(Credits: Netflix)

It’s not exactly easy to keep up with Netflix in the fast-forward world of entertainment, but we plan to get you halfway there since the weekend is just around the corner.

As is tradition with the streaming giant, every new week means a bombardment of new, exciting content. Although this week is no different, we’ve curated a weekend watchlist by handpicking only the best from the recently rolled-out slates.

If you’re tired of weekend suggestions that come from those worn-out trips down memory lane, you’re definitely in luck because every title awaiting you this Saturday and Sunday is freshly baked from the streaming oven.

But it’s best not to rush with these projects, as the five best series on Netflix this weekend are anything but no-brainers.

The five best series to stream on Netflix this weekend

Death by Lightning (Matt Ross, 2025)

Netflix has lately been killing it with the catalogue of limited series, and creator Mike Makowsky’s Death by Lightning can be seen hoisting the flag of success. Based on Candice Millard’s 2011 non-fiction book Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President, the Netflix adaptation tells the story of the extraordinary life and achievements of the 20th President of the US, James A Garfield.

Simultaneously, Death by Lightning pans its focus on his assassin, Charles J Guiteau, who also happened to be one of Garfield’s biggest admirers. The four-episode miniseries was released on Netflix just last week, on November 6th, and it already boasts a whopping 91% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. Hence, considering this as a sign from the universe, if you had a second thought.

The Asset (Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm, 2025)

When it comes to entertainment, Netflix believes in diversity, and so do we. So, in case you’re seeking a thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat without succumbing to predictability, don’t miss out on The Asset. The Danish undercover thriller has been making waves online with rave reviews, which means you don’t have to worry about an underwhelming plot twist.

For those uninitiated with its premise, The Asset revolves around a cadet in training at the police intelligence agency, Tea Lind, who accepts a dangerous mission, reckoning it as her last resort to join law enforcement after a non-explanatory expulsion from the cadet program. While she doesn’t think twice to jump at the chance despite the lack of undercover training, her dream-come-true opportunity soon takes a sinister turn when she finds herself unexpectedly embroiled in a case where the consequences are unavoidable.

Mrs Playmen (Ricardo Donna, 2025)

Mrs Playmen is another recently released limited series gaining steam in the world of streaming. The seven-episode miniseries on Netflix draws inspiration from the life and achievements of Adelina Tattilo, the Italian publisher and journalist who launched reconsideration in erotic media with her advocacy for the revaluation of women’s freedom in Italy in the 1970s despite constant roadblocks.

Mrs Playmen begins in 1975 after the US recognised Tattilo as one of the most groundbreaking women in the entire world, singing her praises for the impact of her influence in initiating conversations and discourses about sexuality and independence. The show then leaps back into October 1970 to throw light on the battle she shouldered single-handedly, taking her adversaries head-on while stepping up for change.  

The Beast in Me (Gabe Rotter, 2025)

Another equally compelling Netflix entry in recent weeks is a bone-chilling thriller, The Beast in Me, starring Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. The eight-episode drama tells the story of an acclaimed author, Aggie Wiggs, who has recoiled from her life of fame and name ever since her young son passed away tragically, leaving her to confront the ghosts of her past.

Having surrendered to writer’s block, Wiggs’s life soon turns around, whether for better or worse, when a new neighbour moves next door, Nile Jarvis. While on the surface, he’s seemingly a well-to-do real estate agent, he was once the prime suspect behind his wife’s disappearance. Hence, driven entirely by her curiosity, she begins tailing the truth, unaware that she’s barely prepared for the truth and secrets that await.

Heweliusz (Jan Holoubek, 2025)

End the weekend marathon eyes blindfolded with the Netflix miniseries strutting around with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, Heweliusz, from the streamer’s Polish slate of productions. Based on the sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz, rendered as one of the greatest tragedies in Polish maritime history, the ambitious new series recounts the fateful period when the titular ferry drowned with 64 people on board near the storm-ridden Baltic Sea by the German island of Rügen in 1993.

Heweliusz is not just a basic reconstruction of the events that caused intergenerational trauma in the survivors and families of those who couldn’t make it alive. The Netflix series is a product of extensive research and witness testimony, making it one of the must-watch shows of recent times.