he Biggest Movies and Series to Watch This Week
Your weekend plans just got hijacked. Netflix unloaded a full slate of new originals on Thursday, September 17 — and the rest of the week isn’t slowing down either.
From Ryan Murphy’s latest true-crime nightmare to a Taiwanese crime comedy and a Turkish psychological thriller, here’s everything worth adding to your watchlist.
The 5 Shows That Just Dropped Today
1. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology finally turns its lens on a woman — and it’s about time. Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family accused of murdering her father and stepmother in one of America’s most notorious unsolved axe murders. The eight-episode mini-series also features Charlie Hunnam, Vicky Krieps, Rebecca Hall, and Sarah Paulson in a stacked cast.
If you’ve followed the Monster franchise — Dahmer, The Menendez Brothers — you know the drill: glossy, unsettling, and impossible to look away from. This one kicks off spooky season early.
2. The Fixers
Netflix’s international slate keeps delivering. The Fixers is a Taiwanese action comedy that blends temple culture with organized crime — a down-on-his-luck former gangster teams up with a politician’s son to handle sensitive clients from both sides of the law. It’s the kind of genre-bending premise that Netflix’s international originals have gotten very good at nailing. Think The Gentlemen meets a Taiwanese crime drama, with more temple rituals.
3. Not a Stranger
If you need a reason to side-eye your next babysitter, here it is. This Turkish psychological drama follows a mother whose new nanny starts disturbing the family in increasingly unsettling ways. The trailer alone has been generating buzz for its genuinely creepy tone. It’s a slow-burn thriller, the kind that makes you double-check your door locks.
4. Downtime
Netflix’s latest Japanese drama takes on the beauty and cosmetic surgery industry, revealing both its glossy surface and its dark underbelly. Starring Mayu Matsuoka and Riisa Naka, the eight-episode series dropped globally today. If you liked Alice in Borderland or Sanctuary, this one’s worth a shot.
5. Plastic Beauty
Another international original hitting today, Plastic Beauty rounds out the “beauty industry with a sinister edge” theme Netflix seems to be running with this week. Details are still thin, but if you’re a fan of international thrillers, it’s worth a look.
The Biggest Movies and Series to Watch This Week
Lust Stories 3 (September 18)
Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Indian anthology returns with four new stories about love, desire, and modern relationships. The directors are a who’s-who of Indian cinema: Vikramaditya Motwane, Shakun Batra, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Kiran Rao. The cast is even more stacked — Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Apte, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ali Fazal, Vijay Varma, and more. If you haven’t watched the first two, you’ve got time to catch up before Friday.
Best of the Best (September 18)
A coming-of-age comedy starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) and Priyanka Kedia as childhood best friends who join UCLA’s fiercely competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team. As they train for the U.S. National Championship, their bond faces the usual pressures — rivalry, personal differences, and the relentless need to win. It’s the kind of feel-good, high-energy movie that’s perfect for a Friday night.
The Gentlemen: Season 2 (Already Streaming)
Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy returned earlier this month, and if you missed it, now’s the time. Theo James is back as Eddie Halstead, expanding his empire with or without Bobby Glass’s blessing, while Kaya Scodelario’s Susie sniffs out new ways to diversify the business. It’s sharp, funny, and exactly as stylish as you’d expect from Ritchie.
Call My Agent! The Movie (Already Streaming)
The French film reunites the cast of the beloved series five years after the agency’s storyline closed its doors. If you’re a fan of the show — or just need a smart, funny, very French comedy — this one’s a treat.
What to Watch First
If you only have time for one thing tonight, make it Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Ryan Murphy’s true-crime machine is at its best when it’s digging into America’s darkest myths, and Lizzie Borden is long overdue for the treatment.
If horror isn’t your thing, Best of the Best on Friday is the palate cleanser you’ll need after a long week.
And if you’re the type who binges international thrillers at 2 a.m., Not a Stranger and Downtime are both waiting for you.
Netflix isn’t messing around this week. Pace yourself.
