Five Netflix releases to keep an eye out for this week
With each passing week, Netflix subscribers are inching dangerously close to checking off all the highly anticipated originals from their yearly to-do lists. And the ongoing one? Just adds twice as much flavour to that.
While the first full week of September left viewers no room for rest, with back-to-back releases snatching away good night’s sleep, don’t expect Netflix to cut slack just yet, because by the looks of the weekly arrival arc, they’re clearly not planning on it.
Although Netflix kept a balance between movies and shows last time around, the scale inclines towards the latter this week.
So, if you’re ready for an in on it either way, here are five Netflix releases to keep an eye out for this week.
Five Netflix releases to watch out for this week
The Doll (Paweł Maślona, 2026)
Scheduled to hit Netflix shelves on September 16th, The Doll is an upcoming Polish period drama based on Bolesław Prus’s eponymous novel. Serving as a modern retelling of the classic Lalka, set against the complex social backdrop of 19th-century Warsaw, the series follows self-made businessman Stanisław, who becomes increasingly obsessed with climbing the social ladder, a desire driven by relentless ambition.
Believing Izabela is the entry point to the world he wants in his fists, Stanisław grows excessively infatuated with her. But unlike him, Izabela is determined to break free from the shackles and conventions of the aristocratic order and carve her own footing in a rapidly changing society. The Doll centres on the polarising but powerful bond they develop, distinctly marked by class difference and a longing for different types of freedom and power.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Max Winkler and Sarah Adina Smith, 2026)
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are back this week with the fourth instalment of their hit anthology series, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, on September 17th. And we know there’s no place else you’d rather be! The forthcoming season chronicles and dramatises the story of the titular murder suspect who was tried and acquitted of the infamous 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
It tracks Borden, a repressed young woman born into a wealthy Victorian-era household, trapped in a house built on humiliation and control, alongside her rebellious maid Bridget Sullivan. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story follows the monstrous duo, who, in an attempt to break free, launched themselves into a fantasy web of power, sex, and revenge, ultimately giving birth to a notorious entity who changed the idea of what a killer could be.
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (Eric Robles, Sarah Partington, Phil Allora, J.J. Conway, Ben Choi, and Ashe Jacobson, 2026-Present)
Also premiering on September 17th is the second season of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which picks up right after the events of the season one finale. The Hawkins gang, comprising Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Max, and Nikki, return and resume their daily activities just in time for the nearing Valentine’s Day. But with the crew back to the forefront, so are the strange, mysterious creatures plaguing the seemingly sleepy town.
This time, beautiful flowers have begun popping up all over the town, but what many might not know is that they have a supernatural secret. To make things more concerning, Nikki and Max plan on selling the flowers in Hawkins ahead of Valentine’s Day, which means things aren’t looking good. Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 season two follows the preteen Hawkins gang on a race against time to uncover the truth behind these enigmatic happenings before a new gate to the Upside Down rips open.
Not a Stranger (Mert Baykal, 2026)
Netflix has a thrilling new Turkish drama, Not a Stranger, releasing on September 17th this week, and this promises the edge-of-your-seat stuff that fans routinely look for. The series follows Funda, a mother planning to revive her painting career after taking a long pause following the birth of her child. Torn between motherhood and her desire to rebuild her career, she finally turns to seeking a nanny.
While the search leads her to just the nanny she has been looking for, or so she thinks, the nanny’s arrival coincides with mysterious happenings and growing tension. Although relieved initially, little do the couple know that the nanny’s unsettling presence will soon set them on a path of no return, and that too, possibly, for all the wrong reasons.
Best of the Best (Lena Khan, 2026)
Netflix’s YA lineup is getting bigger and better every week, and this one brings Best of the Best, starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia. The coming-of-age film, releasing on September 18th, follows two lifelong best friends who join a competitive collegiate Bollywood-fusion dance team at UCLA, only to discover that the path to winning the US championships is way more unforgiving, cutthroat, and high-stakes than they initially thought.
As they dive headfirst into fierce competition, they unknowingly agree to a rollercoaster of challenges that not only test their ambitions but also their friendship. Best of the Best combines an interesting, vibrant, relatable coming-of-age comedy with the universally loved themes of young adulthood and friendship, positioning itself as your next favourite guilty pleasure with a Netflix Original label.