Want to get straight to the best of Netflix's Global Top 10 because you don't have time for it all? You've landed on the right page.
We've binged the streaming giant's Global Top 10 list, which Netflix curates every week based on the number of 'views' titles have had the previous week, and sorted the wheat from the chaff, ultimately deciding on our favourite recommendations. Because – surprise, surprise – they aren't all worth your time. This time, we have settled on five (three movies and two TV shows) to see you through the weeknights...
Note that some of these chosen titles are for certain regions and vary in terms of availability, and quality limit from 4K HDR to HD to SD, depending on your subscription type and location.
Bridgerton
The Bridgerton series is now in its third season with all the costumes and stunning classic English architecture we've come to expect from this stand-out period drama. The reason it stands out? Not only is this tongue-in-cheek funny, as well as cheeky, it's also got some fantastic modern day nods, like current songs heard playing on the accordion for example, that make it lots of fun.
Visually it's rich with vibrant colours, across clothes, flowers, materials and more. Plus a lot of the surrounds are vast, like in the high ceiling halls of a stately home, or with a sweeping countryside backdrop. It's all highly immersive and looks great in 4K HDR, in which it is shot to get the most out of those high resolutions and wide-spanning contrast ratios.
Madame Web
The latest Marvel comics character to make it into Sony's version of the Marvel universe is Madam Web. So, to be clear, this is not the MCU of The Avengers, Captain America or Iron Man, but rather the world of Venom and Morbius of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, or SSU as it's known. So set your expectation accordingly.
Whatever that means for storyline and character arcs is personal to each viewer, but what will be consistent is a visual trip to enjoy. Expect nothing but the most high-end visual effects backed by some surround sound audio to transport you into that other-worldly experience.
That said, at time of publishing, in some regions this is only available in HD format on Netflix. With music from composer Johan Söderqvist, of Let The Right One In fame, you can expect to be moved by the soundtrack too.
Since this is a Sony movie, the company who is still pushing 4K UHD Blu-Ray discs, you can expect high-quality variants to be available if you want to watch this at the best quality possible.
Bodkin
The Bodkin series comes to Netflix by way of Ireland to give a comedic and often quirky take on the murder mystery genre. If you've seen Only Murders In The Building you may already have an idea of what to expect. This is also about true crime podcasters, but investigating a missing person in an Irish village.
Only in this instance it's largely shot in an Irish coastal town that combines sweeping coastal shots with intricate low-ceilinged homes that leaves you feeling like you're really exploring the area, investigating with the characters – who you'll warm to right away.
Some scenes are quite surreal with costumed characters interspersed with quite plainly dressed regulars. It all gives a creepy feel which can create unease in one moment while you're laughing the next.
Mother Of The Bride
After just two weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10, Mother Of The Bride has had a massive 25 million views which makes it worth a look, based on that impressive feat alone. Add to that the fact this was directed by Mark Waters, who directed Mean Girls, and you can expect plenty of laughs.
This is based around a wedding in an idyllic holiday destination location. That means it's visually sumptuous with lots of colour to keep your eyes dazzled while the jokes keep you laughing along. A great example of light-hearted fun that pulls in plenty of characters to leave you as engrossed as you are entertained.
The Courier
Netflix's Spanish film The Courier, or El Correo, is a fantastic blend of truth and fiction. It follows the lead character's rise through the ranks of the criminal world, during the real-world economic crisis. The movie's protagonist, Iván, is a mix of several real people combined into one character, which helps to make the story more exciting and compelling.
From fast cars to flashy locations, visually this is a delight to watch. There's plenty of tension, which builds through the film, as this anti-hero rises in status, wealth and power. As such the soundtrack is a moving part of the event which can at times leave you realising how immersed you were in the last scene, only emerging into the next.
It's worth noting this film does have very mixed reviews, and features here for its visual and audio heft, as well as it being top of the international languages movie list this week, with over 11 million views so far.
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