This week, our list of the best new movies and TV shows to watch is packed with big names, exciting returns, and unexpected plot twists. Diving into the vast libraries of the best streaming services (including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Max, and Apple TV Plus) in search of something to watch can be daunting, sometimes even an impossible task, so we're here to help.
From family-friendly titles to exciting fantasy adventures and crime thrillers, we've selected six unmissable movies and TV series to watch over the weekend.
New movies
The Electric State (Netflix)
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix
One of Netflix's biggest releases this year is now available to stream, so you might just have found your perfect watch for this weekend. With an all-star cast and amazing use of VFX, The Electric State is an ambitious production helmed by the Russo brothers, a filmmaking duo best known for their work in the MCU (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Avengers: Endgame).
Based on Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel, the film is set in an alternate version of the '90s following a devastating robot war in America. The story follows Michelle (played by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman on a quest to find her brother, with the help of a smuggler (Chris Pratt) and his wisecracking sidekick. The cast also includes Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jason Alexander, as well as voices by Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Hank Azaria and Colman Domingo.
For more, read our The Electric State review, and check out the best Netflix shows to watch right now.
Moana 2 (Disney Plus)
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Disney Plus
Don't worry if you missed it in cinemas last year – Moana 2 is now available to stream on Disney Plus! Ready to dive into the turquoise seas again? This anticipated sequel to the beloved Moana, which was released back in 2016, brings back the titular heroine for another fun, exciting, and family-friendly ride. Even if Lin-Manuel Miranda's absence in the music department is felt, you'll still stay for the gorgeous animation and lovable characters.
Moana 2 follows Moana (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho), Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson), and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers in a journey to the far seas of Oceania, which takes them to some dangerous long-lost waters.
For more, read our Moana 2 review, and check out our list for the best TV shows on Disney Plus.
The Parenting (Max)
Available: US
Watch now: Max
Looking for something unexpected? If the answer is yes, then The Parenting is exactly what you need – an unhinged horror comedy starring some serious acting legends that offers a spin on the haunted house trope.
The story focuses on a young couple (played by Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn) who have planned the perfect weekend getaway in the countryside to introduce their parents to each other. However, tensions run high from the start, and it really doesn't help that the rental haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist. As you can imagine, weird things start to happen, and the parents (played by Brian Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco, and Dean Norris) seem to be the most affected by the evil spirit.
For more, check out our guides to the best HBO shows and the best HBO movies.
The Prestige (Hulu)
Available: US
Watch now: Hulu
With The Odyssey in the midst of filming right now, we're looking back at one of Christopher Nolan's best movies as it's just been added to Hulu's library. It might not have had the generational impact of Interstellar and the award-winning run of Oppenheimer, but The Prestige is a gem that deserved our attention.
Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play two 19th-century magicians who start a ferocious rivalry after an illusion goes horribly wrong. Battling for supremacy in their field, the pair will stop at nothing to emerge a winner, with their feud leading to terrible consequences and destruction.
For more, check out the best Hulu shows to watch right now.
New TV shows
The Wheel of Time season 3 (Prime Video)
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Prime Video
Prime Video's fantasy series The Wheel of Time, based on Robert Jordan's bestselling book saga, is back this week with new episodes. Season 3 will raise the bar for the story, as new characters come into play and Rosamund Pike's Moiraine Damodred will do anything to protect an increasingly unstable Rand.
The official synopsis reads: "After defeating Ishamael at the end of season 2, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in season 3, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both."
For more, check out all the best movies on Prime Video right now.
Dope Thief (Apple TV Plus)
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Apple TV Plus
Brian Tyree Henry is already receiving praise for his role in Apple TV Plus' new crime show, Dope Thief, so that's as good as reason as any to give it a watch this weekend. Co-starring Narcos star Wagner Moura, the show premiered this week, with a story based on Dennis Tafoya's book of the same title.
The series follows two long-time friends and small-time delinquents from Philadelphia who get in way over their heads with their latest stunt. Posing as DEA agents, the pair rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to discover they just got involved in the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern Seaboard. And not in a good way.
For more, check out our lists for the best movies on Apple TV Plus and the best TV shows on Apple TV Plus.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our list of the best Netflix movies or the best movies on Disney Plus.
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