The five series to binge on Netflix this weekend
There are weekends when you want to go outside, touch grass, and be a functioning adult. And then there are weekends when you want to curl up, ignore your responsibilities, and fall headfirst into five wildly different fictional worlds. This list is for the second kind, which brings us to go deep diving into Netflix.
Netflix is a maze, and scrolling for 40 minutes before rewatching Friends again is a universal experience. But this week, the platform has pulled together a little bit of everything: twisted minds, undercover identities, swoony romances, and one perfectly manicured chessboard.
These five shows are not connected by genre or mood. They are connected by one thing you will want to keep watching. Whether you like things slow and moody or fast and chaotic, you will find something here worth sinking into.
So cancel your plans. These five series are about to take over your weekend.
The five series to binge on Netflix
Ripley (Steven Zaillian, 2024)
This is not your usual true-crime-adjacent thriller. Ripley is slow, deliberate, and hypnotic in the most unsettling way. Andrew Scott plays the famously slippery Tom Ripley like a man constantly walking a tightrope. Every glance feels loaded, every word slightly off. Shot in black and white, the show leans into its own stillness and style. The result is less about jump scares and more about a lingering unease that follows you even after the credits roll.
What makes Ripley so bingeable is how it refuses to rush. It lets you sit through every uncomfortable moment, every lie, and every cracked façade. It is cold, calculated, and impossibly beautiful to look at. If you are craving something smart, eerie, and quietly intense, this is it.
Who Is Erin Carter? (Bill Eagles, Ashley Way, and Savina Dellicour, 2023)
You might not know what you are in for at first. A substitute teacher in Barcelona gets caught up in a supermarket robbery, and suddenly we are not in a light drama anymore. Erin Carter is not just a teacher. She has a past. And by episode two, things are already out of control.
The show is pure chaos in the best way. Twists keep coming, secrets keep spilling, and Erin keeps surprising everyone, including herself. It is a crime thriller, family drama, and identity mystery all wrapped into one messy, addictive ride. If you love unhinged reveals and high-stakes secrets, you will devour this.
From Scratch (Nzingha Stewart, 2022)
This one is going to break your heart, but in the best, most unforgettable way. From Scratch starts like a dreamy European romance. A young American woman moves to Italy, falls in love with a Sicilian chef, and life seems perfect. But the show is not just a love story. It is a story about loss, family, culture, and fighting for something even when the future is uncertain.
Zoe Saldaña delivers a stunning performance, and the pacing is soft but purposeful. It sneaks up on you. One minute you are smiling over pasta, and the next you are crying in your blanket. It is emotionally rich and beautifully told. Watch it when you are ready to feel everything at once.
The Empress (Katrin Gebbe and Florian Cossen, 2022)
If royal drama is your guilty pleasure, The Empress is your next obsession. This German historical series tells the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, who marries into a world of tight corsets and tighter politics. But Sisi is not here to play nice. She is unpredictable, wild, and constantly one step away from causing a scandal.
What makes this show pop is how modern it feels despite the setting. The music, the cinematography, the dialogue – all of it gives The Empress a fresh, rebellious edge. It is part period drama, part anti-princess fairytale. And it is completely irresistible.
The Queen’s Gambit (Scott Frank, 2020)
If you somehow missed this during its original Netflix hype wave, now is the perfect time to catch up. The Queen’s Gambit is about chess? Yes. But really, it is about obsession, identity, and the cost of genius. Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance as Beth Harmon is magnetic. She barely speaks in full paragraphs, but you feel everything.
The show is as much about style as it is about story. The outfits, the framing, and the way the chessboards feel like battlefields. It moves fast but feels elegant, like watching someone fall apart in slow motion while still winning every game. Addictive, stylish, and deeply human, this one holds up on rewatch, too.