Netflix: best new shows streaming this week

Discover the best new shows to stream from 18 to 24 May 2026 on Netflix with this guide.
The Burroughs. Image: Netflix.

Netflix: new this week

The Boroughs – 21 May

The Boroughs. Image: Netflix.
The Boroughs. Image: Netflix.

Series. In a seemingly perfect retirement community, a crew of unlikely heroes must stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have: time.

Starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard and Denis O’Hare.

Mating Season – 22 May

Series. From the creators of Big Mouth comes this wildly raunchy adult animated comedy about love, sex and relationships set in the animal world.

Starring Brooklyn Davey Norstedt and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport.

Netflix: recent highlights

Marty, Life is Short – 12 May

Marty, Life Is Short. Image: Netflix. New Shows &Amp; Films.
Marty, Life is Short. Image: Netflix. New shows & films.

Documentary. Martin Short looks back on a life fueled by joy in this documentary with classic clips, fresh interviews and star-studded, never-before-seen home movies.

Starring Martin Short.

Under a Bamboo Sky – 8 May

Under A Bamboo Sky. Image: Netflix.
Under a Bamboo Sky. Image: Netflix.

Documentary. This documentary explores the survival of Australian Allied soldiers held prisoner and forced into gruelling labor in Southeast Asia during World War II.

Remarkably Bright Creatures – 8 May

Remarkably Bright Creatures. Image: Netflix.
Remarkably Bright Creatures. Image: Netflix.

Film (2026). While working nights at a small-town aquarium, a widow bonds with a clever octopus and an adrift young man in this moving drama based on the bestseller.

Starring Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Colm Meaney and Alfred Molina.

You, Always – 1 May

Film (2026). Jen and Ethan have been best friends since high school. But when new romance enters their lives, their feelings for one another face the ultimate test.

Starring Adrian Grenier, Jessica De Gouw and Desmond Chiam.

Apex – 24 April

Apex. Image: Netflix.
Apex. Image: Netflix.

Film (2026). A grieving woman pushing her limits on a solo adventure in the Australian wild is ensnared in a twisted game with a cunning killer who thinks she’s prey.

Starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton and Eric Bana.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 – 23 April

Stranger Things: Tales From 85. Image: Netflix.
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. Image: Netflix.

Series. Winter 1985. Hawkins. Welcome back to a town crawling with secrets, where beloved heroes are facing fresh mysteries… and an all-new breed of strange.

Starring Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport and Luca Diaz.

Beef Season 2 – 16 April

Beef Season 2. Image: Netflix.
Beef S2. Image: Netflix.

Series. At an elite country club, two young employees film an alarming fight between their boss and his wife – and ignite a blackmail war neither side can win.

Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Charles Melton.

XO, Kitty Season 3 – 2 April

Xo, Kitty Season 3. Image: Netflix.
XO, Kitty S3. Image: Netflix.

Series. With her love life heating up, Kitty’s all set to kick off an iconic senior year. But will secrets, scandals and her own insecurities get in her way?

Starring Anna Cathcart, Choi Min-yeong, Gia Kim and Sang Heon Lee.

The Bad Guys: The Series Season 2 – 2 April

Series. The Bad Guys are aiming for an all-time crime streak. But to get to icon status, they’ll have to dodge copycats, crime stoppers – and each other.

Starring Michael Godere, Ezekiel Ajeigbe and Raul Ceballos.

Love On The Spectrum Season 4 – 1 April

Series. New and familiar faces star in this heartfelt documentary series that follows singles on the autism spectrum as they search for true love.

Funny AF With Kevin Hart – 20 April

Series. This new comedy competition series is on a mission to crown the next big name in stand-up. Guided by Kevin Hart and a crew of comedy titans, this unfiltered, uncensored and unapologetic competition will pull back the curtain on the gritty, hilarious and often unpredictable path of a stand-up career.

Starring Kevin Hart, Keegan-Michael Key and Nikki Glaser.

This Is A Gardening Show – 22 April

Series. Zach Galifianakis digs into the world of gardening, interviewing curious kids and eccentric experts in a funny, oddball celebration of the food we eat.

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Paul Dalgarno is author of the novels A Country of Eternal Light (2023) and Poly (2020); the memoir And You May Find Yourself (2015); and the creative non-fiction book Prudish Nation (2023). He is Head of Content at ArtsHub & ScreenHub. Insta: @dalgarnowrites