Congratulations—you’ve made it to the weekend. Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy your well-earned downtime by finding a new show to binge watch. Of course, that raises the always-difficult question: What’s the best series to watch this weekend? To help, we’ve compiled a list of the best new shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and CBS All Access to satisfy all your viewing needs. From Aidy Bryant’s sex- and body-positive comedy Shrill to the utter mind warp of The OA, there’s something here for everyone.
Check out our list of the best series on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and CBS All Access to stream this weekend.
What to watch this weekend: The best new shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and CBS All Access
1) The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)
It’s not a huge surprise that Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone revival is astoundingly good. This is the man who brought us Get Out (and its wholly unique follow-up Us), after all. He didn’t write or direct this anthology, so there was potentially some room for disaster, but as the host and creator, he evidently has good taste in collaborators. Two of the show’s early episodes put a sharp, contemporary spin on an old favorite, sending a promising message for the rest of the season. —Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
2) The OA season 2 (Netflix)
If the first season of The OA messed you up (in a good way), season 2 will break your brain. The show opens with a new character: Karim Washington (Kingsley Ben-Adir), a private investigator tasked with finding a missing teenage girl. Karim inhabits an alternate dimension from season 1. In this new dimension, Prairie goes by her Russian birth name, Nina Azarova, and was never adopted by an American couple. (Also: Joe Biden is president instead of Barack Obama.) Prairie/OA’s friends from Hap’s basement all appear in this new dimension in slightly different roles, including Homer (Emory Cohen), the man she fell in love with while trapped underground for seven years. The OA is proving to be a weird, original show that is forging its own path. It’s unclear what we’ll find out at the end of this series, but for now, the ride is thoroughly enjoyable. —Tiffany Kelly
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3) Coisa Mais Linda (Most Beautiful Thing) (Netflix)
Brazilian TV series Coisa Mais Linda follows Maria Luiza as she decides to open a music club in Rio de Janeiro after her husband runs off with a mistress and all their money. The series showcases Rio in the ‘50s, bossa nova music, and the resilience of women from the time period. With its smart storytelling and multi-dimensional cast, Coisa Mais Linda honors the “beauty that comes from the sorrow of being a woman.” —Tess Cagle
4) Shrill (Hulu)
Hulu’s new six-episode series is loosely based on Lindy West’s 2016 essay collection Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman; West is also co-writer and executive producer. Aidy Bryant plays Annie Easton, a calendar editor at the Portland-based Weekly Thorn and a chronic people-pleaser. Annie finds empowerment in her writing and a viral piece titled “Hello, I’m Fat” earns positive responses, but also plenty of online trolls. Shrill feels a little too short to be conclusive, but it’s a smart show and a step in the right direction for better onscreen representation for women of all sizes. —Audra Schroeder
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5) Hanna (Amazon Prime)
Esme Creed-Miles gives a compelling performance as Hanna, a teenage girl on the run from the CIA, in this thriller miniseries that blends Jason Bourne action with teen drama. Hanna may not be too exciting for diehard fans of the original movie, which benefitted from its aesthetic flair and offbeat humor. But if you’re looking for a mainstream action thriller with a compelling emotional core, you’ve come to the right place. —G.B.W.
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6) After Life (Netflix)
After Life stars Ricky Gervais as Tony, a bitter shut-in mourning the passing of his wife Lisa (Kerry Godliman), who recently succumbed to cancer. The series opens with Tony emerging from the throes of grief and just starting to think about getting back out into the world. After Life revels in the rude comments that come out of Tony’s misery—this is a Ricky Gervais project, after all—but they’re fewer and further between in this more contemplative show. As is often the case with Gervais’ work, what elevates After Life is its empathy, and a true wish that the world could be a little less cruel. —Brenden Gallagher
7) The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 2 (Netflix)
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina shifts into a darker tone in season 2, focusing on teen angst over the comedic melodrama of season 1. Pitting Sabrina against the sexist patriarchy of the magical world, the show tries and fails to tackle some weighty feminist themes, when it’s really better suited to being a gothic version of Gossip Girl. It’s not a total write-off, though: The show maintains some of its campy energy, and fans will still find plenty to enjoy in season 2. —G.B.W.
Still not sure what to watch tonight? Here are our guides for the absolute best movies on Netflix, must-see Netflix original series, documentaries, docuseries, and movies.
Looking for something more specific? Here are our Netflix guides for the best war movies, documentaries, anime, indie flicks, true crime, food shows, rom-coms, LGBT movies, alien movies, gangster movies, Westerns, film noir, and movies based on true stories streaming right now. There are also sad movies guaranteed to make you cry, weird movies to melt your brain, old movies when you need something classic, and standup specialswhen you really need to laugh.
