12 Best Movies for a Solo Weekend

By Vlad Zakh · August 4, 2026

United States Drama thought provoking slow and atmospheric solo weekend

These are the films I reach for when I have a weekend with nobody to answer to, slower, quieter, and better for it. Not a single explosion in the bunch, and that’s the point. In Into the Wild (2007): A solitude movie in the most literal sense, and one that stays with you for days after. Just as strong is Her (2013): A quiet, melancholy film about loneliness that somehow leaves you feeling less alone by the end.

Lost in Translation (2003)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 95% Metacritic 91

The definitive "alone in a city, quietly content about it" movie. I watch this at least once a year, usually alone.

Directed by Sofia Coppola · 1h 42m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar98 wins & 133 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Her (2013)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A quiet, melancholy film about loneliness that somehow leaves you feeling less alone by the end.

Directed by Spike Jonze · 2h 06m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Paterson (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.4

Nothing happens, in the best way. A week in the life of a bus driver who writes poems, and it is completely absorbing.

Directed by Jim Jarmusch · 1h 58m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video · Buy: Amazon Video, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Columbus (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A gorgeous, unhurried film about architecture and connection that rewards patience.

Directed by Kogonada · 1h 44m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, MovieMe · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Spare and devastating, but never in a way that feels manipulative, just honest.

Directed by Kelly Reichardt · 1h 20m

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, Hoopla, OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Into the Wild (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 83% Metacritic 73

A solitude movie in the most literal sense, and one that stays with you for days after.

Directed by Sean Penn · 2h 28m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars23 wins & 106 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Florida Project (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Vivid, sun-drenched, and quietly heartbreaking, the kind of film you want to sit with afterward rather than jump to the next thing.

Directed by Sean Baker · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Frances Ha (2012)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 92% Metacritic 82

Messy and funny in a way that feels like good company on a quiet night.

Directed by Noah Baumbach · 1h 26m · Rated R

1 win & 49 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Ghost Story (2017)

TMDB ★ 6.8

Slow to the point of being a dare, but it earns every minute if you let it.

Directed by David Lowery · 1h 33m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.8

Heavy, but never in a way that feels like punishment, it just sits with grief honestly.

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan · 2h 18m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Nomadland (2020)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A film about solitude by choice, filmed with so much space and quiet that it becomes meditative.

Directed by Chloé Zhao · 1h 48m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Drive My Car (2021)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Long, deliberate, and one of the most rewarding films I have watched by myself in years.

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi · 2h 59m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

12 Best Movies for a Solo Weekend

Lost in Translation (2003)

Her (2013)

Paterson (2016)

Columbus (2017)

Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Into the Wild (2007)

The Florida Project (2017)

Frances Ha (2012)

A Ghost Story (2017)

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Nomadland (2020)

Drive My Car (2021)

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