Best New Shows and Movies on Netflix This Week: Jim Parsons in The Boys in the Band, Evil

Like New Brunswick, New Jersey's finest emo band, it's Thursday. That means it's time for TV Guide to run down what's new on New Brunswick's finest streaming service. Here are the best new shows and movies released on Netflix the week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1. 

The end of September finds The Artist Formerly Known as Qwikster putting out some extremely Netflixy content, like Sneakerheads, a very niche TV show exclusively for people who collect Nikes; The Boys in the Band, a period piece movie produced by Ryan Murphy that's based on a Tony-winning play; a direct-to-DVD quality action movie that's randomly a sequel to a modestly successful flick from 25 years ago; and two German shows, one that takes place at the beginning of the 20th century and one that takes place at the end. 

The actual best show coming to Netflix this week, though, is Season 1 of Evil, CBS' smart and scary procedural about a forensic psychologist (Katja Herbers) and a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) who investigate events that may be supernatural or may be an evil of a human nature. TV Guide recently named it the fourth-best show on TV based on that first season, which premiered last year. CBS cut a deal to loan the show to Netflix in order to get young people who might like it but don't regularly watch CBS or subscribe to CBS All Access hooked before Season 2 premieres on the network in November. Hopefully it works, and more people start talking about this great show after it arrives on Netflix on Oct. 1.    

All titles debut on Friday, Sept. 25 unless otherwise noted. Here's what came out on Netflix last week.

If you're looking for even more recommendations, we have plenty. If you'd like to see what's coming out on Netflix in October, here's everything that's coming to the service in the month. 

The Biggest Releases

Sneakerheads, Season 1
This is a comedy series for anyone who fosters a deep resentment of the SNKRS app. If that doesn't mean anything to you, this probably isn't a show for you. Allen Maldonado stars as Devin, a sneaker addict who relapses when his friend Bobby (Andrew Bachelor) gets him to spend $5,000 on a storage locker supposedly full of rare kicks for them to resell. If his wife finds out, she'll kill him, so he and his fellow sneakerhead pals go on a quest to find a super-rare pair to flip and get his money back. It's a show completely steeped in sneaker culture, and if you love sneakers, you'll relate to it. If you don't, you'll be saying "what's wrong with Toms?" 

The Great British Baking Show, Collection 8
The latest installment of the beloved baking reality series arrives Friday, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Who doesn't want to watch some British people be nice to each other and bake some delicious cakes? There are some big changes this go-round. Matt Lucas takes over as co-host from Sandi Toksvig, joining his pal Noel Fielding. And it was filmed during the pandemic, which necessitated some safety precautions in the outdoor tent that the contestants work under. The first episode releases Friday, with weekly drops thereafter. (Trailer)       

The Boys in the Band
Superproducer Ryan Murphy's takeover of Netflix continues with this star-studded adaptation of groundbreaking 1968 play, which was one of the first mainstream works about gay men. Starring the cast of the 2018 Broadway revival -- including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, and Andrew Rannells -- and tells the story of nine gay men who gather for a birthday party, who get uncomfortably honest as the night goes on. The original play wasn't a period piece, but the movie is. (Trailer / Wednesday, Sept. 30)

The Best New Shows to Watch This Fall

Everything Else

American Murder: The Family Next Door
A true crime documentary film about the 2018 murder of Shannan Watts, who was pregnant at the time, and her two daughters by her husband Chris, who's serving five life sentences for his crimes. It's a heartbreaking examination of the tragic disintegration of a marriage and the investigation of a crime, told entirely through archival footage including social media posts, law enforcement recordings, and home videos (Wednesday, Sept. 30)

A Perfect Crime
This German documentary series tells the story of the assassination of German politician Detlev Rohwedder in 1991. Rohwedder was in charge of privatization of formerly state-owned property in the former East Germany after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the far-left militant group the Red Army Faction took responsibility for his killing, though no one has ever been charged. It's a documentary exploring what happens when capitalism replaces an existing economic system. (Trailer)

Mighty Little Bheem, Season 3
This wordless animated series from India about a super-strong baby is a cute show for preschool-aged kids. (Trailer) 

The School Nurse Files, Season 1
You know how school nurses have the power to see ghosts? This cute Korean supernatural comedy is about that. Eun-young can see the monsters that are threatening the school and putting the students in danger, and she teams up with the handsome heir to the school (what, your school didn't have an heir?) to stop them. (Trailer)

Whose Vote Counts, Explained
Vox's Explained series turns its attention to deciphering the ways the American voting process is rigged. Episodes of this limited series explain big money donors, gerrymandering, the Electoral College, voter suppression, fraud, and the ways votes get tallied. (No trailer yet / Monday, Sept. 28)

Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia
The Circle host and stand-up comedian Michelle Buteau gets her first Netflix special. She opens with a story about talking about astrology with Jennifer Lopez and pretending like she didn't already know everything about J.Lo's chart. (Trailer / Tuesday, Sept. 29) 

The Best New TV Shows of 2020 So Far

Welcome to Sudden Death
Michael Jai White takes over for Jean-Claude Van Damme in this 81-minute sequel to JCVD's 1995 action movie. MJW plays a basketball arena security guard trying to stop terrorists who have taken over the building. Sometimes movies just exist, you know? (Trailer / Tuesday, Sept. 29)

Carmen Sandiego, Season 3
In Season 3 of this character-driven reboot, V.I.L.E. continues its pursuit of the modern-day Robin Hood, who sounds suspiciously like Gina Rodriguez. Where is she? My guess would be San Francisco. (Trailer / Thursday, Oct. 1)

Good Morning, Verônica, Season 1
A low-level cop investigates a horrifying, violent conspiracy preying on women that implicates a high-ranking member of the department in this Brazilian crime drama. (Trailer / Thursday, Oct. 1)

Oktoberfest: Beer and Blood, Season 1
A rich, shady guy (Babylon Berlin's Mišel Matičević) arrives in Munich in 1900 with plans to reinvent Oktoberfest and make a killing -- by any means necessary. It seems like a GermanPeaky Blinders, with maybe a little bit of a sense of humor. (Trailer / Thursday, Oct. 1)

Pasal Kau / All Because of You
OK, I'm not gonna tell you what this Malayisan romantic comedy is about, I'm just gonna suggest you watch the trailer, because it takes a TURN. (Trailer / Thursday, Oct. 1)

The Worst Witch, Season 4
Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones' Lyanna Mormont) got replaced by someone named Lydia Page for Season 4, so WHY EVEN BOTHER ANYMORE???? (Trailer / Wednesday, Sept. 16)

Stop searching, start watching! TV Guide's Watch This Now! page has even more TV recommendations. And check out our picks for the best Netflix shows and movies to watch in September.

PHOTOS: The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far