Welcome to our weekly guide to the best new shows and movies! On this page, we've put together a selection of six of the week's must-see TV shows and films in a range of genres.
If you've been stuck trying to find something great to watch, then this list is here to help you out. We've scoured all of the best streaming services, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more, to find the best new shows and the most exciting movies. This week, we have the long awaited – almost 30 years in fact – sequel to the classic Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore, an epic new historical adventure on Disney Plus, a gripping new hitman thriller on Prime, and more.
So if you're ready to find your next essential watch, go grab some snacks and drinks, then sit back and let's get the week's viewing planned.
Happy Gilmore 2
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
Adam Sandler returns to his happy place with this almost-30-years-later sequel. Happy Gilmore 2 sees the now retired golfer Happy (Sandler) make a comeback bid in order to help pay for his daughter's ballet school fees. But a lot has changed in the intervening years and he is going to need to seriously up his game if he's going to stand a chance of making it as a pro again.
The original Happy Gilmore remains one of Adam Sandler's most beloved films. This belated follow up is once again written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and features an unexpected cameo from Uncut Gems director Benny Safdie. If you're after a feel good Friday night movie, head to Netflix on July 25th to see Happy Gilmore tee off once more.
Here are our picks of the best Netflix movies.
The Assassin
Available: UK/US
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
A retired assassin named Julie (Keeley Hawes) reunites with her estranged journalist son Edward (Freddie Highmore) in this pacy new thriller. Edward wants to know more about his mother's mysterious history as a "headhunter", but she's understandably cautious about sharing too many details. When the past catches up with her, however, the two are forced to go on the run...
Hawes is excellent as an ice cold and capable killer with a Bondian-line in deadpan quips. Hitman thrillers are nothing new, of course, with The Day of the Jackal being an excellent recent example, but The Assassin has a very different energy. It's faster and funnier, though the action scenes are well-directed and frequently pretty brutal.
Find more great TV with this list of the best Prime Video shows.
Washington Black
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu (USA), Disney Plus (UK)
This globetrotting adventure is based on the powerful historical novel by Esi Edugyan. The story follows the life of George Washington Black (Eddie Karanja), a young slave boy living in Barbados. When an unexpected death shakes the plantation, Wash escapes and embarks on a long and perilous journey that will take him around the world. He grows up (with Ernest Kingsley Jr. taking on the role in Wash's adulthood) and discovers huge talents within himself, as an artist and inventor, but can he escape the past when a bounty hunter is sent to capture him?
Edugyan's novel was a huge hit when it was published in 2018, even being nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize. This looks like a faithful and ambitious adaptation. The entire eight episode season drops onto Hulu (and Disney Plus worldwide) on July 23.
Our list of the best Hulu shows is packed with classics.
Napoleon Dynamite
Available: US
Where to watch: HBO Max
This cult classic indie comedy dropped onto HBO Max a few days back and has since become a top 10 hit for the streamer. Napoleon Dynamite follows the low-key misadventures of the titular teenager (played by Jon Heder) and his brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) in their hometown, Preston, Idaho. When their grandmother, Carlinda, is injured, sleazy Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) comes to stay.
Meanwhile, Napoleon makes new friends in the form of Deb (Tina Majorino) and Pedro (Efren Ramirez), the latter of whom is running for class president – inspiring the creation of a million "Vote Pedro" shirts in the mid-'00s. Napoleon Dynamite is a true one-off, and a word-of-mouth success in 2004 that has become legendary in the years since. Sweet.
Find more to watch with our guide to the best HBO Max movies.
Acapulco
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
The fourth and final season of Apple TV Plus's wildly enjoyable rags to riches comedy delivers more feel good laughs. Eugenio Derbez plays Máximo Gallardo, a wealthy business mogul in the present day reflecting on his rise to success in the 1970s and '80s, which we see in flashbacks. Having bagged a coveted job at the Las Colinas resort in Acapulco, the young Máximo (Enrique Arrizon) now finds the resort under threat from a competitor. Meanwhile in the present day, he tries to restore the resort to its former glory.
Acapulco has picked up a strong following and a lot of critical acclaim over the last four seasons. This final chapter looks set to be a lovely but bittersweet send off for one of the most charming shows currently streaming.
The Sandman season 2, part 2
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
The second half of the fantasy saga's final season arrives on Netflix this Thursday. The first six episodes saw Dream (Tom Sturridge) and Delirium embark on a dangerous quest to find their brother Destruction but ended with family blood being spilled. There will be a heavy price to pay for that, with the all-powerful Kindly Ones condemning Dream for his actions.
The Sandman has sometimes felt like a strange speedrun of the comic, compressing 75 issues worth of story into two short seasons. Still this has been a mostly effective adaptation, with Sturridge in particular deserving praise for making the permanently pouting Dream King sympathetic and intriguing, rather than just sulky. A one-off special, adapting the Death: The High Cost of Living graphic novel, will follow on July 31.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus.
