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This guide to the best new shows and movies is here to bring you recommendations for what to watch on the most popular streaming services this week. We've picked out three fantastic TV shows and three excellent movies from a wide range of genres to keep you thrilled and entertained.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is the next best thing to a new season of Netflix's most famous show: a fully-animated series that fits into the established canon of the main saga. It's backed up by Half Man, Richard Gadd's follow up to the world-conquering Baby Reindeer. Over on the movie side of things we have the arrival of dog-based horror movie Good Boy on streaming, plus a new survival thriller starring Charlize Theron.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
Turns out we're not quite done with Hawkins, after all! This new animated series takes us back in time to catch up with the Stranger Things kids in the months between seasons 2 and 3 of the live action show. In the winter of 1985 Mike, Eleven, and the gang (all voiced by new actors) face a new paranormal threat. They're joined by Nikki Baxter (Odessa A'zion) – a new kid on the block, who was suspiciously never mentioned in the main show. Place your bets now on if they make it out of the season alive or not...
With the main show now concluded, animation is a smart way for Stranger Things to continue. The 10-episode Tales From '85 drops on April 23.
See what else we recommend with our guide to the best shows on Netflix.
Good Boy
Available: US
Where to watch: Hulu
This horror movie may sound like a bit of a gimmick, but it turned out to be one of last year's most pleasant surprises. Good Boy flips the perspective of a traditional horror flick, so that we see the events through the eyes of a pet dog! The pup in question is Indy, a Retriever, who moves with his owner Todd (Shane Jensen) to an old house in the country – only to find that the house is very haunted indeed...
Good Boy was a hit when it was released in cinemas last year. Part of its brilliance is that even with this seemingly silly premise, it manages to be genuinely quite creepy and affecting. And yes, Indy the dog is absolutely adorable.
Find more great film with our guide to the best Hulu movies.
Half Man
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max
Netflix's Baby Reindeer took the world by storm in 2024. Now that show's star and creator Richard Gadd is back with his first new show, a six-part co-production between HBO Max and the BBC. Half Man tells the story of the close – almost brotherly – relationship between Ruben (Gadd) and Niall (Jamie Bell). The two men have known each other for decades, but as time has worn on, things have taken a violent and toxic turn.
An unflinching depiction of masculinity and obsession, Half Man looks like a gripping drama. Baby Reindeer was an incredibly compelling piece of work and this certainly looks very promising.
Check out our guide to the best HBO Max shows for more essential viewing.
Apex
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
Charlize Theron stars in this tough and exciting new survival thriller. Theron plays Sasha, a woman who has embarked on a solo trek through Australia's Wandarra National Park as a way to process her grief following a recent loss. When she crosses paths with a hunter played by Taron Egerton, however, things take a very dark turn. It's not long before she finds herself pursued by a ruthless killer.
Genuinely shot in Australia, this looks like an exciting and immersive new twist on the classic premise of The Most Dangerous Game. Egerton gives a twitchy, nervy performance while Theron excels as a survivor who must call on all her wits and ingenuity to survive in the wilds against a crossbow-wielding predator.
Check out our guide to the best Netflix movies for more great viewing.
Criminal Record season 2
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV
Former Doctor Who Peter Capaldi stars alongside Cush Jumbo in this new crime thriller. Capaldi plays DCI Daniel Hegarty, a seasoned detective who clashes with young DS June Lenker (Jumbo) over a historic murder conviction. Over the course of a terrific first season the two detectives were grudgingly forced to work together. Still, the show skirted crime drama cliché by keeping their relationship tense and spiky even after they became allies.
In season 2, Lenker is now working as part of a team trying to halt a far-right hate group. When things go badly wrong, she finds herself drawn into something much bigger and more deadly – and once again crosses paths with Hegarty. Now the two 'tecs must race against time to save the day. Good, smart stuff from a classier type of crime show.
Our list of the best Apple TV shows is packed with quality entertainment.
Rental Family
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus
This Brendan Fraser-starring comedy drama proved divisive when it was released in cinemas late last year, with some loving it and others far less convinced. Fraser stars as Phillip Vanderploeg, a struggling actor living in Tokyo forced to take minor bit parts to pay the bills. Then he stumbles upon a very unusual gig: working for an agency offering "rental families", where he poses as a fake father, a fake son, a fake husband, and so on. He quickly realizes, however, that he is starting to genuinely empathize with his clients.
Rental Family is a sweet-natured film, one that questions if Phillip's fake affection can become real with time and performance. It is, perhaps, a touch sentimental, but that's not always a bad thing.
Check out our picks of the best Disney Plus movies for more great viewing.
Our guide to the best Hulu movies is full of cinematic gems.
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