Netflix Series To Binge-Watch This Weekend: ‘The Punisher’ & ‘Alias Grace’ Are Your Ticket To Action And Drama

If you’re looking for original Netflix series to binge-watch this weekend, the streaming platform has two new shows that should fit the bill: Marvel’s The Punisher and Alias Grace. The Marvel and Netflix series The Punisher debuted on November 17, 2017, and Alias Grace made its arrival earlier this month on November 2. Both shows have received positive reviews from critics, and though The Punisher just arrived, social media is abuzz over both Netflix originals.

Alias Grace

Based on the famed 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), Netflix’s Alias Grace is inspired by true events. The series takes place in the mid-1800s and centers on Grace Marks, portrayed by Sarah Gadon (A Royal Night Out). Grace is a young Irish immigrant in Canada who is convicted of the notorious double murder of her employer, Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross), and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin). While serving her sentence in Kingston Penitentiary, American doctor Simon Jordan, played by Edward Holcroft (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), arrives to study the puzzling mind of Marks.

Filled with flashback scenes involving suspense and disturbing imagery, this Netflix show is as intriguing as it is dramatic. This dialogue-driven series is directed and written by two impressive and influential women: Mary Harron (screenwriter and director of American Psycho) and Sarah Polley (screenwriter and director of Stories We Tell). Critics and fans alike are praising the direction style of Harron, the superb writing of Polley, and Sarah Gadon’s performance.

With an impressive score of 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the site’s Critics Consensus describes why this is one of the best Netflix series.

“Biting social commentary and Sarah Gadon’s hypnotic performance make Alias Grace a worthy addition to the Margaret Atwood adaptation catalog.”

With only six episodes hovering around the 45-minute mark, Netflix subscribers may find this series easier to binge-watch than The Punisher (13 episodes averaging 53 minutes).

The Punisher

Frank Castle (the Punisher) first arrived on Netflix during the second season of the hugely popular Marvel series, Daredevil. There were rumors that the Punisher would have a cameo appearance in the Netflix and Marvel show The Defenders, but those rumors turned out to be false. But the wait is over for Marvel fans as The Punisher just debuted.

Frank Castle is portrayed by Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), and if Netflix subscribers enjoyed him as the Punisher in Daredevil, they are likely to enjoy him even more in this series. Like Alias Grace, The Punisher has underlying themes that go deeper than what’s on the surface.

The Netflix series has a near-perfect score of 9.6 on IMDb, and the site provides the premise for The Punisher.

“After exacting revenge on the people responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, Frank Castle uncovers a conspiracy that runs deeper than New York’s criminal underworld.”

Make no mistake about it, if you are looking for an exciting series to watch this weekend, The Punisher is jampacked with action (just take a look at the official trailer appropriately set to the tune of Metallica’s One).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIY6zFL95hE

With Alias Grace and The Punisher currently available, there two highly-rated Netflix series that are binge-worthy for your weekend.

[Featured Image by Netflix]