We look back on the top 10 movies and TV series this month to watch on Netflix thanks to their new feature.
For those of you that love a good Netflix and Chill, the streaming service has recently released a new feature in the UK, which lets its users see the 10 most popular series/films. It’s perfect for those who never know what to watch, as the list is updated daily
1. After Life
This TV series is hogging the top spot for the most popular thing to watch on Netflix today, and its clear why. The show has two brilliant seasons, which follow the life of local journalist Tony Johnson, who is adjusting to life after his wife Lisa dies from cancer. In the first season we see him go to therapy, swear at children, go to work, swear at colleagues, and visits his elderly father in a care home before swearing at strangers once again. The second season is just as funny, but much more uplifting as Tony tries to help those who helped him regain control of his life.
2. Extraction
If you have a spare 116 minutes (which I think we all do during this lockdown) then you need to watch Chris Hemsworth’s new film. The action-packed film was only released a few days ago, filled with drugs, deaths, and danger. It all starts when a black-market mercenary is hired to rescue the son of the biggest drug lord in India after being kidnapped by the biggest drug lord in Bangladesh. Once the boy is rescued, they are trapped in a chaotic city on lockdown, and are left as walking targets who form an unbreakable bond.
3. Too Hot to Handle
This is the latest dating show to bless our screens, with the sexiest singles from around the world being sent to a beautiful retreat in Mexico, expecting to have the summer of their lives. (Well that’s what they think!). However, the contestants soon find out from the resident robot ‘Lana’ that things are not what they seem as the serial swipers are not allowed any kind of sexual activity, not even kissing! When contestants go against the rules thousands of dollars are deducted from the $100,000 prize fund. Instead of breaking the rules the singletons are encouraged to break their negative patterns and build meaningful and emotional relationships over the eight episodes.
4. RuPaul’s Drag Race
This show has the three R’s, Runways, rhinestones, and Ru Paul. What more could you want? All 12 seasons are available on Netflix, meaning 145 drag filled episodes with over 150 contestants participating in challenges to prove they are “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and win $100,000. A reason this show is so popular is because it has made LGBTQ culture a part of mainstream TV, but the reality competition series is also very entertaining as well as inspirational. Ru Paul is the host and head judge throughout all the seasons, but the show also welcomes celebrities as guest judges, such as Niki Minaj and Lady Gaga.
5. Tiger King
Carole Baskin. This is the name we all seem to know whether we have watched the series or not. This documentary consists of eight episodes filmed over the course of five years. It focuses on people in America that own, breed, and have sold tigers, such as Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. Joe is the former owner of an animal park and currently in prison. Carol is the owner of Big Cat Rescue, and is rumoured to have fed her ex-husband to the tigers (cue the Tik Tok dance track). Each episode is indescribable, as it really is a “see it to believe it” kind of show. Whether that’s when an employee has her arm ripped off by a tiger, Doc Antle’s cult of wives and women workers, or when Joe threw condoms with his faces on at children in a crowd
6. The Willoughby’s
I’m sure everyone is getting frustrated with their families during this lockdown, but at least you’re not a Willoughby. This animated film is set to be a family favourite, as four children send their parents away on a trip “to die for” after realising their parents love each other so much they have no love leftover for their own children. As they leave the children in the care of their nanny, they can finally laugh, sing and play. However, that is until family services show up to take the children into care, and they have to run away to find a new family to join.
7. Peaky Blinders
All five seasons of the period crime drama are available to stream on Netflix, ready to whisk viewers to Birmingham in the aftermath of WW1. Peaky Blinders follows the lives of the Shelby family – mainly Thomas Shelby, who runs the family business of illegal bookmaking with his brothers after returning from fighting in France. They retake control of their gang, The Peaky Blinders, as well as the industrial city through violence, crime and wit. Thomas is clearly an ambitious man who wants to expand the gang and business to become the largest in Birmingham, no matter what it takes.
8. Money Heist
Originally filmed in Spanish as Lacasa De Papel, the first half of the drama’s two seasons has been translated into English and is now ready to watch on Netflix. The show is a must-see and follows a group of criminals led by a professor, all of which go by codenames of different capital cities. They plan to make history by carrying out the greatest heist known to man, by stealing €2.4 billion. The 13 episodes available so far show the group take 67 hostages in The Royal Mint of Spain, whilst wearing Salvador Dali masks. For those of you who love the Spanish drama, there is also a documentary on Netflix about how the series was made and why its proved so popular.
9. Ozark
The Ozark mountains are hidden away in America, known for waterfalls, lakes, and caverns…and that is where this American crime drama is set. The Marty Byrde relocates his family from Chicago to the Ozarks after his partner was killed whilst they were laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel. The family took over a lodge and strip club, which they used to launder money. The family continues to make money as well as enemies, as their list of crimes continue to grow. That’s just in the first season, and luckily for us all three seasons are on Netflix, and ready to swoop us away from our lockdown homes and into the open arms of the Ozarks.
10. The Innocence Files
Netflix is well known for its true crime drama and documentaries, and broke headlines with The Ted Bundy Tapes, and Making a Murderer. This new documentary series focuses on the work of The Innocence Project and other organisations, and their assistance in overturning eight cases of wrongful convictions. Leading to people being given back their freedom which was wrongly taken from them in a world of corruption, chaos and crime. There are nine episodes in this limited series which split into three sections, The Evidence, The Witness, and The Prosecution. The Innocent Project re-examine evidence and re-read statements until they prove that the convicted criminal is actually innocent, and then they don’t stop until they are released.
By Laycie Beck
Feature image: Harvard Business Review