What's on Netflix This Week: Outer Banks Season 2, Paris Hilton's Cooking Show

This week is the perfect example of Netflix putting out tons of things that you should watch, but not anything that's a must-watch. For the teens there's Season 2 of the perfectly mediocre Outer Banks, which is more popular than it should be. For true-crime buffs there's a docuseries on the cocaine dealers of 1980s Miami, but it's a story we've heard plenty of times before. For reality show fans there's the dim spectacle of Paris Hilton's Cooking With Paris. If you're like me, you'll add them to your queue and then they'll rot there.

For options that might be a little better than the rest, check out Ryan Murphy's docuseries Pray Away, which looks at the disgusting practice of gay conversion therapy, and Centaurworld, a trippy animated series featuring stars of Broadway. Below are all the new releases on Netflix for the week of July 30-Aug. 5, 2021.

All titles debut on Friday, July 30 unless otherwise noted. Here's what came out on Netflix last week.

If you're looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, we have plenty. If you'd like to see what else is on Netflix in July, here are our picks. And if you're looking ahead, here are our picks for what to watch on Netflix in August.

The Biggest Releases

Outer Banks, Season 2
Outer Banks was something of a surprise hit last summer when it arrived during the pandemic. No one could go outside, so everyone lived vicariously through the sun-kissed teens of Netflix's soapy drama. And yeah, we can mostly go outside at our leisure now, but Outer Banks Season 2 is still worth checking out in all of its fun ridiculousness. The show picks up where it left off, with John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) now fugitives on the run, trying to track down the Royal Merchant's treasure. Things are also rapidly escalating back in North Carolina, with the group members still on the island uncovering a map that seems like it could lead to a whole new treasure hunt. Buckle up, Pogues! -Allison Picurro

Pray Away, Season 1
Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum executive produce this documentary about Exodus International, an Evangelical group formed in the '70s that claims it can turn gay people straight through prayer and conversion therapy. What's most interesting about this film is that it features interviews with ex-leaders who are now speaking out against the movement they were part of for so many years. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Centaurworld, Season 1
This new animated kids show is just as likely to be a hit with kids-at-heart as it is with young 'uns. Following the trend of cartoons created by people who must be on lots of psychedelics (Adventure Time, Steven Universe) comes a story about a horse (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) who ends up in a strange world populated by creatures who are all centaured out, like the giraffe-taur that she meets first. It's cute and weird, but it's also a musical so there's lots of singing. [Trailer]

Everything Else

Cooking With Paris, Season 1
Paris Hilton is known for, like, maybe one thing. And I don't even know what that is. What she isn't known for is cooking, which is probably why Netflix gave her this cooking show, in which she whips up dishes in her kitchen with famous friends like Demi Lovato and Kim Kardashian. I watched an episode and the only thing I wanted to cook afterward was my head. In an oven. Let's just say it ain't no Selena + Chef! [Wednesday, Aug. 4]

Glow Up, Season 3
The British make-up reality competition returns for another season of slapping paint on people's faces. [Trailer]

The Last Mercenary
Jean-Claude Van Damme is both alive and kicking in this French action comedy film in which he plays a former secret service agent who -- oh who cares, he kicks and punches people and does the splits. What more do you want? [Trailer]

Myth & Mogul: John Delorean
Remember that car from Back to the Future? John Delorean made that. This three-episode docuseries follows the famous maverick automaker through the ups and downs of his life, as he never took no for an answer, which seemed to be the right thing to do only half the time. [Trailer]

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning
Yes, we just watched Rurouni Kenshin: Final, but The Beginning is actually the ending of this film franchise about the former assassin who is now a nomadic swordsman. [Trailer]

Shiny Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord
If you've been watching the German series How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) then you're going to want to watch this documentary on the real kid who created a drug empire out of his bedroom and inspired the TV series. [Trailer / Tuesday, Aug. 3]

Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified, Season 1
Yep, your conspiracy theory-loving friend is definitely going to use this as ammunition for his next conversation about what the government really knows about UFOs. [Trailer / Tuesday, Aug. 3]

Car Masters, Season 3
Car junkies take junky cars and turn them into dope whips that they sell for boocoo cheddar. [Trailer / Wednesday, Aug. 4]

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami
The most notorious drug dealers in the history of America were the cocaine smugglers of the 1970s and 1980s in Miami, and their story never gets old. This docuseries tells the tale again, with cops, ex-girlfriends, and friends of the drug dealers. [Trailer / Wednesday, Aug. 4]

Control Z, Season 2
This Mexican high school show started its first season as a drama about a hacker who releases info about students at the school and the introverted girl who tries to unmask them. But it ended up being a lot about murder and shooting, so Season 2 should be bonkers. [Trailer / Wednesday, Aug. 4]