What to stream this weekend.
Each week, I search high and low for all the best (and sometimes worst) new streaming content out there, plus new theatrical releases and basically whatever movies, TV shows, documentaries and so forth I think readers will be interested in and compile it in this friendly neighborhood streaming guide.
This week we have some award-winning movies making their streaming debut, some new Netflix Originals, a couple fun ongoing TV shows, a handful of terrific theatrical releases and more. Check out last weekend’s streaming guide below:
I’m always looking for recommendations on Twitter and Facebook if you have any, so don’t be shy about sharing!
Alright, let’s dive right in . . . .
New To Streaming This Weekend
Trigger Warning (Netflix)
Jessica Alba stars in this action-thriller Netflix Original about a Special Forces commando who is called home from her tour in the Middle East after the death of her father. After she takes over operations of her family bar, she runs headlong into a violent gang, using her spec ops training to fight back. Audiences and critics are panning this one, but “slick and formulaic” seems to be the verdict. It might work as fun, violent escapism, especially if you’re an Alba fan. The trailer does have some cool fight scenes, and maybe that’s all you need in a movie like this. Then again, it’s scoring worse than Atlas or Rebel Moon Part 2. Yikes.
Kung Fu Panda 4 (Peacock)
I loved the original Kung Fu Panda starring Jack Black as Po, the titular martial arts and noodle master (though he was far from a master back then). I haven’t really kept up with the series, but the fourth film scored pretty well with critics and audiences loved it and now it’s on Peacock. That’s not ideal—Peacock is perhaps my least favorite streaming service, but it does have some excellent content. Still, if you’re looking for a perfect movie for the whole family and don’t want to head to theaters, this is a good option.
Oppenheimer (Amazon Prime Video)
Oppenheimer is a brilliant film from a talented director—Christopher Nolan—with an exceptional cast. It tells a compelling story of one man’s genius and burden. It’s a morality tale in some ways; an important piece of our collective history. And yet despite how well the whole thing was crafted, I left the theater with deeply mixed fillings. You can read my review here, and stream the Cillian Murphy-led film on Prime Video.
Aftersun (Netflix)
Aftersun (which sounds like a sci-fi video game) has been on my radar for a good long time thanks to all the accolades and the excellent trailer, and now I can watch the A24 drama on Netflix and cry my eyes out, as if Inside Out 2 hasn’t already shed enough of my tears this week. The film, from director , follows Calum (Paul Mescal) and his 11-year-old daughter, Sophie (Frakie Corio) on vacation in Turkey. Bring tissues.
Dexter (Netflix)
I wrote about Dexter coming to Netflix earlier this week. While the Showtime serial-killer drama doesn’t end well, it has a few excellent seasons that are very much worth your while. Michael C. Hall is terrific in the titular role, and like Breaking Bad it’s just a very tense anti-hero show where you can’t help but root for someone you know is a very bad dude. I often found myself on the edge of my seat watching this series, equal parts worried that Dexter Morgan would get caught and that he’d put other characters I cared about into danger. Good stuff (for about five seasons).
Agent Recon (VOD — June 21st)
Chuck Norris is 84, says a lot of controversial stuff, and definitely dies his hair and beard, but you have to hand it to him: He’s still making action movies as an octogenarian! Granted, Agent Recon looks very bad. Bad enough that I’m very, very tempted to splurge and rent it on video-on-demand ($6.99 on Amazon) just so I can write up a review. At the same time, life is short, and while this film is also short, I have other things to watch and Shadow of the Erdtree to play.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (VOD — June 24th)
I made it to this one in theaters just in time, I guess. I went with my son, my brother and a friend this week and we all loved it. I was a bit skeptical after the offputting trailers, but walked out of the theater all smiles. I don’t think it’s quite as good as Fury Road, but it adds a lot of lore and richness to the Mad Max universe and has some of the series’ best action scenes. Read my review here.
New Documentaries
This list is getting super long so I’m not including trailers for each of these, but all three sound pretty fascinating.
Bread and Roses on Apple TV+ follows three women in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban gained control of the city.
Federer: Twelve Final Days on Prime Video was shot as a home video back in 2022 during Swiss Tennis champ Roger Federer’s last two weeks as a pro player during his final tournament, the Laver Cup.
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini on Hulu is a three-part docuseries on the infamous kidnapping of Papini–so infamous Eminem even mentioned her in his new track Houdini. I won’t spoil the twist.
New In Theaters
The Bikeriders (In Theaters)
Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy (and The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus) star in this period piece about the early biker gangs. I’ve been really looking forward to this one. It looks great and I love this kind of 1960s Americana.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (In Theaters)
I’ve already been to the movies this week a few times, but I’m sorely tempted to go kick back and just have a good time with Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, which ought to have been Bad Boys 4 Life but they screwed up with the third movie. This is what summer blockbusters ought to be.
Inside Out 2 (In Theaters)
I actually went to this movie twice this past week. The first time my teenage daughter didn’t want to go so I went with my son. It was fantastic. I convinced my daughter and her boyfriend to join us and she loved it as much as I did—though we both cried like babies. Pixar is back! (Here’s my review).
Thelma (In Theaters)
June Squibb stars in this action-comedy about “a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson (The White Lotus’ Fred Hechinger) and sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend (Richard Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her.” It looks terrific. You really never see this kind of movie starring elderly people, and I think it’s great. (Er, well there’s also Agent Recon . . . ). I feel like this is what my own 91-year-old Nana would do if she got scammed. t
Ongoing Streaming TV Shows
House Of The Dragon Season 2 (Sundays on HBO / Max)
I’m reviewing House Of The Dragon each week here on this blog. The second episode comes out this Sunday and since I finally got screeners, I’ll have my review up directly after it airs. So far, the Game of Thrones spinoff does not disappoint in its second season. It’s not as fun as Thrones, which just had so many characters you cared about, but this rather bleak look at the Targaryen civil war is still incredibly compelling television. Read my review of the season premiere right here.
The Boys Season 4 (Thursdays on Prime Video)
I’m only two episodes into The Boys Season 4, but so far I’m enjoying it for the most part. I feel like it’s in a wheel-spinning phase, where the story itself isn’t moving along all that much (especially compared to the really enticing mystery in Gen V) and most of my enjoyment comes from the zany, gory, raunchy, disgusting shock-and-awe stuff. But it’s still fun and I hope the next episodes push the story forward. This series needs momentum more than anything.
Presumed Innocent (Fridays on Apple TV)
I’ve enjoyed the first two episodes of Presumed Innocent (which reminds me I really need to write a review) and the third one drops on Apple TV+ today (Friday) so I’ll have to watch that and see. But if you enjoy a good, tense mystery where it’s not at all obvious whether the main character is guilty or innocent, this is quite good. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as prosecuting attorney Rusty Sabich who (SPOILERS) is accused of killing his colleague and lover, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve).
Blue Lights Season 2 (Thursdays on BritBox)
Blue Lights is one of my favorite relatively new UK police procedurals. I’ve seen the entire second season which is currently dropping episodes weekly on BritBox, and the Northern Ireland crime show is still quite good, though not as good as Season 1. Some of the story beats just feel way too rushed which makes them a bit too contrived, and none of it hits quite as hard as Season 1. I still highly recommend the series, mostly because I love the characters and it’s a really fascinating glimpse into policing a very culturally divided city with a history of paramilitary violence.
The Acolyte (Tuesdays on Disney+)
The Acolyte is–so far at least–another lackluster Disney Star Wars show, though we have four episodes left to change my mind on that front. The show, so far at least, has ranged from mediocre to downright terrible (the power of one! The power of two! The power of many!) to pretty exciting right at the end of last week’s episode, where it ended on a very irksome cliffhanger. I’m crossing my fingers, but I’m not hopeful.
Doctor Who Finale (Saturday on Disney+)
I still haven’t watched Doctor Who but I know it’s very popular and this new version of the time-traveling Doctor is about to wrap up with the season finale this Saturday. Have you enjoyed this season?
Okay, this guide has gone on long enough! I started writing it thinking there wasn’t that much out this weekend, but boy was I wrong!
What are you watching these days? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.
Other stuff to keep an eye out for this weekend includes the fantastic period drama Elizabeth starring Gwyneth Paltrow about the rise of Queen Elizabeth I (on Starz), the 77th Annual Tony Awards (June 16th on Paramount+) and a new episode of Doctor Who on Disney+.
What are you watching these days? Anything I should know about? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.
