8 best movies on BBC, ITV and more this Bank Holiday including “compelling” Toby Jones drama
If you fancy avoiding the 30-degree heat this Bank Holiday weekend and you don’t want to go to the cinema to see the likes of The Mandalorian and Grogu, Finding Emily and other new releases, then there are plenty of movie treats on terrestrial TV to pass the time.
From a “compelling” drama featuring British legend Toby Jones and an action-packed Bruce Willis offering to an ’80s classic for all the family and a modern animated classic, there’s something for every taste and for whichever mood you find yourself in.
Digital Spy has trawled the schedules to pick out the eight best movies on BBC, ITV and Channel 4 this Bank Holiday weekend.
Shrek
We don’t want to make you feel old, but Shrek is now 25 years old. If you don’t want to mark the occasion by seeing the animated classic in cinemas, then BBC One has got you covered as it’s showing on Saturday afternoon.
If it gets you in the mood for a Shrek marathon over the Bank Holiday weekend, then Netflix has recently added all four movies in the main series.
Shrek airs on Saturday 23 May at 4.10pm on BBC One
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
From a ’00s classic to a more modern one now, as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is also showing on Saturday afternoon. Alongside the Spider-Verse movies, it can absolutely be considered one of the best animated movies of recent years.
It’ll remind adults of why they loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and make a whole new audience fall in love with the pizza-loving turtles. If you think we’re overselling it, Mutant Mayhem has a near-perfect 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s not just us.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem airs on Saturday 23 May at 4.40pm on Channel 4
My Week with Marilyn
A historical drama about a production assistant spending a week with Marilyn Monroe during filming of The Prince and the Showgirl might not sound the most compelling watch, but My Week with Marilyn is exactly that thanks to its excellent cast.
Michelle Williams takes on the daunting role of Marilyn Monroe alongside Eddie Redmayne as production assistant Colin Clark, with the supporting cast featuring the likes of Toby Jones, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench and Jim Carter. See, now you want to see it, don’t you?
My Week with Marilyn airs on Saturday 23 May at 11.20pm on BBC Two
The Goonies
We’re still waiting on any new updates on the long-awaited sequel, which was officially announced in February 2025, but at least we’ll always have The Goonies while we wait – and it might be the perfect Bank Holiday watch.
The ’80s classic is fun for all the family and whether it’s your first or your fifteenth time watching it, you’ll still be transported on a classic adventure that never gets old.
The Goonies airs on Sunday 24 May at 1.05pm on ITV1
Some Like It Hot
If you want to go back a bit further, then the ’50s classic Some Like It Hot airs on BBC Two on Sunday afternoon. Like The Goonies, the crime comedy with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon is timeless.
Some Like It Hot is rightly considered one of the greatest American comedies, as well as one of the best movies made. With the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth on 1 June, there’s no better time to celebrate one of her best movie outings.
Some Like It Hot airs on Sunday 24 May at 2.15pm on BBC Two
She Said
Fancy something more hard-hitting this weekend? Then She Said will do just the trick. It tells the powerful true story of how two New York Times reporters broke the story that exposed Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual misconduct against women.
It’s not an easy watch, but Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are excellent as journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, while there’s a strong supporting cast that includes the late Andre Braugher in his final movie role.
She Said airs on Sunday 24 May at 11pm on Channel 4
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
It’s always tough adapting a beloved book, especially one you’ll likely remember from your childhood, yet Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret did it in style as it landed an almost-flawless 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes upon its release in 2023.
Abby Ryder Fortson stars as the titular Margaret, alongside Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates as Margaret’s mother Barbara and grandmother Sylvia, respectively, as they get used to their new life in the suburbs of New Jersey in 1970.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret airs on Sunday 24 May at 10pm on BBC Two
Die Hard 4.0
OK, so we know Die Hard 4.0 – also known as Live Free or Die Hard in the US – doesn’t live up to the first two movies, or even the third one depending on your feelings for that, but if you want some brainless action spectacle to end your Bank Holiday, you could do a lot worse.
If you need reminding, the fourth movie sees John McClane (Bruce Willis, of course) team up with a hacker (Justin Long) to stop a cyber villain (Timothy Olyphant) from carrying out a “fire sale” attack that would disable the entire infrastructure of the US.
Die Hard 4.0 airs on Monday 25 May at 10.15pm on ITV1
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
