Beyond Hilton’s glam-tastic new show, there’s a bit of a theme when it comes to Netflix’s newest releases: all docs, all the time. The buzziest new title is Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami, a juicy docuseries about two 1980s drug kingpins from South Florida’s most decadent city. For those looking for a weightier option, there’s Pray Away, which explores the dangers and development of gay conversation “therapy,” which is widely regarded in the medical community as egregiously unsafe. You’ll also find an alien-obsessed docuseries and a drug documentary related to one of Netflix’s wildest teen shows, among more gems.
These are all the new Netflix offerings broken down by plot, genre, and whether you should watch something immediately or skip for now. Keep reading for the lowdown on all of these Netflix treats, including their trailers.
Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Season 1)
What is it?: An extremely Miami crime docuseries.
What is it about?: Two powerboat racers… who were also allegedly one of the biggest drug traffickers in American history. Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador “Sal” Magluta started out as South Florida high school dropouts and low-level “pot pushers,” as journalist Jim DeFede says. Cocaine Cowboys tracks the pair’s ascent to an alleged $2 billion (£1.4 million) cocaine empire.
Like most Netflix docs, Cocaine Cowboys mixes found footage news reels, insider confessionals, and legal documents to paint its vast picture. Unlike most Netflix docs, the six-episode series is filled with an undeniable and shockingly forthright cast of characters with chyrons like “Former Drug Kingpin.”
See or skip?: See, even if you don’t traditionally enjoy true crime documentaries. Cocaine Cowboys is immediately charming, as it has a true sense of place. The energy and bravado intrinsic to Miami lives in every shot, as we learn about the unmatched confidence of Falcon and Magluta, who essentially created the Magic City party scene. As Cocaine Cowboys grows past its origin story, it turns into a fascinating tale of brutal organised crime, police evasion, and corruption.
Cooking With Paris (Season 1)
What is it?: Fantabulous.
What is it about?: Paris Hilton’s outfits… I mean, cooking. Naturally, former reality star, permanent celebutante, and current activist Paris Hilton anchors Cooking With Paris, a reality show that films in her comically glamorous L.A. kitchen. Each episode has a theme — “Breakfast in the Clouds” or “Get Over It Holiday Feast,” to name a few — and a special celebrity guest. For the first season, in order, the famous sous chefs are Kim Kardashian, Saweetie, Nikki Glaser, Demi Lovato, Lele Pons, and family members Kathy and Nicky Hilton.
Hilton dresses to the 11s — forget the 9s — for every instalment, wherein she learns if she can really whip up gourmet dishes in her bedazzled cookbook. Part of the fun is watching Cooking With Paris’ star open the episode shopping for groceries in places like the Century City Eataly or a specialty food store.
See or skip?: See! Cooking With Paris is Hilton at the apex of controlling her image. After years of media and tabloids trying to tell us who Hilton is, she finally has the reality TV opportunity to explain herself. With this many feathers and gems involved, it’s time for us to finally enjoy this new development. Plus, will we ever truly tire of seeing Hilton and Kardashian in the same frame?
Pray Away
What is it?: A documentary that takes a hard look at particularly dubious practices.
What is it about?: The roots of the “ex-gay” “movement” — and its present-day “evolution.” In the mid-1970s, members of a California mega-church began a “support group” for Christians who recognized their queerness and wanted to “change” that. This group eventually became Exodus, one of the country’s founding proprietors of conversion “therapy,” which aims to “convert” queer people to strict heterosexuality. Modern psychologists and academics all denounce this practice — which is often weak pseudoscience masked as factual gospel — as exceedingly harmful.
Pray Away, executive produced by Ryan Murphy, looks at the full spectrum of people connected to the “ex-gay” community, from those ashamed of creating it to the individuals proudly defending it right now.
See or skip?: Pray Away is an important and deeply affecting film filled with grief, shame, and sometimes hope. It also has a compelling cast, albeit in a far different manner than the grinning criminals of Cocaine Cowboys. See, when you have the mental and emotional space to take in something so often devastating.
Hit & Run (Season 1)
What is it?: An English-and-Hebrew-language thriller.
What is it about?: Revenge. Israeli Segev Azulay (Lior Raz) is set on a path of retribution after his wife Danielle (Kaelen Ohm) is the victim of a fatal hit-and-run in Tel Aviv. While Segev is now a kindly tour guide and family man, he, like many action heroes, has a much darker, bloodier past. When Danielle’s killers flee to New York, Segev follows. Supported by his ex, Naomi Hicks (future Succession Sanaa Lathan), Segev investigates his late wife to understand the secrets that led to her death.
See or skip?: Hit & Run feels like it comes from a different era, when television was ruled by burly men Doing What They Had To Do. That time is over. Skip, unless you really love Fauda. Hit & Run comes from the same creators, including shared star Lior Raz.
Control Z (Season 2)
What is it?: A techy teen soap from Mexico.
What is it about?: A new hacker. In Control Z season 1, heroine Sofía (Ana Valeria Becerril) and her high school classmates at Colegio Nacional are confronted by a mysterious hacker determined to unveil all their deepest secrets. By the end of those first eight episodes, the villain’s identity was revealed.
In season 2, Sofía and her love interest/investigative collaborator Javier (Michael Ronda) have to put on their metaphorical detective hats once more to unmask The Avenger, a new unseen villain bent on vengeance against Colegio Nacional. This time around, The Avenger’s nefarious actions are motivated by the untimely and tragic season 1 death of shy student Luis (Luis Curiel).
See or skip?: See, with a few caveats. Control Z is one of Netflix’s more compelling YA mysteries. However, it’s also genuinely grim in a way few similar shows are. Season 2 involves a would-be teen-on-teen shooting; the possible victim’s fate is casually voted on by anonymous commentators via an Instagram Stories poll. It’s a chilling distillation of how disconnected social media can make all of us feel from real violence. Come to Control Z aware of this bleak underbelly.
Shiny_Flakes: The Teenage Drug Lord
What is it?: A German-language drug documentary.
What is it about?: Maximilian Schmidt, one of Germany’s most infamous criminals. In 2015, Schmidt was arrested for running a vast, Amazon-esque digital drug empire out of his childhood bedroom. He was only 20 at the time. Teenage Drug Lord explains the origin story of Schmidt’s booming business and the investigation that got him caught. The documentary features interviews with Schmidt while he was still in prison and glimpses of him closer to the present day, where he is out on probation. A free Schmidt is more than happy to show Teenage Drug Lord’s cameras his old operation and what his life behind his criminal alias, Shiny_Flakes, looked like.
See or skip?: See, if you already streamed through How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) and loved it. This is your chance to get an in-depth understanding of the man who inspired Moritz Zimmermann (Maximilian Mundt).
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