3 Must-See New Netflix Movies To Stream This Weekend (May 16–17)

Summer may be weeks away, but Netflix just dropped a wave of easy, breezy escapes. Kick it off with the effervescent British gem Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris—your feel-good ticket to the City of Light.

It is not summer yet, but Netflix is acting like it. Three breezy watches just landed that scratch very different itches: a warm British crowd-pleaser, a deep-dive career doc, and an 80s rom-com where Tom Hanks falls for a literal mermaid. Yes, really.

• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) – a feel-good London-to-Paris adventure that somehow triggers a Dior labor strike and a late-in-life romance. Streaming on Netflix.
• Marty, Life Is Short (2026 ) – a new Netflix documentary from Lawrence Kasdan making the case that Martin Short deserves more flowers, with help from Tom Hanks and Catherine O'Hara. Streaming on Netflix.
• Splash (1984) – Tom Hanks meets the same mermaid who saved him as a kid, and things get complicated after six days on land. Streaming on Netflix.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Lesley Manville plays Mrs. Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady grinding it out in 1950s England who decides modest life does not have to mean small dreams. A surprise windfall nudges her across the Channel to Paris, where she indulges a big one: buying a Christian Dior dress. That single splurge sets off a surprisingly busy chain reaction. She nudges two people toward each other romantically, sparks Dior employees to walk out for better pay, and even opens the door to a late-blooming love story of her own. Paris changes her, and she leaves a mark on Paris right back.

If you are into the gently anarchic charm of The Full Monty or Waking Ned Devine, this fits snugly alongside them: a clear-eyed, affectionate look at working-class lives and their quiet rebellions. Manville keeps Ada from tipping into sap or scold; it is a no-frills performance about a woman who refuses to wait for someone else to make her life pretty. She does it herself. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is now on Netflix.

Marty, Life Is Short (2026)

Fans of 'Only Murders in the Building' who know Martin Short as the human espresso shot will want this immediately. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, Netflix's new documentary steps back and asks the simple question: why has a guy this relentless and inventive never been praised quite like Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, or Steve Martin? The film traces Short's run from the Canadian sketch series SCTV to SNL , then to films like Innerspace and Father of the Bride—a career that often parked him just off-center while flashier co-stars like Chevy Chase and Eddie Murphy soaked up the spotlight.

Colleagues and friends show up to set the record straight. Tom Hanks and Catherine O'Hara are among the voices basically saying: this is one of the funniest people on the planet. By the end, it is hard to argue. Small oddity: the doc is tagged as 2026 in some listings, but it is on Netflix right now. Call it a time-traveling tribute that finally gives Short the standing ovation he has earned.

Splash (1984)

As a kid on Cape Cod, Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks) nearly drowns and swears he was saved by a mermaid. Two decades later, he meets her again—now grown, walking around Manhattan, and answering to Madison (Daryl Hannah). The catch: she can only stay on land for six days. After that, if she does not return to the ocean, she becomes human for good. Which would be fine, except they fall in love and Allen has to decide if he is ready for a one-way ticket to her world under the sea. Not your garden-variety relationship hurdle.

Splash is a fish-out-of-water rom-com that actually puts a fish out of water front and center. Hannah plays Madison with wide-eyed, mostly wordless curiosity as she learns to walk, talk, and navigate New York. Hanks does the befuddled-believer thing perfectly—guy meets fantasy, fantasy turns shockingly real. And then there is John Candy, absolutely pilfering scenes as Allen's shameless, woman-chasing brother who will do anything to help the guy get the girl. Splash is streaming on Netflix.