My Top Picks On Netflix - June 2020
If you haven’t read my previous Netflix post, click here.
I watch Netflix most days, so I thought that it was only right that I do an update on my favourite shows. I will likely end up doing one every few months as Netflix are forever switching up their content and I absolutely love it. I also thought that it may be helpful as we’re still in lockdown. If I’m honest, quite a lot of this is actually things that I have binged during lockdown…
I’m not going to go into that much detail for each programme because a. this is a long list and I don’t want to bore you and b. I don’t want to accidentally give away any spoilers. I am going to write the description from Netflix and then a brief opinion. This is a long ass list, so prepare yourself…I hope you enjoy!
Sex Education
“Insecure Otis has all the answers when it comes to sex advice, thanks to his therapist mom. So, rebel Maeve proposes a school sex-therapy clinic” – Netflix.
I’ve recommended this show to pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to. It’s light-hearted, but still talks about sex in an educational way – from STD’s, to nudes, to masturbation and just about everything in between. I absolutely love this series and I cannot wait for series 3!!
The Stranger
“When a stranger makes a shocking claim about his wife, family man Adam Price becomes entangled in a mystery as he desperately searches for answers” – Netlfix.
I’m sure that a lot of you have already seen this show as it was so popular when it launched. I was obsessed with this show and have spoken about it to everyone that I can. It’s filled with a great cast and has so many twists and turns. I was honestly so sad when it was over.
The Spy
“Desperate to get an agent inside Syria, Mossad recruits Egyptian-born Eli and puts him through a crash course in spycraft” – Netlfix.
The Spy is based on a true story of an Israeli spy. As you can see from the image it features Sacha Baron Cohen as the main actor. His performance is outstanding. The storyline is gripping. I was absolutely hooked from the second it started to the second it ended. My boyfriend and I are considering watching it again because we thought that it was amazing!
Mindhunter
I bought the Mindhunter book for my boyfriend for Christmas - I can’t wait to read it myself.
“In the late 1970s two FBI agents expand criminal science by delving into the psychology of murder and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters” – Netflix.
Mindhunter looks at how the FBI created profiling techniques in order to catch murderers and rapists. It shows the main characters interviewing well-known serial killers in order to learn more about them.
I was hooked immediately after watching the first episode and cannot wait for a new series.
Unbelievable
“After a young woman is accused of lying about a rape, two female detectives investigate a spate of eerily similar attacks. Inspired by true events” – Netflix.
I lost count at how many times I shouted at the TV at the treatment of the rape victims. It’s heart-breaking to know that this was inspired by true events; however, I am not surprised. The statistics for how many rape cases that that are properly tried is so incredibly low.
While reading about the case I found an article from Cosmopolitan about how the real woman accused of lying felt about the documentary (spoiler – she said that it was “perfect”). Through this I found the original article which sparked the interest of the general public and led onto the documentary being made. Here is the link if you also want to read it. It’s a tough read, so prepare yourself.
Overall, this series showed what it can be like for rape victims and how they’re treated by police. Heart-breaking, but also heart-warming to see two female police officers from miles apart come together to help each other out!
When They See Us
“Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they’re falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on a true story.”
As soon as I knew that Netflix were creating a documentary about this story, I knew that I had to watch it. It is an especially important watch with the current Black Lives Matter movement. If you’re looking for an educational series about the awful, systematic treatment of black people then I definitely recommend this series. It’s utterly heart-breaking but an important story that needs to be told!
Crime Documentaries
As you may have guessed from the above recommendations, I quite enjoy a crime show. The following programmes are all true-life documentaries about a variety of different people and their experiences. As mentioned, some of the above shows are based on true-life, but the following ones are actual true-life.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
“Via interviews with friends, players and insides, this docuseries examines how Aaron Hernandez went from an NFL star to a convicted killer” – Netlfix.
I’ve included this series as it talks about a celebrity. We tend to view celebrities as perfect people who never do anything wrong. However, they’re human just like you and I. And sometimes, they do bad things. If you’re interested in more celebrity crime stories I’d also recommend Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. Both are heart-breaking stories. But they also show that certain celebrities can also almost literally get away with murder…
The Confession Killer
“Henry Lee Lucas rose to infamy when he confessed to hundreds of unsolved murders. This docuseries examines the truth – and horrifying consequences” – Netflix.
After watching one of Bailey Sarian’s videos (keep an eye out for my upcoming YouTube favourites post), I realised that this story isn’t unique. In one of her videos, Bailey talks about Gerald Stano who was also believed to be a ‘serial confessor’. And the stories are also eerily similar. Here’s the link to Bailey’s video if you want to check it out. I found it so interesting how easily people can be influenced by the police to say things that they don’t mean and confess to crimes that they don’t know anything about.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
“A boy’s brutal murder and the public trials of his guardians and social workers prompt questions and about the system’s protection of vulnerable children” – Netflix
As someone who works with young, vulnerable people this one completely broke my heart. I think I just cried constantly through every episode as the whole situation is so incredibly sad. I would add that I don’t necessarily agree with how the court cases were done. But if anyone knows more about law and could explain to me why what happened happened, please message me on Instagram.
Time – The Kalief Browder Story
“This series traces the tragic case of Kalief Browder, a Bronx teen who spent three horrific years in jail, despite never being convicted of a crime” – Netflix.
This was the first show that I watched where I heard about ‘Rikers Island’ – notes as one of the worst, if not the worst, prison in the world. Ever since, so many of the series’ and podcasts that I have watched/listened to have mentioned that awful place. Kalief’s story talks about his imprisonment at Rikers and the affects it had on his mental health. Kalief was a kind young man who nowhere near deserved the treatment that he received. I’m now in a hole of reading stories about inmates’ experiences at Rikers Island and they’re all heart-wrenching and vile.
Trial By Media – The Truth Behind The Crimes
“In this true crime docuseries, some of the most dramatic trials of all time are examined with an emphasis on how the media may have impacted verdicts” – Netflix.
This series just sums up how much of a negative impact the media can have on peoples’ lives. A range of crimes are discussed during this series and talks about how different the process could have been if the media hadn’t been involved. I wouldn’t say that its necessarily fair to completely blame the media for the crimes/impacts. However, the behaviour of the journalists definitely had a negative impact.
The Innocence Files
“The Innocence Project unravels missteps and deceit in a series of wrongful convictions, exposing the injustice inflicted on victims and the accused” – Netflix.
I’ve recently been reading about people who have been incarcerated for crimes that they didn’t commit. This series discusses a range of different cases where this happened. In America there are a variety of Innocent Projects throughout the country and they work to release and exonerate prisoners. The work that they do is truly inspiring and the work that they do is so amazing!!
Murder To Mercy – The Cyntoia Brown Story
“After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question” – Netflix.
I don’t really have words to talk about this story. The show focuses on the life of Cyntoia Brown – her childhood, her crime and her prison experience. All I can say is just watch it.
I was going to rate each of them, but then I realised that I was going to give them all 5/5… I could have included so many more, but I thought that 13 was enough for now!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found something new to binge on Netflix. If you have any recommendations for Netflix, please let me know in the comments. I currently have a long list that I’m working through, but I’m always looking for more recommendations.
I hope you’re all doing well.
Cerys x
