Eric, Heartland, more to watch on Netflix this weekend (May 31)

As summer steadily approaches, everyone's sure to be spending longer days outside enjoying the weather, but if you're trying to escape the heat and have a movie marathon or binge-watch with the latest shows, Netflix has plenty of new releases to watch this weekend.

Benedict Cumberbatch returns to the streamer with his brand-new limited series Eric that will ferociously tug at your heartstrings. Meanwhile, the streamer drops another teen series that lovers of the genre will adore and a new season of a fan-favorite family drama. When it comes to movies, an entire dystopian film trilogy arrives to hit us with 2010s nostalgia.

These are four of the best movies and shows recently released on Netflix that are perfect to watch over the weekend, beginning below with Benedict Cumberbatch's new miniseries Eric.

Eric

In the thriller mystery miniseries Eric, Benedict Cumberbatch's puppeteer character Vincent is trying to find his missing son, Edgar. He has the help of a a giant puppet named Eric, a drawing of Edgar's come to life as a figment of Vincent's imagination. The quirky six-episode limited series finds Emmy Award winner Cumberbatch delivering another captivating performance. You'll be hooked on every second from start to finish in what's sure to be one of the year's most unexpected new series.

Geek Girl

Based on the book series of the same name by Holly Smale, Geek Girl centers on London teen Harriet Manners as she unexpectedly finds herself in the center of the modeling world. She's suddenly plucked from her normal life and now balances the attention of a male model and the demanding pressures of the fashion space with her actual reality. With 10 episodes all under 40 minutes in length, the series will steal your heart. And it's rated TV-PG, so it's safe to watch with the whole family!

The Divergent Series

Three for the price of one! (And it should be four, but don't even get me started on that...) All three movies in The Divergent Series — Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant — begin streaming on Netflix on Saturday, June 1. Can you believe it's been 10 years since Divergent first hit theaters? The movie based on the dystopian YA book series by Veronica Roth came on the heels of the success of The Hunger Games, but fizzled out before completing its run with a fourth and final movie. No matter! Watch Shailene Woodley and Theo James help save Chicago from an authoritarian regime separating people into factions. The films also star Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and plenty more familiar faces.

Heartland season 16

Even though the Canadian drama series Heartland will be entering its 18th season later this year (next year in the US), Netflix will finally be getting season 16 on June 1. Unfortunately, Heartland's releases on Netflix are severely staggered. Some fans might have even already watched season 17, since it premiered on small screens in the US back in April. But if you're a fan of Heartland, there's no doubt you'll be rewatching season 16 when it makes its Netflix debut this weekend.

More movies and shows to watch on Netflix this weekend:

• Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult
• Patrick Melrose
• A Part of You
• A Million Ways to Die in the West
• The Breakfast Club
• Big Fat Liar
• La La Land
• The Lego Movie

What will you be watching on Netflix this weekend?