You Have 7 New Netflix Treats To Binge This Weekend — Here’s What’s Worth Watching

The last few weeks of Netflix premieres have been super-sized. On Friday, May 29, however, the streaming service is pulling back a little. Rather than a dozen new series, movies, and specials, we’ll only get a handful — paired with some big premieres earlier in the week. 

Don't think that less content equals less of a punch, though. Today, we get Space Force, the long-hyped workplace comedy starring Steve Carrell, which he co-created with Office writer Greg Daniels. Space Force stands as a marriage of the internet's most beloved sitcoms since Lisa Kudrow — aka Friends’ Phoebe Buffay — plays Office alum Carrell’s on-screen wife.

Earlier this week, Netflix also released two extremely different buzzy projects: Douglas and Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. The former is comedian Hannah Gadsby’s followup to her award-winning special Nanette. Miniseries Filthy Rich is a chilling look into the world of sex criminal and late financier Jeffrey Epstein. On top of those new releases, you have a foodie show, some Spanish-language movies, and an anime to consider binging over the weekend. 

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.

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Season 1) 

What is it?: The next Netflix docuseries everyone will be tweeting about. 

What is it about?: Getting to the bottom of Jeffrey Epstein’s decades of darkness. In July 2019, Epstein was arrested on charges of alleged sex trafficking and conspiracy to sex traffic. Epstein was already a convicted sex offender after a separate 2008 case. He then died in jail in August 2019. 

In the ensuing months since Epstein’s initial arrest, news of his alleged pyramid of often-underage sex trafficking has been fodder for headlines and conspiracy theorists alike. Over four episodes, Filthy Rich dismantles Epstein's web of alleged crime, introducing us to survivors of his reported abuse and explaining how he was able to maintain such a disturbing empire in the first place. 

See or skip?: Director/EP Lisa Bryant previously produced over-the-top true crime series like Young, Hot & Crooked or Frenemies (“These BFFs became BFDeaths!”). Yet, Filthy Rich is shockingly controlled, particularly for its easy-to-dramatise subject matter. If you’ve been curious about the Epstein case for the last year, see. 

Otherwise, you can skip to avoid the trauma of this truly haunting tale of crime and abuse.

Space Force (Season 1) 

What is it?: Steve Carrell’s first leading TV comedy role since The Office. 

What is it about?: Making comedy out of one of the 45th president’s many bizarre and expensive decisions. In 2018, Donald Trump announced his unexpected interest in a Space Force. In 2019, he signed a $738 billion defence bill to make the Space Force the sixth branch of the armed services. 

Netflix’s Space Force, co-created by Office scribe Greg Daniels, tells the farcical tale of what this new — likely unpopular — military outfit would look like. Co-creator Steve Carrell leads the series as Mark R. Naird, the unexcited but determined General of the Space Force, which is now attempting a new modern moon landing. The star-studded cast includes Friends’ Lisa Kudrow, Oscar-nominee John Malkovich, Parks & Recreation goofball Ben Schwartz, and Booksmart crush Diana Silvers. 

See or skip?: Space Force brings together talents from the internet’s two favorite shows: The Office and Friends. Everyone is going to be talking about it. If you want in on the conversation, see. 

However, Space Force isn’t nearly as funny as it should be, considering its deep bench of comedy all-stars. Carrell is best when he’s allowed to be a complete weirdo — there’s a reason “I love lamp” is as quotable as ever, 16 years after Anchorman’s premiere. Here, Carrell is the stilted straight man against the unstoppable oddity of the Space Force he leads. Similarly, Kudrow is sidelined as Maggie, Mark’s imprisoned wife. If you don’t connect with the series, don’t feel guilty for skipping. 

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas

What is it?: More stand-up from the woman who changed the comedy conversation with Nannette. 

What is it about?: Order and autism. At the beginning of Douglas — named after star Hannah Gadsby’s dog, Douglas — Gadsby tells you exactly what to expect from the coming hour of comedy. Then she does precisely what she promised, down to a Louis C.K. joke and mic “drop.” 

The resulting show uses acts of observational comedy, lengthy personal recollections, and art-based PowerPoint presentations to allow us into Gadsby’s mind. Then, when we think we really know her, she gets honest about her late-in-life autism diagnosis and the anti-vaxxers who wish to sensationalise her condition. Don’t act surprised — she told you this was coming. 

See or skip?: See! Getting authentic laughs out of people who know what’s coming is a comedic near-impossibility. You will give those chuckles to Douglas freely, and still be thinking about them long after you’re done. 

Somebody Feed Phil (Season 3) 

What is it?: Something that will remind you of David Chang shows — and then disappoint you. 

What is it about?: Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. Rosenthal travels the world, sampling the cuisines of cities both near (like Chicago and Montreal) and far (like Seoul and Marrakesh). Rosenthal tries to explain his food finds, sharing colour commentary like, “They ground it up and make a thing.” 

See or skip?: It is confusing that Somebody Feed Phil exists.

Rosenthal travels to places that similar Netflix shows have already traversed in a far more detailed and culturally thoughtful manner (see: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner’s Marakesh trip or Street Food: Asia’s Seoul episode). Rosenthal also has the habit of sharing offensive statements like the time he says multiple “invasions” made Seoul “fascinating,” then adds, “Hard times taught the Korean people how to take humble ingredients and make delicious things out of them.” You can skip.

I'm No Longer Here

What is it?: A rare teen story on a streamer filled with coming-of-age tales. 

What is it about?: Ulises Sampiero (Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño), a 17-year-old from Monterey, Mexico who is obsessed with a counterculture version of traditional cumbia music (cumbia is a centuries-old popular genre in Latin America). When we meet Ulises, he is fleeing his hometown for the safety of Queens, NY. 

I’m No Longer Here jumps back and forth between Ulises’ prior life in Monterey and his time in New York to explain why he left home and how he plans to go back. Figuring out what happened between Ulises, his friends, and a Monterey gang is the key to the mystery. 

See or skip?: I’m Not Longer Here is unlike any Latinx story currently available on Netflix — and it’s beautiful. Sample it.

Intuition 

What is it?: An Argentinian Spanish-language crime thriller. 

What is it about?: The question of whether you can ever really know if someone is lying. Detective Manuela “Pipa” Pelari (Luisana Lopilato) is confronted with this mystery when she teams up with her mentor Francisco Juanez (Joaquín Furriel) to solve the murder of a 19-year-old girl. The problem is, Pipa is also investigating Juanez for a very different killing. 

See or skip?: Netflix has a growing stable of Spanish-language thrillers: The Silence of the Marsh, The Legacy in the Bones, and The Occupant, to name a few recent ones. If those caught your fancy, check out Intuition. Otherwise, skip. 

Dorohedoro (Season 1) 

What is it?: This week’s very bloody new anime. 

What is it about?: Caiman (Wataru Takagi), an amnesiac cursed with the face of a Lizard. With the help of his friend Nikaido (Reina Kondou), Caiman spends Dorohedoro trying to track down the sorcerers who ruined his life.

See or skip?: Dorohedoro is extremely violent. If that isn’t a turn-off for you, see after you watch breakout Netflix addition Avatar.