3 Netflix Shows You Need to Binge This Weekend (July 18

If you want to start watching a new show but the thought of catching up with countless seasons is off-putting, I’ve put together this selection of high-quality Netflix series that you can realistically binge over the next few days.

These three shows are all Netflix exclusives, so you only need a single subscription to have a great time this weekend.

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Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Asterix is a French comic series that has been going since 1959. It’s hugely popular in Europe and is one of the best-selling comic book series ever, though it’s not particularly well known in the US. It tells the amusing tales of a Gaulish village that is holding out against Julius Caesar’s rule, powered by a super-strength magic potion brewed by their druid. At the center of these adventures are friends Asterix and Obelix.

The comics have been adapted many times over the years, both in animation and live-action, on film and TV, and Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight represents Netflix’s crack at it. Created in its native France, this 3D animated series is based on the 1966 album of the same name. The Gaulish chief is challenged to a fight under ancient customs, which if he loses means the Romans claim the village. There’s just one problem: Obelix accidentally crushes the druid with a menhir, causing him to lose his memory and unable to make the potion.

Much like the source material, the show is full of funny wordplay and cultural references, and the colorful, kinetic presentation brings the world to life. Fans of Asterix are bound to enjoy The Big Fight, but it also acts as a great entry point for newcomers. And while it’s perhaps most appealing to youngsters (Netflix offers a wide array of dubs), adults who fancy a light and charming watch that doesn’t outstay its welcome will find plenty to appreciate here too.

2

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is about a real woman called Belle Gibson, a social media influencer who claimed to have brain cancer. Eschewing traditional medicine, Gibson promoted alternative treatments that were apparently keeping the disease at bay. She launched a successful cooking app and purported to give large sums to charity. Except, and this is something the show reveals from the beginning, Gibson never had cancer and vastly overstated her charitable contributions.

It’s a frankly bizarre story, which journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano helped uncover; the pair published a book about the case in 2017, on which this Netflix series is based. Kaitlyn Dever, a great actress who you may know from the likes of Dopesick and season two of The Last of Us, gives a fantastic and layered performance as Gibson. Alongside her is Alycia Debnam-Carey as the fictional Milla Blake, another wellness influencer who actually does have cancer and truly believes in the alternative medicine.

If you finish Apple Cider Vinegar and want to consume more about the case, Netflix is also home to The Search For Instagram’s Worst Con Artist, a two-part documentary about Belle Gibson.

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Russian Doll

The second season of the brilliant murder-of-the-week series Poker Face, starring the always-great Natasha Lyonne, just finished airing on Peacock (and if you haven’t seen that, add it your watchlist). But don’t despair—you can get more Lyonne with Russian Doll, a Netflix exclusive that she stars in and created with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler in 2019.

Lyonne plays Nadia, a game developer in New York who is celebrating her 36th birthday with her friends. After a night of successful partying, Nadia is hit by a car and is suddenly transported back to the party. Thus begins the time loop, which restarts every time she dies (often in unexpected and darkly humorous ways). Lyonne makes for a magnetic lead, but she’s also surrounded by a great cast of unique characters, and all the dialogue is sharp.

Time loops aren’t a new concept, but Russian Doll stands out as something special, in part because of how well it walks the line between comedy and drama. Each episode clocks in at around half an hour, which makes for a breezy and moreish watch. The second season tells a different story but somehow manages to be just as good as the first. I’m hoping a third season will materialize in the future, though nothing has been confirmed.

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Netflix is home to some superb shows like these, including some dramas that changed television forever, and you should binge as many as possible to ensure you get your money’s worth from your subscription.