Earlier this week, the streamer released three movies and TV shows teaming with supernatural scares. On Thursday, September 10, viewers got The Babysitter: Killer Queen and Julie and the Phantoms, two projects driven by extremely different ghosts. One set of spirits is made up of blood-splattered shirtless teens; the other is a trio of nice young men who like to sing. Based on that information, you know which Netflix treat is for you. If neither is your fancy, there’s #Alive, a heart-pounding zombie thriller.
If you’re far too stressed out to enjoy any semblance of spook, Netflix is also offering up some far less ghastly fare too. On Friday, September 11, The Duchess premieres, giving us an openly hostile mom comedy from comedian Katherine Ryan. Elsewhere on the streaming site there is a lifestyle series from Instagram-favorite brand The Home Edit, a controversy-laden coming-of-age film, and much more.
These are all the new Netflix offerings broken down by plot, genre, and whether you should watch something immediately or skip for now. Keep reading for the lowdown on all of these Netflix treats, including their trailers.
What To Watch On Netflix This Weekend Besides Duchess
Get Organized With the Home Edit (Season 1)
What is it?: A lifestyle show with a very unsettling opening scene.
What is it about?: Taking you inside an Instagram-famous organisation brand and the homes of their famous clients. After a skippable intro, we officially settle into Get Organized with a prep meeting between The Home Edit founders Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. We see their Nashville office in the background, and it is filled with half a dozen white women sporting identical hairstyles while wearing identical shirts. It is a shot that never would have looked acceptable, but is especially glaring after multiple conversations about racism in the workplace over the last few months. It is impossible to imagine a Black woman feeling welcome in this space.
From there, THE travels around the country surveilling Shearer and Teplin as they organize the homes of A-listers like Khloé Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon, who also executive produces the show.
See or skip?: You can skip unless you’re truly desperate for organisation tips (many of THE’s boil down to “put stuff in large, clear containers). However, this is a good time to remind you Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up is still on Netflix, waiting to spark joy.
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
What is it?: A gleefully weird sequel.
What is it about?: Giving Netflix its camp teen horror franchise. In 2017, The Babysitter premiered, introducing viewers to Cole (Judah Lewis), a young boy with a massive crush on his babysitter Bee (Ready or Not/Hollywood star Samara Weaving). Cole had one small problem: Bee and her extremely hot friends (played by the likes of Robbie Amell and controversy lightning rod Bella Thorne) all tried to kill him in an elaborate blood sacrifice. But Cole survived — and Bee’s gang of horny devil worshipers did not.
Killer Queen is here to blow all of that up. Years laters, the ghosts of Bee’s pals return to torment Cole — and kill him — in yet another bid to finish their blood ritual. At least Cole has cool new girl Phoebe (You teen Jenna Ortega) on his side.
See or skip?: See, if you like your horror movies with a side of silly. Killer Queen is the perfect way to kick off spooky season.
However, don’t enter this sequel expecting to see former villain Samara Weaving. Bee’s portrayer has led her own blockbuster horror movie, co-starred in an Emmy-nominated Netflix limited series, and been tapped for the next Nicole Kidman prestige adaptation over the last three years, so she appears too busy for a B-list streaming flick. Revenge child star Emily Alyn Lind — sister to Daybreak’s Alyvia Alyn Lind — takes over Weaving’s duties as Killer Queen’s deadly blonde.
The Duchess (Season 1)
What is it?: A suggestion that Fleabag has sparked a new subgenre of TV comedy about horrible women.
What is it about?: Katherine (creator Katherine Ryan), an unabashedly terrible person. Katherine has a 10-year-old daughter named Olive (Katy Byrne), whom she shares with her ex Shep (Rory Keenan), an ex-boybander who is also a terrible person, but in a totally different way. When Olive decides she wants to add a baby to the family, Katherine jumps through countless increasingly grim hoops to make her daughter’s dream come true. The only pregnancy avenue Katherine refuses to consider is having a baby with Evan (Steen Raskopoulos), her handsome and totally supportive dentist boyfriend.
See or skip?: The Duchess is not at all required viewing. Feel free to skip. However, if you need a low-stakes comedy to stare at on your most intense days, The Duchess is a good option. With just six short episodes bolstered by a parade of envy-inducing fashion from star/writer Katherine Ryan, it’s a fine show to have on during your lunch break.
Julie and the Phantoms (Season 1)
What is it?: Wholesome, genre-mixing YA content.
What is it about?: Julie (newcomer Madison Reyes), a teen girl coping with the grief of her mother’s death. Along with her mom, Julie also lost her passion for music after the tragedy. But she may just find it again after she plays an old-school CD and is confronted by the ghosts of Sunset Curve, a boy band made up of three adorable teens who died 25 years prior.
Since Julie and the Phantoms is in the style of any well-produced Disney Original of the past, both Julie and her titular phantoms teach each other important life lessons over the series’ first season.
See or skip?: Like The Sleepover in August or Bookmarks last week, see Julie if you need to entertain a younger crowd — while keeping the adults in the room from boredom-induced tears. The musical/supernatural series is an endearing and powerful debut for star Madison Reyes (cheers to seeing an Afro-Latinx girl leading a kids show, which is a painful rarity).
The Social Dilemma
What is it?: The hard truth of using the internet, explained by the people who built it.
What is it about?: The “danger of social media,” beyond some empty and fear-mongering headline. Social media and internet experts like the former president of Pinterest (Tim Kendall) or the guy who co-created Gchat and the Facebook “like” button (Justin Rosentein) tell viewers exactly what kind of tangible discord their creations have wrought in the world. The reality is not pretty. At least Social Dilemma’s talking heads also have to tell us how to fix the crisis they created.
See or skip?: Everyone should see the dark honesty of Social Dilemma. This is a particularly necessary film this year, as we march towards yet another election that will be distorted by the technology at the centre of the doc.
Cuties, aka Mignonnes
What is it?: A French-language film that weathered paranoid controversy long before its premiere.
What is it about?: Finding your place in the world. Cuties — directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, a Black woman — is led by Amy (Fathia Youssouf), an 11-year-old girl from a conservative Muslim family. Amy bucks tradition when she becomes friends with a group of believably liberal, boy-crazy girls in her class. The girls, who dance under the name Cuties, get Amy to join their crew, kicking off a difficult but necessary era of self-discovery.
See or skip?: See. Although Cuties is about tweens, it’s an emotional tale about growing up that can resonate with anyone — no matter their age. And, no, Doucouré’s film isn’t about sexualising young girls, no matter what you read on Facebook. Instead, the Sundance Film Festival winner is a thoughtful criticism of the dangerous ways children are bombarded with sexual messaging far too early.
#Alive
What is it?: A Korean-language horror film that may hit too close to home for those sheltering in place solo.
What is it about?: Surviving the zombie apocalypse alone. Jun-U (Ah-In Yoo), is a man who watches an undead infection rapidly spread through his city — all from the comfort of his apartment window. With his parents trapped in an office, Jun-U must at least try to make it there alive.
See or skip?: See, if you want to do a horror movie night double feature after The Babysitter: Killer Queen.
Family Business (Season 2)
What is it?: A French-language marijuana crime comedy
What is it about?: The Hazan family, who find themselves at the top of a pot business. After his ex gives him an ultimatum, Hazan son Joseph (Jonathan Cohen) tries to end his family’s criminal behaviour. Joseph’s good intentions quickly create a season of calamity.
See or skip?: See if you’re Team Schitt’s Creek heading into the 2020 Emmys. Family Business might be in French, but the Hazans will immediately remind you of the Roses. Otherwise, you can skip.
The Idhun Chronicles (Season 1)
What is it?: A rarity for Netflix: Spanish-language anime. Also, a low-key team up of Netflix Spain talent.
What is it about?: Protecting the magical land of Idhún. Hero Jack (Elite sadboy Itzan Escamilla) learns about the realm after his parents are murdered by an assassin named Kirtash (Cable Girls’ Sergio Mur). Jack must team up with Idhún’s more seasoned rebels to save both of their worlds. Cable Girls’ Nico Romero and 45 rpm’s Carlos Cuevas also lend their voices.
See or skip?: See ASAP if you’re a big fan of Netflix’s anime genre. Idhun is beautiful — and different from nearly every other series on the streaming site due to its country of origin.
Some more new Netflix treats to consider:
— So Much Love to Give, aka Corazón Loco
— La Línea: Shadow of Narco
— The Gift (Season 2)
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