Earlier this week, I received an email from the communications team at Netflix announcing the debut of a new astrology hub on the streaming platform. According to the release, these curated playlists include show and movie recommendations that "reflect the character traits and themes most associated with that sign." They don't include this week's horoscope. At least for now.
Lots of people feel strongly about their zodiac sign and how it affects their lives. While I don't normally give much thought to being a Sagittarius, it seems like Netflix astrologers have me figured out.
Netflix has determined that "Sagittarians bring adventure," so my recommendation list is populated with action movies and shows like Lost, The Outer Banks, Fast & Furious and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. While I don't exclusively like action and adventure titles, they're absolutely my go-to when I'm looking for something to throw on and pass the time.
(I admit I'm a little jealous of Scorpios, who are classified as folks who "revel in mystery." Their recommendations include personal favorites of mine like Dept. Q, The Residence, Black Doves and Knives Out. Maybe my ascendant, or rising sign, is in Scorpio.)
My willingness to take chances on action, no matter how outlandish or wild it seems, is also why I started watching the wildly fun series In the Mud, an Argentinian crime drama about five inmates in a women's prison who bond after a failed breakout attempt. The show has sat at the top of the Global Top 10 for a few weeks now. The first 15 minutes of the first episode, which features a violent, life-and-death prison van escape, will easily hook you in.
As each month of the zodiac calendar approaches, Netflix's Tudum page will release a more detailed recommendation list, complete with breakdowns of why certain shows and films should, in theory, appeal to your sign.
Things kick off with Virgo season, where you can find titles like The Queen's Gambit, Bet and Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, all of which appeal to the methodical, detail-oriented brain. Maybe this is you, maybe it's not. My editor, a Libra, joked that she felt attacked when she saw the titles in her recommended list (it hit a little too close to home).
This could just the algorithm appealing to what it already knows about us. Either way, scrolling through this new zodiac hub to see what the stars predict has proven to be a fun game, and I found a new series to watch as a result.