Remember the days when choosing what to watch was as simple as either marking the weekly guide in red pen or happily complying with whatever was airing on TV? Ah, the blissful freedom of limited choice.

These days, entertainment is a whole different ball game. Between all the brilliant streaming options on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Now, Amazon Prime and newly launched Paramount+ as well as our beloved terrestrial channels, it’s little wonder we’re all facing decision fatigue.

It’s only to be expected, then, that certain screen gems fall through the cracks. While we’re still hoovering up all recent additions on Netflix such as Persuasion, Wedding Season, First Kill, Uncoupled, The Most Hated Man On The Internet, and Not Just A Girl, it can be hard to gauge what else we should be keeping an eye on.

That’s why, in addition to our monthly round-ups and weekend watchlists, we’re tracking the brilliant content in the Netflix library that’s resonating with viewers in the UK right now. We’re talking prestige TV, scandalous documentaries, classic films and everything in-between – if it’s getting views, you’ll find it on this list.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what’s trending on Netflix this week.

Based on the beloved award-winning DC comic series written by Neil Gaiman, Netflix’s big-budget fantasy series The Sandman has been ten years in the making, and according to critics, it’s 100% worth the wait. 

The TV masterpiece brings to life Gaiman’s story of a powerful being named Morpheus (aka Dream) who, after being held prisoner by an evil wizard for a century, sets out on a journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes, and meeting new entities – both cosmic and human – along the way.

From epic casting (think Tom Sturridge as Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death) and eerie production design to a script that’s brilliantly faithful to the original comics, this adaptation will transport to you to a different dimension.

A forgotten gem that received a mixed reception at the time of release, 90s psychological drama Girl Interrupted is now praised for its frank exploration of mental health and captivating performances from the likes of Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss, Whoopi Goldberg, Vanessa Redgrave and Angelina Jolie, who landed her first Oscar in the movie.

Based on Susanna Kaysen’s memoir of the same name recounting her experiences during her stay at a renowned institution for “troubled” young women, the movie follows Susannah (Winona Ryder), who spends 18 months at a psychiatric hospital between 1967 and 1968 after attempting to take her own life. There, she must choose between the world of people who belong on the inside – like the seductive and dangerous Lisa (Jolie) – or the often difficult world of reality on the outside.

The show follows Liv Rivera, a no-nonsense New York lawyer whose private plane crash-lands deep in the remote Canadian frontier. Left to fend for herself in the unforgiving wilderness, she must battle the elements as well as past personal demons in order to stay alive. Having shot into Netflix’s Top 10, the series has sparked plenty of conversation around its controversial ending – but you’ll just have to watch until the end to find out what happens there, folks.

You can always rely on Netflix to deliver the goods when it comes to a juicy true crime documentary, but its brilliant new release Not Just A Girl is of a different persuasion entirely.

Putting the spotlight on music icon Shania Twain, the film traces the star’s journey from modest beginnings in a Canadian mining town to her rise as one of country music’s most successful and influential artists of all time. With contributions from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Diplo, Lionel Richie and Kelsea Ballerini, and some inspiring insights from Twain on overcoming the toughest of personal adversities, this rags-to-riches story will make you want to belt out Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

“I just killed my Dad. I shot him three times”. So said 17-year-old Anthony Templet to a 911 switchboard operator after he shot his father in their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2017.

Templet never denied killing his father. But why he did is a complex question with profound implications that go far beyond one family, and the story is now the subject of an attention-grabbing new documentary. Following in the footsteps of recent entries in the true crime space The Most Hated Man On The Internet and Our Father, Netflix’s latest docuseries delves into the complicated series of events that led up to the tragedy, including allegations that Templet had suffered a decade of abuse before committing the shooting.

Images: Netflix