Netflix is on fire right now with some new prestige scripted series and movies, from Lord of the Flies and Man on Fire, to Apex and Bugonia, burning up the platform. But sometimes you need a little grounding from all that fiction with a solid dose of documentary—which can be even wilder than fiction.
One of my favorite tasks at How-To Geek is digging through Netflix’s formidable library of ever-changing docs and docuseries, and this weekend, there are some great recently added options. The first is a sophomore season of one of Netflix’s slimiest true-crime franchises, the second did for golf what Drive to Survive has done for Formula 1, and the last is a profile on one of Argentina’s most notorious serial killers—who will surprise you.
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Worst Ex Ever
Four new evil exes arrive for season two
If you think you’ve got some crazy relationship stories, prepare to be one-upped with the second season of this popular Netflix documentary series that just dropped last week. Two years after its head-shaking first season, Worst Ex Ever has four new cautionary tales of romance gone catastrophically wrong, director Cynthia Childs (Worst Roommate Ever) is back doing what she does best.
Using the same blend of candid and shocking testimonial interviews, police bodycam footage, court documents, and stylized animated reenactments that made season one such a trip, season two delivers four new standalone episodes focusing on four intense and often terrifying stories, with some pretty high-profile cases.
Episode one, Deadpool Killer, is one such case, which revisits the 2024 trial of the tattoo-faced Wade Wilson, a Florida man who killed two women in 2019 and who was also the subject of the Paramount+ docuseries Handsome Devil: Charming Killer. Worst Ex Ever brings it back to life from the point of view of Wilson’s ex-girlfriend, Kelly Matthews, who survived an attack by Wade just months before. Other stories include a girlfriend who uncovers the criminal past of 90 Day Fiancé castmember Geoffrey Paschel, and the story of Katie Long and the secrets of her murderer ex, Joyce Pelzer. Sleep with one eye open.
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Full Swing
Inside the high-stakes world of the PGA Tour
I’m a huge fan of Formula 1, an obsession I can squarely blame on Netflix’s addictive docuseries Drive to Survive. And while I can say, unequivocally, that I am not a golf fan, since the same producers behind DTS are also behind its golf equivalent, Full Swing, I thought, “What the hell, let’s give it a go—fore!”
Now in its fourth season, I did have to start from the beginning, but its format that embeds Netflix camera crews alongside pro golfers as they swing their way through the PGA Tour season is an effective and familiar way of getting to know the cutthroat sport’s key players, personalities, rivalries, and table stakes.
Quiz
Greatest golfers of all time
Trivia challenge
From Tiger’s majors to Happy’s hockey slap shot swing — how well do you know the legends of the links?
LegendsMajorsRecordsIconsFun Facts
Which golfer holds the all-time record for the most major championships won, with 18 titles?
That’s right — Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear, won 18 major championships across his legendary career. His record has stood since 1986 and remains the benchmark every great golfer is measured against.
Not quite — the answer is Jack Nicklaus, who claimed 18 major titles between 1962 and 1986. Tiger Woods is the closest challenger with 15, but the Golden Bear’s record still stands.
Tiger Woods won all four major championships in a single calendar year — sort of. What is the correct term for his consecutive major wins across 2000 and 2001?
Exactly right! Holding all four majors at the same time — though not in the same calendar year — became known as the Tiger Slam. It remains one of the most jaw-dropping achievements in sports history.
The correct answer is the Tiger Slam. Tiger held all four major trophies simultaneously after winning the 2001 Masters, even though they spanned two calendar years. No one has come close to replicating it since.
Arnold Palmer was famous for his army of fans and his signature drink. What is an Arnold Palmer?
Spot on! An Arnold Palmer is a mix of iced tea and lemonade, a refreshing combo the King himself was known to enjoy. It became so popular it’s now a standard menu item at restaurants and golf clubs worldwide.
The correct answer is iced tea and lemonade — in that order! Arnold Palmer reportedly ordered the drink at a restaurant and a nearby customer overheard him, asked for the same thing by name, and a legend was born.
Which golfer famously won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes in his first major championship appearance as a professional?
Correct! Tiger Woods was just 21 years old when he dominated Augusta in 1997, finishing at 18-under par and winning by 12 strokes. It announced his arrival on the world stage in the most emphatic way possible.
That would be Tiger Woods, who obliterated the 1997 Masters field at age 21. His 18-under total and 12-stroke margin of victory both set Masters records and signaled a seismic shift in professional golf.
In the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore, Happy discovers his golf talent because of which unusual background skill?
That’s right — Happy Gilmore’s explosive drive came from his failed hockey career, specifically the power behind his ice hockey slap shot. Adam Sandler’s character turned that raw power into a 400-yard drive and a cult classic golf movie.
The answer is his hockey slap shot! Happy Gilmore was a failed hockey player whose massive slap shot power translated into monster drives on the golf course. The movie became a beloved comedy classic and introduced a generation to golf in the most chaotic way possible.
Gary Player, one of golf’s Big Three alongside Nicklaus and Palmer, is from which country?
Correct! Gary Player is from South Africa and is one of only five players in history to complete the Career Grand Slam — winning all four major championships. He is also one of the most widely traveled athletes in history.
Gary Player hails from South Africa, not to be confused with fellow southern hemisphere great Greg Norman, who is Australian. Player won nine major championships and was celebrated for his incredible fitness and dedication to the sport.
Who was the first golfer to be ranked World Number 1 when the Official World Golf Ranking was introduced in 1986?
That’s right — Greg Norman, known as the Great White Shark, was the inaugural World Number 1 when the ranking system launched in 1986. He held the top spot for a total of 331 weeks across his career.
The first World Number 1 was Greg Norman of Australia, nicknamed the Great White Shark. Despite spending 331 weeks at the top of the rankings, Norman is also remembered for several heartbreaking near-misses at the majors, including a stunning collapse at the 1996 Masters.
Which golfer, known as ‘El Niño,’ won back-to-back U.S. Opens in 1994 and 1995 and was considered one of the most naturally gifted ball-strikers of his generation?
Exactly — Ernie Els, nicknamed the Big Easy for his effortlessly smooth swing, won consecutive U.S. Opens in 1994 and 1995. He also picked up a third major at The Open Championship in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of golf’s most elegant ball-strikers.
The answer is Ernie Els, the South African legend nicknamed the Big Easy. His fluid, unhurried swing belied enormous power and precision, and his back-to-back U.S. Open wins in the mid-90s cemented his place among the all-time greats.
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Combining tense tournament footage with behind-the-scenes access (from the locker-room to even golf-cart chatter), interviews with the players and their families, and other revealing moments on the road, the series gives a pretty stark idea of what it takes to compete and thrive on the upper echelon of golf.
Previous seasons of Full Swing have highlighted the biggest names on the PGA Tour, and season four is no different, focusing on Rory McIlroy’s career Grand Slam Master win, Tommy Fleetwood’s FedEx Cup breakthrough, J.J. Spaun’s journey in the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup buildup and fallout, and more.
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Yiya Murano: Death at Tea Time
The notorious Argentine housewife who poisoned three at tea
I love these true crime documentaries about seemingly sweet and harmless people doing the most sinister of things. It really makes you take a long look (from a safe distance, and perhaps from behind a fern) at some of the people in your life, doesn’t it? Consider the 103-minute Netflix documentary Yiya Murano: Death at Tea Time the proverbial fern where you can safely gawk at the evil acts of Argentina’s infamous “Poisoner of Monserrat,” who killed three of her friends with tea and pastries in 1979.
The Spanish-language film (watch it with subtitles—here’s how to fine-tune them) traces the gripping story of María Bernardina Bolla Aponte de Murano, better known as Yiya, who was, on one hand, a sweet elderly woman, but on the other hand, the orchestrator of a failed pyramid scheme under pressure to pay back her friends. Instead of paying them, well, she had them over for tea.
Director Alejandro Hartmann (Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?, The Menendez Brothers) uses a mix of first-hand interviews, including from Murano’s son Martin (who testified against her), journalists, investigators, and the victims’ families, as well as through elaborate reenactments. Yiya was convicted in 1985, but freed just 10 years later, and became somewhat of an Argentine media celebrity until her death in 2014. It’s a wild, salacious, and entertaining story.
Sports, really bad exes, and even badder little old ladies—you really never know what you’ll unearth when digging for documentaries to watch on Netflix. If you’re still scrolling after these recos, we have plenty more streaming recommendation lists waiting to wreck your sleep schedule.
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Yes, $8/month
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Two or four
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No
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Starting at $8/month
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
