Top 5 Must‑Watch Shows on Netflix, Apple TV+, and More This Weekend (May 1-3)

Published Apr 30, 2026, 3:45 PM EDT

After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide.

Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron.

Dan joins How-To Geek as the Streaming Lead. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship.

Are you enjoying Stranger Things: Tales from '85? The first animated spin-off of Netflix's flagship series is finally out for audiences to enjoy. The show struck the right chord with fans—Netflix has already renewed it for a second season. Tales from '85 is just a sign of what's to come as we all wait for the live-action Stranger Things spin-off from the Duffer Brothers.

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 was so last week. This week, my attention is on a Netflix action show based on a popular novel series. Ranked No. 1 on our list, the Netflix show was previously adapted as a movie with a two-time Oscar winner. Right behind that show comes an Apple TV horror comedy starring an Emmy-winning actor. Plus, we have some true-crime documentaries that will sit with you for a while. All five shows can be streamed in the United States.

5 Should I Marry A Murderer?

A deadly secret haunts a marriage

As far as titles go, Should I Marry A Murderer? immediately piques my interest. It's direct, concise, and effective. I'm asking myself, "Why would someone marry a murderer?" I can't answer that question, but Caroline Muirhead can in this new Netflix true-crime documentary. After a long relationship, a newly-single Muirhead, a forensic pathologist in Glasgow, meets hunter Sandy McKellar. They fall in love and get engaged within a few months.

Then, it all comes to a crashing halt with a deadly secret. Frankly, it's my worst nightmare—discovering a partner has a dark secret. I'm not spoiling anything since it's in the title—Sandy killed someone years prior. Do you protect your significant other's secret, or do you turn them in? Enjoy that debate.

Should I Marry A Murderer? is now streaming on Netflix.

4 My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders

A serial killer might have had some help

Apologies for the dark subject matter on this list. However, true crime continues to be a hit on streaming. People love to play detectives and learn about jaw-dropping crimes. We have another aptly named doc, My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders, which investigates the potential identity of a serial killer. Donald Dean Studey is the alleged killer known as "The Monster of Green Hollow."

Studey might have killed anywhere between 50 and 70 people, including several of his wives. How do I know this? His daughter, Lucy Studey McKiddy, claimed that she helped bury some of the bodies on their property. That is a heavy burden for one person to carry around, but it doesn't necessarily prove Donald is the killer. The documentary will try to piece together the evidence, and once again, you'll have to be the judge.

All three episodes of My Killer Father: The Green Hollow Murders are streaming on Paramount+.

Amazon Fire TV Stick (HD)

3 The House of the Spirits

An acclaimed novel comes to life

Based on Isabel Allende's groundbreaking 1982 novel, The House of the Spirits is a Spanish-language series centered around three generations of women in South America. The three women are Clara (Nicole Wallace and Dolores Fonzi), Blanca (Sara Becker and Fernanda Urrejola), and Alba (Rochi Hernández). The show examines characters at various points in their lives, hence why multiple actresses are needed for certain parts. The trailer teases a sprawling family drama with components of magic and a political thriller.

The House of the Spirits has been adapted before, most notably a 1993 movie starring Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, and Glenn Close. However, those actors are predominantly white and English-speaking people playing roles in a Latin American story. The Prime Video series is a more authentic take on Allende's novel and the adaptation the material deserves.

The first three episodes of The House of the Spirits are now streaming on Prime Video. New episodes release weekly until the finale on May 13.

The House of the Spirits

2 Widow's Bay

Matthew Rhys headlines this genre-bending show

In the trailer for Widow's Bay, Matthew Rhys' character, Mayor Tom Loftis, says, "What town doesn't have a checkered past?" Someone then asks Loftis about cannibalism within the town while looking at a newspaper addressing the topic. This shift from horror to comedy is the style of Widow's Bay, a genre-bending TV show for Apple TV.

Loftis doesn't believe in the town's superstitions and tall tales. The footage in the trailer begs to differ, which cuts to creepy footage of these allegations, which might be true. A town with a supernatural element is similar to the premise of From. However, Widow's Bay is much funnier than From, and as a fan of horror comedies, I'm fascinated by the unusual premise. Plus, it's fun to see Rhys in a show unlike his most famous work, The Americans.

Widow's Bay released the first two episodes on Apple TV. New episodes release weekly on Wednesdays through June 17.

Widow's Bay

1 Man on Fire

John Creasy is back with a vengeance

I love Tony Scott's Man on Fire, a 2004 adaptation of A. J. Quinnell's novel of the same name. Denzel Washington stars as John Creasy, a former CIA officer suffering from PTSD who becomes a bodyguard for the daughter of a wealthy family in Mexico City. Washington is electric as a killing machine, and I'm convinced it shaped the rest of his action career.

Netflix's Man on Fire is a seven-episode television series, not a movie, and instead of Washington leading the way, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II takes over as Creasy. The setting heads to Brazil, as Creasy becomes a protector for a teenage girl (Billie Boullet). The trailer is action-packed to the brim with violence and explosions. Sign me up for more seasons.

Man on Fire's seven episodes are now available on Netflix.

Man on Fire

Check out more streaming recommendations

The beauty of streaming is the endless number of possibilities. If you're searching for new movies, try Bugonia on Netflix or Regretting You on Prime Video. If you want a classic Oscar-winning movie on Netflix, stream Ex Machina or Ray.