Yes, “Mission: Impossible” will be screening on approximately 89 bazillion screens this weekend. Our recommendation? Skip it and check out these three options: The Netflix series “Sirens,” with three outstanding female performances, defies expectations; Italy’s submission for best international feature, “Vermiglio,” and the summer movie “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.” They should all be on your must-watch list.

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Here’s a roundup.

“Sirens”: In a big blow to paint-by-number series that elect to be pinned down to a particular genre — thriller, romance, mystery — Netflix series creator and executive producer Molly Smith Metzler does something extraordinarily different with her enigmatic self-contained, five-episode original. Mythology, feminism and three terrific female performances intertwine to defy predictability and expectations. Metzler expands upon her play “Elemeno Pea” by concentrating on three very different and formidable women: the guru-like goddess Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), her hyper-efficient personal assistant Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock) and Simone’s older, hyper-sexual sister Devon (Meghann Fahy, building upon a perfect record of performances of late).

The drama plays out over a wild Labor Day weekend at the Cliff House, a massive estate perched on an idyllic, near-perfect island. There’s a lot of uneasiness hiding under the surface as Michaela, wife of billionaire Peter (Kevin Bacon), prepares for a fundraiser for a bird sanctuary (cue the mythological references). The straight-shooting Devon disrupts seemingly placid waters as she speaks her mind, has sex with various men and earns the disdain, at least initially, from Michaela and Simone when she dredges up family history. Lovers, a father and more characters enter the Cliff House as “Sirens” slips from comedy to drama and even to mystery. But through it all, it offers a chance for these outstanding actors to spar with each other until they realize that they are more powerful being united rather than divided in a male-dominated world. Details: 3½ stars, drops May 22 on Netflix.

“Vermiglio”: Many of the finest Academy Awards submissions for best international feature often get passed over since our focus gets honed in on the Top 5 nominees. It’s too bad, really, since some of the best films often miss making that cut. Such was the fate that befell Italy’s submission, director Maura Delpero’s astoundingly gorgeous family drama set in a small community tucked far away in the Alpines during the final days of World War II. With the remarkable assistance of director of photography Mikhail Krichman, Delpero embeds us in the daily regimen of the Graziadei family — from the classroom and family table instruction from hardline school teacher/patriarch Cesare (Tommaso Ragno) to his daughters and son.

The arrival of a handsome Sicilian deserter (Giuseppe De Domenico) sets the plot in motion as he catches the eye of older sister Lucia (Martina Scrinzi). While that romance blossoms, another attraction from a younger sister leads to her doing penance for what the church considers a sin. Delpero is a gifted visual storyteller who reveals a lot about her characters without the use of a lot of dialogue.“Vermiglio” seems content on just reflecting what life was like back then, but Delpero’s feminist themes reveal themselves as the story progresses. Delpero has made a wise, worldly historical film that isn’t steeped in pessimism or optimism, but realism. You can now watch it exclusively on the Criterion Channel, one of the best streaming channels out there. Details: 4 stars; available now on Criterion Channel.

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life”: The act of creating a sweet, sexy and smart romantic dramedy often slips from the grasp of many filmmakers. Not director/screenwriter Laura Piani. The former bookseller at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris sends hearts pitter-pattering with “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” her valentine to book and romance lovers. Camille Rutherford brings the right amount of pluck and uncertainty as the perpetually single Parisian bookseller Agathe, a lover of books and words. Her bestie is the Lothario-like Felix (Pablo Pauly) whom she becomes attracted to right before booking it to Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England. To take her mind off him, Agathe meets an Austen-like family of eccentrics running the retreat and the sometimes pretentious writers attending it. The brood includes an addled patriarch who often forgets to wear pants, an observant matriarch and, best of all, a glum but handsome son (Charlie Anson).

Piani’s French-English production basks in the Austen milieu but tweaks things, including the lovely English countryside. Her understanding and appreciation of the genre is a dream come true for romantics who know that Mr. Darcy isn’t the ultimate prize when an independent woman seeks happiness and companionship. Rather, it’s being true to your own wants, needs and ambitions.

Details: Now playing in Bay Area theaters.

— Randy Myers, Correspondent

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.