February 27, 2026

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 2/27

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

iF you want to see what all the fuss is about

a thousand and one

Vincent Georgie: Teyana Taylor gave a tremendous, Oscar-nominated performance this year in One Battle After Another. Her blazing on-screen energy was first discovered in this tiny American independent film. Cinephiles in the know saw the film and heralded that this was the arrival of an exciting new talent, in some ways capturing the raw live-wire energy of a young Angelina Jolie. Check out this terrific, little-seen drama.

Synopsis: Unapologetic and free-spirited, Inez kidnaps her 6-year-old son, Terry, from the foster care system. They set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in a rapidly changing New York City.

Available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

if you WANT a sexy thriller

the housemaid

Vincent Georgie: A surprise, big hit late in 2025, this new thriller has the glossy production design and camera moves to let you know that you are in for a fun, unserious adventure. The cast here elevates the whole affair, with both Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried carrying the film. Brandon Sklenar fulfills his obligation as the sexy, perfect husband. A fun entertainment on a cold weekend.

Synopsis: Hoping for a fresh start, a young woman becomes a live-in maid for a wealthy couple who harbour sinister secrets.

Available on YouTube.

if you want a touching drama

central station

Vincent Georgie: Nominated for 2 Oscars, including for the legendary Brazilian star Fernanda Montenegro, this is a moving and well-written drama about the people we unexpectedly meet in our lives. Quite a terrific film.

Synopsis: Bitter former schoolteacher Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) supports herself by taking dictation from illiterate people in Rio de Janeiro who want to write letters to their families and then pocketing their money without ever mailing the envelopes. One day, Josue (Marília Pêra), the 9-year-old son of one of her clients, is left alone when his mother is killed in a bus accident. Reluctantly taking him in, Dora joins the boy on a road trip to find his long-missing father.

DOUBLE FEATURE

The inimitable Sidney Poitier

Vincent Georgie: Appealing, intelligent, handsome, commanding…there was one and will only be one Sidney Poitier. Take a look at two of his very best.

a patch of blue

When Selina D’Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman), a blind young white woman, befriends Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier), a black office worker, their budding relationship eventually leads to romance. However, once Selina’s insensitive and abusive mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters), finds out about Gordon, she becomes determined to keep the couple apart. With its stirring story of interracial love, this thoughtful film fittingly reflects the civil rights movement of the era.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

lilies of the field

When traveling, African-American handyman Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) stops by a farm in rural Arizona, he is welcomed by a group of Roman Catholic nuns who have emigrated from Germany. Realizing that the farm needs a lot of work, Homer takes on a number of repair projects for the women, who are led by the headstrong Mother Maria (Lilia Skala). Impressed by Homer’s kindness and strong work ethic, the nuns come to believe that he has been sent by God to help build them a chapel.