This week’s crop of streaming recommendations is a veritable smorgasbord of on-demand entertainment, and almost every title is refreshingly franchise-free.
For starters, there’s the latest live-action adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s beloved The Talented Mr. Ripley novel on Netflix, and Netflix subscribers can also enjoy Scoop, a dramatized retelling of the infamous Prince Andrew BBC Newsnight interview. Elsewhere, new crime thriller Sugar begins streaming on Apple TV Plus, while historical drama Mary & George comes to Starz in the US and Sky in the UK.
Below, we’ve rounded up the seven biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend.
Ripley (Netflix)
1999’s Matt Damon-starring The Talented Mr. Ripley movie is beloved for its vibrant color palette and equally eye-catching costumes, but the latest adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name – which is now streaming on Netflix – swaps sun-drenched vistas for monochrome moodiness.
The story of Ripley, however, remains the same: Andrew Scott plays the titular American conman, who is enlisted by a wealthy family to track down the elusive (but oh-so-stylish) Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) and return him to New York City. Dakota Fanning, John Malkovich and Maurizio Lombardi also star.
Critics have described Ripley as a “scintillating and noirish adaptation”, with Andrew Scott earning particular praise for his “absolutely spellbinding” performance as Ripley himself. By the sounds of things, then, this eight-part series is a shoo-in for a spot on our list of the best Netflix shows.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Mary & George (Starz, Sky)
It’s been a while since the last great historical drama, but Mary & George – which is now streaming in its entirety on Starz in the US (via Prime Video) and Sky in the UK – looks set to change that.
This seven-part series stars Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as the titular Countess and Duke of Buckingham, who plot to seduce – and control – King James I (Tony Curran) during the latter’s reign in 17th century England.
Dubbed a “17th-century raunchfest” and “a compelling trip to the gay 1600s,” Mary & George is sure to set pulses racing – even if it occasionally veers wide of total historical accuracy.
Now available to stream on Starz in the US and Sky and Now in the UK.
Scoop (Netflix)
You saw the headlines. You saw the clips. You saw the memes. Now, Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview gets the movie-star treatment via Scoop on Netflix.
This feature-length drama recounts how Newsnight producer Sam McAlister (Billie Piper) negotiated with Buckingham Palace to secure a revealing – and ultimately catastrophic – interview with the then-Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell), whose relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was the subject of intense media speculation.
Scoop has earned a mixed reception from critics, but we suspect that anyone with even a faint interest in royal drama will find plenty to enjoy here (it’s certainly one for fans of The Crown).
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Sugar (Apple TV Plus)
Colin Farrell is no stranger to moody detective drama, and the Irish actor returns to private investigator action once again this weekend in Apple TV Plus’ new crime series Sugar.
Written by I Am Legend screenwriter Mark Protosevich, this “genre-bending” production stars Farrell as John Sugar, an enigmatic detective who is hired to find the missing granddaughter of a legendary film producer in modern-day LA. Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn and Kirby Howell-Baptiste also star.
The first three episodes of Sugar – which could be among the best Apple TV Plus shows of the year so far – are available to stream now. The remaining five installments are set to arrive weekly every Friday through May 17.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Música (Prime Video)
American YouTuber Rudy Mancuso makes his directorial debut this weekend with Música on Prime Video.
This coming-of-age musical stars Mancuso himself as the fictional Rudy, a young man “plagued by the music in his head” who is forced to navigate the pressures of love, family and his Brazilian culture in Newark, New Jersey.
Camila Mendes, Francesca Reale and J.B. Smoove also star in Música , which has earned praise from critics for being a “stylish” and “inventive” musical “that makes synesthesia cinematic.” At the very least, this one sounds like a refreshingly different take on a tried-and-tested movie genre.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount Plus)
The first two episodes of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery are now available to stream on Paramount Plus.
A lot has happened since the series’ premiere in 2017, so we’ll just give you Paramount’s own synopsis for Star Trek: Discovery season 5: “The fifth and final season will find Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well… dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.”
Got it? Good. The final season’s remaining eight episodes are due to stream weekly every Thursday through May 30 on Paramount Plus.
Now available to stream on Paramount Plus.
The Synanon Fix (Max)
This week’s documentary pick is The Synanon Fix, which is now streaming on Max.
This four-part docuseries chronicles the rise and fall of Synanon – the controversial religious movement, founded by Charles E. “Chuck” Dederich Sr. in 1958, that descended into a cult during the 1970s – as told through the eyes of former members.
Now available to stream on Max.
For more streaming coverage, check out our guides on the best Disney Plus movies, best Netflix films, new Prime Video movies and new Max films.
