Narcos (Streaming from September 2nd)
The first ten episodes of this Spanish-and-English-language epic bio-series of the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord and cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar proved to be a monster hit for Netflix last year, striking a chord with viewers all over the world. Season two returns with Escobar having just escaped his self-built luxury prison, with the morally questionable DEA agents in hot pursuit. A brilliant mix of excellent acting, brutally violent storytelling, and sizzling footage of Colombia that would make you sweat just watching it, Wagner Moura’s turn as Escobar sees him join the pantheon of great TV antiheroes like Walter White and Tony Soprano.
Chef’s Table: France (Streaming from September 2nd)
If you’re turning your nose up at the white powders of Narcos, maybe the white linens of some of France’s most prestigious restaurants will tickle your fancy? The stunningly shot documentary, which pays a visit to some of the world’s most celebrated chefs and has them explain their life in a handful of recipes, is back for another impossibly gorgeous piece of food porn. Shot like a Marks & Spencer’s food ad as directed by Stanley Kubrick, the sumptuous visuals will trigger something in the brain of anyone indulgent enough to tune in. This time around, all of the chefs featured hail from France, giving viewers a whole new perspective on Gallic cuisine.
The White Helmets (Streaming from September 16th)
One of four original documentaries that Netflix is screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, which typically kickstarts awards season every year, this short explores life in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey in early 2016. The film follows three volunteer rescue workers who risk everything to save civilians affected by the ongoing war, all while wracked with worry over the welfare of their own loved ones. Directed by the Oscar-nominated team behind Virunga, a documentary about volunteers trying to protect the last mountain gorillas, this promises to be a humbling portrait of courage in the face of adversity.
[Amelia Franklin/Netflix]
Easy (Streaming from September 22nd)
Indie darling Joe Swanberg brings an all-star cast to Netflix’s latest show musing on love and sex in modern-day America. This time around, the drama is moved to Chicago, where Orlando Bloom, Malin Akerman, Marc Maron, Elizabeth Reaser, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Emily Ratajkowski, and many more delve into... each other? Details are scant at this stage, but the official synopsis says it’s a mash of love, sex, technology, and culture.
Audrie & Daisy (Streaming from September 23rd)
Critically lauded at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Netflix picked up the rights to this new documentary that takes a harrowing look at sexual assault. It tells the story of three different cases of rape, following their outcomes through time, social media, court documents, and police investigations. The documentary makers were particularly attracted by the role that social media has taken in the case of teenagers who are survivors of sexual assault, describing it as creating an environment akin to a “modern-day Scarlet Letter story.”
Luke Cage (Streaming from September 30th)
If you were worried that superheroes were only managing to completely take over the big screen, Netflix has also unleashed a horde on the small one – all in the lead up to their own Avengers Assemble assembly in The Defenders. So far we’ve had two seasons of Daredevil, one of Jessica Jones, and now one of the latter’s featured players is spinning off on his own. The Good Wife’s Mike Colter takes on the role of Luke Cage, Harlem’s finest super-strong hero, and we know that Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple, this Marvel incarnation’s Agent Colson, will be popping up at some point too. It’s also safe to expect some sort of introduction to Iron Fist, the martial artist who takes the fourth and final spot on the roster.
Amanda Knox (Streaming from September 30th)
The latest is the long line of true crime stories, this new documentary asks whether the American woman was the cold-blooded psychopath who brutally stabbed her roommate in Italy or just a naive student caught up in an endless nightmare? Featuring interviews with Knox and other key players in the case of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, the film hopes to unravel a mystery that captured the attention of the world.
[Netflix]
