As the cold weather rolls in this weekend, you’ll need some good shows and movies to watch, cuddled up under layers and layers of blankets, with a cup of hot chocolate. Below are some of the new things on Netflix that are definitely worth watching!

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

In 2016, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story won a multitude of awards for its portrayal of the famous and controversial case that struck the nation in 1994. This was the first season in Fox’s series of american crime stories that would be turned into a one season limited run. The second installment is The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which as the name suggests, focuses around murder of Gianni Versace. It follows the killer, Andrew Cunanan’s story, detailing his killing spree leading up to the culminating murder of Versace, and the subsequent police hunt for him.  

The Assassination of Gianni Versace boasts some notable names including Ricky Martin, Penelope Cruz, and Darren Criss. This cast of talented actors helped to create a natural atmosphere around the characters. Darren Criss, who many know as Blaine from hit TV show, Glee, has won multiple awards for his performance as Andrew Cunanan, including an Emmy, a Screen Actors Guild award and a Golden Globe. Criss has worked with director Ryan Murphy before on Glee, which makes it even less surprising that the show is as good as it is. In addition to Murphy, Nelson Cragg, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Daniel Minahan and Matt Bomer all directed various episodes throughout series. Check out their hard work of a true american crime on Netflix now.

The Punisher: Season 2

If you watched Daredevil season 2 and couldn’t get enough of Frank Castle, no need to fret, he isn’t dead yet. In 2017, Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher got his own TV series. The Punisher differs from many other superheroes in that he has no real superpower. Instead, he uses guns and his fists to kill anyone who stands in his way, another distinction that sets him apart from other heroes in the Marvel universe. With season one wrapping up pretty neatly, many fans wondered what season two could possibly be about, but in true Punisher fashion, Frank found another fight to pick.

Just as in many action shows, Frank Castle gets beat up and shot at a lot. Often, viewers are left wondering how on earth Frank Castle is still alive. Fans of the Marvel/Netflix shows wondered the same thing about The Punisher, but for a different reason. When Marvel canceled fan favorite Daredevil after arguably its best season — on top of other show cancellations including Iron Fist and Luke Cage — many Marvel fans were left in shock. At the time of the cancellations, The Punisher was in post-production, so it was safe … for now. There has been no news about the future of The Punisher, but Marvel’s recent pattern of cancellation has many fans biting their nails.

Tidying up with Marie Kondo

Being a Manual student can be exhausting. You may often find that you have barely enough time to finish your homework, much less keep a social life and a normal sleep schedule. If you feel like your life is slipping out of control, Marie Kondo would say that there is a simple remedy: a clean home. In her show, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, Kondo helps people control their messy homes leading to a sense of control in their everyday lives.

Kondo’s show is based on her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up. After she released her book in the United States, a cleaning frenzy swept the nation. Her book was on the New York Times best-seller list for 86 weeks in 2016. Now Kondo has her own show and has become an even bigger star. Her Konmari methods of organization and cleaning have swept the internet. If you want to understand the life-changing magic of tidying up, watch this fun show to find out.

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

If you’re interested in the creepier side of life and are interested in the numerous serial killers that took the streets in the 70s, the Ted Bundy tapes are right up your alley. Taking the tapes that were gathered in an interview with the man himself, this four part Netflix series takes a look into Ted Bundy as a person and the horrendous acts he committed before being arrested and sentenced to death row. Using video and audio footage, the series is fairly creepy so be careful about watching it alone.

And just in case you’re wondering who Ted Bundy is and why he’s so well known, here’s what you need to know about him. Bundy was accused of killing 30 women between 1974 and 1978, though the number is thought to be higher, ranging anywhere from 40 to 100 women. He was known for doing inappropriate things with their bodies before and after death, most of the time raping or sexually assaulting them and keeping parts of their bodies, if not their entire body for himself. One of the craziest things about him was how calm he seems when talking about these crimes after the fact. To find out more about him, watch Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.  

Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened

Fyre was supposed to be one of the greatest music festivals to ever happen. Benny McFarland and Ja Rule planned to throw this festival on an island in the Caribbean with famous models and celebrities in attendance, luxurious housing ranging from nice tents to yachts and great catering with tons of alcohol; like Coachella in paradise. The end result of this wild idea ended up being… well that’s what the documentary is for.

After the incident that was Fyre Fest, it’s no surprise that two documentaries and a movie headed by Seth Rogen were already in the works to monument it. Both Netflix and Hulu made documentaries to help give an inside look on the team who attempted at creating something great, but if you ask me, the Netflix documentary is much better. You can click above to watch the trailer and check it out for yourself.

Several Disney offerings

While Disney gets farther along in their plans for their own streaming service and the months of Disney content on Netflix are limited, we can enjoy what’s coming on in the present! This month, three movies that represent three core facets of Disney (Pixar, Marvel and Lucasarts) were added. The Incredibles 2, Ant Man and the Wasp and Solo are now streaming as of Jan. 31.

With Avengers: Endgame coming out, it’s the perfect time to binge watch the movies and refresh your knowledge before heading back out to the theater. With Ant Man and the Wasp and Infinity War, you’ll be caught up and ready to cry at what is sure to be an emotional Avengers movie. If you want to relive a part of your childhood and perhaps bring back some summer memories, watch the Oscar nominated film, The Incredibles 2. If you’re a Star Wars fan or just looking for a fun action movie to watch one night, try Solo, a Star Wars story focusing on how Han Solo grew into the infamous character before the events of A New Hope.

Authors’ Pick:

Although all of these movies and shows, as well as the other Netflix additions that were not listed in this article are all amazing in their respective ways, The Assassination of Gianni Versace was by far a stand out among the picks of the month. Its use of colored lights and bright colors gives the show a very attractive and unique atmosphere. The colors contribute to the mood of the show, which really makes it stand out. Additionally, the show makes creative use of storytelling through broken up chunks of time. While it can be disorienting at times, the jumps through periods of time serve to develop Andrew Cunanan’s character as somewhat disorienting itself.

Furthermore, the cast is able to complement each other in scenes where the personalities of two characters don’t seem like they would work together. Criss plays Cunanan with a deranged charm that makes the man who you’re supposed to hate (and who in reality was a sociopath) seem somewhat vulnerable and utterly human. His performance makes it almost easy for the audience to sympathize with a mass murderer, which is no simple task to pull off. Overall, the acting, production value and just general quality of this show make for a memorable series which is definitely worth watching. 

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