The five best series to watch on Netflix this weekend
The last weekend before Halloween has nearly arrived. This means it’s the final chance for viewers to soak up the holiday special entertainment slate on Netflix and take in last-minute costume inspirations with a spicy pumpkin latte on the go.
Halloween is nothing without the horrors that stay with you long after the credits roll. So, if you want to make this weekend’s marathon a pre-Halloween watch party with your pals, this is your sign.
While we know how much you crave the spook factor ahead of the holiday, the last weekend before it demands special attention. As a result, we’re turning the routine weekend watchlist into a spookfest of supernatural and man-made horror.
All you need to do is take your precious time out, arrange the party-pack snackers, and ensure no one’s late to the show because the five best series to watch on Netflix this weekend might not look good on late-comers, especially once the night sinks in.
The five best series to binge on Netflix this weekend
Happiness (Ahn Gil-ho, 2021)
Happiness is an apocalyptic South Korean drama which takes place in a dystopian near future where the spread of a treatment drug failure has resulted in a worldwide pandemic, Lytta Virus, AKA “mad person disease.” Those infected succumb to brief spurts of bloodlust and spiral down into insanity before completely giving in to a zombie-like state.
The limited series uses the spectre of this man-made horror as a backdrop to offer a biting social commentary as the spread of the virus reveals the deepest cracks between the diverse social classes who react variously to the lockdown imposed to contain the disease. Happiness makes you question who the real monster is. Once you find the answer, you’ll probably focus on the psychological angst of survival rather than searching for extensive gore.
Marianne (Samuel Bodin, 2019)
Despite being a short-lived Netflix original, Marianne is a horror series that fits the perfect bill of teeth-sinking terror. The eight-episode Netflix show tells the story of a successful but cynical horror novelist, Emma Larsimon, whose best-selling book series depicts protagonist Lizzie Larck, who’s constantly in a battle against a vicious witch called Marianne.
When one fine day, she decides to put an end to her novel series by killing off the main antagonist on the pages, she receives a call that changes her life forever. On the other end is her childhood friend, claiming that her mother is possessed by Marianne in real life, which leads to her reluctant return to her small seaside hometown in Elden. But upon reaching, she has to confront the reality of the fictional world she created as everything comes alive from the pages.
Brand New Cherry Flavor (Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion, 2021)
Rooted in a unique and gruesome premise, Brand New Cherry Flavor is a limited horror series that takes viewers back into 1990s Los Angeles. The show primarily revolves around an ambitious filmmaker from New York who travels to Los Angeles in hopes of getting a big break and turning her unsettling short horror film into a feature.
While her dream nearly comes true with a high-profile Hollywood producer showing interest, promising that she can direct, the offer ultimately turns out too good to be true when he makes unprecedented sexual advances, with her subsequent rejection leaving her with no creative control of the film. With the fire of revenge burning in her heart, she turns to a mysterious woman, Boro, who claims to be a witch. Although she puts a curse on the producer in exchange for an unspecified payment, the return unfortunately ends up being more than she bargained for.
The Girl in the Mirror (Sergio G Sanchez and Keke Maillo, 2022)
Jump scares might be fun and games. But the fear of the unknown is always disturbing. The Girl in the Mirror parks its car in the second garage, slowly filling viewers with the angst of uncertainty. The Spanish supernatural series follows a young girl, Alma, who is one of the few survivors of a terrible bus crash that claimed the lives of most of her classmates.
Although she makes it out alive, Alma succumbs to amnesia once she returns to consciousness in the hospital, leaving her impaired to make sense of the memories even when she comes back home. But soon she begins to experience visions stranger than her memories, making her suspect that it’s all tied to the accident, that is, if only it were just an accident.
Don’t Come Home (Woottidanai Intarakaset, 2024)
If horror stories have taught us anything from the beginning of time, it’s not to get cosy in old mansions that resemble vampires’ teeth from afar. It’s just that we never learn. However, one good thing about humane mistakes is that they make great spooky tales, and Don’t Come Home on Netflix is definitely one to look forward to this weekend.
The Thai supernatural thriller revolves around a mother and daughter who take shelter in an old and abandoned family mansion to escape domestic abuse. But shortly after their arrival, strange happenings and paranormal activities shake up their reality until one night, the daughter disappears into thin air. While the cops arrive and the investigations begin, the revelation behind the disappearance leaves the mother unprepared and stone-cold. So, if you’re opting for this watch, we hope you come prepared at least.