What to watch: new movies and TV shows to stream this week
The best shows and movies to stream on Netflix and beyond.
This is the place to find what you should be streaming at the weekend and beyond.
Each week our esteemed group of TV and movie reviewers impart their expert knowledge of all things streaming and boil it down to a handful of things you really need to be watching, going through hours of episodes to hep you make the most important decision of the week: what to watch in your down time.
As you will read, we look at all the new shows that have landed on Netflix, Prime Video, NOW, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus and Paramount Plus and more, then give our verdict.
In short: if it's in the WatchList, then you know it is going to be good.
After our recommendations of the week, we have links to all of our essential streaming guides - the rankings of which are voted by our readers, so if you haven't done so already then give them a click and have your say.
And if you are still stuck with what to watch, then we have kept all of our previous recommendations so you can have a read.
Happy viewing!
Kneecap
Kneecap are a real band from Ireland. But Kneecap the film is a fictionalised tale behind the band, co-starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Rich Peppiatt. The whole thing is just supremely unlikely. Managing to time a film with the real-world rise of the actual band? Actually making a great and hilarious film? Finding a band that can really act? This is one to witness.
Cross season 1
Aldis Hodge stars as Alex Cross, the star of dozens of James Patterson books. He’s a homicide detective in Washington D.C. Part police procedural, part thriller, this series may not be the stuff of HBO dreams, but it is a solid show buoyed by a great lead performance. All eight episodes of the first season are available now.
The Lost Children
A plane crash leaves four children, siblings, stranded in the Colombian jungle. It’s up to the eldest, 13-year-old Lesly, to keep them alive. This is the story of their survival, the rescue attempts and is an eye-opening and heartwarming tale. It’s documentary from Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel, not an overly rote dramatisation. Worth a watch.
Dune: Part Two
The brilliant second Dune movie came to US viewers via MAX earlier in the year, but now UK folks can get on-board thanks to NOW. This second chapter is just as thrilling as the first, and shows us a Paul Atreides wrestle with the intoxicating appeal of power while knowing the dark future it may bring. Part three is on the way, but it will be a while. In October we heard Denis Villeneuve was still in the process of writing the script.
Silo season 2
Apple’s sci-fi show Silo picks up some momentum in season 2. Missed the original? Silo is set in a grim future where the the Earth’s surface is poisoned, forcing the surviving humans down into an underground community. The way the second season deepens the mystery has been compared to Lost — in a favourable sense for once. We’ll stop there to avoiding handing out any spoilers for anyone considering starting a watch now.
We have spent A LONG time watching things on all these streaming services. So, if you want more of an in-depth look at the shows and movies you can stream the please head to the following guides.
- The best Apple TV Plus shows, revealed
- The best Netflix shows and best movies on Netflix
- The best Amazon Prime Series and best movies on Amazon Prime Video
- The best Disney Plus shows and best Disney Plus movies
- The best NOW TV shows and best movies on NOW TV
- The best Paramount Plus shows
Previously on The WatchList...
My Old Ass
This Aubrey Plaza comedy went in and out of (selected) cinemas without almost anyone noticing, but it was a hit with the critics — and has a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score. Elliott (Maisy Stella) takes magic mushrooms and meets herself aged 39, played by Plaza. It’s a sweet and good-natured film that also won’t eat up your entire evening, clocking in at just under 90 minutes.
Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland
That’s right, the singer from the Smashing Pumpkins owns a wrestling company. This unlikely reality show tunes into his life as he balances a new marriage with managing the National Wrestling Alliance and his old day job as a rock star. You get to see another side of a star who can often seem a bit prickly and self-serious.
Countdown Paul vs Tyson
Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are due to fight in November 15. Two men, one ring and tens of millions of dollars on the line in prize money. The limited series looks into the fighters' training camps ahead of the fight. The event itself will be broadcast on Netflix too. But can one of the all-time greats flatten an upstart YouTuber? Let’s hope so.
The Day of the Jackal
Frederick Forsyth’s 1971’s espionage novel gets a modern remake in this 10-part series, which stars Eddie Redmayne. He is the Jackal, an unstoppable sniper assassin’s being hunted by MI6 agents. This is a thrilling watch laced with real style. The first five episodes were released on day one, the rest due one a week into December.
The Holdovers
This multi Oscar nominated movie came to streaming on Peacock in the US earlier in the year, but it’s now time for the UK crowd to get up to speed. Paul Giamatti stars as a teacher in a posh prep school. He and a few students are left at the school when the rest of the students go away for a two-week Christmas break. This 1970s-drenches modern classic comes from Alexander Payne, director of iconic Giamatti film Sideways, so you know you’re in for something good.
The Substance
Not just one of the best horror-adjacent films of the year, but one of the best movies of the year full-stop is now available on MUBI. Demi Moore stars as an ageing star who discovers a serum that can make her young again. But it comes with horrifying side-effects. The Substance is a must-watch. And at the time of writing you can get a year of MUBI access for £60. A sound deal.
The Diplomat season 2
We’ve been waiting a while for this one. One of the best Netflix shows of 2023 is back for a second season. Expect shades of West Wing vibes amped up on political thriller energy. Part two rides the wave of the first season’s electric (if frustrating at the time) cliffhanger ending, to carry on what we loved so much about the show back in April 2023. Missed it first time around? The Diplomat follows the exploits of Keri Russel’s Kate Wyler, a US ambassador who ends up working in the UK system.
Murder Mindfully
You may see shades of Dexter in this new German darkly comic thriller series. Bjorn is a lawyer who works for the mob. When he takes part in a mindfulness lesson, he learns of news ways of coping with the stress. And that includes finding “inner peace” through murder. The first season features eight 30-minute episodes.
Sting
This B-movie creature feature is one arachnophobes should be wary of. It features a whole lot of spiders, made by Weta Workshop of Lord of the Rings fame. This one’s not all about fear, though. It features as much comedy as the horror stuff, and is also over and done in just over 90 minutes.
Immaculate
One of the better horror movies of 2024, Immaculate first streamed in the US on Hulu in August, but it’s now available to UK viewers. Sydney Sweeney stars as a nun in an order based in the Italian countryside, before she is groomed as a sort of "chosen one". And it’s not the sort of chosen one you want to be. Powerful stuff, with a memorable ending.
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End
This zombie movie has been released to nearly zero fanfare but it’s worth a watch for fans of the genre. It’s a Spanish production based on the first book in a series of zombie novels, meaning we get to see the origins of the outbreak. Despite being a lower budget production, this one puts some effort into its drama and characterisation.
Wizards Beyond Waverley Place
Grew up in the 2000s? Wizards Beyond Waverley Place may soak you in a nostalgia wave. It’s a return to a comedy sitcom formula that basically introduced a whole generation to Selena Gomez. She returns in this light and funny series about a wizarding family living on Staten Island. It’s perfect if you have younger members of your family, or remember the original fondly. Neither applies? You can probably skip this one.
Before
In a mash-up that sounds like the setup for a joke, Before sees Billy Crystal return to our screens… but in a horror story. He plays child psychiatrist Eli, who in a 10-episode run tries to fix the ills of a young child. It has had mixed reviews. Some critics say it’s tedious, others that Crystal is a bit of a revelation in a more serious role.
Territory
Liked Succession? This show has picked up endless comparisons to that classic, except Territory is set in the Australian outback. A cattle rancher empire is looking for an heir, and the squabbles threaten to tear the Lawson family apart. It’s fun, it’s violent. And Robert Taylor plays the Logan Roy role as head of the family.
This is the Zodiac Speaking
This latest slice of true crime from the folks at Netflix lets us return to one of the great cases of cinema, the Zodiac Killer — subject of David Fincher movie Zodiac. It’s a three-part series that has a rather different take on the killer, interviewing some of the folks who were around at the time and had interactions with Arthur Leigh Allen.
Family Pack
A French film starring cinema legend Jean Reno. Watch the trailer and many of you will be unable to keep one word out of your head: Jumanji. A family start playing a mysterious board game, and it sends them on a time-travelling adventure. It’s also roughly based on a real game, The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, where at least one player is a werewolf, and must try to hide it from the rest of the humble villager players.
Doctor Odyssey
With reviews ranging from 1-star massacres to 5-star love-ins, this is an eyebrow-raiser. Joshua Jackson stars as Dr Max Bankman, the doctor on-board a luxury cruise ship. It’s as firmly grounded as the ship on which is it set, but if you can accept Doctor Odyssey is simply preposterous nonsense and roll with the tides, you’ll have a good time with this one.
Like a Dragon: Yakuza
It had to happen at some point. The Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series of games has become radically more popular over the last decade, and this show is a TV adaptation of the 2005 original. Kiryu is released from prison, and ends up enmeshed in a sprawling crime story. The show lacks the charming oddity of the games, the more out-there stuff, but Yakuza was never going to be the easiest source material to bring to screens.
Woman of the Hour
Anna Kendrick makes her directorial debut in Woman of the Hour. She also stars. Sheryl goes on a 1970s TV dating show, but the man she picks to date is actually a serial killer. Unlikely as that sounds, this one is loosely based on a true story. Serial killer Rodney Alcala went on a TV dating show in 1978, The Dating Game. This one lands at 95 minutes, and is the rare case when a movie could have been slightly longer if anything.
Rivals
Who knew an adaptation of a bonkbuster novel by Jilly Cooper would be this good? Cooper’s novels are a fun read, but this show comes alive on the TV screen thanks to star turns from David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Katherine Parkinson. It's set in and around the world of TV production in the mid-80s. Crammed full of sex scenes, Rivals is not one to watch with the kids. But it’s hilarious and all-out fun.
The Radleys
The Radleys seem like a normal family from a distance. But there’s just one issue. They’re vampires. And that secret threatens to bubble up over the surface when the daughter Clara sort-of accidentally kills a boy from her school. This film is based on a novel by Matt Haig, and typical of his writing this is as much a family drama comedy as it is an actual vampire film.
Submerged
We normally recommend shows and movies for flat screens big and small on What to Watch. But Submerged deserves a shout-out for its sheer ambition and audacity. This is a short film made and shot for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. You can look in around the 3D scenes, and tense ones they are too. You are aboard a submarine amid a torpedo attack. Submerged is directed by Edward Berger, who made 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front for Netflix.
Available on Apple Vision Pro
Outside
One for the horror fiends. Outside is a zombie movie, but an unusual one. It’s set and filmed in the Philippines, and sees a family try to survive out in the wilderness as an outbreak kicks off. This is quite a long watch at 142 minutes. But that time is used to let the psychological thriller elements bed in. It’s no run of the mill zombie flick, and sees much of the tension come from within the family itself, not the wandering brain-eaters outside.
Shrinking season 2
Jason Segel returns as psychotherapist Jimmy, who takes an unusual approach with his patients after his own life fell apart at the show’s outset. This is perhaps Apple’s best attempt to bring back some of that Ted Lasso magic to Apple TV+. And, sure enough, this second season sees Brett Goldstein (also one of the show’s creators) enter the cast.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
We have no idea when the next Tomb Raider game is out, but Lara’s back on our screens in animated form. This take on the legend sees Lara deal with her trauma as much as adventuring. And it’s led to some mixed reviews, but in the best possible sense. Some say it’s a 2-star dud, while CBR gave the show a glowing 9/10 write-up.
Sweetpea
The ever-watchable Ella Purnell is Rhiannon. Her life isn’t going so well. She’s bit of a doormat, who gets kicked around by people who exploit her amenability. But then she snaps and starts killing folks on her vengeance list. It’s a six-part series, and the whole run is available to watch now. It’s yet another watch with somewhat mixed reviews, but the (many) more positive ones say it’s a great time, buoyed by Purnell’s comedy chops.
The Boy and the Heron
Here’s one many of you will have missed in cinemas, Studio Ghibli’s latest. The Boy and the Heron was directed by the master himself, Hayao Miyazaki, and is the tale of a young boy who enters a magical world. It’s not one of Ghibli’s lightest works, though, as his desire to escape follows the death of his mother. An affecting watch, and definitely one for your personal watch list if you’ve ever enjoyed a Studio Ghibli film.
Lonely Planet
Netflix has a thing for unlikely romances at the moment. Lonely Planet zooms in on a novelist, played by Laura Dern, who heads to a remote holiday retreat in Morocco to try to get some work done. But when she meets a younger man there, played by Liam Hemsworth, all her plans are thrown into disarray. Is it a masterpiece? Absolutely not. But it’s an easy watch that avoids the worse excesses of the romance drama, and does feature some lovely scenery. And no, not just Liam Hemsworth.
On the big screen...
Terrifier 3
One of the wildest movies we have ever seen in the cinema, Terrifier 3 is another blood-drenched entry in the frightening franchise and cements the silent but violent Art The Clown as one of the best horror villains.
This one isn't for the faint-hearted, we were at the UK premier and the tabloids we awash with news that someone puked (we were all given sick bags) and numerous walkouts. But if you are already a Terrifier fan, then this one is for you!
It’s What’s Inside
Netflix acquired the rights to this unusual sci-fi-horror-thriller after it debuted at the Sundance film festival. A group of friends get together for a party game ahead of a wedding, and it goes to wild places. Some critics say it is one of the best movies of the year. Others were pretty non-plussed with its histrionics. We say it’s a must-watch just to see which side you land on. It’s the first movie of Greg Jardin, who also wrote It’s What’s Inside.
Trouble
A man is falsely convicted of a murder inside his home, and sentenced to 18 years in jail. It may not sound like the stuff of comedy, but that’s Trouble for you. This Swedish movie recounts a breakout of the prison, and how the man gets tangled up in crime outside of those walls. It's a remake of film from 1988, Strul, but to most of us this is likely to be a first-time watch of the story.
Heartstopper season 3
Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson are beginning to grow up in season three of Heartstopper. And that means more on the themes of university, booze and, yes, sex. But this is Heartstopper so, as you’d hope, it’s all handled with a deft and sensitive touch. We get all the charm of the earlier seasons, and a check in with two of our favourite characters.
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
No-one was asking for a remake of 1991 comedy Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. But this one from earlier in 2024 received a surprisingly warm reception from some critics. Variety said the film "takes the good parts of what was and fashions something fresh and fun for contemporary times." The plot? The mom of a family heads to Thailand for a retreat. But when the guardian left with the kids dies, they have to fend for themselves.
Last Days of the Space Age
Perth in Australia, 1979. Last Days of the Space Age looks into the lives of three families during a confluence of unusual events. There’s a strike at a power company that causes a blackout, a local beauty pageant and, to top things off, a space station falls out of the sky and lands just out of the city. It’s not as hard-hitting as that might suggest, but a drama not set in the US is refreshing in itself.
Joker Folie a Deux
A surprisingly bold film, Joker sequel Folie a Deux doesn’t just try to recreate what the first mega-hit film did in 2019. It blends a musical with some of the themes of the iconic villain, and ends up making a movie that might even be darker than the original. Will it go down well with the devotees? We’re not at all sure. And the critics didn’t love it either. But it’s no lazy rehash.
Out now in cinemas
Inside Out 2
Not only is Inside Out 2 a worthy follow-up to one of the best Pixar films of all time, this film is the biggest box office hit of the year. Heck, you can still catch it in some cinemas. We take another trip into Riley’s head, which is now flooded with the confusing emotions of adolescence. It’s a heartwarming and relatable adventure for just about all ages, in classic Pixar fashion.
His Three Daughters
A far cry from the average Netflix-distributed movie, His Three Daughters is a small-scale but affecting drama about three sisters and their dying father. While it was released without much fanfare, the film has three true stars — Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne and Carrie Coon — all putting in some of the best performances of their careers.
Four Kings
This four-part series looks into the history and achievements of four of the greatest British boxers of all time: Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Lennox Lewis. It’s no tour of glory, though, and digs into the racism and the often horrific injuries involved in this most violent of sports.
Nobody Wants This
Kristen Bell is a sex podcaster. Adam Brody is a rabbi who has just gone through a break-up. The 10 episodes of Nobody Wants This asks, will they make it given how different their lives are? It’s a light and breezy romcom, with each episode clocking in at 20-30 minutes. Reviews range from the entirely unpersuaded to fully enraptured.
Mr. McMahon
Wrestling boss Vince McMahon has done his best to distance himself from this documentary, saying it misrepresents him. But maybe that’s just a sign it digs a little too deep for his liking. Mr McMahon covers his ascent to stardom as the head of the WWE, but also the darker side of a man who has been accused of sexual abuse.
Ludwig
David Mitchell stars as DCI Taylor in Ludwig, a comedy-drama that sees the Peep Show star become a detective. Well, sort of. He actually plays the detective’s brother, but the two are so similar he impersonates him in order to get to the bottom of why the real John Taylor has gone missing. It’s a gentle show that has attracted comparisons to Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club novels.
- Stream now at BBC iPlayer (UK only)
The Penguin
Much like the film in which Colin Farrell first donned the prothetic suit to become Penguin, this TV series paints Gotham with unusual realism and grit. It's is a more human take on the Batman supervillain, and shows how he became the unhinged figure we know and love(/fear). The show, much like 2022’s The Batman, is pretty slow, though. Bring your patience for this one but it may well be rewarded.
Agatha All Along
Its teaser imagery looks more a Witches of Eastwick or Hocus Pocus spin-off than anything else but, yes, Agatha All Along is a Marvel show. It’s a Wandavision offshoot that centres on Wanda's nemesis Agatha, played brilliantly by Kathryn Hahn. The show has picked up some stellar reviews from critics who a) don’t mind the tonal shift to something more campy and b) aren’t already burned out on Marvel.
A Very Royal Scandal
That’s right, they’ve made another dramatisation of Emily Maitlis’s interview with Prince Andrew in 2019, following 2024 Netflix movie Scoop starring Gillian Anderson. This one stars Michael Sheen as the Prince and Ruth Wilson as Maitlis. And it’s a three-part series instead of a film. Reviews are mixed, but some folks can’t get enough of all things royal, and Sheen certainly puts on a dedicated performance as the prince.
Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal
The ‘80s, man. This was the era of Motley Crüe, Guns ’N’ Roses, Van Halen, Poison and Ratt. Not all of us would choose to go back there, but if you have even a passing affection for the period, this is a must-watch. We get to see some of the key figures of the scene regale old tales of the day, including Bret Michaels, as well as newer figures, like Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, express their love for the sub-genre. It’s not a deep and challenging doc, but it is a good time.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
The first season of Monster focused on Jeffrey Dahmer, and went on to become one of the most-watched Netflix shows ever. It racked up more than a billion hours in its first three months on stream. This second season looks into Lyle and Erik Menendez, who killed their parents in the 1990s. True crime fans shouldn’t, and probably won’t, miss this one. It also sees Javier Bardem return to our TVs, which is never a bad thing.
Frasier season 2
Frasier is a beloved show. But its 2023 return arrived to a mixed response, not helped by a very shaky start. This second season thankfully avoids those faulty beginnings. But the mixed reviews suggest your reaction to this new season may well be the same as the first. Reviewers range from saying it’s great and a welcome return, to that it’s as creaky as a rusty old bike. Give it a go and make up your own mind.
Billionaire Island
Miss Succession? You might want to take a bite out of Billionaire Island. But this power play isn’t about control of a media empire, but that of a salmon fishing business. Two families are trying to grapple the Norwegian market, and the shares of one person could let one of those families take control of the whole fish pie. It’s in Norwegian, but don’t let that put you off. Glimrende!
Into the Fire: Missing Daughter
A woman is asked to help in the investigation of the murder of an unidentified woman, because they believe it could be the girl she put up for adoption 35 years prior, when she herself was just 17. As she delves into the mystery, the twists and turns are wild enough to strain credulity were this not a real story. It’s that of Cathy Terkanian, who lives in Massachusetts and contributes to this two-part documentary.
Boxer
This Polish film is the heavyweight tale of a boxer chasing his dream of becoming a champion, while his young family watches from the ringside. Why heavyweight? It’s two-and-a-half hours long. Don’t come expecting a particularly novel story, as it hits the story beats you’d expect of one of these biopics, even though the film is pure fiction.
Rebel Ridge
Rebel Ridge is the Netflix Original streaming movie we have recommended more than just about any other in recent months. It’s a tense and thrilling action movie in which Aaron Pierre’s ex-Marine Terry Richmond ends up in an escalating face-off with a small town police chief, played by no less than Don Johnson. This film is directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who in films like Green Room and Blue Ruin has shown filmmaking nous can add real cinematic verve to what might be considered lesser genres by some.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road
After more than 20 years, it’s the end of the road for the classic (to some, anyway) Top Gear crew: Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond. The Grand Tour’s season five has come to an end with episode four. It sees the trio head out into Zimbabwe with cars each has always wanted to own, and is a real send-off for the series, clocking in at over two hours. It’s easy for some to think of The Grand Tour this as a mere Top Gear spin-off. But the show itself now has quite some pedigree, having began in 2016.
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy
Star Wars shows have had a bit of a rough run for the last couple of years. Could this be the antidote? Rebuild the Galaxy combines classic Star Wars antics with the irreverent humour and lightness we’ve come to expect from a LEGO tie-in. And… it’s pure good fun? LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild The Galaxy is a four-part series that has enough cameos to appease the super-fan contingent, without getting bogged down.
The Perfect Couple
A detective show based on a hit novel. Nicole Kidman and Live Schreiber star as a wealthy couple living by Nantucket’s coastline. Their son is about to get married, but the supposedly happy event is derailed when a dead body is found on the beach nearby. Dark secrets are unearthed, and the veneer of this family’s rich and glossy life begins to crack. Plenty of twists are there to pull you through the six episodes.
Slow Horses season 4
One of the best shows on streaming is back for season four. It kicks off in dramatic style, as a bomb detonates in a shopping centre. But the appeal of the show is the same as ever: what’s going on in Slough House, where Jackson Lamb and co try to get to the bottom of a new conspiracy. Hugo Weaving stars in this season, and let’s just say he’s not a particularly nice guy in this one.
English Teacher
Brian Jordan Alvarez stars as Evan, the English teacher of the title. He’s gay, and under investigation after a parent complains about seeing him kiss his boyfriend. But this is no weighty and worthy show. It’s a comedy, and a genuinely funny one at that. Alvarez writes and directs. If you can’t quite place where you’ve seen him before, it may be from YouTube, where he’s found viral success for a decade.
Untold: Hope Solo vs U.S. Soccer
Hope Solo was a star of women’s football years before it was really put under the spotlight. But the story of her life outside of the pitch is even more eye-opening than her career. Goalkeeper Solo was suspended from play following charges of domestic violence, and has also been arrested for drunk driving. A flawed character, but one of the greatest goalkeepers in the women’s sport.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
36 years after the original, Tim Burton is back with another slice of off-kilter gothic comedy with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The alarming part: the main cast is back too, including Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and, of course, Michael Keaton. After all these years, that Beetlejuice flavour is still in-tact. And, a must for the fans, those shrunken head guys return too.
Out now in cinemas...
Terminator Zero
The Terminator series isn’t exactly in rude cinematic health. But outside of the movies, it’s doing alright. Terminator: Resistance has become a cult video game favourite, and new animated series Terminator Zero is probably the best reviewed Terminator content since Terminator 2. This is an anime project from one of the key animation houses of the art form. It’s violent, and features the classic trope of a warrior (a woman this time) sent back in time to try to avert the robot-apocalypse. The first eight episodes are available to stream now. Netflix hasn’t confirmed follow-up seasons yet, so wrap your eyeballs around this one, stat, to give it the best chance of a renewal.
Kaos
Picture this: Jeff Goldblum is a greek god. And not a figurative one, either. He’s Zeus, the King of gods and master of thunder. That’s Kaos’s whole deal. The greek gods have been transposed onto modern times, terrorising current-day Greece with natural disasters and the like as their family dysfunction overflows. Some reviews say it’s a comedic masterpiece. Others aren’t quite so persuaded. Give it a go for yourself. Eight episodes, roughly 50 minutes a piece.
The Rings of Power Season 2
A top candidate for the most expensive TV show ever made is back. The Rings of Power season 2 sees Sauron reprise his evil antics as he continues forging the rings of power that got Middle-Earth into such a pickle in the classic Lord of the Rings story. This second season is darker and more doom-laden, with more complex plotting than the first season. Review scores are all over the shop, a stellar 92% Rotten Tomatoes score obscuring quite how mixed opinions are on this one.
Worst Ex Ever
Netflix is back to its true crime shenanigans with no. 1 TV hit Worst Ex Ever. It’s a four-part series that examines abuse within relationships. Each episode focuses on a different couple. There’s fake identities, emotional abuse, an attempt to effectively steal someone’s child and more. All true stories, with some potentially triggering content in tow. It’s a typically no-nonsense Blumhouse production, and the one case per ep means there’s no bloat or fat to these stories.
Only Murders in the Building season 4
One of the most-loved comedy-mysteries on streaming is back for a fourth season. Some reviewers are calling this season a return to form. But last time we checked, there wasn’t a dud season of this show. Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez return to bumbling about and solving mysteries. The trio continue to lock into their winning rhythm, and the series showing no signs of letting up just yet.
The Frog
This Korean series follows two storylines at once, set twenty years apart. Two innocent strangers invite someone into their lives, and find theirs upended as a result. It’s part horror, part thriller, and the story unravels over right episodes. The pacing is a little uneven, so some patience is required. But it all comes together in a satisfying way in the show’s second half.
Pachinko season 2
Missed the first season of Pachinko? You’ve missing out on one of the best shows in all of streaming. It’s the tale of a Korean family that moves to Japan, charting their lives across four generations from 1915 to 1989. We can only hope we get a third season to fully adapt the original 2017 novel. The show has been almost universally praised for its acting, cinematography and storytelling.
GG Precinct
This Taiwanese show combines a serial killer story with… comedy. It’s a very, very silly show, but somehow manages to pull the oddball combination off. 20 years ago, a teacher murdered his students. And now a copycat killer is on the rise, linking his murders to word games. Check out the trailer to get a sense of whether you’ll get on with GG Precinct's unusual flavour.
Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War
Cowboys can feel like the stuff of fictional legend, but they were actually real. Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War is a docudrama that lifts the lid on the iconic lawman Earp and his struggles against outlaws out west. The show includes the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and blends interviews and archive footage with more movie-like acted-out scenes. It’s a fun look back into a a part of American history it’s all too easy to have a murky, part-fictional take on.
Arcadian
After a limited theatrical run earlier this year, Nic Cage vehicle Arcadian has come to NOW. It’s a post apocalypse thriller in which Cage and his two sons try to stay alive in a remote farmhouse. And that’s made somewhat more difficult by the horrifying creatures that start trying to kill them at night. Contrary to what you might expect, Cage puts in a pretty restrained performance in this effective low-budget horror.
Incoming
What happened to all those high school comedies? They’re still around, but tend to take a different approach, as in Bottoms. Incoming takes more of an old-school approach, focusing on a bunch of idiot teenage boys. It’s led to comparisons to Superbad, although you shouldn’t approach Incoming with hopes for another minor classic like that. However, if you have a penchant for toilet humour, it should go down a treat.
Emily in Paris season 4
The first half of Emily in Paris season 4 is here. Gabriel is in love with Emily, and it’s set to cause all kinds of havoc, especially with Gabriel’s ex Camille just out of frame. This first half of the season is comprised of five episodes, with the other five due on 12 September. Some reviews have begun to tire of the Emily in Paris formula, but others say it’s just a joy to slip back into Emily’s somewhat unhinged world.
Bad Monkey
A comedy series starring Vince Vaughn sounds like a magnet for mediocre reviews but Bad Monkey is a real critical hit. He’s no wedding crasher here, starring as a detective who has become a restaurant inspector after being demoted. However, he finds a severed arm while on duty, pulling him into a mystery. Also stars Rob Delaney and Michelle Monaghan. But the charm of Vaughn’s performance is the lead draw here.
The Tyrant
If there’s a non English language country whose productions you should pay attention to, it’s South Korea. The Tyrant is about a virus developed by the country, one designed to give people enhanced
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