A new season means plenty of new movies on Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV Plus and more of the best streaming services. But when it comes to figuring out what to watch, so many options can make narrowing down the movies worth watching a task in itself.
So let us here at Tom’s Guide do the hard work for you. We’ve rounded up the best movies to kick off your weekend. Dreamworks’ “Kung Fu Panda 4” just landed on streaming, seeing Jack Black return as the butt-kicking panda Po as he faces off against a kung fu-stealing shape-shifter voiced by Viola Davis. Apple TV Plus adds Matthew Vaughn’s follow-up to his “Kingsman” franchise with a new spy thriller action-comedy “Argylle.” Meanwhile, Hulu adds a fantasy romcom all about songs that take you back (literally, in this case) with “The Greatest Hits.”
So without further ado, here are our top picks for movies to stream this weekend. And if you’re still looking for more streaming recommendations, check out the 7 best new shows to watch this week.
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‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ (PVOD)
Po (Jack Black) and the Furious Five are back in “Kung Fu Panda 4,” the latest sequel in Dreamworks’ long-running series that sees anthropomorphic animals face off in martial arts showdowns.
“Kung Fu Panda 4” finds our bright-eyed, rotund hero Po at a career crossroads of sorts. As he prepares to become the spiritual leader of his hometown, the Valley of Peace, he must give up his title of Dragon Warrior, and finding a suitable successor is no easy task. Things take a dire turn when a new villain emerges called the Chameleon (Viola Davis), who can shape-shift into the form of Po’s past enemies and mimic their butt-kicking skills. With the help of a new ally, a cunning fox named Zhen (Awkwafina), Po embarks on a mission to thwart the Chameleon’s nefarious plot before she can pilfer the kung-fu prowess of every single material arts master in China.
Buy or rent on Amazon or iTunes
‘Argylle’ (Apple TV Plus)
Matthew Vaughn, co-creator of the Kingsman franchise, returns with a new zany spy action-comedy that initially stumbled at the box office but may find a fresh audience on Apple TV Plus.
Featuring a stellar cast that includes Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine O’Hara and Dua Lipa, “Argylle” follows a reclusive author (Howard) who finds herself swept up in the clandestine world of espionage when her latest spy novel mirrors reality a little too well. If you enjoyed Vaughn’s “Kingsman” series, you can expect “Argylle” to hit many of the same notes with its blend of over-the-top action, quick-firing quips and fairly questionable CGI.
Watch it now on Apple TV Plus
‘The Greatest Hits’ (Hulu)
If your favorite songs could whisk you away through time, would you relive the past through your playlists? That’s the premise behind Hulu’s “The Greatest Hits,” a fantasy rom-com that plays on how the power of music can evoke memories and shape our lives.
Harriet (Lucy Boynton) discovers that certain songs can literally transport her back in time to key moments in her past. Through these musical journeys, she relives memories with her former boyfriend, Max (David Corenswet), before he was killed in a car accident. All the while, in the present, Harriet finds herself drawn to a new love interest (Justin H. Min). As Harriet navigates between her nostalgic trips down memory lane and her budding present-day romance, she grapples with the choice between altering the past or moving forward with her life to give her new love a chance.
Watch it now on Hulu
‘Megan Leavey’ (Netflix)
From “Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, “Megan Leavey” is a heart-wrenching tale about an unlikely pair and how they managed to stay together against all odds. Kate Mara, Tom Felton, and Ramón Rodríguez star in this biopic on U.S. Marine Corporal Megan Leavey who forms a powerful relationship with a combat dog named Rex.
As a rebellious new recruit, Megan is sent to work with the K9 unit to clean up kennels as punishment. There, she meets Rex — an aggressive bomb-sniffing dog with some problems of his own — and becomes his handler. From their training days to their deployments in Iraq, the duo form a lifelong bond and save countless lives along the way.
Watch it now on Netflix
I’ll be honest, this one’s a totally selfish pick because I watched a frankly unhealthy amount of Adult Swim in high school and college. And “Metalocalypse” was one of my favorite shows on the roster.
The world’s biggest band, Dethklok, has been on an extended hiatus that’s sent the world’s political and economic systems into a tailspin. Naturally, only a new face-melting metal album can stimulate Earth out of a financial depression, but when the band finally decides to set out on tour again, everything quickly goes to hell. The fabled metalocalypse is coming, and Dethklok must write a “song of salvation” that rocks hard enough to ward off the evil forces that threaten to destroy the planet. That is, if the band members can keep their own significant egos, insecurities and stupidity in check long enough to avoid dooming the world. And that’s a lot to ask of these idiots.
Watch it now on Max
‘Strange Way of Life’ (Netflix)
Pedro Almodóvar’s neo-western short film finally hits streaming nearly a year after it debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The run time is only about 30 minutes, but the acclaimed Spanish director makes the most of it. He’s got help in the form of two excellent actors in Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke. A rancher visits a sheriff, 25 years after they both worked as hired gunmen. But the rancher has another reason for the trip besides a friendly reunion.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘One Life’ (PVOD)
Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins stars in “One Life”, a biographical drama based on an inspirational true story. Hopkins plays Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, a young London broker, who helped recuse hundreds of children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia in the months leading up to World War II. This warmly received drama recounts Nicky’s courageous acts in the 1930s, while also showing the deep impact the experience had on him throughout his later life. Helen Bonham Carter plays Nicky’s mother, Babi, and the cast is rounded out by the always-excellent Jonathan Pryce. “One Life” is a moving tribute to the best of humanity.
Buy or rent on Amazon now
