The Recruit is now streaming on Netflix – Picture: Netflix
Happy Friday and welcome to your end-of-week recap of what’s new on Netflix. There are quite a lot of new movies and new series that have dropped over the past 24 hours so we’ll recap all those below plus walk you through what’s currently topping the Netflix top 10 charts.
Over the weekend on Netflix, Oldboy (2013) will depart. We’d also suggest giving It (2017) a watch if it’s in your queue, as it leaves early next week.
Best New Movies and Series on Netflix for December 16th
The Recruit (Season 1)
Rating: TV-MA
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Cast: Noah Centineo, Katharine King So, Alexandra Petrachuk
Writer: Alexi Hawley
Runtime: 52 mins
Netflix’s big new series for the week is the Noah Centineo-led CIA thriller, The Recruit.
It comes from the same creator of hit network shows, The Rookie, Castle, The Following, Body of Proof, and State of Affairs.
It sees Centineo play the role of Owen Hendricks, a lawyer at the CIA who becomes entangled in a conspiracy.
Reviews are mixed thus far (it has a 59 on Metacritic), with The Hollywood Reporter being particularly unkind, saying the series suffers from “paper-thin characters, flimsy twists and a wishy-washy tone.”
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
Rating: PG-13
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Director: Rory Kennedy
Writer: Mark Bailey, Dallas Brennan
Runtime: 98 min / 1h 38m
Netflix’s documentary output has been fantastic for 2022 and topping it off is the heart-tugging entry that looks back at the Whakaari / White Island volcanic eruption of 2019, in which 22 lives were lost.
Paradise PD (Season 4 – Final Season)
Rating: TV-MA
Language: English
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy
Cast: Sarah Chalke, David Herman, Tom Kenny
Writer: Roger Black, Waco O’Guin
Runtime: 28 min
The fourth and final season of the animated adult sitcom series Paradise PD is concluding its Netflix run today. Over the past four seasons, we’ve followed the wild antics of a police unit that, let’s be honest, couldn’t run a bath, let alone a police department.
Waco, one of the two creators of the show, told us that he wished the show would go on forever, but alas, nothing lasts forever, and Netflix decided that season 4 would conclude the madness.
Full List of What’s New on Netflix for December 16th
6 New Movies Added Today
- BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) Netflix Original – R – Spanish – An acclaimed journalist and documentarian goes on an epic introspective journey to reconcile with the past, the present and his identity.
- Belleville Cop (2018) – TV-MA – English – After a friend’s murder, a Parisian policeman travels to Miami and teams up with a gruff American detective to bring down the gang responsible.
- HELL DOGS – IN THE HOUSE OF BAMBOO – (2022) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Japanese – Bent on revenge, a traumatized ex-police officer must infiltrate a yakuza organization by befriending one of the group’s most unhinged members.
- Private Lesson (2022) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Turkish – Posing as a private tutor, Azra secretly coaches students on achieving their goals in life and love — but not without a few bumps in the road.
- Talat Abu Harb 2 (2022) – TV-14 – Arabic – In this anthology drama, residents of the same apartment building experience big political changes over the decades.
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022) Netflix Original – PG-13 – English – Survivors’ and rescuers’ accounts and minute-by-minute footage fuel this gripping documentary about the deadly 2019 volcanic eruption in New Zealand.
9 New TV Series Added Today
- A Storm for Christmas (Limited Series) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Norwegian – Destinies collide when extreme weather traps travelers and workers at an airport, forcing them to spend the final hours leading up to Christmas together.
- Beast of Bangalore: Indian Predator (Limited Series ) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Kannada – A vicious predator’s brutal — and murderous — pursuit of women sends a faltering police force on a wild hunt, while a state reels in terror.
- Cook at all Costs (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-G – English – In this kitchen contest, home cooks bid on ingredients to create dishes that will impress celebrity guest judges — and win the cash left in their bank.
- Dance Monsters (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-PG – English – In this feel-good competition, amateur dancers disguised as CGI avatars bring their best moves, hoping to win $250,000 — and a second shot at their dreams.
- Far From Home (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – A financially struggling teen finds himself in the world of luxury after a prestigious scholarship sends him to an exclusive school for the one percent.
- Paradise PD (Season 4 – Final Season) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – An eager young rookie joins the ragtag small-town police force led by his dad as they bumble, squabble and snort their way through a big drug case.
- Summer Job (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Italian – Ten Gen Z contestants go on their dream vacation. But for a shot at staying in a luxury villa — and to win €100,000 — they have to work real jobs.
- The Hills (Seasons 1-2) – TV-PG – English – Everything is bigger in L.A. for a group of young women juggling their careers, relationships and all kinds of drama in this “Laguna Beach” spinoff.
- The Recruit (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – A rookie lawyer at the CIA stumbles headlong into the dangerous world of international espionage when a former asset threatens to expose agency secrets.
Top 10s on Netflix for December 16th, 2022
| # | TV Shows | Movies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry & Meghan | Prisoners |
| 2 | Wednesday | I Believe in Santa |
| 3 | Sonic Prime | Bullet Train |
| 4 | Too Hot to Handle | Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio |
| 5 | Pervert: Hunting the Strip Search Caller | Burnt |
| 6 | Firefly Lane | The Best of Me |
| 7 | Last Chance U: Basketball | Storks |
| 8 | Arelys Henao: Canto para no llorar | Emily the Criminal |
| 9 | Dead to Me | 21 Jump Street |
| 10 | Snack vs Chef | Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery |
Have a great weekend, everybody, and we’ll be back on Sunday for your end-of-week recap looking at everything new over the past 7 days and looking forward to the next 7.
What are you watching on Netflix this weekend? Let us know in the comments down below.