The five best series to watch on Netflix this weekend
Weekends come and go in the blink of an eye, but the curation of those designated watchlists on Netflix? They often take forever. If not, at least an entire weekend itself.
But just like every other weekend, we refuse to let you return empty-handed as the streaming library is currently flooding with exciting new content left and right.
Plus, since this weekend is clashing with the onset of May, there’s a lot more waiting on the other side. However, focusing on what’s already available on Netflix, it’s safe to say that you’re not ready for this.
So, if you want to strap in your seatbelts, do it already, because the five best series to watch on Netflix this weekend wouldn’t excuse a timeout in between.
The five best series to stream on Netflix this weekend
Man on Fire (Steven Caple Jr, 2026)
Based on AJ Quinnell’s 1980 novel, Man on Fire is the latest action thriller on Netflix that promises to kickstart your weekend on a high note. The seven-episode Netflix series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as John Creasy, a highly skilled former Special Forces Mercenary who has survived the most impossible situations. Although he seeks a new start, before John can turn the page on a new chapter, he must fight his inner demons.
The thing about John is that he has now become a victim of severe PTSD, constantly battling his own demons. And just when he feels he’s ready to start anew, he finds himself rerouting back to the same cerebral space, fighting harder than ever. While Man on Fire has already hit the Netflix shelves on April 30th, if you’re someone who couldn’t sneak the show despite its availability, you know what to do this weekend.
If Wishes Could Kill (Park Youn-seo, 2026)
There’s still some time until pumpkin season, but does that really mean we let go of a horror title as buzzing as If Wishes Could Kill? Not really. The recent young adult horror series perfectly fits the bill of a weekend pick. All you need to do is switch off those lights and keep a torch handy, just in case. The South Korean drama tells the story of a group of Seorin High School students who start using a mysterious mobile app “Girigo” that makes wishes come true.
Wild, right? But that’s barely just the tip of the iceberg or the mystery awaiting If Wishes Could Kill. What they don’t realise initially is that the wishes being granted are linked to supernatural omens, a death timer, and an otherworldly origin that leads to fatal consequences. So, when one of their classmate dies, the students are left with no option but to trace the curse’s origin and prevent it right from the outset.
Flunked (François Uzan, 2026)
Although the weekend watchlist is primarily tense with hard-hitting thrillers of various kinds, Flunked could be just the palate cleanser you need midway to continue the marathon. The Netflix comedy series revolves around brilliant math prodigy and small-time criminal Eddy, who’s forced to go undercover as a high school teacher by Detective Lucie to avoid a seven-year sentence.
Eddy is tasked with identifying the child of a Russian crime lord, who studies in the very school he has been sent undercover. But unbeknownst to all, he ends up reuniting with his ex-girlfriend, unwillingly complicating the investigation and the mission he was sent to accomplish in the first place. While such interferences often count as collateral, only the weekend watch will reveal what awaits Flunked.
Should I Marry a Murderer? (Josh Allott, 2026)
Should I Marry a Murderer? is a three-part Netflix documentary featuring forensic pathologist Dr Caroline Muirhead, who recounts the horrors of nearly marrying a murderer. Directed by Josh Allott, the true-crime docu-series revisits the chilling story of how Muirhead learned of her fiancé, Scottish farmer Alexander “Sandy” McKellar’s crime that took place three years before they met.
Should I Marry a Murderer? follows her high-stakes dilemma and decision to gather evidence against him while maintaining their engagement. The Netflix series explores the moral crisis of destroying the person she loves and the emotional and psychological toll that follows in the aftermath of her reporting to the authorities.
Straight to Hell (Tomoyuki Takimoto and Norichika Oba, 2026)
Lastly, to end the weekend marathon, we have Straight to Hell lined up to pull the curtains. The nine-episode biographical drama details the rise of Japan’s most influential fortune teller and best-selling author, Kazuko Hosoki, detailing her journey from extreme post-war poverty to ruling Tokyo’s nightlife and media through the Six-Star Divination method.
Straight to Hell spans 60 years, beginning with Hosoki’s struggle for survival after the war, to capture her transition into the Queen of Ginza. The Netflix series revisits her nightlife empire and her powerful yet controversial status in society, which led to her eventual reinvention as a blunt, aggressive fortune-teller who popularised the method, selling over 34 million books.