Are you hot off the back of an Orange is the New Black Season 5 marathon and already searching for new material to binge? Look no further! We’ve sorted through the upcoming Netflix releases and compiled our top picks for new films, documentaries and TV series to hibernate with this winter.
Glow
Alison Brie’s latest venture sees her as out-of-work actress Ruth Wilder. Tired of auditioning for one-line secretary roles, Wilder stumbles into an audition for female wrestling. Loosely based on the syndicated women’s professional wrestling league, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W), this Netflix original comedy series drives 2017’s underlying theme of female empowerment.
The comedy series follows the fictionalised origins of the G.L.O.W league, featuring a band of actresses, performers and models trying to milk the cash cow that Hulk Hogan bred.
The ten-episode series arrives on the 23rd of June.
American Anarchist
Filmmaker Charlie Siskel interviewed William Powell, author of The Anarchist’s Cookbook, prior to his death in 2016. Powell penned the graphic explosives manual when he was 19, which was later linked to such atrocities as Columbine and the Oklahoma City bombing. This documentary serves as a dialogue between Powell and Siskel, exploring whether Powell regrets his anarchist origins and if he has harboured any guilt over his oft-described “murder manual”.
Described by the New York Times as a “frustrating study in denial”, this documentary explores Powell’s legacy in contrast to the association of his 19-year-old anarchist ramblings with American shootings and bombings.
The eye-opening documentary is scheduled for release on the 23rd of June.
Okja
Directed by renowned Korean auteur, Bong Joon-ho, Okja has been slated to ignite serious debate regarding sustainable, humane food production. The Korean and American production follows the cross-global mission of teenager Mija (played by Ahn Seo-hyun) to rescue her beloved pet ‘super pig’, Okja, after he is repossessed by the global agricultural supplier Mirando Corporation.
Starring Tilda Swinton (who also helped produce the film), Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano and Steven Yeun, the film makes an important comment on obtaining sustainable food resources whilst existing in harmony with the environment.
The Netflix original film will be released on the 28th of June.
Gypsy
The Netflix series stars Naomi Watts in her first TV project since she appeared on Mulholland Drive in 2001.
Slated as a psychological thriller, the series portrays therapist Jean Holloway (Watts) who irrefutably breaks her professional code and rather illicitly immerses herself in her patient’s lives.
The series also stars Billy Crudup and Sophie Cookson, while also counting Sam Taylor-Johnson among its list of directors – which may explain the slight Fifty Shades-esque feel of the trailer. Here’s to hoping the end result doesn’t bear too much resemblance to that universe…
All episodes drop on 30th of June.
Atypical
Netflix original series Atypical follows protagonist Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old boy who has autism spectrum disorder, as he navigates an overwhelming interest in penguins, school, family and coming of age rituals – particularly, dating.
The comedy also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapaport as Sam’s parents, Elsa and Doug Gardner. The series also tells the tale of Elsa and Doug as they wrestle with how to protect their son as he takes his next steps into adulthood.
Robia Rashid, the series creator, told USA Today that while they aimed to unify a common idea and broader story about family, they cannot accurately reflect the life of every person with autism spectrum disorder. Rashid worked in close consultation with a professor from UCLA’s Center for Autism Research and Treatment in an attempt to provide as close a portrayal of autism spectrum disorder as possible.
The eight-episode series premieres on the 11th of August.