Steamy thrillers, twisty-turny mysteries and aging rockers out on one last tour. These and much more make up our list of new TV shows and movies to watch this weekend on the myriad streaming services we subscribe to these days.
Itās been a hectic week, and a grim one. The Charlie Kirk shooting shocked the nation and has been the main story over the past view days, as political tensions rise. Iāve written a short piece urging people to remember the things that we have in common rather than always focus on what sets us apart. There are plenty of people fanning the flames these days. I figure it canāt hurt to try a different approach, even if it falls mostly on deaf ears.
We also have our first behind-the-scenes look at Season 3 of The Rings Of Power, which is a good reason to recall that the sea is always right. If you have any questions about the universe or the meaning of life, just go ask the sea. And we now know why Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson has lost so much weight: Heās playing a septuagenarian in an upcoming movie where heās referred to as the Chicken Man.
As always, Iāve spent the week searching high and low for all the best new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV, Disney+ and everywhere else. A lot of these I tend to forget about, but we have MGM+, AMC+, Peacock, Starz, BritBox, Masterpiece Theater, Tubi, Mubi, Freevee and countless others to choose from. Not to mention, theatrical releases! Itās quite the juggling act, keeping track of all these streaming apps. Thatās where this guide comes in handy!
If you have any tips or I missed something, shoot me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. You can check out last weekendās streaming guide right here. Letās dive right in!
New Shows & Movies This Weekend
Robin Wright, who will always be the Princess Bride to me, stars across from House Of The Dragonās Olivia Cooke in this steamy, tense thriller about a girlfriend who does not get along with her boyfriendās mom . . . at all. Watching the trailer, I really feel bad for this guy, caught between the woman he loves and the woman who gave birth to him. It looks like things go very, very poorly for all involved. There are some mysteries and secrets here that look quite juicy. Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are solid.
Everyone seems to be enjoying the newest season of Only Murders In The Building but me. I donāt hate it. Itās not terrible. But the first three episodes really fell flat for me. I donāt love the new mystery. The characters are turning into caricatures ā especially Martin Shortās Oliver Putnam. I didnāt like the flashback episode because of how it reframes the first season. Thereās one scene involving a dead body that is just beyond ludicrous even for this show. Hopefully it gets better. Read my review here.
I quit watching Downton Abbey many years ago after a certain character was killed off, which I know wasnāt the showās fault (the actor wanted out) but still changed the entire point of the series for me. Maybe Iāll go back to it someday. In anycase, the big Grand Finale is coming to theaters soon and Peacock is celebrating the event with a special that includes interviews with the cast and should be fun for fans.
I keep meaning to watch this show as I do love a good animated fantasy series, but I never got around to Season 1. Season 2 is a good reminder to give it a shot. The story follows a young man who discovers that heās the last in a long line of werewolf kings.
Charlie Sheen starred in some fun movies (Hot Shots is incredibly stupid but I loved it when I was a teenager) before he went off the deep end. Now when you think of the actor, you think ātiger bloodā and āwinningā and, well, crack cocaine. Now, after years of sobriety and reflection, Sheen tells all in this new two-part docuseries. It sounds pretty intriguing, though the absence of his father, Martin Sheen, and brother, Emilio Estevez, is telling.
I recently watched Paris, Texas because for some reason my daughter really loves that 1984 movie (I thought it was good but not really one Iād want to rewatch). I say this because The Wrong Paris on Netflix is a romantic comedy about a woman who joins a dating show that she thinks takes place in Paris, France but actually takes place in Paris, Texas. Kind of big difference.
You know what? Letās make Paris, Texas our bonus movie this week. Hereās the trailer:
Itās a very peculiar movie and incredibly thought-provoking. Harry Dean Stanton is excellent.
In the BBCās Reunion, Matthew Gurney plays deaf convict, Daniel Brennan, who is released from prison and heads out to find the truth. Thereās been something of a ādeaf trendā over at the BBC, with the recent Code Of Silence that landed on BritBox recently about a deaf interpreter.
Director Rob Reiner is back with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer to give us another chapter in the life of the band, Spinal Tap. The original film came out in 1984. I was three at the time. 41 years later, the story of the aging rock stars continues, though theyāre very much past their prime. Of course, that was the gimmick of the first movie, and it looks like theyāre turning the volume up to eleven for the sequel. This was the film that really started the āmockumentaryā genre.
There have been a lot of good movies out this year, but Weapons is far and away my favorite of the bunch. I donāt want to get into any kind of spoilers. Itās as much a comedy as it is a horror film, though really itās the combination of humor, horror and really unique storytelling that makes this film so fun. I saw it twice in theaters. My daughter, who almost never goes to the movie, saw it three times. You can watch it from the comfort of your home now that itās out on video-on-demand. Read my review here.
Whatās Streaming Weekly
A number of shows have ended recently. Dexter Resurrection just dropped its finale. The Institute wrapped up last week. But plenty are still airing each week including several that Iām writing about. Weāll start with a show I wasnāt expecting to like so much.
Task is a new mystery / crime drama from the creator of Mare Of Easttown, which is enough to pique my curiosity. The first episode comes out on Sunday, and it looks terrific. Mark Ruffalo stars. Reviews are in and seem to be mostly very positive. Iāll definitely be tuning in Sunday.
I didnāt think the debut episode of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was terrible, but it definitely wasnāt good, either. They really have no idea what to do with these characters at all, so they get them in crazy situations and then have them behave in bizarre ways and it all feels like the same basic plot recycled over and over again. Read my review here.
Every episode of Dark Wolf feels like a new mission in Call Of Duty and I think itās an absolute blast. Seriously, if you enjoy military thrillers you need to watch this. Sure it can be a bit over-the-top and cheesy at times, but overall itās just a really exciting, action-packed series. Taylor Kitsch is fantastic, but Tom Hopper steals the show. Make him the next James Bond! Read my review here.
As I write this, I realize that I havenāt watched the most recent episode of Peacemaker yet. Iāll do that later today or this evening. James Gunn is much better-suited to this kind of story than Superman and so far itās been a wild ride. Last weekās episode had one of the best fight sequences Iāve seen in a long time. John Cena and the rest of the cast are great fun to watch. Read my review of the first episode here. Watch the video above for my discussion of the season so far.
I have started and stopped and started and stopped Episode 6 of Alien: Earth and have yet to finish it, though I will this weekend. I just find it dreadfully dull and the constant references to Peter Pan are deeply cringey and on-the-nose. What a shame, because it looks good and the leads are all terrific. You can read my review of Episode 5 right here. Watch the above video for my discussion of last weekās episode.
I keep struggling to go back to Outlander: Blood Of My Blood. It may be that Iām just not in the mood. More likely, I find the story a bit . . . redundant and unnecessary. Itās a prequel that feels more like fan-service than anything. But the casting is top-notch!
Iāve written my review of the two-part series premiere which you can read here.
If you havenāt started watching the brutal historical epic Chief Of War yet, please do. Jason Momoa is great as a Hawaiian war leader who finds himself caught in the midst of a tribal war over control of the islands during a period of colonial expansion. Itās really damn good. A little bit Game Of Thrones, a little bit Shogun.
- Invasion Season 3 (Apple TV+) ā The third season of Appleās big alien invasion series continues to drop episodes each week. I am on the fence on whether I want to start this show. Iāll definitely do Foundation first and, speaking of Apple shows, I need to watch For All Mankind also.
- South Park Season 27 (Paramount+) ā Comedy Central pulled one of this seasonās South Park episodes because it (very mildly) spoofed Charlie Kirk. Of course, it came out prior to Kirkās horrific assassination but I can understand why theyād not keep airing it after this weekās events.
- Rick and Morty Season 8 (HBO Max) ā The foul-mouthed Back To The Future parody duo has been airing on Adult Swim but the entire season is now out on HBO Max. I wonāt lie, the humor in this show can be great at times but I find it a bit much. Just not my cup of tea, or rather only in small doses.
- Foundation Season 3 (Apple TV+) ā I know. I still havenāt started Foundation yet. You keep telling me to, and I will. Please send me four extra hours a day.
What else did I miss? What should I put on this list or add to my backlog? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Check the links below for past weekend streaming guides. You might have missed something! Itās been a great year for TV and movies.
Previous Streaming Guides From Yours Truly
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