A weekend doesn’t go by without some form of desperate scrolling through Netflix for the next new film or TV series to watch. You’ll be happy to hear that we’ve handpicked the very best new releases coming to the UK streaming service this weekend. Thank us later…
Allow me to paint the scene. It’s the dawn of the weekend. You’ve got spring-appropriate plans – brunch, a coffee date, perhaps a visit to a gallery – but it’s also suitably grey so you also want to indulge in the cosy warmth of your sofa, bundled up and ready to while away an hour or two watching the very best that Netflix has to offer.
The familiar, reassuring glow of that bold red ‘N’ is enough to signal the weekend relaxation that we’re all deserving of but the sheer amount of choice is enough to overwhelm. Trust us, we’ve been there.
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You’re not in the mood to return to a familiar series that you’re halfway through, you’re nervous to commit to a brand new TV show that might not be worth your time, and who really has the time to scroll through that entire list of ‘recommended’ films?
Fear not, my friend. We’re here to help. We’ve done the (relatively) hard work for you and picked out a selection of fresh films and TV shows that are landing on Netflix UK this May weekend. There’s something for any mood or need. Enjoy.
TV: Clark, released Thursday 5 May
If there’s one thing we love in our dramas, documentaries and films, it’s an underlying scandal. New Swedish series Clark promises that and much more as it explores the life of the notorious bank robber Clark Olofsson. While his name may not be recognisable for many, he’s actually the man who gave rise to the expression “Stockholm syndrome”.
The drama is based on the real-life story of Olofsson and stars Bill Skarsgård (brother to Alexander, before you ask, he played Pennywise the Clown in It) as the gangster who fooled all of Sweden to fall in love with him, despite several counts of drug trafficking, attempted murder, assault, theft and dozens of bank robberies.
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TV: Wild Babies, released Thursday 5 May
Whether you’ve had a mighty long week or are just in need of some comfort in your weekend TV watching, we’ll point you in the direction of this cuddly new series.
Wild Babies is narrated by Helena Bonham Carter and it follows the adventures of adorable baby animals as they venture out into the wild.
Netflix says, “Every living creature starts life as a baby. From the moment of birth, the adventure of life begins. Some enjoy a blissful babyhood full of playtime with siblings and the carefree fun that comes with learning skills for adulthood. Others have a brutal awakening as they are launched into a game of survival from day one, and have to learn to get by on their own… or not.
”Wild Babies reveals the secret lives of baby animals as we venture into their world for a glimpse of events and interactions we rarely get to see.”
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Film: The Souvenir, released Friday 6 May
It’s pretty much a given by now that anything that Lupin’s Omar Sy is in, we’re all over. As well as being a stellar actor, he manages to bring his fun-loving attitude to every film or series he stars in and this new film is no different.
The Takedown is the kind-of-hilarious, slightly ridiculous comedy-action film that’s perfect for a lazy weekend afternoon and follows two cops Ousmane Diakité (Sy) and François Monge (Laurent Lafitte) who have very different styles, backgrounds and careers.
As the synopsis reads: “The unlikely pair are reunited once again for a new investigation that takes them across France. What seemed to be a simple drug deal turns out to be a high scale criminal case wrapped in danger and unexpected comedy.”
TV: Meltdown: Three Mile Island, released Wednesday 4 May
Netflix documentaries have us in their power and we are definitely not complaining. As soon as we heard the words, “There were indications that the accident was a massive cover-up” in the trailer, we knew this was the documentary that we’ll be spending our weekend lapping up.
Meltdown: Three Mile Island explores the controversies, details and lasting impact of the worst nuclear incident in US history. In the gripping four-part documentary, we’ll hear first-hand accounts from chief engineer and whistleblower, Richard Parks, as well as insiders and the community it devastated.
Whether you’re familiar with the event or not, we just know this is the kind of weekend binge-watch many people will be talking about.
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Film: Death Becomes Her, released Monday 2 May
What would a week of Netflix releases be without a suitably glorious throwback film to indulge in? This week’s pick is Death Becomes Her, 1992’s outrageously entertaining comedy all about greed, sex, vanity and immortality.
As well as a star-studded cast – Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis – the film explores the age-old trope of women battling it out for a man’s admiration. But this film puts a fun spin on a tired theme and in the film, both women secretly drink a miracle cure that prevents ageing and also turns them immortal.
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TV: The Circle USA, released Wednesday 4 May
The social media-based social experiment show is back and it’s landed just in time to nurse any Sunday scaries or hangovers you may have this weekend.
In the lighthearted series, players must choose whether to be themselves within ‘The Circle’ or pretend to be someone else entirely. The US version is full of the same hysterics, drama and chaos as the UK version but this series promises an even bigger twist – the Spice Girls.
That’s right, Remarkable Woman Mel B and Emma Bunton are joining this new series as surprise celebrity catfishes and you know what? This is what we want, what we really, really want.
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Film: The Souvenir, released Tuesday 3 May
If you want to lose yourself in something emotional, romantic and quietly dramatic, The Souvenir has just landed on the streaming platform. It chronicles the highs and lows of first love, the expectations that surround it and the drama that can come from disagreeing friends and family.
Based on writer-director Joanna Hogg’s own early career, the film stars real-life mother and daughter Tilda Swinton and Honor Swinton Byrne and debuted to critical acclaim in 2019. It’s described as a “memoir” film and follows a shy – but ambitious – film student in the early 80s who falls into an intense relationship with a charismatic but untrustworthy older man.
As she defies her protective mother (Swinton) and concerned friends, she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams.
Lead image: Netflix
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