Fire up the barbecue, break out the sparklers, and don’t neglect to soothe your dog, because Fourth of July weekend is here! And what better way to celebrate than by exercising your inalienable right to watch movies and TV? 

Since we’ll all be spending this weekend contemplating American independence, it’s a great time for an entertainment that celebrates this country’s rich history and cultural identity. You can fire up a nostalgic movie that remembers an America on the verge of a new era, a docuseries about one of the nation’s most beloved amusements, or a pair of limited series that re-create a momentous episode in US history. Whatever you choose, here’s to life, liberty, and the pursuit of the perfect stream! 

But first, what’s new on Netflix?

A chance to go back: All six seasons of Lost are now here. Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, the influential science fiction–fantasy drama (which originally aired on ABC from 2004–2010) begins with a plane crash on an obscure island, kicking off an epic survival saga packed with supernatural mysteries and philosophical questions. Prefer to stay on the mainland? Stick to a familiar area code with Mark Molloy’s new comedy Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Eddie Murphy reprises his iconic role as Axel Foley (whom you can also catch in Martin Brest’s 1984 classic and Tony Scott’s 1987 sequel) as he returns to the 90210 for a new investigation. Hungry for something else? Season 3 of Barbecue Showdown is here with mouthwatering eats for the holiday weekend. 

If you have just a night … 

Return to a bygone era. The second feature from George Lucas, 1973’s American Graffiti, revisits a vision of America that now looks like a different world. The coming-of-age classic follows a group of teenagers (Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat, and Charles Martin Smith) on the last night of summer vacation in 1962, before two of them leave for college. The friends spend their evening cruising around their small town, wondering what the rest of their lives will hold, oblivious to the reality that the whole world will soon change in ways they can’t yet imagine. 

If you have a whole day … 

Play to win. Baseball may be the national pastime, but football is America’s national obsession, and you can get your off-season fix with a stream of Quarterback. From executive producer Peyton Manning, the 2023 docuseries follows the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins, and the Atlanta Falcons’ Marcus Mariota throughout the 2022–2023 season, providing unprecedented access to the players during games, at practices, and in their personal lives. Catch up with the quarterbacks now, before the follow-up series Receiver drops next week.  

If you have the entire weekend … 

Join the war effort. Two HBO limited series that put the spotlight on US servicemen in World War II place you directly in the action as they depict the horrors of war — and the heroism of an extraordinary generation of Americans. First, 2001’s Band of Brothers, created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, dramatizes the experience of paratrooper unit Easy Company in the Western Front; widely acclaimed upon its release, the miniseries won seven Emmys out of 20 nominations. Next, move from the European theater to The Pacific, a 2010 companion piece to Band of Brothers that follows the 1st Marine Division in the Pacific theater, and which won eight Emmys out of 24 nods. 

Don’t forget, you have one last chance … 

 … to strike a deal. Todd Phillips’ 2016 black comedy-crime drama War Dogs — a fictionalized adaptation of a 2011 Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson — stars Miles Teller and Jonah Hill as two Florida twentysomethings who get into the arms trade and in over their heads during the Iraq War. After this weekend, it will run out of ammo. 

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