The Best New Shows and Movies on Netflix This Week -- Umbrella Academy, Breaker Upperers

Ready to watch something new on Netflix this weekend? Here is a list of all the best new shows and movies released on Netflix this week.

With a paltry six new releases, you'd think this week's selection of new Netflix options would be a breeze to get through. But the hit rate on these six releases is unusually high! There's a new superhero team-up series, a docuseries from a legend of comedy and three foreign movies, all of which look at least decent with one of them looking great! How's that for an endorsement? Compare that to next week, which has about twice as many releases, but none which look all that good. What I'm saying is, be happy with what you got this week.

Below I go through all the Netflix releases this week, and if you're looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, click over to our Watch This Now! page.

(All titles are out Friday, Feb. 15 unless otherwise specified.)

The Biggest Releases

The Umbrella Academy, Season 1
Let me pose you a question, and then allow your reaction to guide your next step: Does a superhero team-up show from the frontman of My Chemical Romance sound like something you want to watch? Well here you go. The Umbrella Academy adapts Gerard Way's graphic novel about a group of children with powers who are taken in by a man who wants to protect them. They grow up as a dysfunctional family unit, and like all superhero thingies, must stop the end of the world as adults. It's odd, with a talking chimp, some maybe-ghosts and a guy with a human head but the body of a gorilla, but the flashbacks to their times as kids are the best part. It's a bit moody, so your mileage may vary depending how emo you are.

Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy
The man behind some of Seinfeld's wildest episodes takes a look at comedy that's rooted in dark and dangerous places. What does that mean? In the first episode, Charles goes all Anthony Bourdain by traveling to Iraq and Liberia to talk to local comedians about how their country's politics, socioeconomic status and war shape their work, and how comedy is even more necessary when times are tough. In the particularly inspiring second episode, Charles talks to war vets about how nearly dying has shaped their decision to become stand-up comedians. Everyone has incredible stories to tell, and the footage of local comedy is eye-opening. It's insightful (and hilarious) stuff, and an easy weekend binge at just four one-hour episodes. (Trailer)

The Sneaky Great Movie That You Probably Didn't Know Existed but Just Appeared on Netflix

Breaker Upperers
The first thing to know is that New Zealand weirdo Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) is an executive producer on this, so if that's not enough to get you to press play, then please readjust your life values (and also go watch What We Do in the Shadows). The Kiwi comedy follows a pair of women who offer a service that helps people break up with their S.O., but from the look of the trailer, one of the clients causes a bit of a problem between the two. The look of the trailer also indicates that this is hilarious, so we're in.

Everything Else

The Dragon Prince, Season 2
It's from Canada, so it's not really anime (no offense, Canada), but this animated series aimed at kids sure plays the part. It's set in a fantasy world where elves and humans are at war, and there are, uhhh, dragons. Season 2 features a baby dragon, so make sure you have enough coin to buy its plush toy for your kiddo. (Trailer)

Yucatán
What if, like, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Titanic were combined into one movie? Well, put the bong away and stop fantasizing, because it's here! This Spanish-language comedy film follows a pair of con artists who try to swindle a lottery winner out of his prize while on board a cruise ship. (Trailer)

The 40-Year-Old Virgin
You've seen this movie thousands of times on TNT or FX or one of those channels, now see it streaming! ( One of my favorite scenes / Saturday, Feb. 16)

The Drug King
Drug movies are all too often set in the United States and South America, so this Korean drug kingpin movie set in Asia is like nothing you've seen before! To be honest, it doesn't look bad. (Trailer / Thursday, Feb. 21)

Stop searching, start watching! TV Guide's Watch This Now! page has even more TV recommendations.

The 52 Netflix Originals You Should Be Watching