There's a common theme amongst lots of the new movies and shows hitting Netflix this week: survival. People are surviving the wilderness, space, dangerous cities or families filled with secrets.
I've looked through all the new Netflix Originals hitting the streamer this week (that's Saturday, August 31 to Friday, September 6) and created a curated list of the most noteworthy new movies, shows and specials.
The theme of survival wasn't intentional, but thankfully there are some other additions for people who don't want their viewing experience to be as tense. A stand-up comedy special and an action movie will give you something different to watch.
And if you don't like anything on this list, you can also check out last week's new on Netflix round-up to see what else is out there that's been added recently.
Phil Wang: Wang In There Baby!
- Stand-up comedy special airs on Tuesday, September 3
British comedian Phil Wang gets his second Netflix stand-up special this week when Wang in There, Baby! airs.
The comedian, who Netflix subscribers might also recognize as Aristotle in 3 Body Problem, recorded this gig in the Globe in London. In it, according to Netflix, he'll talk about "reheated rice, octopus intelligence and the importance of fact-checking".
Outlast season 2
- Reality survival show returns on Wednesday, September 4
Netflix has brought back Outlast for a second season, for our sole dose of reality programming this week.
Outlast sees 16 outdoors people put into Alaska, in four teams of four. They've got to survive in the wild while completing challenges and possibly switching teams if they think it'll increase their chances of success. A prize pot of $1,000,000 is up for grabs for the team that can last until the end.
Half of the Outlast season 2 episodes will stream on Netflix on Wednesday, September 4, but you'll have to wait until Wednesday, September 11 to watch the second batch.
Caught in the Web: The Murders Behind Zona Divas
- Mexican true crime docuseries lands on Thursday, August 5
A new docuseries on Netflix this week takes us to Mexico, to explore a series of murders.
Caught in the Web looks at a series of murders related to an online escort service in Mexico City, where young women who were trying to find a life for themselves were victimised were extorted and bullied online and, in some cases, murdered.
The Perfect Couple
- Murder mystery drama series releases on Thursday, September 5
Netflix's biggest TV drama of the week is The Perfect Couple, based on a book and featuring a large ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning and Liev Schreiber.
The Perfect Couple is about a fancy wedding that is ruined by the appearance of a corpse on a beach. As an investigation begins, the many secrets of both families come to the surface, which may be linked to the groom's mother who's a novelist.
There are six episodes of The Perfect Couple and they'll all land on Thursday, August 5.
Apollo 13: Survival
- Space-faring documentary movie arrives on Thursday, September 5
If you've seen the Tom Hanks movie Apollo 13, you'll already know what Netflix's new Apollo 13: Survival movie is about.
This documentary follows a crisis that NASA had to deal with in 1970, when the manned Apollo 13 mission to the moon went awry. Survival looks at what went wrong and how the three astronauts, as well as people in ground control, reacted to the catastrophe.
Rebel Ridge
- Action movie releases on Friday, September 6
Netflix's new Rebel Ridge may have a very familiar plot, but it's the streamer's biggest new movie arriving this week.
Rebel Ridge is about an ex-Marine who travels to a small town in order to post bail for his jailed cousin. However he finds himself caught up in a conspiracy when he learns that the local cops are corrupt, and teaming up with a sympathetic local, he has to use his army skills to break up the ring.
