April 17, 2026

WIFF’S WEEKEND WATCH LIST — 4/17

Check out our recommendations of what to watch this weekend.

whether you’re a sports fan (or not)

who killed the montreal expos?

Vincent Georgie: We don’t often see the crossover between Netflix true-crime drama and Canadian Major League Sports, but alas, here we are. Beloved by millions, the death of the Montreal Expos remains a sore spot for Canadians and non-Canadians alike. Here is the definitive analysis and entertaining cinematic treatment of the issue. Quite insightful and terrifically made.

Synopsis: An investigation into the downfall of the Montreal Expos, Canada’s first Major League Baseball team and who was ultimately responsible.

Available on Netflix.

if you want a trashy thriller

shell

Vincent Georgie: Elisabeth Moss and Kate Hudson are having the times of their lives in this over-the-top, overheated sexy thriller reminiscent of something Paul Verhoeven and Sharon Stone would have made in the early 90s. Ridiculous, entertaining, and an uncynical homage, take this one for a spin if you dare.

Synopsis: Desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake gets drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon, only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath the seemingly flawless surface.

Available on Amazon Prime.

if you want an absorbing drama

they shoot horses, don’t they?

Vincent Georgie: Nominated for 9 Oscars upon its release, this is a slow-burn psychological drama with tremendous performances by Jane Fonda and, in an Oscar-Winning role, Gig Young. The film has stood the test of time in relevance, even though this is a title that is rarely discussed in contemporary times. A high-quality achievement.

Synopsis: In the midst of the Great Depression, manipulative emcee Rocky (Gig Young) enlists contestants for a dance marathon offering a $1,500 cash prize. Among them are a failed actress (Jane Fonda), a middle-aged sailor (Red Buttons), a delusional blonde (Susannah York) and a pregnant girl (Bonnie Bedelia). Days turn into weeks as the competition drags on, and people either drop out or expire. Rocky, however, will do anything for publicity and initiates a series of gruelling derbies.

DOUBLE FEATURE

it’s the end of the world!

Vincent Georgie: Although this sentiment is all too realistic, as of late, take a look at two high-quality, memorable thrillers that keep us on the edge of existence with their end-of-days plots and starry casts.

children of men

When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of Earth’s population; He must face down his own demons and protect the planet’s last remaining hope from danger.

Available on Apple TV, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

contagion

When Beth Emhoff returns to Minnesota from a Hong Kong business trip, she attributes the malaise she feels to jet lag. However, two days later, Beth is dead, and doctors tell her shocked husband that they have no idea what killed her. Soon, many others start to exhibit the same symptoms, and a global pandemic explodes. Doctors try to contain the lethal microbe, but society begins to collapse as a blogger fans the flames of paranoia.