last House | Sci-Fi Thriller | 27β35% (RT), 5.5/10 (IMDb) |
| 2 | Cocktail 2 | Hindi Romantic Comedy-Drama | Mixed reviews |
| 3 | Extinction | Sci-Fi Action | 5.8/10 (IMDb) |
| 4 | Main Vaapas Aaunga | Hindi Period Romance | Mixed-to-positive (3β4/5) |
| 5 | This, That and Everything in Between | Filipino Family Drama | Mixed-to-negative |
| 6 | Idhayam Murali | Tamil Romantic Dramedy | Not widely scored yet |
| 7 | 72 Hours | Comedy | Too new for an aggregate score |
| 8 | Shabab El Bomb 3 | Arabic Comedy | Not widely scored yet |
| 9 | Robin Hood | Action-Adventure | 14% critics / 39% audience (RT) |
| 10 | Wicked | Musical Fantasy | ~88% (RT), Oscar-nominated |
The spread here is the real story: the No. 1 movie in the UAE this week has a lower critics’ score than the film sitting at No. 9, which had been written off as a flop back in 2018 β chart position on Netflix reflects what people are actually clicking on, not necessarily what’s considered “good,” and that gap is worth keeping in mind before picking your next watch from this list.
The Last House β This Week’s best movie on netflix
What it’s about: Directed by Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, Lupin) and written by Matthew Robinson, this sci-fi thriller follows the Delgado family β engineer father Jason (Wagner Moura), mother Riley/Ann (Greta Lee), and their two children β after they wake up one morning to find every door and window in their Seattle home sealed shut with no explanation, forced to survive dwindling supplies while an unseen force keeps them trapped.
Rating: A genuinely divisive one β 27β35% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (sources vary slightly) and just 5.5/10 on IMDb, with common criticism centred on the film feeling like “two different stories that don’t really connect” once the sci-fi elements kick in.
Who should watch it: Viewers who enjoy contained, premise-driven survival thrillers and can tolerate a shaky back half in exchange for a genuinely tense first hour β go in with expectations calibrated to “solid Netflix genre entertainment,” not a prestige thriller.
Who should skip it: Anyone who wants a fully coherent sci-fi mystery with a satisfying resolution β reviewers consistently flag the ending and lore as the film’s weakest point.
Cocktail 2 β No. 2
What it’s about: A sequel to the 2012 Bollywood hit Cocktail, this Hindi romantic comedy-drama follows Kunal (Shahid Kapoor) and his longtime partner Diya (Rashmika Mandanna) as a Sicily getaway is upended when Diya’s old friend Ally (Kriti Sanon) re-enters their lives, testing the couple’s commitment. Directed by Homi Adajania.
Rating: Mixed reviews upon its June 2026 theatrical release, though it still became the 7th highest-grossing Hindi film of the year β a case where box office and critical reception diverged.
Who should watch it: Fans of the original Cocktail, or anyone who enjoys an ensemble romantic drama with a Sicily-Delhi-Gurugram backdrop and a love-triangle structure.
Who should skip it: Viewers expecting the sharp comedic energy of the first film β some reviews note the sequel leans more melodramatic than comedic.
Extinction β No. 3
What it’s about: This 2018 Netflix original stars Michael PeΓ±a as an engineer plagued by recurring nightmares of an alien-style invasion that turn out to be premonitions of a real attack, forcing him to protect his family once the visions come true.
Rating: 5.8/10 on IMDb β a respectable, if unspectacular, score for a mid-budget sci-fi action film that originally drew mixed reviews for pacing and story clarity.
Who should watch it: Fans of family-survival sci-fi in the vein of The Last of Us or A Quiet Place, or anyone curious why an eight-year-old catalogue title is suddenly resurging worldwide in 2026.
Who should skip it: Viewers expecting award-calibre filmmaking β this is straightforward genre entertainment, not a prestige drama.
Main Vaapas Aaunga β No. 4
What it’s about: Directed by Imtiaz Ali with music by A.R. Rahman, this Hindi period romance follows 95-year-old Ishar Singh Grewal (Naseeruddin Shah), whose memories of a lost love during the 1947 Partition of India resurface as he shares his story with his grandson (Diljit Dosanjh), weaving between a young couple’s romance (Vedang Raina and Sharvari) and its devastating separation.
Rating: Genuinely divisive β some critics gave it as low as 3/5 for meandering pacing in the first half, while others called it a 4-star “cinema that can’t be missed,” with near-universal praise specifically for Naseeruddin Shah’s performance.
Who should watch it: Anyone who wants a serious, emotionally heavy historical romance β reviewers agree Shah’s performance alone justifies watching, even where they disagree on the rest of the film.
Who should skip it: Viewers looking for a light watch β this is a deliberately slow, memory-driven drama built around loss and generational trauma, not casual viewing.
This, That and Everything in Between β No. 5
What it’s about: A Filipino family drama directed by Cholo Laurel starring Jodi Sta. Maria as a TV writer whose ordered life unravels when her estranged, self-absorbed actress mother (Agot Isidro) returns after 27 years with a buried secret.
Rating: Mixed-to-negative β reviewers note real emotional moments but describe the plot as sliding into soap-opera clichΓ©s rather than sustaining its more grounded early setup.
Who should watch it: Fans of Filipino family melodrama in the Anak/Four Sisters and a Wedding tradition, or anyone specifically watching for Jodi Sta. Maria and Agot Isidro’s central performances.
Who should skip it: Viewers who dislike genre-typical “returning relative, buried secret” plotting β this doesn’t reinvent the formula.
Idhayam Murali β No. 6
What it’s about: A Tamil romantic dramedy starring Atharvaa, following a man flying from New York to Chennai for his own wedding whose memories of friendship, first love and heartbreak resurface along the way.
Rating: Not yet widely scored on major aggregators, but described by early coverage as “charming” and “nostalgic” rather than groundbreaking.
Who should watch it: Fans of coming-of-age romantic comedies with a nostalgic, bittersweet tone rather than a straightforward happy-ending romance.
Who should skip it: Anyone wanting a high-stakes plot β this is a gentle, memory-driven story, not a dramatic one.
72 Hours β No. 7
What it’s about: A Kevin Hart-led Netflix comedy directed by Tim Story, following a 40-year-old executive who joins a group of twenty-somethings for a wild three-day bachelor party after being accidentally added to their group chat.
Rating: Too new (released July 24, 2026) to have a reliable aggregate critics’ score yet.
Who should watch it: Kevin Hart fans and anyone wanting a straightforward, broad comedy β the premise is built for laughs, not depth.
Who should skip it: Viewers who’ve grown tired of the “fish out of water at a young person’s party” comedy formula, since that’s exactly the film’s core setup.
Shabab El Bomb 3 β No. 8
What it’s about: An Arabic-language Saudi comedy following Amer and his friends as a planned summer trip with friends clashes with family insistence on joining β part of the long-running Shabab El Bomb franchise, which has also released an anthology series cut of selected episodes on Netflix.
Rating: Not widely scored on major English-language aggregators, but the franchise has a strong regional box office track record (over SAR 24 million cumulative).
Who should watch it: Fans of Gulf and Saudi sitcom-style comedy, or anyone following the established Shabab El Bomb franchise from its earlier instalments. Viewers interested in exploring more regional content can also discover other recommendations in our list of arabic series to watch.
Who should skip it: Viewers unfamiliar with the franchise’s earlier films β this is very much a sequel built on established characters and running jokes, not a fresh standalone entry point.
Robin Hood β No. 9, a Genuine Comeback Story
What it’s about: Taron Egerton stars as Robin of Loxley in this 2018 retelling, alongside Jamie Foxx as Little John and Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham, following a war-hardened Crusader who returns home to lead a rebellion against a corrupt ruling class.
Rating: A genuine critical failure at release β 14% from critics and 39% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, against an $86 million box office return on a $100 million budget.
Who should watch it: Viewers looking for stylised, undemanding action entertainment β its unlikely 2026 streaming resurgence suggests audiences enjoy it far more as a rewatch than critics did on release.
Who should skip it: Anyone expecting historical accuracy or a faithful telling of the legend β this leans hard into modern action-blockbuster styling over the source material.
Wicked β No. 10
What it’s about: The 2024 big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, following Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) before they become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good β a prequel origin story to The Wizard of Oz.
Rating: By far the best-reviewed title on this week’s chart β around 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Best Picture Oscar nomination, a sharp contrast to several other titles on this list.
Who should watch it: Musical fans, families, and anyone who hasn’t yet seen it on the big screen β its continued Top 10 presence long after its theatrical run reflects genuinely strong rewatch value.
Who should skip it: Viewers who don’t enjoy musicals β the film leans fully into its Broadway roots rather than downplaying the singing for a more general audience.
Understanding the Netflix UAE Catalogue
Netflix doesn’t run one global library β content availability is licensed region by region, which is why a title trending in the US or UK charts might not appear on Netflix UAE at all, and vice versa. This week’s UAE-specific chart, for instance, is led by Hindi, Tamil, Filipino and Arabic titles alongside Hollywood releases β a genre and language mix that reflects the UAE’s specific audience makeup and licensing deals rather than a single global “most popular” list. If you want to check what’s actually live in the UAE catalogue at any given time rather than relying on a roundup like this one, Netflix’s own Tudum Top 10 page for the United Arab Emirates updates weekly and is the most reliable direct source.
Final Thoughts About Best Movies on Netflix in UAE
This week’s Netflix UAE chart captures exactly what makes the platform’s regional libraries interesting to track: a critically divisive new original at No. 1, a Best Picture nominee quietly sitting at No. 10, and a mix of Hindi, Tamil, Filipino and Arabic titles reflecting the UAE’s own audience makeup rather than a generic global list. Ratings alone won’t tell you what you’ll enjoy β but knowing which titles are critical successes versus which are simply popular clicks should help you pick the right one for tonight.